Manic Mare! Help please

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live2ride

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Every month or so in the Spring/Summer I'm having trouble handling my mare on the ground, not so much in the leading/catching actual handling department, but that for a few days a month I am unable to tie her up without her turning herself inside out with stress. I don't seem to have this problem in Winter.

Every time it happens, I get her onto the yard fine, tie her up fine but the minute she's tied up and Im not stood right on top of her, its non stop spinning and trying to snap the twine to get free. She managed this once and so seemingly has learnt that to get free she just has to do this maneuver, so the whole time whenever I step more than a few yards away its constant yanking at the rope and spinning, and working herself into a state, she's left sweating and trembling.
Sometimes she forgets Im next to her and just barges straight through, every time she does that I push her back into place and growl at her, and she'll respect my space for maybe a minute before we repeat ourselves again.

I've tried pretty much everything I can think of to stop it at the time, but short of just letting her get on with it nothing helps.
She was fine on the yard for a few weeks and then all of a sudden on friday it started up, but seemingly a lot worse than usual :/
This time when I had to walk away (only a few yards away) for a few seconds she reared and broke free, so in the end I just held her to tack up because I had someone there to help me.
Saturday was the same, I decided to just ignore her a bit, but had to walk away for a second only about 5 yards and she started rearing repeatedly to break the twine, managed to cut her nose, and once again was being dangerous tied up so I untied her and made her stand still in the same place whilst I tacked up.
Then today I just tacked up by the arena and as long as she could see the other horses in the distance she stood fine.

Also might I add the minute she has the tack on she's quite docile and well behaved and 100% fine undersaddle, working away from the other horses.


Im just wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what could be causing it? Does it sound like it could be her seasons to you?
Also anyway I can manage it, to try and minimize the freakouts?





Gratuitous photo of my mare, because Im so proud of how we're going undersaddle, even if I am driven to despair on the ground.

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What are you feeding her? If you give her anything with alfalfa in it, I would cut it out, it can make mares completely hyper.
However, if you have a stable available, I would put her in there rather than tying up on the yard. I certainly wouldn't leave her unattended on the yard, even for a few seconds.
 
She gets alfalfa molasses free, but she has been on that since January, and the problems only started up in April, so not sure its that causing the problems
As I said its only a few days every few weeks, the other times she's really quiet and behaves well in all ways.
No way of putting her in stable, its in the barn away from any sights, and she isn't keen on going in by herself, causes her a massive amount of stress.
When I walk away, Im not losing her from sight, its literally a few yards away to grab tack, she can see me, I can see her, 2 seconds away.

I think it might be coinciding with her seasons, I did notice her winking on Sunday. I was wondering if it might be her seasons causing it? Its like she develops anxiety overnight
 
live2ride said:
She gets alfalfa molasses free, but she has been on that since January, and the problems only started up in April, so not sure its that causing the problems
As
I think it might be coinciding with her seasons, I did notice her winking on Sunday. I was wondering if it might be her seasons causing it? Its like she develops anxiety overnight
Click to expand...

Take her off the alfalfa and I can almost guarantee that her behaviour will change. It contains phyto-oestrogens which affect mares' seasons. Its effects will have built up since January, just in time for her seasons. When was her first season this year?
 
It was in April if I remember correctly.

She wasn't on Alfalfa last year and during the summer her behaviour was exactly the same as it is now :/ but I'll try taking her off it, she only gets it to help buffer her stomach as she is extremely ulcer prone.
 
I give my ulcer-prone mare Graze-on or plain oat straw chaff if she is going to be standing in with nothing much to eat. If she is out on the grass I don't bother.
Good luck!
Do keep us updated.
 
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