Extream spookiness!! Help!

[BorgRae]

Hi all!

I really apologose this is long...

So, all in all my lad is pretty laid back, or should I say WAS laid back.

Over the last 6-8 weeks he's become really spooky when being led. And today was just a nightmare!

Initially, he just started eyeing things up, snorting etc, but would eventually walk on. He's ok (ish) in his stable and when ridden in the school ( there is the odd occasion when he spooks), but when I'm leading him from the field, he's a nightmare!! Even when his mate comes in with him!!! In the field, he's happy as larry!

Today, he would only walk backwards or sideways, hopping and jogging all the way!

I tried feeding him Magnesium, but it hasn't helped.

He used to be so laid back, and has just changed

Vet is coming on Monday, they said if he's happy out, leave him there till then (he's out 24/7 anyway).

...I must admit, he's also changed in himself over the last 6-8 months. Over winter he turned from being a laid back chilled horse, to the devil that wouldn't leave the other horses alone! Constantly biting and chasing them.

So, ideas?! My initial reaction is it must be a brain tumour, or he's going blind so how would the vet test this?

The vet was out to him just 10 weeks ago with suspected stringhalt, checked him over and he was fine.

Just looking for suggestions, suppliments, ideas...

Nothing in his diet has changed, except more grass less hayledge. His routine has stayed pretty much the same as always.

Thank you for any advice, and apologies for any spelling errors (I'm on my phone)

Thanks you for reading xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

I've just had this problem but it coincided with moving to summer field so I've put him in a barer paddock at night, in during the day, soaking hay and feeding magnesium. he's calmed down loads in last few days. is it worth asking vet for blood test to see if any vitamin/mineral levels are low/high?

 

[BorgRae]

Yeah, will defo ask for a blood tests.

I've asked folks at the yard (including my instructor) what they think, and all seem to suggest that he's trying it on...perhaps I just refuse to believe this! Lol!

I've just ridden him, and he was good as gold, totally normal! It's just when he's being led to and from the field (and hacing, but he's always been pretty spooky hacking).

I must admit, it did all seem to start when he moved on to summer grass.

I'll get bloods done though, and just see if he's lacking in something...

Honestly, since owning horses I've turned completely neurotic!!!!!! Lol! xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

ha tell me about it! I've done loads of research recently on the effects of grass at different times of year...very interesting stuff. found a really good link last night...will try and send it to you in a sec but I'm on my phone so may not work

 

[Jill Crewe]

http://www.gotcha.com.au/articles.php

hope link will work or just type it in. okay so it talks about new Zealand but the principles are the same! good luck with getting it sorted and please update. obviously this is just my idea as it's current to me....yours could be something totally different x

 

[oldjumper]

How old is your horse? Reason I ask is we've had similar thing happen to an elderly horse (27). Always sharp but not spooky, he suddenly went into terror mode out on hack - tail over my shoulder and thumping heart I could feel through the saddle. There was nothing in view or hearing to cause a reaction. After he did it again on a different route, I had to retire him as he was unsafe.
However, he then had similar extreme episodes: on stable yard when touched on shoulder, leading out to field, standing (with company) in field. I was convinced it was either eyesight or dementia. Vet checked his eyes, but no sign of cataracts or other obvious causes. As it had now caused injury to horse and serious injury to handler, I decided to give him a summer 'in the sun' then PTS.
Then one day, I led him out of the stable and I knew he was back to normal. He's still retired but 2 years on is a very gentle, reliable old chap and if he was younger I'd have put him back to work. I haven't a clue what was wrong with him and all I can think off is a minor stroke that he has now recovered from? I'll watch this post with interest and I hope yours goes right soon.

 

[BorgRae]

Oldjumper - He's 12, but quite a green and yound 12. It's very interesting re yours, and I'm really pleased he recovered! I'm hoping he's just fresh on Summer grass, it's just very odd behaviour. He's quiet as a mouse at the minute scoffing his dinner! Lol! I shall see what happens when we go back to the field!!

Jill - thank you for that link, I shall defo read it later much appreciated!

Fingers crossed it's nothing and I'm just having one of those "oh my god my horse is broken" moments!! ...they seem to happen a lot!! Haha! The joy of horses!!

Thanks guys xx I'll update with any further incidents or news x

 

[oldjumper]

I'm sure your's will be diet related - just cut out the blue smarties!!!

 

[BorgRae]

Hmm, yup, spooky going back to the field, but no where near as extream! xx

 

[BorgRae]

Haha!! Check - blue smarties off the shopping list! Lol! Xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

"Fingers crossed it's nothing and I'm just having one of those "oh my god my horse is broken" moments!! ...they seem to happen a lot!!"

you are not alone!!

