Another spooky horse thread

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misskerry

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Hi
I need some help with my home bred 7 year old mare.

The older she is getting the spookier she is. As a 4 and 5 year old she was super, she loved to hack, was perfect in the school and I was very happy to take her competing any where. I was delighted with her and the plan was to work our way up the showjumping heights together.

But last year as a 6 year it changed. She became very spooky out of no where. At first it was at shows, i had to retire on several occasions because i could not get her to go forward. I decided to not to attain anymore shows last year and stick to training shows where i had the time to actually school her as well as jump. She got worse every time to a point where she fell hurting me and and her self. Since then i have taken her to two training shows and i have managed to get her around but at a much lower. Which I do not mind as along as i can give her a good experience but still super spooky.


At home in the arena where she has spent her whole life she is just as bad. I hack the same route with her 2 to 3 times a week and i have to hack her in draw reins for safety because if the head goes up she is gone which is not what i want to happen with a car coming.

To me she is looking for something to spook at as she can be lovely and relaxed one minute and suddenly takes off across the arena or spins or plants herself and wont go forward . I don't even think they are genuine spooks so I have no idea why she does it. I don't let her win a spook either i am a confident enough to ride her through it.

She is stabled at the moment and turned out during the day. She is worked every day and is on a low energy conditioning mix, beet pulp and a hand full alfalfa with ad -lib hay.

I have had her since she was born and the first 5 years she was a pleasure but the last year she has been real hard work. All her siblings and her mother can be sharp but they were like that since birth and have all gone on the have careers in showjumping. She is very well bred her self a little bit of TB, warmblood and ID. She is a chestnut mare but not mareish. Back, teeth, tack are all perfect and have been checked by professionals.

Has anyone any idea what I can do to help her?
 
Your description and timing is spot on for the behaviour of mine which had kissing spines.

When you say back checked, have you had x rays? If so and they are clear, then I would be looking for SI, hock or PSD issues.
 
Has she enough weight on her that you could take her off all hard feed and just give her turnout and hay for a bit? Sometimes just one small ingredient in a hard feed could be enough to create odd behaviour.
Any concerns about ulcers?
Definitely get a vet to check her eyes
It is a hard one, it could be so many things :-(
 
sportsmansB said:
Has she enough weight on her that you could take her off all hard feed and just give her turnout and hay for a bit? Sometimes just one small ingredient in a hard feed could be enough to create odd behaviour.
Any concerns about ulcers?
Definitely get a vet to check her eyes
It is a hard one, it could be so many things :-(
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This, in spades! The first thing I would think is that the alfalfa is the problem, but it could be any ingredient of the mix. I have had two who could not tolerate alfalfa and one who could not tolerate any added sugar or cereal. I would only give forage for at least a month and see how she goes.
 
Mine's been spooky at various points in her life. She is naturally very wary of her surroundings and even going out or coming in from the paddock will snort and look around her and dance about. But I put that down to her being her.

But she was at one point years ago, particuarly bad spooking - both hacking and whilst ridden and the vet found spavin which she was treated for.

She was also very spooky at another point in her life and because I had learnt to listen to her at this point, I got the vet in to analyse her and the vet couldn't find anything amiss. It turned out that it was due to something which I found was in her feed that she was reacting badly to and exhibiting incredibly spooky behaviour. When that was cut out she was a different horse.

Its okay getting her back seen and dentist etc but I'd be inclined to get the vet to give her the once over. She might be demonstrating spooky behaviour like my mare did the first time due to pain.
 
Something isn't right. I'd get the vet out for a lameness work up and check her back for KS. It doesn't sound spooky but sounds like she won't go forwards as something hurts
 
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