Grass effected horses

[ILuvCowparsely]

Any one else with one who is sensitive to mature grass and acts this way or others, I am glad I can put a name and symptom to my mares behaviour.


What are the symptoms of grass affected horses?


If a horse is “grass affected” owners may notice some behavioral changes. A grass affected horse can become hyperactive, spooky, tense, touchy, girthy or may even begin to buck under saddle. In bad cases, horses can become very unpredictable and even dangerous to handle.

 

[JenJ]

Any one else with one who is sensitive to mature grass and acts this way or others, I am glad I can put a name and symptom to my mares behaviour.


What are the symptoms of grass affected horses?


If a horse is “grass affected” owners may notice some behavioral changes. A grass affected horse can become hyperactive, spooky, tense, touchy, girthy or may even begin to buck under saddle. In bad cases, horses can become very unpredictable and even dangerous to handle.

They are fairly generalist symptoms though, common to many, many conditions. The go-to investigations for these symptoms would probably be ulcers and SI issues ahead of grass sensitivity.

 

[Exasperated]

Any one else with one who is sensitive to mature grass and acts this way or others, I am glad I can put a name and symptom to my mares behaviour.


What are the symptoms of grass affected horses?


If a horse is “grass affected” owners may notice some behavioral changes. A grass affected horse can become hyperactive, spooky, tense, touchy, girthy or may even begin to buck under saddle. In bad cases, horses can become very unpredictable and even dangerous to handle.

Hello, good you’ve got a handle on what’s affecting your mare, and perhaps you would tell how the diagnosis was reached, please?
No doubt that grass can have an effect on all sorts of behaviours, just wondering what testing / process of elimination / whatever, was used?
Fresh mature grass only, or cut & dried mature grass in hay, too?
With those symptoms, one might spend a lot of time investigating other causes, be really helpful if you could elaborate on the process.
Thanks.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

They are fairly generalist symptoms though, common to many, many conditions. The go-to investigations for these symptoms would probably be ulcers and SI issues ahead of grass sensitivity.

No nothing to do with ulcers, they have only moved over the the other pasture which has been vacant since august. this mare is very strange with her behaviour, this happened over night after the first day on the other grass. The grass effect is what she has, you cannot touch her without her spooking spooking at me not willing to be touched.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hello, good you’ve got a handle on what’s affecting your mare, and perhaps you would tell how the diagnosis was reached, please?
No doubt that grass can have an effect on all sorts of behaviours, just wondering what testing / process of elimination / whatever, was used?
Fresh mature grass only, or cut & dried mature grass in hay, too?
With those symptoms, one might spend a lot of time investigating other causes, be really helpful if you could elaborate on the process.
Thanks.

Process's of elimination and feed specialist and months of trial and error. She gets like this with many things not just the grass, magnesium does it too her, give her magnesium like calmers. The thought process goes totally irrational , she has been fine since on the other field but as soon as she moves to the resting fields this happens. You cannot catch her touch her stroke her even putting a headcollar on she jerks away like being electrocuted.

it is very upsetting for me when my own horse looks at me like this. Never new this could be linked to the older grass but it makes sense when only just moved over to this field. With this mare things take a few days to get worse, pony nuts did it too her when she went on limited turnout after box rest. even walking in the stable and changing her rugs she flinches or jumps away. There are things I can try now which I will try.

Very unique horse this one with very odd random behaviour, other times she is fine.

 

[JenJ]

No nothing to do with ulcers, they have only moved over the the other pasture which has been vacant since august. this mare is very strange with her behaviour, this happened over night after the first day on the other grass. The grass effect is what she has, you cannot touch her without her spooking spooking at me not willing to be touched.

No, I wasn't suggesting that your own horse had ulcers, I'm sure you've done plenty of investigating already! I'm glad you now have a diagnosis for her

I was just saying that in general, those symptoms you listed are very common to lots of things, and for many horses, they are more likely to be caused by issues such as ulcers than from a reaction to mature grasses.

 

[Exasperated]

No, I wasn't suggesting that your own horse had ulcers, I'm sure you've done plenty of investigating already! I'm glad you now have a diagnosis for her

I was just saying that in general, those symptoms you listed are very common to lots of things, and for many horses, they are more likely to be caused by issues such as ulcers than from a reaction to mature grasses.

That’s really sad for you both, and quite extreme, yet the mare is completely ‘normal’ and sweet natured when grazing her other pasture? Which original pasture is short-cropped and therefore always young grass?
What is she like when the grass in her new field has been eaten back and she’s then grazing that pasture with only short / fresh coming through? Presumably she’s ok then?
Have you tried topping either pasture to see what effect that has? (Obviously not growing much at present, but UK grass can spurt throughout winter months, these days)
Does your hay / haylage come from your own fields, and what is she like with that? ( which will be mature grass, wherever from).
Do you think it is purely the maturity of the grass ingested, rather than whatever is growing in that particular field?
I guess you could get your fields topped regularly to manage her at least, ride on lawnmower if necessary!
But I think I might try some serious soil testing, identify all plants, and batch tests of the grass in this field, just for peace of mind.
(My immediate reaction was oh no, not another PSSM 2 mare, but that doesn’t sound quite right, thankfully!)
Fingers x’d for you.