 

[4x4]

If you are on agricultural grass ley as opposed to meadow grass it is probably magnesium deficiency - Jane van Lennup of Simple Systems does a good lecture on this. If I need to I buy mag ox from ebay for my spooky mare but not this year as got no grass yet!

 

[4x4]

Haha, just flicked through your article - same stuff!

 

[Jill Crewe]

the other thing that I learnt is that at this time of year sodium is low in the grass which is used to help absorb the magnesium.....my horse has been going mad for his salt lick the last two weeks so it all makes sense.

 

[BorgRae]

And the verdict is in...

*******UPDATE*******

There's nothing wrong with him!!! Tested his eyes, did a full health check, vet just basically said it "behavioural" issues. He siad I could spend hundreds or thousands getting scans and blood tests, but he's fairly certain they'd all be clear.

So, what the hell do I do now?!

All I want is to be a happy hacker and do the odd dressage test.

I have a horse that hates hacking, spooks at his own shaddow, is a head shaker and is green as grass!

Oh guys... What would u do? Xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

And the verdict is in...

*******UPDATE*******

There's nothing wrong with him!!! Tested his eyes, did a full health check, vet just basically said it "behavioural" issues. He siad I could spend hundreds or thousands getting scans and blood tests, but he's fairly certain they'd all be clear.

So, what the hell do I do now?!

All I want is to be a happy hacker and do the odd dressage test.

I have a horse that hates hacking, spooks at his own shaddow, is a head shaker and is green as grass!

Oh guys... What would u do? Xx

Well I guess you can look on the bright side that there is nothing actually wrong and horse isn't broken

It's disheartening though when it's one thing after another isn't it. How long have you had him? There are plenty of options. You can look into selling and getting something you feel happier with (I am not saying this is what I would do..but it's an option non the less) or you can get a second opinion from someone else.

Personally what I would do (and this is what I have been doing with my new boy who has constantly been one step forward and one step back) and that is to ask people to help you. Do you have people on the yard or a local instructor you could get to help you work through things. It helps so much to have some moral support and someone else to give you some pointers.

What was he like when you first bought him? If he has only changed since then - then you know he is capable of everything but you just need to work on it.

Also you said you had been feeding magnesium but it didn't work - I recently went into a local feed store to ask for some advice on a calmer/magnesium supplement after my horses sugar bender...she gave me one to try and said if I didn't notice a difference to ring the manuafacturer and get advice on exact dosage for my horse..she said she had tried it on her horse with no results, but after speaking to the people who made it they gave her some changes to make and she noticed the change within a few weeks.

 

[BorgRae]

Well his history is a bit of a long story... (I seem to only have long stories! Lol)...

I've had him 2 and a bit years now. He was initially my mums horse before she fell ill. She's a sucker for a sad case and saw him and fell in love.

He's been left in a field for years, was stick thin, and hadn't been sat on for years. Our yard owner at the time rescued him and re-backed him, mum just loved him and bough him.

She only wanted something to pootle around on, so he was kind of perfect, although wasn't keen on hacking, but in company he was ok.

Anyhoo, she fell ill and I had a jumping horse at the time, I'd had him for 5 years and loved him to death, but we just didn't click. Unfortunately as well, I loath jumping so sold him to a fab home and kept my mums horse instead.

He has excellent paces hidden in there and just needed a proper work regime.

So I started working on him in August (with help of the YO) last year, and due to him falling in his stable fully tacked up (he spooked!!), and then having a sore back and broken saddle, he was off work. He then had suspected stringhalt. So he had a lot of winter off.

After we thought he had stringhalt, I moved yards to somewhere that had a lot more turnout (it was very restricted where I was). Unfortunately at our new yard there isn't the help I used to have. But mum here to help a bit, and there are friends that help as well.

The unusual spooking started about 3 weeks before I left my last yard.

So now we're up to date. I owe it to him to try and work it out, I couldn't bare to see him passed from pilar to post! Not after everything he's been through

The day he had his really bad spook, I hadn't given him a hard feed with the magnesium for 4 days. He's getting rather portly on the grass so wanted to cut it out.

After Friday though, I started him again on the magnesium, and funny enough he has been calmer (but not brilliant) since being back on it.

I may give that company a call and see what they say, and may also look to getting another opinion as well.

Thank u so much for your reply, sometimes I think it just helps to write it all down and see what others say.

We shall see what the future holds, but I'm not giving up on him yet!!! xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

Your story is so similar to mine!! Which is why I keep replying

My boy was bought in October last year from a girl that had bought him in the January - the girl SHE bought him off had left him for over a year. So when I got him his teeth were bad (2 had to be removed through disease) So had to deal with sorting out his teeth, then getting a saddle that fitted (kept bucking) and basically because he had so much time off he had forgotten some of his manners and different things. But as I sorted different things out and he started feeling better (no tooth ache or saddle rubbing) he started playing up a little bit because he was feeling like a new horse. So he had a lot of time off too and I think you have to realise that they need to remember what their job is. You do need to be firm but you also have to bear their past in mind.

