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Regular
Posts: 59
| Is my mare the only one that becomes super skittish and spooky in winter time? My mare has become super hot and spooky this month but more like every winter. Is there anything I can giver her to help out on this? Or should I mainly giver her the winter off? She does get her teeth floated next month I think that'll help some as well. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
  
Location: Montana | How much are you riding her? Mine (I have 2 mares) become that way *I think* because I can't ride them regularly in the winter because of weather, and they have a lot of energy to burn off. The fresher mine are the spookier they are, IMO. Just a thought, but I have no idea what your riding schedule is or what your weather is like. Mine also get really grumpy when it gets really cold (like -20). I don't ride then, but they get grumpy, LOL. I do too, so I can't blame them. |
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Regular
Posts: 59
| I ride about 4 times a day. Just about every day kind of turns into a disaster because of her temper. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641
 
Location: Texas | I'm going to guess that you meant that you ride four times a week, not four times a day? When you say she's gotten skittish, what are some things that are setting her off? Once you get that figured out, you can work on desensitizing her to it. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| What is she getting fed and what is her total exercise like vs summer? If she's getting a half hour of light trotting as a ride vs an hour of wet saddle blanket work in the summer, there could be your issue.
I like slower burning heat producing feed in the winter like free choice hay and whole oats (fiberous hull, longer to digest) over quick producing feeds likes fats and oils. As their workload increases back up in the spring we adjust what we feed according to their workload and needs for heat. |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | OhMax - 2016-12-23 6:16 AM What is she getting fed and what is her total exercise like vs summer? If she's getting a half hour of light trotting as a ride vs an hour of wet saddle blanket work in the summer, there could be your issue. I like slower burning heat producing feed in the winter like free choice hay and whole oats (fiberous hull, longer to digest) over quick producing feeds likes fats and oils. As their workload increases back up in the spring we adjust what we feed according to their workload and needs for heat.
This is basically what I was trying to say...exercise difference between summer and winter. Thanks for putting it into better words, OhMax! |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | I would be sure she has access to hay 24/7. The fuller the stomach the comfortable she will be. |
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 Regular
Posts: 73
Location: Central Texas | Mine also seems to get flightier in the cold. This week has been warm and she's back to her lazy normal self. Last week was super cold and she was jumping left and right at stuff she's seen a million times. I've only owned her a few months so still figuring her out. Haven't really tried to find anything to help other than warming her up for a longer period of time. She just needs to get her "WOOHOO I feel good" out. Maybe lunge her or lope her down pretty good before starting your normal ride? |
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my mare is so skittish in winter