Disaster struck.
And this time...
I WAS THE CAUSE!
Or at least, something I had done was the first place I started looking.
I have three mares.
You know...
MARES.
Except mine weren't the stereotypical cranky, kicking, can't-stand-each-other mares.
They were pretty much cool cucumbers.
They could eat together. I could take one away from the others. Their cycles were generally uneventful. They were calm, quiet, and easy to live with.
Truthfully, they were better than some of my geldings had been.
Then I found an old stash of SWAT in my tack room.
I hadn't used commercial fly products on my horses for quite a while because I'd started making my own.
But there it was.
And I thought...
"Hmmm... I should use this stuff up."
Famous last words.
🐴 It Was Just a Dab
I put a little dab on their bellies for the no-see-ums.
That was it.
Just a DAB.
Within the next couple of days, something was very different.
Pinned ears.
Kicking.
Aggression.
Three mares who normally got along beautifully suddenly acting like they had filed for divorce.
At the same time, I noticed changes in how I felt too.
Could that little change in our environment have had anything to do with what I was seeing?
I didn't know.
But it was enough to make me start asking questions.
And when I start asking questions...
Well...
You know how rabbit holes work. 😂
🐴 What Exactly IS in My Tack Room?
I started turning bottles around and reading labels.
Fly sprays.
Salves.
Shampoos.
Cleaning products.
All those bottles and tubs I'd been using for years without giving them much thought.
Suddenly I was giving them a LOT of thought.
There were ingredients I couldn't pronounce.
Warnings I'd never bothered to read.
Directions about skin contact, ventilation, disposal, keeping products away from children and animals...
Wait.
I'm putting some of this ON my animals.
That doesn't automatically mean a product is unsafe when it's used according to its label.
But it made me realize something important:
I wanted to know what I was using.
I didn't want to grab something off the tack-room shelf simply because I'd always used it.
🐴 I Started Simplifying
I didn't throw everything away overnight and declare my tack room a hazardous-waste site. 😂
I simply started paying attention.
Could I use fewer products?
Was there a simpler option?
Did I actually need this?
How did my horses respond when I used something?
What happened when I stopped?
Over time, I changed a lot of what I used around my horses.
I experimented.
I observed.
I kept what worked for us and stopped using what didn't.
I eventually developed some of my own alternatives, including the natural fly-control routine I use today.
And one of the things I noticed?
My horses became those cool cucumbers again.
🐴 Your Horse’s Environment Is Worth Paying Attention To
I can't tell you that changing one grooming product will change your horse's behavior.
Horse behavior is far too complicated for that.
Pain matters.
Training matters.
Nutrition matters.
Turnout matters.
Hormones matter.
Environment matters.
And sometimes, when something suddenly changes, it is worth becoming a detective.
What changed?
New feed?
Different hay?
New horse in the pasture?
Less turnout?
Pain?
Weather?
A different fly spray?
A new shampoo?
Something you're using in the barn?
You don't have to assume any one of those things is the cause.
Just get curious.
Because our horses can't turn around and say:
"Excuse me, could we discuss that new stuff you sprayed all over my belly?"
They communicate with behavior.
Our job is to pay attention.
🐴 A Calmer Horse Helps Create a Calmer Rider
This is the piece I understand even more now than I did when I originally wrote this blog.
When you're already struggling with riding anxiety, a horse whose behavior suddenly feels unpredictable can send your brain straight into:
WHAT IF?
What if she kicks?
What if she bolts?
What if something is wrong?
What if I can't handle it?
That's why I care so much about looking at the whole picture.
Sometimes we need to work on the rider.
Sometimes we need to work on the horse.
And sometimes...
we need to investigate the tack room.
The goal isn't to become afraid of everything on the shelf.
The goal is to become curious about what we're using, notice how our individual horses respond, and make thoughtful choices for the horses standing in front of us.
Mine?
They're back to being pretty darn good cool cucumbers. 🥒🐴
And I'll take that over three mares filing for divorce any day.
Want to take a closer look at what's in your own tack room? Get my free 3 Easy Ways to Start Detoxing Your Tack Room and start with a few simple changes.
Get the Free Tack Room Guide
Get the Free Tack Room Guide
0 Comments