Horse behaviour changing in less than a week

[J_sarahd]

So, long story short, Nova’s behaviour has drastically changed in less than a week.

Saturday and Sunday, she was an absolute angel with a hack on Saturday and a quick school on Sunday.

Two days off.

Wednesday, she bucked me off when I asked for trot. I put it down to her friend being in the school at the same time. Once I got back on, we did have two more trots and she was fine just a little tense (likely my nerves).

Friday, she was throwing her head, swishing her, threatening to rear, ears flat back and refusing to trot. I upped her aloe vera juice as every time she showed ulcery symptoms, I upped it and she was fine again.

Then she had 4 days off and yesterday I got back on and she was the same. I tried different bits, including one she has had since I got her, and there was no difference.

Saddle was checked a month ago and the physio came out that same week. Teeth were last done in July so not really due but they’re being done a month early in December (just due to yard callout).

I am going to get her scoped (even though I really don’t want to because I hate the process) but I think there’s something else going on too. Obviously I will be talking to my vet, but I just wondered if anyone had any experience with this - especially as it was such a sudden change. Plus if I have more of a focus, I can at least investigate those areas with the vet first. I’m thinking back?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Is it maybe the days off? I cant really give BB many days off, he is a nightmare. He naps, bronks and bucks. When I started riding him every day, it all vanished. He need consistent work. Now he only occasionally naps ?

 

[scats]

First thoughts would be ulcers, hind limb problems, SI problems.
Polly’s PSD appeared very like this.

 

[J_sarahd]

Just to add, I have a few videos from Friday if anyone wants to see them to give a bit more of a clearer picture. I don’t want to add them to the thread as they’re really not pretty

 

[Equi]

Happy to have a look. Is she clipped? Is she maybe cold?

 

[FestiveG]

Has anyone fed her at all? We had a local numpty dog walker feeding ours cattle creep feed at one point? the appy mare lost her mind, fortunately not under saddle. I had another two mares over the years who reacted badly to feed, one to any cereal and another to alfalfa and carrots

 

[ycbm]

Happy to look if you think it would help.
.

 

[Gloi]

Might be worth a vet check In case she's done something to herself during the days off that is causing pain.

 

[Squeak]

What's she like to be lunged with and without tack? Has she changed shape at all either due to work you've done with her or dropping as we're coming in to winter?

My tb can change shape hugely in a month and it could be that your saddle is starting to pinch or something but hasn't been doing it long enough to have caused something for the physio to find.

 

[J_sarahd]

What's she like to be lunged with and without tack? Has she changed shape at all either due to work you've done with her or dropping as we're coming in to winter?

My tb can change shape hugely in a month and it could be that your saddle is starting to pinch or something but hasn't been doing it long enough to have caused something for the physio to find.

Lunging her is today’s task before I give her time off until I get more of an understanding as to what’s going on.

I haven’t noticed her changing shape and between her initial saddle fit and the last one, she had changed ever so slightly but she wasn’t reacting like this. I’m not saying it couldn’t be that though

 

[Equi]

Have seen the video and agree there is definitely something bothering her. My first port of call would be a trot up if anyone on the yard is anyway good at looking for lameness, next would be saddle and bridle checks (even if only checked) and a physio for back.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Hormonal, season related? My mare was in season last week and a real sassy madam!

Would make sense why she was fine a few days before, hormones change, then she’s like a different horse. My mare is like riding 2 different horses, I made a diary so I could predict her seasons.

 

[J_sarahd]

Hormonal, season related? My mare was in season last week and a real sassy madam!

Would make sense why she was fine a few days before, hormones change, then she’s like a different horse. My mare is like riding 2 different horses, I made a diary so I could predict her seasons.

Very likely - especially with the ditching me due to one of her boyfriends being in the school. She’s on Agnus Castus so it’s difficult to tell when she is in season as she doesn’t necessarily show a lot of signs. I also heard that the last season of the year is the worst?

