any theories / advice on this behaviour?

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Jericho

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I have a little Welsh pony who we have owned for 3 years. She is now 15 year and it seems to me that she is becoming increasingly nervous and I cant explain why...

She lives at home with my 2 other horses although she is kept in the stable yard and starvation paddock, she has lots of attention daily (a little groom, pick out feet, being around me as I make up feeds, haynets, cleaning her stable / feed etc although not ridden much.) She is excellent with the children, never bites or kicks but.... she just seems to have buidling this increasing anxiety about a lot of things - brooms, wheelbarrows, pooper scooper, feedsacks, head collars, sudden movements and just acts like she is a wild moors pony - shooting off, breathing heavy. Also she wont let anyone touch her ears - the vet has been and said nothing wrong with ears, he also checked eyes and they are fine too - and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a brilde on without her freaking.

I would say this has been building up over a year and I have invested some much time in gaining her trust, slowly touching her ears, moving around her with wheelbarrows, brooms, rakes, poles and after 20 mins or so of continuous soothing and densensitisation she is OK, give her a break of 10 mins and try again and its back to square one. She lives for food but this continuous anxiety and mistrust after 3 years that seems to be getting worse is beginning to wear me down and I just feel like I cant be bothered to do anymore.

Sorry for the rant but have just spent 2 hours playing with her, lunging with her to try and give her some quality time, then went to see my other 2 horses for a cuddle and carrot, came back and it was like she was back to being the wild pony of the moors again, I might as well have spent the time do some quality riding on my other one for all the good it did. If my big horse behaved like her, 1) she would be deemed dangerous and a neroutic high maintenance horse and 2) I wouldnt keep her because you get absolutely nothing back but because she is diddy I dont thing much of it. She is also really grumpy with the other two, squealing, pulling faces etc. It just feels like she is really unhappy lving here now for some reason, doesnt like me or any type of interaction unless its for food and part of me thinks that perhaps she would prefer the riding school routine that she came from.

What would you recommend??? What is causing this? What can I do??
Iknow for a fact nothing bad has happened since i have had her so why is she like this? IS she likely to change now? Should I just not make an issue of touching her ears and leave well alone? Or not try and keep going near her with so called scary things?
 
a good site for behavioural problems is www.naturalhorsepeople.com - lots of knowledgable people on the forum there.

With the ear issue, have you had her back done recently? My horse was tight in his sacral and atlas area (causing him to be very tight in his head - where anything loud would cause a bad reaction) and refused to let me touch his head and ears until it was seen to! He was freaky with his bridle being put on as well - might be worth getting that looked into?
 
yes - I did think it may have been because of cataracts and when the vet came to look at her ears he checked her eyes too and they were fine.

She hasnt had her back done mainly because she isnt really ridden and didnt think it would be necessary. However as she has got older she has become more sway backed so maybe there is an issue. Back lady is due soon so will ask her to have a look at...
 
What are her seasons like? Sounds like she's hormonal to me - nervous, grumpy with other horses. Could be worth monitoring and/or discussing with the vet.
 
Hmmm yes that could be interesting... She did get a ,ot worse recently when I introduced another mare into the 'herd' and she was a broodmare until she was 9
 
is it possible she has some kind of seperation anxiety? Could she be feeling rather isolated in her stavation paddock?

A friend of mine kept her horse on his own for 6 months and he had what could only be described as a nervous breakdown. Once he got company again he cheered up immensely.
 
no I dont think seperation anxiety. If anything I think she is happier on her own. When we first had her she was on her for 6 months or so and no problems at all. The other 2 horses are right next to her and they all stand on the fence line dozing together. She is not the type to scratch withers with other horses either as just doesnt seem to care whether they are near her or not. I know she must get fed up with no grass (although she has more space than most lami ponies I know to forage around in plus a fair amount of trickle fed hay
 
If it's not in work do you think it could be board and using all these things as an excuse to play up. I'm no horse psychologist but may be it's minds over active? I've taken two horses in the last year (back to back) which have both been deemed @naughty@ when in fairness they were bored stiff. Once working they completely transformed.
 
If its any help, my welsh a pony has been a bit 'odd' lately. She is a sweet heart, but its taken me 20 mins to catch her these last 3 mornings (out at night, in during the day). First time in 6 months that i've had any trouble. She also hates her ears being touched, but there is evidently a scar on her ear to support that.
Our old pony a shetland x was a nervy type and like yours never settled with the situations. - we treaded carefully so to speak with her, then she went back to her owners after 2 years. I didn't give up, but in our situation its wasn't to be.
Maybe she needs to be ridden as then she can claim she has a 'proper job'? - some ponies live for children riding them. - just an idea
 
You say she doesn't seem to care for the others' company yet she stands at the fence line dozing with them, so she must be getting something from their presence. Is it possible for her to have any time in the same field or paddock as them? Especially now its winter and the goodness in the grass is fading.

One other thing which occured to me is has she got a job to do, a purpose in life? Maybe she feels that she hasn't, if she is by herself and not regularly exercised? Can you think of a job you can give her, not necessarily a physical one but for example, to keep another horse calm while the other is taken out for a ride? Or do you know a little child who would love to be taken care of by the mare once a week for an hour?

I *know* you might think I'm daft but try telling her - even better, explaining and *asking* her to do a special job/role for you... you could be amazed if she takes on the job and perks up with having a positive purpose. And if it doesn't work (although when you're telling her do make sure you *expect* it to, its all about intentions) then what have you lost? Nothing
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"she just seems to have buidling this increasing anxiety about a lot of things - brooms, wheelbarrows, pooper scooper, feedsacks, head collars, sudden movements"

You say she is kept at home. Could it be possible, bearing in mind she is "contained" on the yard, that somebody has hurt her - attacked her with the broom etc?
 
I really dont think so, noone ever comes onto our land without us there - I suppose there is a chance but its been more of a gradual increase in anxiety rather as though a sudden reaction to anything.

I guess she might get something from being with the others by the fact she does occassionaly stand dozing with them but she would stand anywhere in the sun and doze and has never shown any distress if for example the others are out on a hack.. Maybe the theory that she needs a job is the right one but again she never seems any happier / less anxious after she has been ridden / lunged. I guess this was maybe what I was thinking when I mentioned that she perhaps preferred her old way of life at the riding school.

I thought about trying to break her to drive but with her having an issue of brooms / poles I just dont see how she would tolerate having a shaft on either side and tbh I just wouldnt trust her now - she is too nervous at silly things to be safe driven.

Oh my goodness I am beginning to think she is one very unhappy pony :-( and it is all my doing!
 
Don't be so silly you haven't gone out there and beat herinto a quivvering wreck!!

It must have been a big change in life going from RS to private home. I wonder if the reason she doesn't seem happier after having been ridden or lunged is because its not regular?

No idea about your situation, but could she be a nanny to needy horses? i.e. youngsters or rescue cases?
 
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