Mares behaviour

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Dan1234

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Hello,
I am asking this out of desperation I don't know what to do. I have a beautiful warm blood mare who I absolutely adore. But, she has been quirky since the day I had her & has had a real terrible life before I owned her- if she was to step out of line she had anything that was to had thrown at her. I had only owned her for 2 months & she had an accident in the field- did suspensory ligament front & back I was advised she would never return back to full work & would be a hack. This was fine by me as I have youngsters coming up so I could deal with that. What I'm struggling with is her behaviour- she has always been keen to bite or kick anyone who tried to touch her, some days can take me 15 minutes to get a rug on her as she is so aggressive. She spent 7 months on box rest which really have us a lot
Of bonding time, the issue I have now is when she sees me on the yard she screams & boots the stable walls till I go over to her but he doesn't particularly want anything other than me to stand near her. Every field I put her in she fence walks all day long & has now started breaking through every fence possible & is very difficult to catch especially if it's not me catching her. She now lives in 24/7 with 2 hours a day in the sand school which she doesn't really enjoy & stands at the gate screaming at me. She doesn't enjoy hacking & hates any horses that even dare to come near her & is generally an unhappy soul I have had a discussion with my vet & he thinks the kindest thing is to have her pts. I am so upset I just don't know what to do any more- I am running out of money to spend on her as She has been through radiation scans to find the cause of lameness, shockwave therapy, digital imaging, osteo, chiropractor. I have always said that whatever happens I will stand by here but I am not sure this is healthy for either of us as all day & night I worry about her & it's making me ill. I do not want to pass her on & her fall in to un empathetic hands nor would it be morally right to do so with her temperamental behaviour as she would not think twice about biting or kicking & has done to friends of mine who are very aware of her behaviour. Any advice accepted I need to do the right thing by both of us.
 
There does come a point where PTS is the kindest thing. You have tried very hard to fix your mare, but she is miserable and stressed. In your position I would PTS.
 
Dan1234 said:
Hello,
I am asking this out of desperation I don't know what to do. I have a beautiful warm blood mare who I absolutely adore. But, she has been quirky since the day I had her & has had a real terrible life before I owned her- if she was to step out of line she had anything that was to had thrown at her. I had only owned her for 2 months & she had an accident in the field- did suspensory ligament front & back I was advised she would never return back to full work & would be a hack. This was fine by me as I have youngsters coming up so I could deal with that. What I'm struggling with is her behaviour- she has always been keen to bite or kick anyone who tried to touch her, some days can take me 15 minutes to get a rug on her as she is so aggressive. She spent 7 months on box rest which really have us a lot
Of bonding time, the issue I have now is when she sees me on the yard she screams & boots the stable walls till I go over to her but he doesn't particularly want anything other than me to stand near her. Every field I put her in she fence walks all day long & has now started breaking through every fence possible & is very difficult to catch especially if it's not me catching her. She now lives in 24/7 with 2 hours a day in the sand school which she doesn't really enjoy & stands at the gate screaming at me. She doesn't enjoy hacking & hates any horses that even dare to come near her & is generally an unhappy soul I have had a discussion with my vet & he thinks the kindest thing is to have her pts. I am so upset I just don't know what to do any more- I am running out of money to spend on her as She has been through radiation scans to find the cause of lameness, shockwave therapy, digital imaging, osteo, chiropractor. I have always said that whatever happens I will stand by here but I am not sure this is healthy for either of us as all day & night I worry about her & it's making me ill. I do not want to pass her on & her fall in to un empathetic hands nor would it be morally right to do so with her temperamental behaviour as she would not think twice about biting or kicking & has done to friends of mine who are very aware of her behaviour. Any advice accepted I need to do the right thing by both of us.
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Hi Dan

How stressful is this for you all!! I have lots to say to you about this, but not enough time to type, too slow, so if you PM me we can go from there.
 
Lucky Lady said:
Hi Dan

How stressful is this for you all!! I have lots to say to you about this, but not enough time to type, too slow, so if you PM me we can go from there.
Click to expand...

Hello,

Thank you for your reply (everyone's replies)

I dot know how to do PM? This is the first time I've used this? Sorry :(
 
Dan1234 said:
Hello,

Thank you for your reply (everyone's replies)

I dot know how to do PM? This is the first time I've used this? Sorry :(
Click to expand...

You need to speak to a qualified equine behaviourist who will work under vet referral. If you say roughly what region you are in, I can probably suggest a few people who are appropriately qualified. Both the aggression and the issues with turnout can be resolved using an appropriate plan.
 
Click on Lucky Lady's name (positioned to the left of her post) and a box will come up. One of the options is 'private message' which you then click on.
 
Is she good enough to breed from? I say this waiting to be shot down, but if you have the facilities and she has good conformation etc then sometimes that can help a moody mare.

My mare was a weaving, box-walking hormonal mess when I got her. She is now fat, happy, hairy and in foal. I didn't want to breed but she was lame due to injury and as I have room for one more I had her covered. Stud man said she is a changed horse, he first described her as 'a funny one' after he'd had her a few weeks, and he's dealt with a lot of mares.

But obviously this isn't an option if she has other issues or you can't provide a home for the youngster as nothing is selling these days.
 
Sounds like you cannot carry on as you are. Something has to change, or someone is going to get seriously hurt, whether it's the horse or a person. So pts may well be the best option.

But if you think of doing anything else before then, I would opt for a comprehensive blood test to include liver enzymes. Liver disease can cause manic behaviour, and can include aggression and running through fences (is it wooden ones she's running through, or is it just that she doesn't respect flimsy electric tape?). If it confirms significant liver disease, then I would call it a day and have her pts in the knowledge that you found the likely cause and couldn't realistically do anything to reverse such extreme damage.

Or is it that her behaviour has become worse because she gets so little time turned out and socialising with others? Can you find some fencing that she respects (does she only run through to get to others, so problem solved if she is put out with others)?

But I do think you are right to think very seriously about her future. She does not sound a happy horse, and unless you can get to the bottom of her problem and make a difference, she is a very real danger to herself and to all those around her.

Hoping you find a good way forward.

Sarah
 
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