Moody Mares - Am Quite Down

D

debbiejowett

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 December 2008
Messages
67
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
Bought our first pony, for my daughter, at end of Jan, thought I had found an absolute gem, her manners were impeccable a real confidence giver, great to do in every way. Then end of last month she had (I suspect) her first season (since shes been with us) and my gosh I am amazed at the change in her! She is bad tempered, unpredictable, irratable. Was putting her Coopers on last week and she got mardy while I was working round her forelock she pulled free of her bull twine and reared up! Next day another incident, she normally stands so still while my daughter mounts but she was not going to let her get on for love nor money. Because of the rearing incident so clear in our minds we didn't push it too much. Farrier came today (again a first for us) she was previously unshod but because we have to do a fair bit of road work we had shoes, she was really good then when he started banging nails in the front hoof she got mardy and did a half rear, obviously farrier has seen worse than that so he just carried on. I don't have bags of experience so am starting to lose confidence. Had started to build a bond up with her (she was a bit of a mess when we bought her) and am so upset that I may have lost it. Was thinking of using a hormonal supplement do they work?
confused.gif
 
you can get some that will take them out of season completley all the while they are on it, i cant remember the name of it for love nor money, but someone on my yard has it for her clicky/ mood/ hormonal mare . Can ask her if you have no luck and PM you tomorrow
smile.gif
 
I think regumate is meant to be the best and the one that stops them coming into season but I have had no experience of it. You could try the supplment Oestress, have put mom's mare on it as she has turned into a nightmare when trying to catch! Seems to be working so far fingers crossed!
 
I sympathise with you i have had my mare four years, but this year she has turned in to a demon with her seasons i put her naf oestress a couple of weeks havent seen any change yet.

Will see how it goes if not put her on regumate. I keep you posted may be you should try a supplement global hers do one called frisky mare
 
Thanks for the nice comments guys, your hugs Mrs M certainly helped. You all seem quite positive about the use of supplements so will call the vet for some advice. Was going to buy some Feelgood 30 Hormonal Mare but none of you have mentioned it, is it not so good then?
 
You're welcome LL
smile.gif
. All for supplements when necessary, etc etc etc.

There are quite a few supplements available. I haven't heard fo the Feelgood one, but it isn't an area I've done too much research into.

Hope it goes well. Keep us updated
smile.gif


Have another hug to keep you going.
 
Never heard of that one sorry but there are so many out there! I guess it is a case of trying and seeing which is best, what works for one doesn't for the other but there will be something that works for your mare. Mare's eh... who'd have em
smile.gif
mom's is a chestnut one too so doubly bad (I think she's great tho
wink.gif
)

Agree tho that regumate is the extreme, defiately speak to your vet
 
Try supplements before regumate as it is very expensive. If your mare was a bit of a mess when you got her she probably feels quite a lot better in herself now, coupled with her first season. Don't despair, sometimes the first season is the worst and they then settle down. Supplements are the best to try first, you might have to try a few to see which works but Oestress seems to be a popular one. Hugs to you as it's awful when moody mares play up ( i know I have plenty of them!!!!)
smile.gif
laugh.gif
 
just to say having always had mares and loved them we bought our new horse home a week ago also mare and she started her first season of the year same day and was a total bag.squealing,kicking in a right tizz.spoke to old owner totally out of character and now settling.but am thinking hormones and stress of moving even though youve had her a few months can affect them,also first season of the year is often the worst.horses whod have them.
 
Yes the upside of this situation is to see her confidence soar when we went to see her to buy she was lice/worm ridden, in a wet stable with NO bedding, she'd seen no daylight for 3 weeks. You could tell she was sooo down and depressed. My daughter groomed her and then rode and she was a little angel, I thought any pony that can still keep its chin up in this situation is worth buying. I can cope with the moods and the irritability its just the rearing that can be a bit scary. And besides if there are things out there that can make her feel better in herself then we may as well use them. Said to farrier 'dont you think the rearing was a bit naughty?' He said 'No love, thats women for you.' !!
blush.gif
 
Brilliant!! Typical farrier comment
grin.gif
I think you've done a brilliant job so far taking the little one on and giving her a lovely home. Don't get too down about mares. My little one can be a complete circus pony!!! When we got her she trusted no one and would stand on her hind legs in any stressful situation. You have to keep calm ( obviously keep out of the way of danger) and speak quietly and calmly to her. I suspect that she is still getting to know you and now she is feeling better feels she can protest a little more!! Maybe use a long rope when dealing with her. Keep going I'm sure she'll be fine
smile.gif
 