With regards to the Spring grass issue - my boy is very friendly - okay so he can be a bit rude to lead OCCASIONALLY but I was getting on top of that. He went in his Summer field and within two weeks he had trampled on me (just shot forward when I was putting his headcollar on in field and I ended up on the floor underneath him) then a few days later the yard owner was looking at his nose (sunburn) and he did the same to her...broke her foot. I went down the field to bring him and he was trotting up and down the fence line like a giraffe x dragon. I was scared catching him and bringing him in. Put him in a bare field, soaked his hay, fed him calmer and just over a week later I have my boy back. Will also add that during his sugar frenzy he was also very spooky in the stable...he would kick his feedbucket and jump a mile (normally he'll pick it up in his teeth and swing it around) also I left him tied up for like one minute with headcollar on over bridle and he managed to break his bridle in four places. He is normally pretty much bomb proof.

Like I said, I'm no expert and yours might not be grass related but I'm just sharing my story incase

Also if he hasn't been on new yard that long he might just still be settling in. Just set yourself small targets each week to focus on and soon enough you'll feel like you're making progress

 

[BorgRae]

Our stories do sound so familiar!!

I'm pretty sure it is the grass. At our last yard, there was no winter grazing at all and only turnout in a sand paddock for an hour.

I loved my old yard so very much, the YO was amazing, but needs must!!

I'm certain it's a probably a mix of everything, limited turnout in winter, then fresh spring grass, being fit and well, then having time off and then having a rather mixed routine for the last few months.

I'm sure he'll come right in time, and if I can settle him somewhat so he doesn't kill me with suppliments that'll be a bonus! Lol!

I really appreciate all your replies, and it's quite settling to know I'm not alone!!!

Thank you again! I will keep u updated with our progress xx

 

[Jill Crewe]

Forgot to add that due to mine being left for a year..his muscle wastage led to upward fixation of the patella (locking stifle) which is sort of like your stringhalt which makes it even more uncanny! What did your issue turn out to be in the end?

 

[Simbacat]

Hmm, when my girl had her devil moment the other day, I immediately suspected too much food and not enough exercise and that was exactly it :
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=615915&highlight=simbacat
I rode her 20 miles in 2 days and she reverted to angel, how much exercise does your horse get?

 

[Simbacat]

Oh and cancelled all food additional to grass

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

I have one that goes total spooky bonkers stresshead...jumpy, explosive when the grass comes in...
trying him this year on forage plus summer balancer to see if that helps...mag ox on its own didn't seem to make lot of difference just on its own last year...either that or resign myself to seeing him only from a distance from now til autumn, much like last year!
Sympathies...actually, there may be nothing in this...but with OP and JillA mentioning string halt- like symptoms, did notice he seemed oddly stiff behind before the silly season started...mentioned to vet, she thought nothing of it and it seemed to pass...but perhaps it's a precursor to some sort of mineral type deficiency...I might be going wildly off track there tho...

 

[Jill Crewe]

if you look at the link I posted on page 1 and read the "aspects if pasture..." article and go frown to the grass toxicity/mineral imbalance section it talks a out different signs of lameness. I'm not preaching it though and am by no means a vet! I've just found it interesting reading

 

[Jill Crewe]

sorry about typos, am on phone

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

if you look at the link I posted on page 1 and read the "aspects if pasture..." article and go frown to the grass toxicity/mineral imbalance section it talks a out different signs of lameness. I'm not preaching it though and am by no means a vet! I've just found it interesting reading

Ohhh hadn't looked at that but will thanks

 

[BorgRae]

He works between 5-6 days a week. Although this has been up and down for a while due to his different "issues" Although, now we are settled on the new yard, we're back to the normal regime!

Funnily enough, since he moved to 24/7 grazing and I put him on the Naff D-Tox and Magnesium, he hasn't snached once. Not even a little bit!

I had my farrier to him a couple of weeks ago for his trim and asked him if he could feel a difference in his hind leg (as supposedly, a farrier can feel the difference in legs with a horse with stringhalt). He said he couldn't feel any difference what so ever.

...Then when the vet came yesterday, he said he didn't think he even had stringhalt!

So i am assuming it was just tension for one reason or another, or like you said, mineral deficiency has caused the stiffness.

It's funny how everything seems so linked and it's all adding up!!

Thank you all for posting, I'm becomming more and more convinced that it's the grass and there's a deficiency somewhere!!

P.S - JILL - That article is fantastic!!! thank you!!! It basically refers to ALL of his symtoms!! xx