I have a problem most TB owners would like to have.....

Bug2007

Bug2007

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my TB is always hungry, and when she hasn't had something to eat she is soooo grumpy.

This morning for example, she was a mega bi**h!!!! She lives out 24/7 and fed twice a day, this is fine works fine and generally leaves a happy horse. Well today i decided i was going to ride her before work and before her breakfast which i have done before and not had a problem....difference today was the frost on the grass which has meant for several hours she hasn't been eating as much!!! Thsi resulted in the tantram or all tantrams.

I got her out of the field and across the road for her to about turn and canter back across the road:eek::eek:to the field gate....twice, i was going to give up and put her back but after putting the bridle on a major arguement and some loud words and a smack from the rope she finally decided i was right.
She stood quietly and let me tack her up and ride her. She is normally so sweet, but she was standing on her hind legs, trying to kick me etc....
I am so glad i won this argument as it won't happen again, as this is what she is like, but all of that because she wanted food.

TB generally are take it or leave it, hard to keep weight on etc.... (generalising) I have a good doer who is mad about food. She has as much grass as she wants all the time, who would think a bit of frost would turn her into such a moose.:rolleyes:
 
Your lucky to come out of that alive my cob would have killed me he cant possible put one foot in front of the other without his breakfast
 
lol i know i was lucky, i really was going to give up, but i was not letting her beat me. If I had i'd have no ends of problems another day.

We came out all safe, she never got run over and i didn't end up with a foot in my head.
 
This sounds very much like she has ulcers to me! Food is everything and so grumpy aggressive without it. Also very common in TB ex racers (I don't know if yours is?). Youcan test for ulcers by feeding a mug of linestone flour in her feeds twice a day for a few days and if she has you should notice a difference. Good luck
 
She is an ex racer but has been tested for ulcers and she is clear but might try the limestone anyway can't hurt can it. :D
 
traceyann said:
Your lucky to come out of that alive my cob would have killed me he cant possible put one foot in front of the other without his breakfast
Click to expand...

Mine too!! I was pinned against the stable the other day because I stupidly got between him and the hay net I'd just hung..he couldn't wait for me to untie him and let him into the stable so stretched across me with the rope and started to eat...even me screaming 'KANE YOU *********' and pushing him didn't move him!! I had to squeeze myself down under the rope and then he looked at me like I was an idiot for disturbing his eating!!!!:mad:

Roll on June when I'm going on a 'Positive Handling' course...haaahhaaaahhaa!!! Wait til they meet him!!
 
lol


I have just looked at the ingredients in my feed (Bailey's Outshine and Lo-Cal and they both have the Calcium Carbonate in them).
 
Glad you're ok, Sammii.

I can work mine before his breakfast, but he gives me such a sorrowful, dejected look that I feel an absolute heel... :o

(Horse 64 points, owner minus 9)
 
She sounds like a typical Tb to me. In addition to the food, the tantrum was probably because the ride was out of her normal routine. That's when mine gets quite insecure and her behaviour alters. I don't think it's a case of winning a battle, they are just so damn sensitive, our Tb's - beauty comes at a price, and yes, I'd love a cob :rolleyes:
 
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When you say tested for ulcers, do you mean she's been scoped?
In my experience many many many horses show ulcers when scoped, even if they're asymptomatic in terms of behaviour.

On a different note, I think this time of year makes them hungry. The grass is growing, but there's nothing much in it yet in terms of goodness, so mine are snuffling up grass like gold dust, but then, as soon as the full belly is gone, they feel terribly hungry again. I'm supplementing with additional chaff at the moment.
 
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