Love your farriers comment - typical!!
smirk.gif
Can offer a little in the way is of help - the 3 ponies my neices have had have all been mares, as is my cob and the mini shetland we look after! Would look at using a good supplement first - all been mentioned on here - as Regumate costs about £130 a bottle!!
shocked.gif
It sounds like you are doing a good job turning her around - what are you feeding her if anything? and what is her grazing like? and how old is she and what has she done before? Sorry for all the questions but it will all help!
 
whats her name i had one just like this lovely little chestnut pony but she had trerrible seasons and would grow horns either try to bite or kick you i fed her frisky mare from gobal herbs (i think) she was an angle when on it horns turned in to a haylow !
 
Sorry I didn't reply hope you don't think I'm ignorant was sooo tired decided to have early night. She's 11, I feed her twice daily with apple chaff, baileys no 4, few slices of parsnip, slices of carrots and I add a drop of sunflower oil and a scoop of hilton herbs (hoof and health - because her coat was so scurvy). She has hay in her stable overnight. She grazes absolutely fine and when I see her in the morning her haynet is always empty so shes a real good doer! Don't know much about her history, dealer doesn't answer any of my calls or texts now so don't bother with her anymore. I do know she's had a foal at some point the vet told me that when she came to give her her vaccinations. I had the dentist for her who said she hadn't been seen for years and the farrier felt that she reared because she had not been shod too often in the past. Had to start again with jabs since no record of those, and had to start her on a worming program since no record of that either and she had a real swollen belly. Odd thing is she is really well schooled so someone at somepoint in her life made an effort with her. Re: Regumate, £130 a bottle
shocked.gif
may try something alittle cheaper first, don't want to put hubby in a wooden box! Got to go, got big hay delivery this morning.
 
Ok - so can you turn her out 24/7 rather than her being in? Is your grazing good? if it is I would stop feeding her anything - ponies do best on fresh air and very little food. I would check on the apple chaff - I suspect it has molasses in it which will give her lots of energy to use (the wrong way if she isn't being excercised day in and day out). If you have to stable her I would just give her hay. With spring grass coming through she will get enough from that - if you feel she needs supplements of any sort just put them in a handful of hifi lite. Our ponies only ever get fed after work (at least an hour of schooling or hacking) or to get wormer in them or when freezing in the winter and then its hifi lite dampened with speedibeet. You could also use something like Happy Hoof which is a balanced chaff with all the vits and mins you need but very low sugar (used by Laminitis Clinic) but hi fibre. Even when in work (ours used to do Pony Club etc) grass was plenty for them.

smile.gif
 
Thanks for advise SU, checked the apple chaff it contains low sugar molasses but have been thinking of switching to Hifi-Lite anyway. I don't give her alot of food she only has a handful of each with the carrots and parsnips. Have introduced the bailey's cos vet thought she was a bit underweight and could do with building up a little but again she only has handful. Unfortunately I can't turn her out 24/7 stable/field owner is a non horsey person and she thinks its cruel them being out all night!!!! Many have tried to change her mind before me but failed and she is really good with us in every other respect and lets us just get on with it so we tend to just accept that rule. I make sure she goes out early in the morning and don't get her in until late. Grazing is not brill in winter but in spring/summer apparently it is absolutely crazy (have yet to experience it here only been on yard 2 months) and I have been told to watch that she is not laminatic as it is at times uncontrollable. Will obviously cut all the food shortly and just leave small hay bag in stable overnight.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yes the upside of this situation is to see her confidence soar when we went to see her to buy she was lice/worm ridden, in a wet stable with NO bedding, she'd seen no daylight for 3 weeks. You could tell she was sooo down and depressed. My daughter groomed her and then rode and she was a little angel, I thought any pony that can still keep its chin up in this situation is worth buying. I can cope with the moods and the irritability its just the rearing that can be a bit scary. And besides if there are things out there that can make her feel better in herself then we may as well use them. Said to farrier 'dont you think the rearing was a bit naughty?' He said 'No love, thats women for you.' !!
blush.gif


[/ QUOTE ]



Hmmmm, maybe the pony is just feeling much, much better with lots of tlc.

Maybe a combination of tlc, more food, spring grass?


Love your farrier
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top