Mad mare!

CastlelackSportHorses

CastlelackSportHorses

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My homebred 15year old ex eventer turned grand prix showjumper baffles me!
During the winter all our horses(livery) are in all weather turnout pens during the day, and stabled at night!
Every spring when we start to transition them out to grass, when the ground is dry she does this!
First few days its head down and munch(they only get a couple of hours for the first few days to allow their gut to accustom to the change)
After the initial few days she will then go to field, graze for a half hour or so and then GALLOP round the field and at the gate, stops at gate and rears!
She does this for a good 15/20 mins almost like she wants to go back to the boring hard standing or into her stable, then proceeds to go graze for the day.
All the other horses are happily grazing with her in the same field so its not separation.

It really baffles me. Is it just her way of coping with change!? I recon she's autistic or something! Haha
Not really looking for answers just want to rant over my amazing, stupid mare :D
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
My homebred 15year old ex eventer turned grand prix showjumper baffles me!
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CastlelackSportHorses said:
graze for a half hour or so and then GALLOP round the field and at the gate, stops at gate and rears!
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I am not an eventer nor expert. But isnt she doing what she has been trained to do and spent her life doing? Gallop cross country and possibly continue, leaping over a gate or two on the way.
So after having a run, she goes to the gate and rears enquiring whether the gate is a jump? And would you like her to jump it?
 
No suggestions as to why your mare is doing it but I had a mare that was going round and round and round the field after losing her friend (there were others out with her still) and the NAF calmer shot thing really helped.
 
I'm Dun said:
Can she be out 24/7?
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She will be in around 2 weeks, we still have very little growth and usually they go out 24/7 start of april.
Once shes out full time shes usually fine, but when they still come in at night its like she is afraid someone will get her food!
I was putting them on hard standing in the morning and out on grass from say 1pm -7pm and then into bed.
This morning I have swapped it, they went to grass at 6.30 and will come into hard standing after lunch.
Will see if it makes a difference!
Bloody mares!
 
AutumnDays said:
Is it a mare thing?! The geldings are head down and munch as soon as they get onto new grass. The mare has what can only be described as zoomies interspersed with the equine interpretation of star jumps
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I swear she gives me anxiety! All the geldings in the yard, and my other mare were head down gorging on grass and my mad yoke running the grand national. She was covered in sweat by the time she quit :D
 
Pearlsasinger said:
She has been 'trapped' all winter in a small area and now she has access to a whole field! She is just expressing herself.
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She's been in a large winter pen all winter where they can gallop around and roll etc.
And now shes out in the field she gallops to the gate looking to go back in? I would think she would be running away from the gate if that were the case?
 
My retired gelding gets the zoomies and sets the whole herd off!

I'll turn him out and he'll go prancing out into the field, stop and call for his friends, wait for them to respond and then they'll all line up and get a massive group zoomie session for about 15 minutes - they range in age from my rising 2 year old to my friend's 28 year old retired Arabian. Ours are stabled by night in the winter and out during the day, and we flip this for our summer routine - but no matter what the turnout routine, they always do it - even when we did 24/7 turnout for a few months. We were all puzzled too as to why they were doing this and the general consensus was that they just enjoyed running and seeing as half the herd is of an older age, they naturally have energy saved up that they would expend riding if they were still in work and the young ones are full of it cause they're young :)

We do pop a small amount of calmer into their feeds from time to time though if we notice the zoomies are getting quite extreme as the two retired ones are riddled with arthritis so shouldn't be doing anything strenuous anyway.

They do this on a semi regular basis but I've noticed it tends to be when the grass is coming through or with a new field change :)
 
AppyLover1996 said:
My retired gelding gets the zoomies and sets the whole herd off!

