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Expert
Posts: 1543
  
Location: MI | I'm trying to figure out my mare. She's AQHA, 10-11 years old. We bought her in April. She had a tough time transitioning to our house from a boarding barn (pulling back at the trailer, pawing ferociously, grating her teeth on the metal gate), so I started her on Forco shortly after bringing her home (and some clay for a few days) and she seemed much more comfortable. Mel really really calmed over the summer (on pasture, small oats 1x/day, every other day) and was great, riding, tying at the trailer, and her vices (pawing, grating teeth on metal), went away.
She did start to get difficult to catch late summer when we had 2 Arabians come board. Only 1 is there now, pastured with her because he picks on my gelding.
This winter, up in our smaller pasture with a round bale, 1/4 scoop oats 2x/day, and forco pm, I've noticed she is more reactive again. She's spooked under saddle and is on the muscle when riding, paws terribly at the trailer, etc. I'm pregnant, so I would love to ride, but can't ride if she's going to be like this. I know it very well could be that she hasn't been worked with as much as this summer, but her behavior seems a little excessive. And she seems SO unhappy right now and I hate that for her. It occurred to me, that maybe there was something in the pasture that she was getting that she's not getting now from her current diet, that may be making her more uncomfortable? Anxious, etc.? She almost seems painful sometimes...I love the brainstorming on here and wondered if anyone might have any ideas... |
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| Check for ulcers |
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 Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | Does she act like this everywhere? Is she herdbound? Maybe some chiro work would do her good also... |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | I was wondering about getting the chiro out. She is a little herdbound. I'm trying to think back ...she was really good this summer when she was the only horse. When my colt came back from the trainer she was still good, maybe a little more pawing at the trailer, but really good behavior overall. I generally brought the 2 of them out together, but did ride her alone most of the time and didn't notice anything huge.
She hasn't been worked much or much changed other than her pasture situation. I'm not ruling ulcers out, but she shouldn't be stressed (although she does certainly act like it). |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | BKC2112 - 2013-12-23 4:44 PM
Does she act like this everywhere? Is she herdbound? Maybe some chiro work would do her good also...
I would say that she is nervous in the pasture as well as out. Maybe moreso when taken out of her pasture, but even pawing again when waiting for grain - which she wasn't doing in summer, and running a little from me even in the small pasture. |
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 The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | Oats can irritate ulcers, now that she is fed oats 2x day that may be causing more irritation to them? |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | Rodeo Rose - 2013-12-23 5:02 PM
Oats can irritate ulcers, now that she is fed oats 2x day that may be causing more irritation to them?
That could be ... My husband also just told me that she could have been getting some whole corn as well. The people who own the gelding we board have been feeding 3 nights a week for us, and I guess he said that they mentioned something about corn and the horses. They aren't feeding for us anymore so I can keep a better eye on it. She literally gets like 4 handfuls of oats a feeding. But I can try changing to something else and seeing if it makes a difference.
Eta, she has a good appetite.
Edited by Ridenrun4745 2013-12-23 5:15 PM
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Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| Ridenrun4745 - 2013-12-23 4:54 PM
I was wondering about getting the chiro out. She is a little herdbound. I'm trying to think back ...she was really good this summer when she was the only horse. When my colt came back from the trainer she was still good, maybe a little more pawing at the trailer, but really good behavior overall. I generally brought the 2 of them out together, but did ride her alone most of the time and didn't notice anything huge.
She hasn't been worked much or much changed other than her pasture situation. I'm not ruling ulcers out, but she shouldn't be stressed (although she does certainly act like it).
Doesnt really matter that she "shouldn't" be stressed. My mare with hind gut ulcers is so laid back she sleeps at shows, but any little food change can set her off. She would be the last horse you would think would have ulcers. |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | Is she a hard keeper that she needs grain, when you aren't riding as much?
Is your hay not good quality that you need to supplement with grain? My horses don't get grain (even during heavy competition time)
Keep in mind horses can get "cabin fever" in winter to with less room to run sometimes due to snow and with having feed so accessible she likely just goes bale, water, bale and not much else...
did her previous owners have issues like you having?
Edited by dream_chaser 2013-12-23 9:25 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | I get that she could be stressed about something that I have no idea about...I just wish if it is ulcers, I knew what stresses her out so much, you know?
She is very much an easy keeper on hay. It's good quality, grass round bale, free choice. Right now she's getting a little oats am and pm, mainly because the gelding she's in with gets safeguard 2x daily. She mainly gets enough to put her forco in. I've cut her back recently though, and I may just cut it out and see what happens.
The beginning of the summer though, she was getting more oats with forco, and didn't show these symptoms. (When she was the only horse on the property) |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | dream_chaser - 2013-12-23 9:22 PM
Is she a hard keeper that she needs grain, when you aren't riding as much?
Is your hay not good quality that you need to supplement with grain? My horses don't get grain (even during heavy competition time)
Keep in mind horses can get "cabin fever" in winter to with less room to run sometimes due to snow and with having feed so accessible she likely just goes bale, water, bale and not much else...
did her previous owners have issues like you having?
I do wonder about "cabin fever". That, and/or the gelding that she's in with is 'busy'...he could be a decent colt I think if his owners gave him a job, but in the meantime he thinks his job is staying as close as he can to Mel, investigating or mouthing everything, and eating the wood fence and stalls. Mel will tell him off if she wants to, but they seem to have a decent relationship overall.
I'm not sure about the old owners. It seemed like they very much had her in a routine at the boarding barn, understandably, and she was quite anxious around graining time when she first came to our house. Her old owner had some back problems, so she barely rode. The person who was leasing her when I bought her didn't say, but I don't know how often they were around for feeding or the day to day stuff.
Edited by Ridenrun4745 2013-12-23 10:28 PM
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| If she is on grass hay you migt want to give her some alfalfa pellets or cubes. All my horses are on a grass hay, alfalfa cubes and alfalfa pellets and beet pulp. All are fat my mare has really almost stopped cribbing ang my gelding has the same laid back look as he did when he was omepreizole. |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | daisycake123 - 2013-12-24 6:00 AM
If she is on grass hay you migt want to give her some alfalfa pellets or cubes. All my horses are on a grass hay, alfalfa cubes and alfalfa pellets and beet pulp. All are fat my mare has really almost stopped cribbing ang my gelding has the same laid back look as he did when he was omepreizole.
Hmm....that's interesting, thanks. We have beet pulp, but I haven't been feeding it to the horses because they are suck easy keepers. So some alfalfa would add protein, is that right? I thought possibly trying magnesium. I get that if she isn't deficient it won't do anything. Both her and jr have been eating up their loose minerals quite heavily though lately. |
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