DEMONIC horse at this time of year. Sorry LONG

Spyda

Spyda

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Same time as last year, and the year before, my 16.1 WBxTB rising 3yr old filly has metamorphosised into a complete demon. From being 100% sweet tempered, gentle, affectionate and co-operative, she turns into an irritable, aggressive, hysterical and almost-too-dangerous-to-handle horse, at this time of year. It doesn't matter whether she's living out full time, or is in at night because of the ice - she's the same. She's restless, aggressive and totally wired.

In the field this morning she was in a foam sweat, rolling eyes, snorting and smashing through the electric fencing. Even her field companions are distrubed by her and keep out of her way. This time last year she jumped a huge hedge and ditch (5' high by 14' wide) out onto the road. She was 18 months old. No reason for it. Other horses where grazing quietly in her paddock. Nothing going on. She just gets so wired and hysterical, she'll attempt anything. Thankfully she was caught quickly and suffered minor scuffs to her knees that time.

Any human entering the field with her is dicing with death - she gallops flat out towards them and either mows them down or stops, spins and throws her back feet out before bolting off round the field again. In the stable she comes at you with her back end bucking repeatedly, then spins tossing her head wildly and rolling her eye.

Needless to say, her routine and management are the same. We've 24/7/365 turnout fortunately, but her behavious ATM is causing me and the other liveries with horses kept with and beside her, genuine concern. I am experienced and can handle her (although I'd rather not have to dice with death twice daily, quite frankly) but I know it's only a temporary phase; however, I'm terrified she's going to hurt an innocent person, another horse or herself.

She's been coming into season regularly throughout winter and has just come out. So I don't think it's hormonal. She's fed ad-lib hay and her hard feed is just 750g Stud Balancer pellets with a double handful of HiFi Lite per day. Calming herbs, Brewers Yeast and salt are added to her feed year round....

I've been giving her with ACP tablets in her feed to take the edge off her, but she's so wound up at the moment the effect is negligible.

HELP!!!!! How am I and everyone else going to survive the next 2 or 3 months until she goes back to 'normal'???
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*Chocolate and wine to anyone who's gotten this far!*
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get the vet out and have ovaries scanned - this happened in a horse at my yard - had ovarian tumours, not what you want to hear - sorry.
 
Personally I think it sounds like shes very hormonal. My mare whos was 13 at the time last year, had a very out of charachter moment when I was riding her in the school. She set off a a gallop across it and bucked me off into the fence. This was just not like her and I think it was the first full blown season of the year. Shes been on NAF Oestress all through this winter whereas she wasnt last year, and I think its made a difference. Apparently the first and last propers seasons of the year are quite acute for them, vet told me that. Perhaps you could have a word with your vet, Regumate may be what she needs. Could be something totally different to this but I can just liken it to my own experience.
Good luck!
 
I would definitely want to get her checked out thoroughly.I agree that mares first and last seasons of the year tend to make them at their worst behaviour wise and the fact this has happened every year at the same time of year makes me wonder if it is a hormonal problem. At my last yard we had a mare who was displaying stallion like behaviour,she turned out to have an ovarian tumour which eventually grew in size to the point it interfered with her spinal cord and resulted in her having to be pts. I know it's probably not what you want to hear but this kind of behaviour to the extreme of her being dangerous needs sorting out asap and if it does prove to be hormonal then there are things that can be done to help.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. Thing is, she went through this phase (at this time of year) even before she starting cycling (as a foal), and she'll suddenly revert back to absolute 'normal' within 10 - 12 weeks of it starting. She started having seasons last March. She cycles year round and is a bit grumpy a day or two into each season, but nothing even worth commenting about for a mare owner.

My wonder is, why would her ovaries (or hormones) suddenly cause her to go stir crazy, non-stop, for a couple of months at this time of year, every year? And then revert back to normal? She's clearly going into and out of seasons, and is being bloody minded regardless of where she is in her cycle.

This is her third year of following this behavious pattern, so there must be something triggering it. Can't simply be co-incidental. Maybe I should mention it to the vet...
 
Yes, she is quite 'stallion like' in her behavious ATM, although not at all aggressive towards other horses. Rather, when in season she's very friendly! The rest of the time she's pretty much ignoring them. Even her regular field companions. Too busy charging about, running through the wire, bucking and snorting to bother with them.
 
Think you have answered your own question there spyda. Call the vet, thats what they are there for and Im sure they will have the answers for you. Bet they get lots of enquiries about this at this time of year. Shes a bit like a teenager going through it and as you get older your "time of the month" gets easier. Hope you get it sorted. Let us know.
 
I've never had a mare but have seen other mare owners with a few problems with hormones when in season but nothing ever that severe. I'd also say have her checked by vets as if this is 3rd year running it's a definite pattern so you would think must have a definite cause and be good to get the vets onto it as soon as you can this year before she either injures you, others, herself or other horses. And best time to get her checked is when she's at her worst as if there is something funny going on with hormones etc hopefully it would show in blood tests (but fingers crossed it's not anything too serious up with her ovaries). Hope it gets sorted and improves.
 
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get the vet out and have ovaries scanned - this happened in a horse at my yard - had ovarian tumours, not what you want to hear - sorry.

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Yes, I totally agree.
I had one which almost killed me.
She dumped me three times one evening and then came at me with front feet and teeth when I was on the floor - which was VERY scary indeed.
PTS and pm said "ovarian tumours". Sad, I know but no horse is worth YOU getting seriously hurt.
It is not their fault - it is all hormonal - and she is not a human being whereby you could "have a chat" about her behaviour. Get her scanned asap - and please be careful in the meantime.
 
I have three mares, and whilst I sometimes notice that they are a bit hormonal, what you describe is not normal.
One of mine is a bit distracted and confused when she is in her first and last annual seasons, another is more chatty to humans and horses, the third doesn't show much.
I'd agree you should have her fully investigated by the vet, poor girl, it can't be nice for either of you.
S
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Righto. I'll call the equine vet tomorrow morning and have a chat... he foaled her dam for me, and foaled her too, so has known her from birth.... thanks for the advice everyone. Fingers crossed
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