Lesson went wrong!

[Ceriann]

First lesson in 9 weeks, second lesson this year - she’s been rehabbing due to injury (since spring last year). Mare is ridden 5/6 times a week - schooled once and hacked up to an hour the other days (mix of walk and trot but usually 45 mins to an hour). Saddle checked 10 days ago, physio out last week. Mare has a lovely temperament, not hot at all and if anything needs more cranking up normally. We had a disagreement - well 2 - both times I was off (though the second time I hung on for a good while longer!). She was a twonk to canter - over excited, I could feel her building up and whilst we got a couple of normal steps in between the falls (and I spent a good while getting a nice relaxed trot) it was just too much for her. Bucks and spins galore! Second fall hurt so popped her on lunge and she was just full of beans and energy - I don’t lunge as a rule anymore (injury) but she’s normally v polite so v unlike her. Instructor and I both agree she moved v well on lunge but looked full of herself. If I’m honest she was buzzier than usual when I schooled on Sunday too. So plan (aside from sitting on an ice pack) is to remove all feed (she gets a handful of topspec lite and a little bit of fast fibre to carry supplements), give her a few days off and look at whether this is linked to seasons. She can be a little mareish during spring/summer and I’ve had issues with over excitability v occasionally (think handful of times in 3 years) when schooling in summer before (mainly canter work). We have an amazing partnership and disagreements are so rare so I don’t want to overreact - but her temperament has been a huge positive for my confidence (which I really need to protect) so could do with my normal safe neddy. Could seasons do this - I assume it could if she was sore and grumpy?

 

[be positive]

How often does she canter in a normal week? it sounds as if she is fairly fit and only doing very light work, she is getting fitter but never doing any more to use up her energy or stretch her mentally so when she is asked for more it goes to her head and results in silly behaviour, it may be bad timing if she is also in season but I would suspect it is pent up energy and if she cantered every other day and if possible did a canter or two out hacking she would get over herself, if it is a rare occurrence she is bound to find it fun.

If you are not happy cantering on top maybe pop her on the lunge for 5 mins after riding and let her lob around regularly until it is boring, although do not encourage the bucking do not stop her until she has settled, then go again, she will soon learn it is easier to get on with behaving sensibly,

 

[Ceriann]

Only when I school so really once a week - fields are too hard at the minute and with barefoot rehabbing we’re sticking to road hacks (we seem to live in the middle of a grid of stoney tracks!).

I agree exuberance, feeling well and engaging well all made for a frothy mare. We used to (pre injury) school a lot more and cantering was mundane so she only ever got excited if we over did trot/canter and walk/canter (when I fell off before!). My back end won’t appreciate a saddle for a few days so a bit of ground work might be in order, including some free schooling with canter. She’s never bucked before and didn’t on the lunge after (just tanked in a very determined fashion!).

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

A friend reminded me that a half fit horse is the most difficult. I wonder if her workload has got her quite fit and exuberant.

You said it was a lesson, was there an instructor, did they say how it looked from the floor? Was it exuberance and excitement or did it look like a protest against discomfort or confusion?

 

[Ceriann]

Instructor thought it was her getting over excited and exuberant but to the point of being explosive (not uncomfortable but not her normal self). The lunging confirmed that- she’s a very mannerly horse to lunge but she really let off steam (no bucking but really did use up some energy and took a while to calm down. Instructor was clear I need to work her in school (I am a self confessed rehab worrier) whereas I’ve been keeping everything light and easy! Feels like she’s ready to work!

 

[Midlifecrisis]

How is your grass? Ours is yummy green fuel filled stuff?

 

[Ceriann]

Green shoots but she’s not on the best fields by any stretch. She’s also out 24/7 (save for the odd hour here and there for riding and grooming). She’s been on better and not been as fiery. Until the last couple of schooling sessions she’s been her very usual placid self - last session she was getting quite buzzy with pole work (before that hadn’t schooled for a week) but just felt energetic and safe.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Is she ovulating for the first time in the season? My mare did exactly this and was a clown in canter as well as over fences resulting in my hitting the floor spectacularly enough to have a trip to hospital with concussion. Smashed my helmet.

