councillor
Well-Known Member
My girl has had a huge personality change under saddle. She is her usual self to handle on the ground but as soon as I tack her up she becomes very tense and over reacts to everything and is in a constant state of alert.
she is worked at least five days a week for no less that an hour hacking, 30-40 mins if schooling, reasonably fit as we are in hilly country and copes with her work and recovers from faster work quickly. So I don't think she is feeling like she has a lack of work.
However in the last week she has become very unpredictable and felt like I was sitting on a ticking time bomb! As soon as we walk out the yard she becomes very very tense, if even a twig has moved from where she expected it to be she will give a huge spook, when passing the fields she will snort and jog at best, take off if she can, past any livestock, be it other horses or sheep, where as before she would pass with no problem even if they were running around. She has spun a couple of times with me now, fast and sharp, and when I make her turn around and try to get her past the invisible monster she gets very light in front and will give a huge launch and an equally huge buck on landing.
She is the same in the School, she has gone from a horse who loves to be working in the school to tight tense and in a constant state of alarm, if she hears any noise she will erupt and take off in panic (especially if its children) I am not new to horses, far from a pro but able enough after 24 years of having them, but she has scared me purely because she for the first time has made me feel like she is oblivious to anything I am trying to get across to her when she is in this state.
She has her back done every three months,last check two weeks ago, her teeth were done last week, her saddle fits very well. She has always been a grump when tack was produced, but there was a tail swish the last couple of times and a bit of face pulling with rugs as well. However she also has just come into her first "true season of the year and to be blunt she is horny and this season does tie in time wise.
She is on no heating feeds at all, hi fi molasses free and fast fibre, only sups is her pink powder.
There is no change to her routine or the yard and very private yard so nobody can get in around the horses and spook them.
She was very fat as had to have last Summer off and is a very good do'er so I have been working on getting her weight down and she hasn't been allowed ad lib hay as she would gorge, so there is chunks of the day where she has nothing to eat as her field is bare, not a blade of grass to be seen! her weight is now pretty spot on for her type.
So what does it sound like to you guys? would you put her on a hormone sup and see if that works or would you get in touch with vet re ulcers?
Just don't like riding a raging bull..too old for such things!
Thank you if you have read this far xx
she is worked at least five days a week for no less that an hour hacking, 30-40 mins if schooling, reasonably fit as we are in hilly country and copes with her work and recovers from faster work quickly. So I don't think she is feeling like she has a lack of work.
However in the last week she has become very unpredictable and felt like I was sitting on a ticking time bomb! As soon as we walk out the yard she becomes very very tense, if even a twig has moved from where she expected it to be she will give a huge spook, when passing the fields she will snort and jog at best, take off if she can, past any livestock, be it other horses or sheep, where as before she would pass with no problem even if they were running around. She has spun a couple of times with me now, fast and sharp, and when I make her turn around and try to get her past the invisible monster she gets very light in front and will give a huge launch and an equally huge buck on landing.
She is the same in the School, she has gone from a horse who loves to be working in the school to tight tense and in a constant state of alarm, if she hears any noise she will erupt and take off in panic (especially if its children) I am not new to horses, far from a pro but able enough after 24 years of having them, but she has scared me purely because she for the first time has made me feel like she is oblivious to anything I am trying to get across to her when she is in this state.
She has her back done every three months,last check two weeks ago, her teeth were done last week, her saddle fits very well. She has always been a grump when tack was produced, but there was a tail swish the last couple of times and a bit of face pulling with rugs as well. However she also has just come into her first "true season of the year and to be blunt she is horny and this season does tie in time wise.
She is on no heating feeds at all, hi fi molasses free and fast fibre, only sups is her pink powder.
There is no change to her routine or the yard and very private yard so nobody can get in around the horses and spook them.
She was very fat as had to have last Summer off and is a very good do'er so I have been working on getting her weight down and she hasn't been allowed ad lib hay as she would gorge, so there is chunks of the day where she has nothing to eat as her field is bare, not a blade of grass to be seen! her weight is now pretty spot on for her type.
So what does it sound like to you guys? would you put her on a hormone sup and see if that works or would you get in touch with vet re ulcers?
Just don't like riding a raging bull..too old for such things!
Thank you if you have read this far xx
