Agitated mare

[Green Bean]

Now before anyone says, 'well she is a mare you know', I have an 11 year old ISH mare. She is a show jumper and came to me in a bit of a sorry state, not abused or anything, just not loved as all serious horsey people are known for. I have spent the last 9 months building up muscles and general body. She is on a cool mix of feeds, nothing that gets her worked up. We have done a little bit of everything, very low key (being of the slightly older generation) and she wants for nothing. Over the last couple of months, I have started her on Moody Mare just to assist with any mare issues, not knowing her history on these things. She is the 'field boss' mare to 4 other mares. In the last week or so, she has started getting a bit agitated, pacing in her field (it is large and has plenty of grass, perhaps another contributing factor as if being a mare wasn't hard enough) and prancing around, including rearing when being led out or back in from the stables. She calms down once she is in her stable. I have been asked the question on whether she isn't lacking in something in her diet. I wouldn't have thought so as her feed is well balanced (Keyflow Stay Cool and Key Plus and HiFi and hay). I have recently reduced her feed due to the excess of grass around. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[Bellaboo18]

Firstly 11 isn't old! And all serious horsey people are known for not loving there horses???!!! What rubbish.
I'd say you've 'built her up' and made her feel well perhaps she's feeling too well and has too much energy and not enough work.
Keyflow stay cool has got 15% starch, you could change it for something with lower starch. Does she really need all the feed she's getting?
It sounds like she's boss in the field and of you, perhaps spend some time doing groundwork.
Obviously stress can be a result of pain, so it'd be worth having a vet workup, if there is pain it might be causing ulcers which would explain her behaviour. But my first thought is definitely she's fresh and walking all over you because she'd rather stay out with her buddies. Does she always have company when in the stable block?

 

[Green Bean]

Goodness Bellaboo, you have completely misunderstood my post. Cheers

 

[eggs]

I wouldn't have thought she was lacking anything in her diet as perhaps getting too much out of her diet. The grass is going gang busters at the moment and a lot of the horses are feeling rather well. I would question whether she does have an issue with her seasons (to be honest I am not sure that Moody Mare really does that much) and would get a vet to check her over and scan her ovaries.

One of my mares would get very agitated if any of her field companions was taken out of the field and would pace but after a few years this settled down to just the odd yell for them.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Hi-fi contains alfalfa, so take her off that immediately, many mares react badly to it. You might find that she would benefit from the addition of magnesium to her diet but I would keep all 'hard feed' to a minimum. If this behaviour started after the introduction of Moody Mare supplement, I would stop that immediately too.

 

[Mari]

Bellaboo has given good advice (as have others) so how did she get your post totally wrong? We can only read what you have written.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Bellaboo has given good advice (as have others) so how did she get your post totally wrong? We can only read what you have written.

As I read OP was talking about her/his own age not the horse's and that serious horse people love their horses, in a way that this horse had not been loved in a former home. Admittedly a few commas might have helped to make the sense clearer but Bellaboo got the completely opposite end of the stick to me!

 

[silv]

She could well be grass affected, you mention the amount of grass growing at the moment. Have you tried giving her magnesium. Have a look at this site there is lots of information on it.

www.calmhealthyhorses.com

 

[Bellaboo18]

As I read OP was talking about her/his own age not the horse's and that serious horse people love their horses, in a way that this horse had not been loved in a former home. Admittedly a few commas might have helped to make the sense clearer but Bellaboo got the completely opposite end of the stick to me!

Oh I think I had read the OP wrong, I think OP meant 'just not [as] loved as all serious horsey people are known for and yes probably is OPs age. Sorry my mistake.
Anyway the advice I stand by.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

There are loads of potential reasons for your mare looking as if she’s agitated. Being last out..anticipating food...if in season she might be looking for a male friend hence the pacing. I too would probably drop feed intake and see if 3 weeks out 4 she is more relaxed. I’d pop on magnesium supplement again to see if that helps and just build a diary of behaviour then you have a base of knowledge to work from.