A day later she came in season. Got vet out and she was very sore behind the saddle in the area of her ovaries. Ultrasounded but no cysts or drama present.

Vet said this is common in mares over 10 when they cycle first time in the season when weather warms up. They get very sore in the ovaries and find it hard to canter or jump due to pain.

Might be worth checking?

BTW - love the word twonk - so descriptive.

 

[Ceriann]

Is she ovulating for the first time in the season? My mare did exactly this and was a clown in canter as well as over fences resulting in my hitting the floor spectacularly enough to have a trip to hospital with concussion. Smashed my helmet.

A day later she came in season. Got vet out and she was very sore behind the saddle in the area of her ovaries. Ultrasounded but no cysts or drama present.

Vet said this is common in mares over 10 when they cycle first time in the season when weather warms up. They get very sore in the ovaries and find it hard to canter or jump due to pain.

Might be worth checking?

BTW - love the word twonk - so descriptive.

I’d be surprised if it was her first season this year - she’s been a bit squealie to hack out alone a few weeks ago (though behaved) and been a little touchy to tack on occasion. Might be her second and having done a bit more digging the first few can be difficult as they transition to regulate ovulation. I will have missed this last year with her being off work. Interesting what you say re horses over 10 - she’s 11. What did your vet recommend for yours please?

 

[Myloubylou]

Has she been on the top spec lite long? Pretty sure that makes my horse silly so stopped feeding it.

 

[Ceriann]

Has she been on the top spec lite long? Pretty sure that makes my horse silly so stopped feeding it.

The top spec lite for a couple of months (but had been splitting with the topchop zero) but the fast fibre is new - I usually feed thunderbrooks but supply is more difficult at the minute! Neither is a feed that should hit her up but she will survive without for a week or so!

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I’d be surprised if it was her first season this year - she’s been a bit squealie to hack out alone a few weeks ago (though behaved) and been a little touchy to tack on occasion. Might be her second and having done a bit more digging the first few can be difficult as they transition to regulate ovulation. I will have missed this last year with her being off work. Interesting what you say re horses over 10 - she’s 11. What did your vet recommend for yours please?

Vet recommended to put her on Regumate. We did briefly - 1 month but I hate handling the product so we took her off it and instead we keep an eye on her cycle and check for tenderness in the ovary area each time we ride her. The problem has not recurred yet.

Oh - this mare is very squealie as well, but all year round. Makes me laugh, especially when she is on the lunge.

 

[Maesto's Girl]

My lesson also went wrong with my mare Saturday and I ended up with some lovely bruising and air in my knee after meeting the arena fence on the way down. She was being super stroppy and took huge offence to me tapping just behind my leg with the whip! Threw in a handstand level buck and span around the corner. She has however just come into season.....

Rode last night and she was her normal self again

With regards to feed, I used to use a molasses free dengie which in theory should be be more heating than the calm & condition honeychop she is on now - yet shes much calmer (normally) on the latter. Horses do react differently to various feeds so may be a cause?

 

[Ceriann]

Sympathies - I’ve spent the last 24 hours with heat or ice pads on my backside! I commented positively to the instructor how she was more energetic when she arrived (I usually have to spark her up with canter warm ups). Nothing otherwise unusual until we went to pick up canter work at the end of lesson. She reads me well so she knew what was happening, she felt too buzzy and I knew when I asked it felt wrong. In hindsight had I been schooling alone I would have done something different / my fault, I know her best. We got a few nice steps on another rein but next ask was boom and we had a fairly impressive paddy and spin. The lunging after was interesting - she looked sound but let off some serious steam and looked like she could go again with the same gusto! All very unlike her but I suspect a combination of lots of things and bad timing for a lesson. Mares!

 

[Ceriann]

Vet recommended to put her on Regumate. We did briefly - 1 month but I hate handling the product so we took her off it and instead we keep an eye on her cycle and check for tenderness in the ovary area each time we ride her. The problem has not recurred yet.

Oh - this mare is very squealie as well, but all year round. Makes me laugh, especially when she is on the lunge.

How does she show tenderness? Mine has been grumpy to tack on occasion in the last month/6 weeks so saddler and physio out. She’s much better since (saddle did need some attention) but she can still give me a look when I bring the girth up and when I brush the right flank.