Naughty ponies...time of year?

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minwood

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Hi, I took my daughter to a pony club rally today and pony really wasn't herself. Head was constantly up, very spooky, high speed canter, jumped a tiny cross pole as though it was a 6ft jump, daughter fell on to her neck and then tried to buck her off, that happened twice and left the lesson dripping with sweat!!! Not the pony we know, combination of the weather and the time of year I think, only had her since august so still getting to know her really. She has been a bit fresh on hacks lately and put it down to a different feed but she's not on that now just grass nuts! hoping she'll change back! :-/ has anyone else had a change in horse or pony?
 
Just would say any feed at all even ready grass or grass nuts or alfalfa can make ponies very naughty. Would stick to hay or haylage for a fortnight cut out anything else at all and then if pony remembers it's manners just introduce a small amount of vits and mins. Would not recommend even most feed balancers though for ponies but I find mine are lovely on farriers formula or formula 4 feet they event hunt jump hack dressage and pony club on just formula 4 feet. If not in hard work they are fine with nothing. Try it and see if there's a difference. Good luck !
 
I didn't think grass nuts would do that, feel like banging in my head against a brick wall with feed, seem to keep getting it wrong. She has the nuts with hifi lite. I worry about her weight as she is a thoroughbred type and her weight goes up and down!
 
Don't be fooled by hifi light It's covered in mollasis. Maybe try hifi molassis free instead. I changed to that from Happyhoof (also covered in molassis) this time last year when my normaly sane pony Merryn turned into a frootloop and it helped calm him down.
I realy don't think this unsettled weather is helping them much. I live in the new forest and even the semi feral ponies are charging about like loonies. They normaly rarely get out of walk but I've been caught up in several pony stampeeds lately and I havn't been able to work out why they were stampeeding!
I hope you get to the bottom of the problem soon. xx
 
Our 14.2 pony gets fed with fast fibre, pro balance, salt and magnesium all year round as even hifi lite and high fibre cubes send her fruity nut loop! She has hay and barley straw in winter! Haylage would tip her over the edge!
 
Totally the time of year, the weather, less work etc-has happened to us and we don't give hard feed! Suggest lunging before riding to take the edge off.
 
My horse is the same, I'm shocked at the difference in her! I've also only had mine less than 6 months and my laid back horse has turned into a spooky runaway lunatic! Mine isn't on any hard feed either. I've just put it down to the cold weather, less turnout and much more energy to burn. I'd say cut out the hard feed unless it's absolutely necessary, turn out as much as possible and maybe lunge before riding if she's really excitable. Good luck!
 
Our pony can't tolerate Readi grass either! It's like feeding her spring grass! I would definately reccomend fast fibre if pony is sharp and spooky! Our pony is always going to be a little sharp and spooky but her present feeding regime makes it manageable and she is so much fun to ride! Ours also is better with more exercise so is ridden 5 -6 times a week. She also gets turned out at 5.30- 6am during week and brought in at 6pm during winter and out 24/7 Spring to Autumn.
 
Our pony was very on his toes yesterday, we hired the indoor school across the road as it was blowing up such a gale yesterday, and he jogged there and back with his head in the air, just not like him at all, he wasn't naughty but I don't think this weather helps seems to turn the sanest well mannered of ponies mad. I would also say keep things simple feed wise and I tend to stick to hay rather than haylage ecspecially through winter. We also have restricted turnout at the moment and I find this also doesn't help, so the last couple of times his been ridden in the school we have lunged first, it does make a difference. Good luck.
 
Well she's having a lesson at the mo so fingers crossed pony behaves. It prob is just the time of year but seeing pics of what she did last winter with previous owner, the beach, hunting show jumping etc I wouldn't dare let my daughter do at the mo as pony is being so full on! They apparently didn't feed her much so maybe that's where I have gone wrong?
 
Possibly think about supplementing with magnesium this time of year, if they're having little or no grass. Just put mine on it due to the grass being totally gone...they just have hay and fast fibre and plenty of turnout but are bouncing around like rubber bands ATM.
 
You'd be amazed once you've had her a bit longer and she has bonded with your daughter I'm sure they will have some wonderful days together-they actually take a long time to settle in properly. When you both know her better you'll be able to trust her more.
 
You are not alone.We took knobberpony,who is 23 and old enough to know better to a PC rally recently and my daughter was having to circle her to slow her down.We've had her 2.5 years.know her inside out and have never seen her like that before.Even the instructor,who knows her well and thinks a lot of her,commented on her behaviour.
I have found that the windy weather hasn't helped,she is charging around her field like a loon.I hope your pony settles down soon,the 'getting to know them' phase can be nerve wracking.
 
Lesson went well, managed to jump and didn't buck-yippee so hopefully my daughter will feel a lot happier now. Have cut feed out for now just to see if it's that or just the winter version of her. She does have enough hay and grazings ok for now so she won't starve. It's nice to know I'm not alone thanks again for everyone's advice it's really helpful and interesting to hear people's views. Xx
 
Think mine was more to do with first ride for a week. She's on oats, Alfa a oil and I have been using power and performance instead of speedibeet and I have had a very well going pony who looks amazing. Today she decided needed a)to be upfront b) all puddles required leaping c) and that my arms needn't stay in my sockets.

Secretly I loved it as she is never so forward going, I think a combination of the feed and a few days hunting has taught her having a blast is fun:)

If she carries on I won't bother woth the power and performance only using it coz it was far free bag.
 
minwood said:
Thanks everyone could explain why she's changed, one day i will get this feeding right!
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Feeding is always hard, we are currently doing a lot on it for my degree, and actually many simple pasture nuts etc have more in than a lot of other feeds. You have to look out for how much starch and sugars are in the feeds, particularly starch. Some feed companies don't put the exact rations on their bags, which does sometimes mean there is a lot in there, so best to ring them and find out.

You can find things with the laminitis approved trust logo on them and that means that they have low levels of starch and sugar (i believe around 4%). Molasses free is a good idea with the chaff, and something like fast fibre which is fibre which is the best thing to feed for weight but no energy :)

Sorry slightly off topic but I found what I learnt really useful so thought I would pass on the knowledge of checking exactly what is in your feed :)
 
We have recently changed to Spillers Happy Hoof chop, and pony has become a total ****** at bring in time! Does it really have molasses in it? That's not good for a lami trust approved chop if true!
 
I second magnesium, my pony became very fresh and spooky all of a sudden in spring time and put it down to spring grass, however he just didn't snap out of it. It was becoming such an issue because he wasn't just fresh under saddle but also bolshy and rude in hand and a pita in the field! All this was completely out of character like you've described so we put him on a magnesium supplement called magnitude or something along those lines which worked amazingly well and he's back to the sweet lad he was! Have also heard great things about NAF magic calmer but I am unsure whether or not it is magnesium based (I would recommend magnesium)
 
Also if you did not want to cut out feed completely there is a chaff that has magnesium mixed in with it that is supposed to help calm, perhaps you could try this instead of a high sugar or molasses chaff? I haven't tried it personally though so can't say how good it is!
 
It's scary what's in feeds, I have learned a lot from this pony! I really thought you couldn't get any plainer than hifi lite but you can... Molasses free!!! Typical I'm throwing so much flipping feed out at the mo. Thing is it's not like I just buy anything I have been getting advice from the feed store, but had more advice on here!
 
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