Moody mare supplements?

[Char0901]

Sorry this may be long!

Had my mare nearly a year now.
She's great to ride, take to shows, hack etc, she's brilliant.
However, she's incredibly grumpy in her stable and over her door. She hates any kind of attention (I'm not saying I want cuddles and kisses! Got another one for that!) She seems to just about tolerate everything as opposed to enjoy it (grooming etc.)

She's better tied up outside her stable so she definitely she's the stable as her space, which is fine but she has bitten me a couple of times. When she bites it's really hard and she then rushes to the back of the stable so she knows she's done wrong. It's happened twice and I've ignored her both times (through gritted teeth carried on doing what I was doing) so she didn't get the result she wanted which was for me to get out of her stable. I've no idea if this was the right thing to do, I've never had a horse that bites! It's only ever teeth, never kicked.
Obviously i can manage it by tying up outside etc but i feel that's just avoiding the problem rather than finding a solution.

She's been thoroughly vet checked, physio etc. Vet thinks it's behavioural, possibly due to past experiences.

She has a really kind eye and can be gentle, then it's like she remembers she's the grumpy horse and reverts.

When she's pulling faces over the door she's obviously anxious and stressed that you're in 'her' space. It may well be that this is just how she is but I'm not ready to accept that yet and want to try and make her happier.

All the 'moody mare' supplements seem to target hormonal issue though and I don't believe this is the cause (I couldn't even tell you when she's been in season since I've had her) I thought maybe a 'calmer' just to ease her anxiety/aggressiveness over the door. I really don't want it to affect her ridden work though, she really is fab to ride and we've been quite successful so far.

Sorry for the essay, any advice on supplements or general tricks of the trade to owning a grumpy mare would be much appreciated!

 

[Trouper]

i think I might start by taking a leaf out of Carl Hester's yard regime - their stables are their own quiet space and everything, but everything else, is done outside or elsewhere. I would not even try a quick skip out or hay replenishing when she is in there. If after a month or so of this regime she is still being difficult then I would start to look for a deeper pain issue that others have not found yet. ??ovaries possibly??
I don't think you would be avoiding the problem with this approach but respecting her space and privacy which some mares just need.

 

[milliepops]

I think Trouper has described the right approach there. I have one that was an absolute pleasure to work but tolerates fuss without any sign of enjoying it (I also have cuddly ones so I leave her to it). She is well mannered enough to not do anything other than move away but I also tended to view her stable as her own space and not invade that too much other than the occasions when she initiated contact, as she obviously needed some privacy.

I would absolutely not tolerate the biting though. it's one thing to be accommodating but she needs to know that there's still a boundary there.

 

[Green Bean]

Agree on not everything being hormonal. I have a slightly grumpy mare prone to anxiety in new places. I have confirmed via the Regumate route that she isn't hormonal. I have had her on eCalm for about 6 months and she has calmed down a bit. It isn't the usual magnesium based calmer, although I have had no success with those. As others have said, maybe you need to accept that her stable is her space and she is trying to get the message across in the only way she knows how.