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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 325
 
Location: Florida | Hi All:
Will try to make this as short as possible ! Bought a new 9 year old mare July 5. Brought her from FL to GA - she sat back HARD on the trailer and cut her foot 3 days after arriving needing 12 staples at the pastern. 3 days of stall rest - lightly buted - then in stall during the day and out at night - her normal routine from FL. She came from small acreage (but this mare has been VERY WELL taken care of) to here in GA with large gorgeous pasture - knee high bermuda grass. Didn't change her routine - put her on a less HOT grain - kept her on minimal alfalfa hay. Tried to ride her after vet OKd and you could not get near her with the saddle. REARING, EYES WIDE, BODY STIFF AS A BOARD. I have known this mare the last 4 years - this is a total attitude change. Had chiro out - he worked on her twice in 2 1/2 week span - she had some issues - he released her - said she was good to go. Same thing with trying to saddle - but not as dramatic. I did find out where she is the barn was on city water with extremely high chlorine content. That has since been fixed - about 3 weeks now. I am leaning towards gut/ulcers. Have been treating her with Gastrogard, heavy Probiotics, just started FORCO (1 week) and SmartPak Ultra GI (1week). Took her off all grain - she is now on a scoop of alfalfa pellets 2x day and no stall - 24/7 turn out. I am so frustrated/disgusted - i have been on this mare 20 mins since I bought her almost 4 months ago. When I was able to saddle her and felt comfortable getting on her - she was stiff as a board - flightly - scared of everything - flipping her head (with a light hackamore and I am light handed) , lightly trotted and the mare had her head turned outside and over the rails of the round pen. This mare went from winning to not being rideable at all. !
Former owner no help ! and again I KNOW this horse. Any suggestions ???
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I know this will sound crazy but I would contact some one who is very knowledgable about essential oils. She sounds like my gelding when he had a personality change due to some things that were going on with me and some very popular therapies I tried with him. Long story short we both lost confidence in each other. After getting his poll adjusted twice, me making sure I was always calm and confident( I used the oils on myself for this) alot of just hanging out together, wearing a helmet to ride, and using the oils on him and we now are back where we were. I love this horse, he is a hoot! |
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 I don't speak Portuguese
Posts: 4883
Location: West River - SoDak | Round pen and confidence. |
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10D Crack Champion
 
| Since all this started (acting crazy), what did the vet say after an exam?
Also, anything out in that pasture that might cause this horse to act adversely? An allergy to something there? Still act the same after being put in a dry lot for a couple days?
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| Makes you wonder if the previous owners kept the horse medicated to keep calm. However, try spending as much time as you can just being around the horse, talking, brushing, maybe taking it for walks and letting it graze, and learn to be relaxed and comfortable with you before riding. I have known of horses that mourn their previous owners. Or maybe the horse is having difficulty relating to another person's energy/vibe, whatever you call it.
Good luck. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 499
Location: ARKANSAS | ULCERS ULCERS ULCERS!!!!!!! Your horse has developed ulcers!!!!! she has changed homes, cut herself, been buted, been stalled, then acts like a maniac for no reason!!!! this horse is hurting from ulcers!!! it only takes a short time for a horse to develop ulcers in stressful situations...if you want to be sure ask your vet to scope, but i would get some omeprizole paste in her asap
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | Grass can be very bad for some horses, the sugar content can be very high and that will cause major issues if your horse is PSSM.
Since your horse came from small acreage, she may not have had access to such nice grass. I would take her off the grass and either pony or roundpen her every day and see if that helps. If she is PSSM she needs daily excercise, the stall rest plus the grass could have caused your problems. If she is PSSM, you should see a change in her after a few weeks.
There is a very good (and long) thread on PSSM somewhere on here, lots of good info. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Barnmom - 2014-10-25 9:39 AM Grass can be very bad for some horses, the sugar content can be very high and that will cause major issues if your horse is PSSM.
Since your horse came from small acreage, she may not have had access to such nice grass. I would take her off the grass and either pony or roundpen her every day and see if that helps. If she is PSSM she needs daily excercise, the stall rest plus the grass could have caused your problems. If she is PSSM, you should see a change in her after a few weeks.
There is a very good (and long) thread on PSSM somewhere on here, lots of good info.
The stiffness you describe makes me wonder about this too. Couldn't hurt to try dry-lotting. |
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | ladyelbert - 2014-10-25 10:29 AM ULCERS ULCERS ULCERS!!!!!!! Your horse has developed ulcers!!!!! she has changed homes, cut herself, been buted, been stalled, then acts like a maniac for no reason!!!! this horse is hurting from ulcers!!! it only takes a short time for a horse to develop ulcers in stressful situations...if you want to be sure ask your vet to scope, but i would get some omeprizole paste in her asap
I feel a lot of people over use the 'ulcer' excuse but in this case I would agree. Also, being that she is a mare and climate change, I would have a good reproduciton check on her, just to be on the safe side.
You already know that something is hurting due to the behavior change. Your job is to find an correct it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Magnesium deficiency?
http://www.performanceequineusa.com/MagRestore.aspx
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 Expert
Posts: 1969
Location: Texas | Neurological problem |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | HaleyT - 2014-10-25 10:57 AM
 Neurological problem
I would agree with the Neurological, I would have her tested for EPM. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 325
Location: Florida | sodapop - 2014-10-25 10:19 AM Since all this started (acting crazy), what did the vet say after an exam?
