horses stropping at feed time

[debsflo]

frustratingly daughters horse has been on light work following a swollen fetlock.i gave her time off to make sure cancelled all events only to find her going ballistic in the field to come in for her tea.she throws a real tantrum galloping ,kicking and stropping if she doesnt get brought in as soon as she sees us.i cant risk leaving her as the ground is so hard and worried shell injure herself.in her previous home she was only out for a few hours.she settled all day but by 7- 8 o clock she knows its tea.any ideas.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Bring her out of the gate at her "feed time" give her a handful of chaff and a carrot. Fly spray, pick hooves and check her and put her back in field again. My old girl would only settle in the field if she knew she had been put "back out" to stay out, even if you fed her in the field she would stress about being "left". Bizzare but doing this stopped her stressing and she would wonder off going "yippee no work today, where's the grass..."

 

[DuckToller]

Mine did that the other day - took one to a jump lesson and came home late to find three turning themselves inside out galloping all over the place because I was late!

Think the lack of grass and millions of midges didn't help either. If you can't do as suggested above, then can you put some hay out to keep her tummy feeling full? If I know I'm going to be late back I usually put some out and they munch on it near the gate and don't get in quite such a state.

 

[debsflo]

agree re lack of grass and midges.moving fencing tomorrow re more grass and she was trying to itch herself either because she was hot and bothered or flies/midges were driving her mad