New mare girthy and grumpy

[Billy Pig]

So I've bought myself a youngster who was imported from Ireland around 6 months ago, she's been recently broken (not by myself) and then I've bought her and kept her ticking over slowly for the last 6 weeks or so that I've had her (just walking around the block 3 or 4 times a week).

Since having her she has had her teeth, back and saddle checked and has also been treated for ulcers (she wasn't scoped, just prescribed omeprazole).

She is generally easy to do, calls to me in the field, lets me handle her in all aspects, good to mount etc. but is quite mareish in her behaviour in that she constantly has a face on her. It's hard to say if she is just like this or if something is causing it as I don't know her very well yet.

She's a little girthy to tack up, tends to walk forward as I go to reach for the girth and generally face-pully... when she canters she also swishes her tail and is reluctant to move forward (but don't know if this is just a young green horse who is weak across her back). I hope I have ruled most things out and this is just her personality, but I don't want to make her get on with it if there's something else possibly underlying. I'm inclined to say that she's become worse since I've had her, but it's hard to say when you don't know a horse very well and she could just be getting her feet under the table.

Next port of call is obviously the vet again... but having spent 2k already getting her right and making sure everything is okay, I was just hoping to get other's experiences first so I can get an idea of what could be the possible cause. Vet suggested she could just be "mareish" but I'm not happy to just slap that label on her and crack on.

 

[sbloom]

It may be time to have a more holistic view, The Osteopathic Vet or someone similar. I do think it's too easy for a saddle to have a box ticking exercise done when the horse still isn't happy with it, so don't rule it out. I would not simply leave it at mareish, that may mean she has problem ovaries, hormones, etc. I have known a mare than had its ovary attached to its abdomen wall, not a happy horse!

 

[milliepops]

as you have not scoped, how do you know the ulcers are cleared? My horse needed Omeprazole and Sucralfate for about 16 weeks before the ulcers were fully healed, which is longer than many give as a "normal" course.

 

[Billy Pig]

as you have not scoped, how do you know the ulcers are cleared? My horse needed Omeprazole and Sucralfate for about 16 weeks before the ulcers were fully healed, which is longer than many give as a "normal" course.

Thanks for your reply. She was not scoped for a couple of reasons but the main one being that at the time the vet did not suspect she had ulcers as she wasn't showing the typical signs, however I insisted that I wanted to rule it out so she was prescribed a month of omeprazole, to which she showed no change whatsoever. However if I need to go back to the vet with this then I will! Thanks again

 

[Billy Pig]

It may be time to have a more holistic view, The Osteopathic Vet or someone similar. I do think it's too easy for a saddle to have a box ticking exercise done when the horse still isn't happy with it, so don't rule it out. I would not simply leave it at mareish, that may mean she has problem ovaries, hormones, etc. I have known a mare than had its ovary attached to its abdomen wall, not a happy horse!

That's interesting, thank you. Tbh I think she has become more girthy since using a different girth on her (don't get me wrong, she has always fidgeted but I would say she's noticeably more sensitive to the touch) and part of me is wondering whether to try a prolite or something else that is generally kinder on her? But again she is an angel to mount and ride... so I'm not sure. Another part of me is wondering if it's hormone related but she's pretty consistent and not really any better or worse around her cycle. Just a little bit of a grump.

 

[sbloom]

That's interesting, thank you. Tbh I think she has become more girthy since using a different girth on her (don't get me wrong, she has always fidgeted but I would say she's noticeably more sensitive to the touch) and part of me is wondering whether to try a prolite or something else that is generally kinder on her? But again she is an angel to mount and ride... so I'm not sure. Another part of me is wondering if it's hormone related but she's pretty consistent and not really any better or worse around her cycle. Just a little bit of a grump.

The Prolite isn't necessarily kind at all, it's quite stiff and if it doesn't suit the shape of the horse it could make things worse. Obviously some horses love it, but far from all.

 

[milliepops]

Thanks for your reply. She was not scoped for a couple of reasons but the main one being that at the time the vet did not suspect she had ulcers as she wasn't showing the typical signs, however I insisted that I wanted to rule it out so she was prescribed a month of omeprazole, to which she showed no change whatsoever. However if I need to go back to the vet with this then I will! Thanks again

it's worth considering. I didn't see any improvement with my mare until we were about 12 weeks into the treatment. if we hadn't seen the healing ulcers on the scope I'd have thought we were barking up the wrong tree. the grumpy, girthy, reluctant to go forward symptoms are fairly classic for ulcers. tbh the meds are the expensive bit, scoping is generally not that ££

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If you think the girth could be contributing to the behaviour/symptoms, can you change it back? I (and others) have found Aloe Vera Juice to be very soothing for unscoped horses with suspected ulcers. I would be wondering about hindgut ulcers in your mare's case though. I would also get 2nd opinions on all the tack/back/teeth checks that you have had done.

 

[Puzzled]

Horses frequently need a longer course than a month. I’d scope to rule out ulcers.