Naughty Mare

[naughtymare]

Can anyone one help? We bought a 14 yo mare 2 weeks ago. The first 5 days she was fine- we had her shod - farrier said her feet were ok. 2 days later, she decided she didn't like her bit/bridle and saddle or anyone sitting on her. We have had the vet out - said she is fine, had her teeth rasped, bridle altered, new saddle fitted and she still doesn;t look happy. Apprently she has never bitten, kicked bucked or reared and otherwise, she seems very nice natured, She was part exd where we bought her from & was put out 24/7 for 3 weeks. Here she is part stabled and grazed. She seems to want to be out all the time.I know it is early days and she has to settle but she has gone from being very sweet to not so sweet. Can grass turn them bad tempered? I wondered if we should keep her in for a few days on hay. She does have hay at night. Any suggestions would be gratefully received !!

 

[arwenplusone]

first off - where did you buy her from & did you have her vetted?

Secondly, she is bound to be a bit out of sorts for the first week or too, until she settles

Thirdly, is she on her own? do you have another horse you can put her with?

 

[arwenplusone]

oh and welcome to the forum!

 

[no_no_nanette]

Three thoughts - if she is used to being out 24/7, she might well be getting "ratty" and badtempered if being stabled for part of the time .... Is she turned out with other horses? Again, if she's lacking company it might effect her temperament. Final thought - is she in season? Mares so often become difficult or cheeky when in season; our mare was discovered to have a haematoma on one of her ovaries which was making her really reluctant to be ridden, and difficult to tack up, especially when she came into season....

Hope that you get things sorted out with her!

 

[naughtymare]

Bought her from a trader; she wasn't vetted before but had a good check over from our vet yesterday who said she's fine. Have spoken to the previos owner several times who has been really quite helpful, she was part stabled & out there. We have tried to establish a routine however the vet said she should have less grass than she was having up to yesterday. We don't have any others... thank u for the welcome

 

[arwenplusone]

Ahhh then I think your problem is that she does not have any other horses to socialise with & she may be feeling anxious? Do you keep her at home?

She will probably settle down given time but it is worth noting that most horses are happier with company, especially if they are stabled. If you could find her a companion (a friend's horse maybe) or even another animal (a sheep - lol) then that may help.
Good luck with her

 

[naughtymare]

Apprently she has never been mareish & you wouldn't know she is in season so i am very bewildered. She has been like this for a week now so how long would you expect it to last if it was that?

 

[now_loves_mares]

When I bought my mare last summer she was lovely initially but after a wee while became quite grumpy. The yard she had been on before was a private yard, just another couple of horses, and this one was much busier. I noticed she was wildly in season, seemingly all the time, so put her on oestress which really helped.

This summer I've had her at home, only one other horse, and she's much happier, I haven't had to worry about a supplement - she seems to like the quieter environment. But of course she also knows me better too. Horses can take a long time to settle, and if she is totally on her own she could be just craving company - some horses are ok but most prefer to have a pal. My final thought is much more negative but worth considering. Do you know/believe what the previous owner is telling you? It's entirely possible they aren't being completely honest, and some people do even drug horses for sale. Sad but true. Hopefully it's nothing like that, but sadly I've been slightly stung in the past.

Oh - sorry thought of another thing. Some horses do just realise they have a new owner and try it on after a bit. Perhaps, being a mare, she's just trying to prove who is in charge