Little mare- getting snippy- Thoughts?

poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2008
Messages
21,384
Location
Cotswolds
Visit site
I know what I need to do, Any other idea's or such like to throw at me would be great.

I'd say 3 weeks ago (rough time frame) we were all good. She seemed to like being brushed, certaily didnt mind/object to anything really, be it being rugged, tacked up, bathed, scraped off and so on.
The first thing I noticed was a slight face pull when I was doing up the front of her rug and maybe onve or twice a "did you just try and bite"
I'll be honest I first blamed her new rediculously heavy turnout, she didnt always do it.
FF to now.
She dislikes everything, but maybe not in the classic way. I'm going to list bits bit not in any order!

She will move away in the stable when I place the saddle, But doesnt flinch at being girthed, In fact you could probably wack the girth straight up with put her caring about that bit.
She no longer tolorates being brushed, I *think particularly her off side but not consistant enought to be 100% on that.
She hates being washed off, Cold water is a definite no. Warm not as bad but still not great. Oddly not as bad to scrape as to brush.
Rugging, Snappy and facepulls chucking it over her and doing up the front, Will activly kick around the back end, If its scew and needs pulling straight or if a strap had caught underneath for example. - If i was getting somone else to do her I'd now say watch her if you have to change rugs, or preferably just don't touch her rugs just in case, whereas before she was a poppet.


She would still never bite or kick if I'm pottering round the stable, I don't have to think about it when skipping out of whatever, Can stand behind her to brush her tail with no risk of a hoof my way.
In some ways she has improved a lot, she hacks out alone now, she happily picks up all 4 feet which was a huge no at first, she has (not sure I should say this one) *whispery "she has stopped whipping round at random stuff in the middle of the road. So we have lots of improvement which muddies the water a bit in my mind.
If she is distracted she is fine, eg Ive been currying old coat out with a rubber curry comb stood mowing the verge outside, apparently I can scrub as hard as i like out there. If i rug when she is eating again she is fine, Thats just harder with her head down in a bucket.

I have contacted my saddle fitter and asked for someone to come out asap to check that off the list, however my head tells me its not that. I've contacted her chiro. I've emailed a few local vets to enquire about scoping but really want to hold off that bit just now. I have however after reading up a lot including on her bought some Esomeprazole just to try out of interest.

Could it be down to coat change/ grass change- we have had none and suddenly do. I read what sounded plausible about the grass and weather being so off kilter this year that its upsetting some horses and causing weird symptoms.

She came into season once and was a nightmare but appears after than not to have had a season since or to have coped incredibly well with it if she has. She was fine with me at that point just not the boy horse!

I just feel its really strange and she did seem to enjoy a pamper session at first.

Teeth should all be good


She is insured, I just feel like Ive made SO SO many claims the past years that they surely will come to a point where they tell me where to go especially as I've only had her months.
 
My mare will have a chomp at anything in range if she thinks her rug is too warm and wants a lighter one. She's also getting a bit iffy about the saddle, so fitter coming out in a couple of weeks. She is also very upset about cold water, but has improved in many ways since I gave her a course of aloe vera juice and I can wash her off without her cringing and waving her feet at me.

Sounds like you are going about things the right way. Mares do seem to be more inclined to tell you there's a problem.
 
This is probably just because I've only just discovered my local osteopath but have you got one local? Looking at the fascia rather than the skeleton via chiro would make more sense to me, if she is being very touch sensitive. I know chiros also do myofascial stuff.

Risk factors for PSSM? Sensitivity to touch is on that list of symptoms, dunno what the temps have been doing round your way the last 3 weeks.
 
You’re going through very similar things to me with my horse - although I have a bit of a history of medical issues with mine, which makes it a bit more complicated. So I have no advice, but just wanted to say I understand how difficult and stressful it is.
 
Maybe hormones, round this time they go through final season of the year and usually a big one. I clipped bit earlier this year as my mare was not keen on being clipped round flanks & tummy last year but was then fine to be touched there a few weeks on. Stood like a lamb this year
 
Liver issues can also include skin sensitivity - we've had such a lot of this at my RDA this is now my go-to. I have my horse on milk thistle this time of year.
 