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Very likely - especially with the ditching me due to one of her boyfriends being in the school. She’s on Agnus Castus so it’s difficult to tell when she is in season as she doesn’t necessarily show a lot of signs. I also heard that the last season of the year is the worst?

I’ve had a mare 18 months now and it’s opened my eyes to how different they can be when in season. Mine doesn’t show many signs either, but she can be just like you describe. Nappy, she went up vertical because her boyfriend rode the other way around the arena in summer. Yet a week on, angel. She suddenly gets obsessed with other horses where as usually doesn't fuss at all if she’s in alone. I actually started giving her off a few days around her season.. next year I might try Regumate because I didn’t find Angus catcus did much.

I thought seasons were suppose to finish in October, but spoke to a few friends and their mares are still showing signs of being in season. Maybe the warm weather?

Be interesting what your mare is like next week. I find my mare is at her worse for a week.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

This horse is very young isn't it?

It sounds like ulcers or some sort discomfort/pain so I would do all the basic back,teeth,saddle then if no change get the vet out.

 

[J_sarahd]

I’ve had a mare 18 months now and it’s opened my eyes to how different they can be when in season. Mine doesn’t show many signs either, but she can be just like you describe. Nappy, she went up vertical because her boyfriend rode the other way around the arena in summer. Yet a week on, angel. She suddenly gets obsessed with other horses where as usually doesn't fuss at all if she’s in alone. I actually started giving her off a few days around her season.. next year I might try Regumate because I didn’t find Angus catcus did much.

I thought seasons were suppose to finish in October, but spoke to a few friends and their mares are still showing signs of being in season. Maybe the warm weather?

Be interesting what your mare is like next week. I find my mare is at her worse for a week.

Very interesting. She has never been like this before but the fact it came on so quickly could point to it and like I said, I’ve read that the first and last season of the year are the worst. She’s having a bit of time off anyway so it will be interesting to see what she is like in a week or two

 

[J_sarahd]

This horse is very young isn't it?

It sounds like ulcers or some sort discomfort/pain so I would do all the basic back,teeth,saddle then if no change get the vet out.

Yeah, she’s nearly 4. Ulcers are definitely on my mind, especially with her being in training. There’s definitely pain from somewhere, I 100% agree, I guess it’s just the fact it could really be anywhere as I’ve already had several different things it could be.

Fellow livery said it was purely Nova being lazy and trying to get out of work… which I don’t agree with one bit!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Yeah, she’s nearly 4. Ulcers are definitely on my mind, especially with her being in training. There’s definitely pain from somewhere, I 100% agree, I guess it’s just the fact it could really be anywhere as I’ve already had several different things it could be.

Fellow livery said it was purely Nova being lazy and trying to get out of work… which I don’t agree with one bit!

If she were mine I’d give her winter off now, or just do some in hand work to keep her brain ticking. Back up training, pole work. I wouldn’t school a 3yo.

She’s probably already done a lot for her age (race training from 2 I take it) and the break will do her body the world of good. Next year she’ll be ready to come back into work stronger ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Do you think maybe your doing a bit too much with her she is very young I would possibly back at 3 then turn away until 4, she could just need a bit of growing up and is now taking offence to the work.

 

[J_sarahd]

To be fair, that definitely has crossed my mind. I was planning on giving her the winter off anyway so I’m absolutely fine giving her a few extra weeks off on top of what she is already planned in to have. She was originally going to have from the start of this month off but a trainer said to keep her in work until Christmas.

 

[Zoeypxo]

[QUOTE="Hormonal Filly, post: 15058577,
I thought seasons were suppose to finish in October, but spoke to a few friends and their mares are still showing signs of being in season. Maybe the warm weather?
[/QUOTE]

Some horses continue coming into season 12 months year, including mine

 

[Hormonal Filly]

[QUOTE="Hormonal Filly, post: 15058577,
I thought seasons were suppose to finish in October, but spoke to a few friends and their mares are still showing signs of being in season. Maybe the warm weather?

Some horses continue coming into season 12 months year, including mine [/QUOTE]

Oh my. I did not want to hear this.. ?

