any ideas on changed behaviour in 6 year old

lordchester

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hi.... imnew so dont know any one on here, i was hoping someone might be able to give some advice with my little mare, shes a 6 year old american paint, ive owned since she was 6 months, broken her etc she started full work this time last year after all that snow so a late breaker i know :) basicaly shes always bin very laid back and an angel to hack and ride etc, apart from jumping....... its more fun looking at me on the ground or not going near it, the last few months shes bin good, coming on well confidence has bin growing form both of us! however ......the last couple of weeks shes changed, become spooky and skity, fresh out hacking and looking for things to look at (never bin like this) tonight while warming up to jump, my insturctor moved A POLE :O and she spun round leaving me on the floor, twice a week she see poles been moved ready for jumping but today she thought eveything was a monster, after catching her and getting on every time i moved on her she tensed up and wanted to run, jumping did not go well we whent back to where we were a year ago :( i know im rambling and sorry for that, some one metionied hormones? maybe its that for her sudden change in behaviour? i didnt know if shes "too fit" shes fed on nothing hay and degnie good doer
any help !?!
xx
 
It sounds like her hormones are to blame for her behavior. She can't help it,bless her.

My mares are exactly the same when their hormones kick in. Don't worry,it will pass,but mares being mares,it will probably happen again !
 
It could also be the start of the 6 year old tantrum stage - a few of us in CR have been having the same "excitement" :p

My normally sane horse has been very fresh this past while!
 
Another one with a 6 year old nutcase! i thought she was bad enough at 5!! Come to think of it my other mare was 6 and mad when i bought her but settled down during her 7yo year.

You could always try something to help her hormones and see if it makes a difference - something like oestress, or if you find her really bad you could speak to your vet about regumate.
 
i thought her at 5 was bad enough, she really dug her heels in last year and would go over poles! at least she jumps sometimes now :P thankyou.... ill have a look in to some hormone stuff see what she thinks to it, and if it makes a difference, very fustrating when shes always bin a dope on a rope! x
 
ive just posted a similar query, my 15 year old cob gelding has become very fizzy in past few weeks, very unlike him. i was wondering if the mild weather has caused an early spring flush? ivev given in and am going for NAF magic as have used it a few years ago in the spring with good success
 
My trakehner mare had huge tantrums at 6. She went from being so quiet that I really thought I had acquired a slug (I bought her as a just backed 3 1/2 year old) to being an uncontrollable mad thing, pretty much overnight. Rearing right up and plunging around the school and being downright dangerous and all quite deliberate. Certainly more than I could cope with so I sent her away to a trainer for a couple of months (at 50 I don't feel the need to sit on 'mad things' any more!) and they sorted her out. She is now back to being a very well behaved horse and it really was just a phase, perhaps a trying out of her, considerable, strength. She has the odd attempt at a nap these days, but I can push her out of it easily and she's really fine with no more attempts at going up.

So persevere but do seek professional help if you need to rather than reinforce any bad behaviour and/or let he know what she is capable of and/or get scared of her. Good luck :D
 
im another one that has a cheeky 6year old! nightmare lol! great when she was 5 .. turned 6 started playing up .. has settled down a little bit now so hopefully will calm down again when she turns 7!
 
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