Bad reaction to mint?

[Pippity]

My mare was being very reluctant to eat her feed, and it has her various (expensive!) supplements in it, so I want it all eaten. To make it taste a bit nicer, I've started putting in some mint. Unfortunately, I didn't bother making a note of exactly when I started putting it in, so I'm not sure how it correlates with a change in her behaviour.

A week or so ago, we were trotting out hacking when she threw in a small buck and tanked off with me. This weekend, again, trotting, about to go into canter, when she bucked me off and took off without me.

The first, I put down to just being a bit autumn-fresh, but the second was so much stronger a reaction that I'm looking for other explanations.

I've got physio and saddle fitter booked, and I'm sticking to long reining until both have been checked. However, I did start wondering if the mint might be doing something?

 

[tristar]

oh no, how will we manage without polos!

hope you get to the bottom of this though

 

[Dollbird]

What form of mint, ?

 

[Myloubylou]

Presume you too her off it just in case? If unsugared mint I’d be surprised if she’d be that reactionary but some horses are fruit loops on tiny bit of alfalfa. Hopefully will get to bottom of it soon

 

[Pippity]

What form of mint, ?

Dodson & Horrell dried mint.

Presume you too her off it just in case? If unsugared mint I’d be surprised if she’d be that reactionary but some horses are fruit loops on tiny bit of alfalfa. Hopefully will get to bottom of it soon

It's pure mint, according to the composition. I don't think she'd react to sugar, because her regular feed is stuffed full of it (and alfalfa) and she's been on it for months. Unfortunately, it's the only thing she'll eat. (Dengie Healthy Hooves.)

 

[Dollbird]

Hope you get sorted x

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

The only way to fid out if the mint caused the behaviour is to stop feeding it and monitor her behaviour for about a month.

 

[Pippity]

The only way to fid out if the mint caused the behaviour is to stop feeding it and monitor her behaviour for about a month.

She'll be coming off it tomorrow (only realised the possible timescale correlation this evening) but I was just wondering if it was one of those things, like alfalfa, that's been known to send some horses fruitloops.

 

[Leo Walker]

I doubt its the mint, its much more likely to be the time of year. Every horse I know is slightly nuts at the minute!

 

[Trouper]

The reaction you describe seems to have taken place while she was moving in a certain way under saddle. If her behaviour in all other situations remains as normal I would be looking for a pain-related issue rather than the mint. As you have the physio and saddle fitter booked you may begin to find some answers there. Good luck.