Mare Returned From Loan With 2 Strange Habits

devilwoman

devilwoman

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2009
Messages
1,804
Location
Sat Day Dreaming .....
Visit site
My rising 5 year old mare came back from a "loan gone wrong" about 6 weeks ago now, she had a rather stressful time on loan with someone who I thought I could trust but unfortunately couldn't, mare had lost a lot of weight and was extremely stressed out having regualrly been "punished" (not sure what for) by being kept stabled for days at a time and given no hay as her punishment :(:( (I only found this out after i had removed her)

Anyway since coming home I have noticed 2 things about her which she never done before the loan, (1) when tightening her girth she squeels and stamps her back leg, she would never have done this before and (2) when I untack her, as i slide the saddle over her side to remove it she shoots away from it. I don't think for one minute that she was beaten by the loaner but am worried that it's a pain thing, the saddle was bought for her during the loan and was fitted by a saddler (both bought by me and saddle fitter was paid for by me).

She doesn't show any other signs of pain or discomfort and once girth is tightened she is very happy to go out hacking, ears forward and striding along.

Someone suggested ulcers since she had a lot of stress at her loan home ? - i've got vet coming Thursday for jabs so will mention to him, just thought i'd canvass some opinions here.
 
Thankyou all, I feared it would be, i'll ring vet tomorrow and get her booked for a scope, i can't even express the anger I have been feeling over this, i've reduced myself to tears of guilt and anger many times over the last few weeks thinking things over and what my poor mare has been through, it'll never happen againt though, she'll go nowhere now.
 
mare had lost a lot of weight and was extremely stressed out having regualrly been "punished" (not sure what for) by being kept stabled for days at a time and given no hay as her punishment
Click to expand...

I'm shocked by this. Poor girl. :(

I agree with the others - have her scoped for ulcers.

Well done for ending the loan and taking her back.
 
Thank you - I ended it immedaitely I found out what was going on, I walked her out of the yard in her headcollar with no-where to go, I was phoning friends walking along the road with the mare in hand trying to find somewhere to put her, a great friend came to my rescue and mare is now safe, secure and very very happy in her current field.
 
I really feel sorry for your mare. I can usually see both sides with regards to horse husbandry, but to deprive an animal of food is cruel. It is also completely ineffective as a training method; what on earth were they thinking!?!

With regards to her behaviour I agree with the other posters who suggest ulcers.
 
Unless you get a negative diagnosis for ulcers, assume she has them. Never ask her to work on an empty stomach, as this causes acid to slosh about in the stomach causing them / making them worse. Let her munch haynet before you tack up.
 
pip6 said:
Unless you get a negative diagnosis for ulcers, assume she has them. Never ask her to work on an empty stomach, as this causes acid to slosh about in the stomach causing them / making them worse. Let her munch haynet before you tack up.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that tip, she always has hay available (with me !) and doesn't work particularly hard, i'm a very unconfident fair weather happy hacker, which is why she originally went on loan as i was convinced by the ex-loaner that the mare was wasted with me as she is a great competition prospect and I only ride once a fortnight, sometimes not even that much, and then only hack around the streets. Now decided i couldn't give a monkeys if she is wasted with me, she's happy and that's all that matters.
 
Alfalfa is good for ulcers. The calcium in it helps to buffer the stomach acid. You can also feed a few of those chalky antacid tablets before you ride.
 
Urgh that is just dreadful.:eek:

Depriving her of food would definitely cause stomach ulcers and you are lucky that you don't have a horse with impaction colic.
I agree with all previous posts - let her eat some Alfa A or hay before you ride.

Well done for getting her back and I am so sorry that you have had such a dreadful experience.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top