Is there anyone out there that can suggest why my horse is acting like this ?

[niagaraduval]

Hi,

My boy has never been spooky (I mean ever.. never known him to properly spook at anything in the 6yrs I've had him), but he has been spooking at EVERYTHING for a couple of months now.

At first I thought it was just an off day maybe, but now it's beyond a joke. He will spook at anything and everything, it's got to the point where he does massive jumps sideways, I was trotting along and all of a sudden out of no where he jumped sideways, Luckily I didn't fall off but this did un balance me, and when cantering he constantly looks 'around' things, like a flower in the hedge for example, so I keep my leg on and urge him forward more which seems to help.

I am just lost at what this could be because he has never been spooky and I loved having a horse that didn't give a hoot about things like this, and it's part of what made me buy him as he was reliable.

Absolutely nothing at all has changed, he's had the same feed for 2 years, same routine, same field friend since I've had him, riding him the same amount as I have been since I have owned him, Same bit, same tack, I can say that in the 6 years I have had him there is nothing that has been changed recently. Wormed, vaccinated etc. all up to date. In other respects he's still the same horse (very calm).

I thought maybe it might be coming from me, but I am very confident on him and know him like the back of my hand. I can see no reason for this sudden spooking.

He is more spooky now as an 10y/o than when I got him as a 4y/o !

 

[HuntingPink]

Have they fertilised the fields? It could be that he's Magnesium deficient. It might be worth trying CalMag or MagOx. It isn't a sedative but lack of Magnesium can cause an overreaction to 'normal' things so it's worth a try.

 

[Crazydancer]

I hate to use the usual mantra.... but there is a reason! Have you had his saddle checked recently?
My usually un-spooky 19 yr old had recently become spooky. He's semi-retired and we just go for a pootle around now and then, but this year had been doing 'silly' spooks, like 'oooo a pidgeon!' I think it was his way of telling me things weren't right. I had a saddler out to my young mare, and she checked the old guy's saddle too.... it was made for him, and has been fine for years, but his back has started to drop, and it was bridging. I bought a Suber pad, and the first time out with that he was soooooo much better. Just might be worth a check.

 

[Maesfen]

Could be his eyes so it would be worth having a vet check them just to make sure. Could he have banged his head or something?

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Yes definately eyes are worth a check, I was about to post this! Might be seeing shadows or just poor sight, or might be going deaf... defo vet check xx

 

[joeanne]

Get his eyes looked at.
That kind of behaviour would have me thinking he is not seeing as well as he could be.

 

[magichorse]

My initial thought was a problem with his eyes, too x

 

[niagaraduval]

Hutning Pink - Interesting post as I also thought of this and went out and got him a mineral like a couple of days ago, If it is lack of minerals, how quickly should I see an improvement ?

Crazy dancer - That's an idea, I'll have to see, could his back have changed that much in a couple of months ?

Maesfen - This did also cross my mind, and it's a worrying thought. Now you mention it, he did bang his head when coming out of the trailer a couple of months ago, but not hard, although I know the poll is a sensative area.
I have got him a poll guard now. Vet is coming next week some time for another horse, I'll see if he can check over my boy.

 

[smellsofhorse]

How is he on the ground normal it spooky?
He he just different when ridden it all if the time?
If nothing has changed in your routine, tack, feed, etc, then maybe he has something wrong, have you considered his eye sight?

 

[niagaraduval]

He isn't spooky on the ground, that I have noticed ie: when leading him out etc. he doesn't move about but then he never has.
He is just spooky when being ridden.

I am going to go and try out a 'menace test' on him now to see if there is any sign of blindness and tell you all how it went.

 

[Booboos]

Unfortunately I also think that a sudden change of character is usually a sign of pain. I would get the vet out for a general MOT, mention the poll accident, ask him to pay particular attention to the usual suspects, e.g. eyes, teeth, back, lameness and if all is well start considering other causes like ulcers.

 

[Tammytoo]

Could be a magnesium deficiency in the grass - the grass growth this year has been all over the place, when it's growing very quickly it can be deficient in mag.

The other thing that affected a mare of mine was a back problem. Being ridden was uncomfortable and made her tense so she over-reacted to things that normally didn't bother her. So as CD suggests, it could be the saddle and/or his back being sore resulting in tension and over-reaction when being ridden. If he has banged his poll as you say and it is still painful he will be holding himself in a protective way which will have a knock on effect through his body. Do you have a good physio or chiro person to check him out?

 

[niagaraduval]

Update - Went to check mr horse. I waved quite violently in front of him and he didn't care (but then he is very docile so I don't know) so I got a whip and waved in in front of each eye trying my best not to make any noise and he wasn't happy about it, which makes me think his sight is ok (although will get vet to give him a check over).

Hearing - played music quietly through my phone and stood behind him and his ears went back to listen ?

And last of all, put the mineral lick I bought a few days ago out in the field and both of them went over and licked them for about 10 mins each, so this could be the reason.

Anyway, I'll get the vet to give him a check over, and hope the mineral lick does him some good.

Thanks for all replies, I hope his spooking will get better or I can get to the bottom of this.

 

[JillA]

TBH I always reckon it is worth a few ££££s on a couple of weeks supply of MagOx (ebay or Natural Horse Supplies) if only for elimination purposes. My horse was a nightmare to break, ride on, anything, and got worse, to the point where I wouldn't ride him if there was no-one around, it wasn't safe. It isn't good for a prey animal to be wasting so much precious energy with no good reason, so I knew it wasn't "normal" especially as he seemed to get worse, nit better, with everyday things.
He was totally transformed in around 10 days on MagOx. It could be something else but if you supplement with Mag Ox for a couple of weeks you will know one way or the other and it will only cost a fiver or so.

 

[niagaraduval]

JillA- Thanks for that I will go and have a look on ebay now

 

[Jenny_Sinn]

Definitely check eyes! My normally trustworthy mare went from leading every hack to rearing whenever we met a car/bike approaching us from ahead. It got so bad we couldn't hack out alone. I'd put it down to a few too many incidents with fast cars (& one cyclist who aimed for us!) until the vet spotted a cyst during a check up. Poor mare couldn't see anything directly ahead of her in her right eye! After laser surgery, she's back to normal & leading the others past all the scary stuff

 

[1973horse]

Yes definately eyes are worth a check, I was about to post this! Might be seeing shadows or just poor sight, or might be going deaf... defo vet check xx

yes you beat me to it defo get eyes checked

 

[rolsterlady]

A similar thing happened to my friend a few years ago, her horse started to spook at things when it had never done so before. It did turn out that she had a problem with one of her eyes (as others have suggested) and once this was operated on she was back to her normal, non spooky self. It may not be anything to do with the eyes in your case but it would be well worth getting it checked out

 

[Christmas Magic]

Another one for checking the eye's!Hudson have floaters in the back of his eye's,so he have good(ish)days,when he spooks only once or twice, and bad days,when he spooking at everything-shadow,bird,stone and unpredictable to lead.Im not talking about riding,its becoming impossible