Advice on what do to next

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

Hello guys!
Just wondering if anyone has their two pence to add I teach a lovely (not the most experienced but lovely and willing to learn etc) lady who owns a 15hh mare with voltaire lines. All she wants to do is enjoy her and do a few prelim tests a year. She has switch itch and is a 'high maintenance' opinionated girl- if she doesnt like you touching her or doing whatever youll get a stamp or nip. She hacks out fine (can occasionally be a tiny bit nappy) but in the school she will just stop dead and refuse to move. If you put leg on or ask her to move forward she'll kick out, back up/spin..anything but move forwards. It can occasionally get a bit better and you'll get a bit of walk, trot and possible but reluctant canter out of her. Shes not stale and never hammered or anything in there. Today she was particularly bad, she really point blank refused to move anywhere, spun, bucked, bite at legs etc so owner got off after 20mins of not getting anywhere and did a little in hand work with her where she was a little better and then decided to get back on. As soon as she got her feet in her stirrups the mare absolutely exploded and ended up on her bum on the floor from rearing and broncing. Think mare panicked and stomped forwards a good 20m before balling up ready to explode again. Owner got off and is now obviously feeling very worried and deflated We've agreed something somewhere mustn't be right so thinking to call vet...but where to start?! I was thinking ovaries as her seasons seem quite unsettled and perhaps a back xray?...

 

[be positive]

Ulcers are the obvious cause of this type of behaviour, PSSM the less obvious or less known about and probably not going to be picked up by most vets, she sounds similar to the PSSM mare here who was at her worst at this time last year, a week on supplements and she improved so much we had a totally different horse to deal with, if in the future I have anything here that behaves in an inconsistent way it will be the first thing I would want to rule in or out before getting a vet involved.

 

[dixie]

Ulcers would be my first thought as well. I don't know anything about PSSM so can't advise about that but sure you'll get more comments with info on this.

 

[Birker2020]

It was the biting at the riders legs that made me think immediately of ulcers myself as I have definitely read this before somewhere and it rings a bell.

 

[milliepops]

I was thinking ovaries as her seasons seem quite unsettled .

without knowing the mare's management etc it's hard to say so all suggestions are good - but would not rule out something like this ^^

My sec D is thinking about coming into season soon, I can feel it... for her the classic sign is that the napping in the school comes back for a month or 2. Shoots backwards, humps, kicks out, plants... you name it. At random times the brakes come on. When I looked into it with the vet they suggested regumate as a first approach as the results are fairly conclusive either way, and we would have scanned ovaries next if it hadn't helped (it did, phew )