Cello_song
Well-Known Member
I've had my mare for 3 months now, she's been in work with me for 8 weeks after being turned away for the winter (My gran died unexpectedly 2 days after she arrived so I was slow off the mark to get her going).
She's rising 6 but very green, not done much. The first few days of riding she was a bit nappy/spooky but we've come so far in 8 weeks already. Have been doing loads of hacking out with friends and can now go to 'collect' my hacking buddy and do the last bit of our hack all by ourselves too. So been feeling really happy with her!
3 weeks ago she behaved very oddly 2 days running out hacking - twitching around her back end/flanks which went on to whole body twitching, full body shakes and eventually kicking her tummy and bucking. I thought maybe she'd been bitten by something?
Since then we've had a successful 3 weeks - been doing lots of going in front on the hacks, introduced cantering, done a wee baby dressage and got a frilly
and also taken part in a mini dressage training session. The only slight niggle has been her reluctance to accept a contact by throwing her head around a bit when schooling / doing the wee dressage things. Have just been ignoring it and riding her forwards. Teeth were done on Tues of this week and she did have some sharp edges.
So now this weekend, exactly 3 weeks on from the last lot of strange behaviour, it has started again. She was a total madam in my lesson yesterday - spooking, not wanting to go forwards. My instructor was great and gave me a kick up the bum and we did get over the spooking and got her going forwards but she would NOT accept the contact and was continually chucking her head. To begin with instructor was convinced it was temper tantrum but by the end of the lesson was thinking I should get her checked out in case something is bothering her. She also said don't back off her in case she is taking the piss and we'd see what the vet says when I ring her on Mon.
So then today tried taking her out a hack with my field buddys. Started off great, then within 15 mins the twitching in the hindquarters started. My friend was riding behind me so could see what was happening - she was twitching all the hind quarter / flank muscles and 'itching' her lady bits with her tail. There would then be a big squirt of clear, watery discharge and she was kicking and bucking when it was running down her legs. She would then relax and be ok again for 5/10 mins then the whole thing would begin again. After the 5th outburst, once she was calm I got off and lead the rest of the hack as I really felt she was not being naughty and that she was genuinely in discomfort. (I didn't take this decision lightly, I'm usually a 'kick on and get on with it' type!)
So any thoughts? Hormonal? Taking the p*ss? Will be ringing the vet on Mon morning but some reassurance I'm not a complete idiot would be much appreciated!
Thank you in advance x
She's rising 6 but very green, not done much. The first few days of riding she was a bit nappy/spooky but we've come so far in 8 weeks already. Have been doing loads of hacking out with friends and can now go to 'collect' my hacking buddy and do the last bit of our hack all by ourselves too. So been feeling really happy with her!
3 weeks ago she behaved very oddly 2 days running out hacking - twitching around her back end/flanks which went on to whole body twitching, full body shakes and eventually kicking her tummy and bucking. I thought maybe she'd been bitten by something?
Since then we've had a successful 3 weeks - been doing lots of going in front on the hacks, introduced cantering, done a wee baby dressage and got a frilly
and also taken part in a mini dressage training session. The only slight niggle has been her reluctance to accept a contact by throwing her head around a bit when schooling / doing the wee dressage things. Have just been ignoring it and riding her forwards. Teeth were done on Tues of this week and she did have some sharp edges. So now this weekend, exactly 3 weeks on from the last lot of strange behaviour, it has started again. She was a total madam in my lesson yesterday - spooking, not wanting to go forwards. My instructor was great and gave me a kick up the bum and we did get over the spooking and got her going forwards but she would NOT accept the contact and was continually chucking her head. To begin with instructor was convinced it was temper tantrum but by the end of the lesson was thinking I should get her checked out in case something is bothering her. She also said don't back off her in case she is taking the piss and we'd see what the vet says when I ring her on Mon.
So then today tried taking her out a hack with my field buddys. Started off great, then within 15 mins the twitching in the hindquarters started. My friend was riding behind me so could see what was happening - she was twitching all the hind quarter / flank muscles and 'itching' her lady bits with her tail. There would then be a big squirt of clear, watery discharge and she was kicking and bucking when it was running down her legs. She would then relax and be ok again for 5/10 mins then the whole thing would begin again. After the 5th outburst, once she was calm I got off and lead the rest of the hack as I really felt she was not being naughty and that she was genuinely in discomfort. (I didn't take this decision lightly, I'm usually a 'kick on and get on with it' type!)
So any thoughts? Hormonal? Taking the p*ss? Will be ringing the vet on Mon morning but some reassurance I'm not a complete idiot would be much appreciated!
Thank you in advance x
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