Behavioural?

Bellaboo18 said:
Dangerous advice to suggest working her harder when we haven't seen the horse.
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Not really as most horses at this time of year are not worked hard enough and I would hope the op wasn’t that stupid. Secondly you can then have more information to tell the vet to help better understand the issues if it doesn’t improve.
 
smolmaus said:
Left field idea, Miri Hackett has videos on her YouTube channel about a mare named Blondie who initially presented with "extreme mareishness" and behavioural problems that was partially solved by regumate but was followed by a PSSM diagnosis. Might be worth looking at to see if the behaviour looks similar.
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Had a look and yes the behaviour is very similar. Tbh feeling a bit down currently as I just don’t know what to do. The vet has advised that we work her to agitate the issue so that they can investigate further, but I don’t really want to get on her as she is and I don’t think she really enjoys having me on her. With regard the hormones I honestly have no idea, even on regumate she’s still a lot more mareish than the average horse but I don’t know how I would go about solving them.
 
I find mares easier - bolder, more willing to tell you if there is an issue, more giving if treated right. And on top of that, you cannot find a more human orientated breed than a TB. So… this mare is literally screaming at you that there’s a problem.

1) You say she is turned out alone, is she ridden alone too? Any difference if ridden in company at home?
2) The touchiness and the dislike of the leg being on… how well does your saddle fit? Have you had it checked with a different saddler to your usual one?
3) Did the vet trot up/palpate/look for anything else, or just scope and x-ray?
4) Pssm test would be a good idea.
5) Are droppings normal?
6) What is she fed? Alfalfa (and soya for some) can well and truly send horses loopy if they are intolerant to it.
7) Have you tried a bute trial?
 
Noogle said:
Had a look and yes the behaviour is very similar. Tbh feeling a bit down currently as I just don’t know what to do. The vet has advised that we work her to agitate the issue so that they can investigate further, but I don’t really want to get on her as she is and I don’t think she really enjoys having me on her. With regard the hormones I honestly have no idea, even on regumate she’s still a lot more mareish than the average horse but I don’t know how I would go about solving them.
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Sorry you're in this situation, it's horrible not knowing what the problem is. I think the problem with working her to 'agitate' the issue is she'll continue to compensate throughout her body and that's when you'll get secondary problems so what started out as something easily fixable turns in to a whole host of problems.
I always think we should trust our gut. If you don't want to get on her and feel she's not happy being ridden, trust that you know her better than any vet.
As a positive you know she doesn't have kissing spine. I'd look at the hind end, if she's reluctant to put weight properly behind she'll be sore over her back.
A workup should definitely give you some answers. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
maya2008 said:
I find mares easier - bolder, more willing to tell you if there is an issue, more giving if treated right. And on top of that, you cannot find a more human orientated breed than a TB. So… this mare is literally screaming at you that there’s a problem.

1) You say she is turned out alone, is she ridden alone too? Any difference if ridden in company at home?
2) The touchiness and the dislike of the leg being on… how well does your saddle fit? Have you had it checked with a different saddler to your usual one?
3) Did the vet trot up/palpate/look for anything else, or just scope and x-ray?
4) Pssm test would be a good idea.
5) Are droppings normal?
6) What is she fed? Alfalfa (and soya for some) can well and truly send horses loopy if they are intolerant to it.
7) Have you tried a bute trial?
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this. My mare is such a giver, and she is very quick to tell me when something isn’t right. “Mareish” is just another indication that something is off
 
I wouldn't be getting on, I'd be scared witless and also worried that the horse was hating it and that will just get worse.
Could you find another place to keep her for a few months that has 24/7 turnout with a mixed herd? That would let you test the separation theory and then start her off from the beginning again. My mare turned into a bit of a monster when one of my geldings was PTS and she was only out with my old guy - he didn't play with her so she had loads of extra energy that I had to deal with. I got another, younger, gelding and she went back to her normal self. Since the old guy went this summer I've had another mare as a companion and the two girls do wind each other up - I've found mine harder to handle in the stable since the new mare came. She is fine ridden but the company definitely has a massive impact on the overall behaviour and performance. I think she'd be a total nutter if she was on her own even if she could see other horses.
 
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