I'll turn him out and he'll go prancing out into the field, stop and call for his friends, wait for them to respond and then they'll all line up and get a massive group zoomie session for about 15 minutes - they range in age from my rising 2 year old to my friend's 28 year old retired Arabian. Ours are stabled by night in the winter and out during the day, and we flip this for our summer routine - but no matter what the turnout routine, they always do it - even when we did 24/7 turnout for a few months. We were all puzzled too as to why they were doing this and the general consensus was that they just enjoyed running and seeing as half the herd is of an older age, they naturally have energy saved up that they would expend riding if they were still in work and the young ones are full of it cause they're young :)

We do pop a small amount of calmer into their feeds from time to time though if we notice the zoomies are getting quite extreme as the two retired ones are riddled with arthritis so shouldn't be doing anything strenuous anyway.

They do this on a semi regular basis but I've noticed it tends to be when the grass is coming through or with a new field change :)
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See that's all perfectly normal, but my mare literally is quiet as a lamb when first put in field, and after maybe half hour/hour she starts galloping around and back to gate and staring up to the yard.
Every other horse is normally grazing and she's running around them and looking like she wants in out of the field! Very odd.
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
See that's all perfectly normal, but my mare literally is quiet as a lamb when first put in field, and after maybe half hour/hour she starts galloping around and back to gate and staring up to the yard.
Every other horse is normally grazing and she's running around them and looking like she wants in out of the field! Very odd.
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Oh that is quite bizarre - perhaps it takes her a little longer to realise that she's out in the field, so what would be initial zoomies end up being delayed zoomies?

Does she take to change quite well? I noticed that you mentioned they go out for short periods to get used to the grass before going out for longer - perhaps she is taking longer to adjust to the change going from short periods to longer periods - or did she do the same with the shorter turnout period of time? Does she settle after her zoomie session? :)
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Oh that is quite bizarre - perhaps it takes her a little longer to realise that she's out in the field, so what would be initial zoomies end up being delayed zoomies?

Does she take to change quite well? I noticed that you mentioned they go out for short periods to get used to the grass before going out for longer - perhaps she is taking longer to adjust to the change going from short periods to longer periods - or did she do the same with the shorter turnout period of time? Does she settle after her zoomie session? :)
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Its very bizarre!
Im working from home the last few days and I can see her from my kitchen window.
All the other horses in the field are heads down grazing and she will graze for a period and then run up to the gate and stare at the yard for a few minutes and then walk back to the group to graze, this happens every 10/15 mins or so throughout the day! She will be fit as a fiddle!
She normally would take to change well enough, but I know in the last few years as she has gotten older she absolutely LOVES coming into her stable! Which I hate as I rather them out!

Hopefully she will settle once she is out full time!
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
Its very bizarre!
Im working from home the last few days and I can see her from my kitchen window.
All the other horses in the field are heads down grazing and she will graze for a period and then run up to the gate and stare at the yard for a few minutes and then walk back to the group to graze, this happens every 10/15 mins or so throughout the day! She will be fit as a fiddle!
She normally would take to change well enough, but I know in the last few years as she has gotten older she absolutely LOVES coming into her stable! Which I hate as I rather them out!

Hopefully she will settle once she is out full time!
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From the sounds of it she is being her own personal trainer and saving you the hassle of trying to sort out a fitness regime 🤣

My retired lad as he has gotten older much prefers his stable to being out - the slightest drop of rain or the wind being slightly higher than usual and he's at the gate, bellowing at any poor passing sod to bring him in at once! When we last had a bad storm, he absolutely adored being in and had to be bribed out of his stable the following day......

All joking aside though - I really hope she settles for you soon x
 
AppyLover1996 said:
From the sounds of it she is being her own personal trainer and saving you the hassle of trying to sort out a fitness regime 🤣

My retired lad as he has gotten older much prefers his stable to being out - the slightest drop of rain or the wind being slightly higher than usual and he's at the gate, bellowing at any poor passing sod to bring him in at once! When we last had a bad storm, he absolutely adored being in and had to be bribed out of his stable the following day......

All joking aside though - I really hope she settles for you soon x
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Shes as fit as a fiddle as is as shes out competing 120/130 every weekend! As long as she doesnt jump the gate ill be happy!
Very funny how they suddenly start to want to be in their stable! She hated it as a young horse!

Thanks! Its a yearly occurrence so maybe its just her way of dealing!
 
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