I’m pretty passionate about this now. Get her scoped. I waited too long with mine, not wanting to put her through the stress of it, faffed around with gut supplements, bodywork and trials of omeprazole. Pain escalated, aggression escalated and now I have a real problem. She is very similar to how you describe, touching her chest or shoulder are her worst areas. If it’s ulcers, you want to know asap and deal with it with the right meds, whilst doing all those other checks.
 
my connie x tb gelding is like this, he's had ulcers twice and was really bad when he had them, but still not 100% although they've gone. I did test him for PSSM and he came back as n/n for all of the known variants! but I have recently seen something on the PSSM FB groups which might explain why he is the way he is, its called KPU.
 
I have a mare who did exactly this, it was ulcers, caused by a neck issue. I think the chest/ off side issues are classic ulcer red flags You could try Brewers Yeast and Limestone flour, if that helps a bit, as BBP2 says, get her scoped.
 
I would always add Aloe Vera juice to the feed of a new horse or one that has been through any kind of stressful experience, in the hope of avoiding ulcers but I wouldn't administer meds without consulting a vet. I do think that perhaps you need to be a bit more careful when putting things on her back, your choice of language makes you sound somewhat gungho. If you know she is sensitive you need to make sure that nothing gets trapped and that rugs etc are put on carefully.
I would get the vet.
 
My chestnut lady is like this also. But has been for nearly 2 years. Not a stressy type, good doer. Will give bitch face and warm to nip when tying up front of rug and putting saddle/saddle pad/plastic bag/jacket etc over her back but never girthy, loves a belly/udder scratch and would lift her leg for you to scratch inside her thighs!
I put it down to a learned behavior as she doesnt seem in any pain whatsoever.
I wont go down the route of scoping as she shows ZERO symptoms of ulcers or being in season(thankfully both my mares never change when they are in/out if seasons).
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
My chestnut lady is like this also. But has been for nearly 2 years. Not a stressy type, good doer. Will give bitch face and warm to nip when tying up front of rug and putting saddle/saddle pad/plastic bag/jacket etc over her back but never girthy, loves a belly/udder scratch and would lift her leg for you to scratch inside her thighs!
I put it down to a learned behavior as she doesnt seem in any pain whatsoever.
I wont go down the route of scoping as she shows ZERO symptoms of ulcers or being in season(thankfully both my mares never change when they are in/out if seasons).
Click to expand...
I find it a little curious when people say their horse shows zero symptoms of ulcers when they have just listed a symptom of ulcers. That’s not a jab, you are probably right and she doesn’t have them, I just think that many people have a stereotype of what an horse with ulcers looks like. I’ve had 5 horses scope positive with ulcers over 10 years (I’ll sound like a dreadful owner admitting that!) and every single one of them has presented differently. All have been good doers, all lived out 24/7 with ad lib forage, all nice shiny coats. Only 1 was reactive to the girth area. Only 1 pulled faces. They have all been so different. 1 was anxious, 1 was aggressive, 1 was a little unhappy about having his hind feet trimmed, 2 were a bit shut down. And each had a slightly different causal event.

Weirdly, the aggressive one hates being touched but loves being groomed, which I find bizarre. She also loves a scratch up under her hind legs and does the leg lift thing 🙂
 
sounds exactly the same as my little mare, we treated last december but have unfortunately started with the same snappy faces at her belly, and a warning look if i’m near her chest - treating again, thank god my insurance claim is still open!
 
BBP2 said:
I find it a little curious when people say their horse shows zero symptoms of ulcers when they have just listed a symptom of ulcers. That’s not a jab, you are probably right and she doesn’t have them, I just think that many people have a stereotype of what an horse with ulcers looks like. I’ve had 5 horses scope positive with ulcers over 10 years (I’ll sound like a dreadful owner admitting that!) and every single one of them has presented differently. All have been good doers, all lived out 24/7 with ad lib forage, all nice shiny coats. Only 1 was reactive to the girth area. Only 1 pulled faces. They have all been so different. 1 was anxious, 1 was aggressive, 1 was a little unhappy about having his hind feet trimmed, 2 were a bit shut down. And each had a slightly different causal event.

Weirdly, the aggressive one hates being touched but loves being groomed, which I find bizarre. She also loves a scratch up under her hind legs and does the leg lift thing 🙂
Click to expand...
I just think If we all take one symptom and run with it then we will open up a can of worms.
My own mare is a very happy horse and never shows any form of being uncomfortable. Just a very chestnut mare :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top