 

[Equi]

I’d let her off now. Don’t let your trainer put in your head that you need to work her through this phase, it won’t work.

 

[J_sarahd]

Update: I lunged her last night in a simple lunge cavesson and single line on request of physio and trainer and she was actually really well-behaved - nice and forward and no more unbalanced on the open side of the circle than she was before - we don’t lunge much. I’m going to trot her up tomorrow (no lights near the hard surfaces to trot up on in the evening) to make sure she’s 100% sound and then I’m going to forget about ridden work and focus on groundwork, in-hand poles etc to keep her mind ticking over before fulling turning her away for a few weeks.

I’m still speaking to my physio, so she may well be coming out earlier than planned to see her. But I will keep this thread updated if anything crops up for anyone who is interested.

 

[Squeak]

My only thought with turning her away is that you're potentially just kicking the can down the road and depending on what the problem is, it could just get worse with time albeit resting.

 

[J_sarahd]

My only thought with turning her away is that you're potentially just kicking the can down the road and depending on what the problem is, it could just get worse with time albeit resting.

To be fair, this is a worry of mine too and I think with it being something with so many potential causes I’m a bit at a loss. I don’t know what the best thing to do is and I keep going backwards and forwards between:
give her 2 weeks of unridden work then ride and reevaluate
give her her winter holiday now
ring the vets now

I think with it being something with so many different possible causes, I’m just trying to at least narrow it down. Honestly, I’ve had:
Ulcers, her season, the change in weather, the change in grass, hindlimb/SI, freshness, neck issues, saddle issues, school sourness, kissing spine

And I don’t have the money to investigate all of them, as much as I’d love to. Perhaps not riding her for 2 weeks is a way of burying my head in the sand a bit but it’s only because I am genuinely so worried. I’m speaking to my physio who has seen all the videos and knows Nova (fairly well, but she’s only seen her 3 times so far).

Sorry, this turned into a bit of a word vomit. I am just genuinely so worried about her because it’s so out of character. And I hope I am not coming across as a bad owner

 

[SEL]

No teeth coming through / out?

My 4.5 year old has been like a stroppy toddler all week and he's teething. He's a lovely natured boy so very out of character and I think it's causing his gut to play up a bit too

 

[J_sarahd]

No teeth coming through / out?

My 4.5 year old has been like a stroppy toddler all week and he's teething. He's a lovely natured boy so very out of character and I think it's causing his gut to play up a bit too

This is very interesting and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it. I lunged her in her saddle today and apart from a buck and a fart, she was good again.

I’ve also booked to get her scoped next week. Whether or not ulcers are causing this, I am pretty sure she has ulcers - especially with the fact she’s been in race training.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I still think she needs scoping

 

[Zoeypxo]

So, long story short, Nova’s behaviour has drastically changed in less than a week.

Saturday and Sunday, she was an absolute angel with a hack on Saturday and a quick school on Sunday.

Two days off.

Wednesday, she bucked me off when I asked for trot. I put it down to her friend being in the school at the same time. Once I got back on, we did have two more trots and she was fine just a little tense (likely my nerves).

Friday, she was throwing her head, swishing her, threatening to rear, ears flat back and refusing to trot. I upped her aloe vera juice as every time she showed ulcery symptoms, I upped it and she was fine again.

Then she had 4 days off and yesterday I got back on and she was the same. I tried different bits, including one she has had since I got her, and there was no difference.

Saddle was checked a month ago and the physio came out that same week. Teeth were last done in July so not really due but they’re being done a month early in December (just due to yard callout).

I am going to get her scoped (even though I really don’t want to because I hate the process) but I think there’s something else going on too. Obviously I will be talking to my vet, but I just wondered if anyone had any experience with this - especially as it was such a sudden change. Plus if I have more of a focus, I can at least investigate those areas with the vet first. I’m thinking back?

The tail swishing ears flat back and threatening to rear is exactly what my horse did when she had ulcers.