Also, anything out in that pasture that might cause this horse to act adversely? An allergy to something there? Still act the same after being put in a dry lot for a couple days?
I did have the vet out after the Chiro adjustments - he couldn't find a thing wrong with her physically and said she just needed to "settle in" longer. All this while she was trying to get out of the round pen as he was watching her on a lunge line. ! I DO NOT agree ! This mare has been hauled everywhere !!! Super Shows, World Show, etc. etc. etc. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 325
Location: Florida |
She was on Magnesium from Performance Equine since the day I brought her home. She stayed on 2 scoops 2 x a day with NO CHANGE to her behavior or manure as they say it should get soft; then to back them off the dosage. I took her off everything when I started the Forco and the other stuff as stated in my original post. It is like NOTHING I give her gets absorbed so leading me to gut/ulcers.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 325
Location: Florida | I am calm and confident around her and try to spend as much time as possible with her - she is not in my backyard but i am there almost everyday with her. It does make me wonder if previous owner had her on something to keep her calm. But she was on some "high" stuff. Race Ready by Purina - rich alfalfa 3 x per day - T&A at night barn check.
The very next day after I brought her home I couldn't catch her in the pasture. She was very stand offish - spent sometime just being with her then the sit back and cut her foot; been down hill ever since; but again I feel it was almost instant from her coming here. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I agree you can try to change feed and see if that helps. Ulcer treatment wouldn't hurt either. Your horse may just need to settle in more. I have one (he's special  ) that I can ride day in and day out with no issues but if anyone else tries to handle him you'd think he was wild and crazy. If anyone else tries to handle him he spooks at everything, bolts when you try to get on, forgets how to work under saddle. Basically acts like an unhandled colt on his first ride.
If I didn't know his entire history I'd think something happened to him but as it stands... that's just him and his crazy quirks. He's the type of horse that needs one rider and one handler. Your horse may have only been handled by one owner/rider for a while and after a somewhat traumatic trip to you she's really nervous with all things. Some horses who have never been herd bound meet a new horse and suddenly are glued to them so that may not be helping you if she's got a "friend" somewhere she's looking for.
I agree with previous posters either round pen her or pony her to expel some of the energy she has and then try to ride her. You're going to take a bit to get together and currently she's got your number. A few solid rides even if it's just a walk trot light ride where you feel good at the end will likely turn everything around for you so I'd work her till she's a bit tired then ride her on the rail for a bit. If you have a good ride when you get off give her lots of love, a treat (if you feed treats) and a good brush. Hopefully soon you'll both be feeling much more confident.
Wishing you best of luck!
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| chin up!! This is almost my exact story when I bought my mare 5 years ago -
First - reduce the carbs in her diet - ie pasture. Let her out but reduce the carbs.
Next, daily exercise, and lots of it!
Followed by making sure she isn't PSSM or EPM (vet can test).
Lastly - TIME is your friend - Honestly, the turn around point for me was squatting down in the corner of my mare's pen, biting into a granola bar, and crying because I freakin' couldn't catch her. Long story short, she came over and sniffed my hands. I offered some granola bar and she decided I wasn't the devil.
It sounds like you have a handful and then some (just like I did) - you'll figure it out but don't discount ulcers or something major.
Good LUCK and please don't give up on her!! |
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| Three 4 Luck - 2014-10-25 10:03 AM
Barnmom - 2014-10-25 9:39 AM Grass can be very bad for some horses, the sugar content can be very high and that will cause major issues if your horse is PSSM. Â
Since your horse came from small acreage, she may not have had access to such nice grass. I would take her off the grass and either pony or roundpen her every day and see if that helps. If she is PSSM she needs daily excercise, the stall rest plus the grass could have caused your problems. If she is PSSM, you should see a change in her after a few weeks.
There is a very good (and long) thread on PSSM somewhere on here, lots of good info.
 The stiffness you describe makes me wonder about this too.  Couldn't hurt to try dry-lotting.
Me three. I'd get her off that grass. I would dry lot her and not overfeed her hay either then see if she changes in 2 months. I'd also make sure she was on a good mineral supplement. Whatever you decide to do please let us know and how it turns out....this has my curiosity up. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | Barnmom - 2014-10-25 9:39 AM
Grass can be very bad for some horses, the sugar content can be very high and that will cause major issues if your horse is PSSM. Â
Since your horse came from small acreage, she may not have had access to such nice grass. I would take her off the grass and either pony or roundpen her every day and see if that helps. If she is PSSM she needs daily excercise, the stall rest plus the grass could have caused your problems. If she is PSSM, you should see a change in her after a few weeks.
There is a very good (and long) thread on PSSM somewhere on here, lots of good info.
This is what I thought of immediately as well. I would certainly be having her checked for PSSM. You can pull mane hair and send it off to check for PSSM2, but you will need a muscle biopsy for PSSM1. If that's what it is, she CANNOT be on lush pasture. Many of the symptoms you are describing are typical of a horse with it. Put her in a lot on grass hay and switch to a low starch feed and see if it makes a difference in her behavior....it will take about 2 weeks before you see a difference. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| The first thing I would do is contact the person that you bought her from. |
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