is 'it's the spring grass' a feeble excuse...

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atot

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for naughty behaviour??

I'm not talking about vices, and anything particularly serious, more just pratting aruond a bit...

Chloe is not the sort who hots up on oats, or gets 'tipsy' on the spring grass, but she was a bit silly this week. E.g refusing to step on the shadows cast on the arena etc...My godmother/YO, who rides her finds it rather funny as she's often so good.
All the horses at the yard were acting up a bit last week, and everyone has just said it is the spring grass....

Do you believe the 'spring grass' excuse, and if so, why?? What is it in decent grass that makes horses a bit happy?

Thoughts....
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Not sure but Ellie was being silly last week too. Pretending to spook and pratting about. Then this week she acts all tired and everything is sooo much effort and all she wants to do is doze in her field
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I hope it's the spring grass, George managed to untie himself twice and escape 3 times by snapping the baler twine he was tied to this week, who knows why??!
 
Mine had what seemed like a massive sugar rush last week and exploded with me onboard and turned out bombing down the field, def hyped up throughout the week..although I got her in yesterday and she was hyper - yawn - hyper - yawn..like having a bloody hyperactive child on my hands, heres hoping she starts calming down a bit!
 
My mare saw a calf that had escaped last week so decided to wallop me one instead, shes in her your not catching me mood as well, about as bad as she gets this time of year. Our new one well i think he just tends to sleep most of the time lol
 
I think that the grass is definitely causing more "lively" behaviour in my mare. She runs off bucking across the field when she's turned out now instead of just calmly putting her head down. When I ride her I have to spend the first 15 mins allowing her to let off steam before I can ask for any proper work. She also did a big spook and spin last week when we were hacking and normallly she is really steady to hack.
 
Gosh - I hope everyones' neds calm down soon....
FinellaGlen, mine has been spinning on hacks recently - most unlike her, and she isn't doing it nastily too, so I am a bit cross with her. I'm going down for a few days next week to give her a talking to and make sure she doesn't get away with it.
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I've never seen Cinn so changed by (What I presume anyway) the spring grass. He is being so spooky, looking at all the shadows, a different coloured leaf, or lines in the road. Yesterday he went to lick and chew whilst we were out riding, the spit on the bit made a noise and he spooked at it
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. I don't mind to much, as long as it gets no worse than this.
 
My gelding who's normally very laid back was spooking at everything out hacking when normally he wouldn't bat an eyelid. Mind you the plus side is that he's much more forward in the school!!
 
Spring grass is deficient in Magnesium

'Calmers' often contain Magnesium

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ETS: This is quoted from

http://www.icelandichorses.co.uk/Feeding_Your_Icelandic_Horse.htm

[ QUOTE ]

Magnesium



Magnesium is often the most neglected mineral in horse feeds. It is often said that horses do not suffer from magnesium deficiency therefore it does not need to be added to horse diets. Cattle and sheep can suffer dramatic magnesium deficiency in the spring leading to ‘staggers’. Certainly horses do not show such dramatic signs however they can and do show signs of magnesium deficiency and some horses appear to be more prone to this than others. Spring grass is typically deficient in magnesium due to the fast growth rate. At this time of year many horses ‘go off their heads’. Owners often put it down to too much carbohydrate in the grass and this may be part of the story. However what is often overlooked is that these horses may be deficient in magnesium. Magnesium deficiency has varying effects on the horse population. Some horses do not suffer any signs while others are almost unrideable due to their apparent silliness’ and hyperactivity. Adding magnesium to their diet may have a dramatically calming effect.



Magnesium is also used up more quickly in times of stress, such as travelling. Many competition horses can become more excitable as the season progresses since they are using the available magnesium too quickly through stress and are suffering deficiency symptoms. It is no surprise that products sold as ‘calming’ supplements, are almost always based on magnesium. Beware though, Magnesium Sulphate, or Epsom salts is a water hungry form of magnesium and will cause problems if fed more than three days in a row. Magnesium Oxide or Magnesium Glutamate should be used for supplementation.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
Phew! My horse has been a bit scary on our last 2 rides out, I thought maybe its the grass too. Hope so
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I was also told by a nutritionist that bran contains magnesium, so in the days when all horses were fed bran they were getting a year round amount.

There is also good evidence that magnesium has a role to play in preventing laminitis.

Just to add that cattle - particularly a high yielding diary cow that is under "stress" - can and do go beserk if not fed sufficient magnesium, not just jumpy but completely crazy.
 
I used to ride a horse that was normally well-behaved but about once a year would always have a serious broncking fit at some point, around May time! Could never figure out whether it was the spring grass or whether he was excited by mares coming into season!
 
Just reading the above posts after 2 days of riding a ......spooky,......, I want to trot at 100 miles an hour and if you don't let me I'll buck and throw my head about evading the bit ..... new horse who I have had for 8 weeks. He is normally quite sane and sensible. It has started this week since we had rain last weekend and a flush of rich grass coming through this week. Could this be the grass?! Never had this reaction to grass with my TB mare who I have had for 18 years, she is in the same field and she is looking quite sane! There again she is 25 now and probably can't be bothered to go all crazy with grass!!!
 
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