Grumpy and not himself..... :-( advice please!

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h_jennings1987

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i have had my horse Jake for about 6 months, he was always a sweet boy , let me do anything go anywhere, liked cuddles and used to fall asleep whilst being petted, happy to be groomed etc (wasnt keen on the cold water for baths but put up with it)
Within the last month he has changed completely and he is grumpy constantly! its really upsetting and can be quite scary. he pins his ears at me all the time - more often with food. Grinds his teeth, does not like to be groomed, does not like rugs being put on and will kick up towards his belly when im putting rugs on, tries to bite you, stopped being gentle with your hands will try and put fingers in his mouth, fidgets alot, doesnt seem to settle and generally doesnt like to be touched :-(

his daily routine hasnt changed, he still gets same amount of food, been wormed, jabs are up to date, (teeth are being done tomorrow) and is still very loyal to me, greets me with a call every time i see him or he hears me, he still comes to call from the field, will follow me around the field and chase other horses off that gets too close to me etc.

i just cant seem to figure out what is going on, i just want my cuddly boy back :-( .... can anyone help or had something like this before?
 
he is fine, no bucking or anything like that. saddle is getting checked next week as its too wide at the front but it doesnt pinch or anything and when i take it off no hairs have moved etc. he has become a tad more worried (spooky) when riding as he is normally the safest horse out there and doesnt worry about anything.

i didnt know if it might be him pushing boundaries etc as he is only 6 and he might now have his feet under the table if that makes sense?
 
It does sound like he is pain - I would be considering ulcers first.

I would be calling the Vet for such a dramatic change, hope you get to the bottom of it.
 
Speak to your vet. Could certainly be ulcers . . . but could also be pain somewhere else. Start with your vet and go from there.

What is he fed?

P
 
I would try dropping the Alfa a, lots of horses including my mare can't tolerate alfalfa. It's the only time my mare has tried to kick my head in when grooming her tummy, sides etc. Within a week of taking her off alfalfa based feed she was back to her usual placid self.
 
h_jennings1987 said:
he has hifi lite, a hand of alfa a, milk thistle, linseed and spillers lite balancer
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Does he live in or out? If in, does he have ad lib forage when stabled? Hay or haylage?

Vets will scope (put in a nasal gastric tube through which they send a tiny camera) for ulcers but they can't scope the hind gut. There is a poo sample test that looks for blood in the stool - it's called Succeed. If ulcers are found, there are meds that can be prescribed - but you'll need to think about how you manage him too. Horses are trickle feeders - they eat little and often - so as much turnout on decent grass as possible and if there's limited grass, supplemental hay in the field. If stabled, ad lib (good quality) hay. If you work him in the morning, make sure he has some hay while you groom/tack him up to reduce acid splash from an empty belly - even if he's been at grass overnight. Be tactful and careful when you girth him up - or consider not working him under saddle or with a roller on - just some gentle in-hand exercises. Be tactful and careful when you groom him . . . if his internal organs are sore, he will have been holding himself differently, will affect the musculo-skeletal structure in his abdomen - if he has ulcers, he is grumpy because he is sore.

These are just a few observations (based on experience) but, really, talk to your vet.

P
 
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Surreydeb said:
I would try dropping the Alfa a, lots of horses including my mare can't tolerate alfalfa. It's the only time my mare has tried to kick my head in when grooming her tummy, sides etc. Within a week of taking her off alfalfa based feed she was back to her usual placid self.
Click to expand...

oh really? ok thank you i will try leaving the alfa a out, any ideas what is in it that upsets them?
 
PolarSkye said:
Does he live in or out? If in, does he have ad lib forage when stabled? Hay or haylage?

Vets will scope (put in a nasal gastric tube through which they send a tiny camera) for ulcers but they can't scope the hind gut. There is a poo sample test that looks for blood in the stool - it's called Succeed. If ulcers are found, there are meds that can be prescribed - but you'll need to think about how you manage him too. Horses are trickle feeders - they eat little and often - so as much turnout on decent grass as possible and if there's limited grass, supplemental hay in the field. If stabled, ad lib (good quality) hay. If you work him in the morning, make sure he has some hay while you groom/tack him up to reduce acid splash from an empty belly - even if he's been at grass overnight. Be tactful and careful when you girth him up - or consider not working him under saddle or with a roller on - just some gentle in-hand exercises. Be tactful and careful when you groom him . . . if his internal organs are sore, he will have been holding himself differently, will affect the musculo-skeletal structure in his abdomen - if he has ulcers, he is grumpy because he is sore.

These are just a few observations (based on experience) but, really, talk to your vet.

P
Click to expand...

he goes out during the day and is always stabled at night, when he first came to my yard (i didnt own him at this stage) his hay was cut down and didnt have much at all but that only lasted a few weeks then i took him on and his routine with food has been.....
breakfast in the morning with hay after until he goes out, grazing all day in fields, comes in has dinner and a big hay net that he never finishes. he is never without food and always has breakfast with hay before he does any work.

did you have the same thing then P?

Ps thank you i will talk to my vet!
 
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