Personality change in amy horse?????

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arty21

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Last November I bought my first horse, an irish draught x thoroughbred at 15.2 hh and 10 yrs old. When she arived at the stable she showed impecable manners and was a good allrounder, in the field, paddock and stable. She hacked out quite well even on the windiest of days. Then several weeks ago she started napping and at one point bucked up. The napping has got progresively worse and on sunday she threw my daughter off then tried to buck off the stable hand (without success and with deep regret) She was lunged hard for 20 minutes and seemed to calm down afterwards. Tonight she was lunged in the paddock and she was like a horse possesed. Very highly strung and wilfull. After a hard lunge again she became ridable again. Back in the stable her manners returned. So whats changed? Well she is now stabled for 20 hrs a day, she is eating hay, economy cubes, and hi-fibre. (2 scoops at morning and evening.) Is her feed too high in energy or have we bought a naughty horse??

Any advice appreciated

john
 
Our horses were loopy today, even the 28 yr old. Spring is in the air and the Mares are beguinning to get hormonal. MAybe shes coming into season. Has she always been stabled 20 hrs per day? What do you do with her? Is she in good condition? If so I would knock all the feed out apart from hifi and a broad spectrum supplement. My boy gets AlfaA as he lost condition, a feed balancer and a single handful of low energy mix in each feed because it makes me feel better
crazy.gif
. Is she getting 2 scoops of cubes twice a day or the hi fi?
 
Arty21 - I'm no expert but I guess we've all experienced this in a new horse. It's like starting going out with a new boyfriend or starting a new job! You're on your absolute best behaviour while you settle in and learn all the rules and what can and can't be done. Then the moment arrives when you decide why should I do that? And you test the boundaries. It's at that point that inexperienced owners/riders often start a dreadful downhill spiral (been there myself twice) that ends in the relationship breaking down completely. Your mare is probably just seeing what she does and doesn't HAVE to do, ie if she has a really great life why spoil it by having to be ridden? At 10yrs old she'll know all the tricks. I'd recommend all the usual checks, back, tack, teeth then get some lessons and start her on some very firm groundwork. Stabled for 20hrs a day doesn't sound too good either but maybe she was used to that? Could she have more turnout? Or lunged daily? Good luck coz it may get worse before it gets better!
 
may be something simple like not enough turn-out.
have you had the horse checked to see if its in pain?saddle,teeth?

i would go steady on the lunging,she may be antisipating it as a punishment and getting wound up even more expecting it.

i do not like the sound of `lunging hard`what is that?
correct lunging is a skill,can you not have an experianced person show you how?
 
If this is a sudden change and not just since she has been stabled for longer periods, then I would assume there is either a phyiscal reason (i.e. teeth or back or saddle etc..) or that she is a bit hormonal.....get these ruled out 1st before you assume she is being bad!!!
 
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Arty21 - I'm no expert but I guess we've all experienced this in a new horse. It's like starting going out with a new boyfriend or starting a new job! You're on your absolute best behaviour while you settle in and learn all the rules and what can and can't be done. Then the moment arrives when you decide why should I do that? And you test the boundaries. It's at that point that inexperienced owners/riders often start a dreadful downhill spiral (been there myself twice) that ends in the relationship breaking down completely. Your mare is probably just seeing what she does and doesn't HAVE to do, ie if she has a really great life why spoil it by having to be ridden? At 10yrs old she'll know all the tricks. I'd recommend all the usual checks, back, tack, teeth then get some lessons and start her on some very firm groundwork. Stabled for 20hrs a day doesn't sound too good either but maybe she was used to that? Could she have more turnout? Or lunged daily? Good luck coz it may get worse before it gets better!

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imo daily lunging=not good.how about long reining instead.lunging puts strain on the joints.
20 min lunge is equal to 1 hr in a straight line.!
 
Agree with the others, my horse was great at first then he tested me to the point I ended up in hospital with torn ligaments and a nervous wreck after he bucked me off on cobbles. I thing they need to know how far they can go. He did settle down.
I hope it works out for you.
 
Thanks for all the replies. She does get about 4 hours out a day and is (was) ridden for about an hour most days. I think I give the wrong impression of hard lunging. When she first bucked the stable hand she was lunged at a canter for 20 minutes on each reign. Tonight, due to her fiesty behaviour whilst tacking up she was lunged at a canter again to expell her energy. Heaven forbid that we be cruel to her. Unfortunately our yard does not have winter turnout and due to the rain most of the paddocks are flooded so there is very little room for 12 horses to graze. We have checked her tack, her shoes and her back and all is ok. Her teeth we wont know until 20 feb when the dentist comes. First appointment we could get. She is being fed 2 scoops of hi fi and 2 scoops of economy cubes in the morning and again at night. Could this be too much for her?

Thanks again

John
 
Id certainly sort out her turnout, 20 hours in will make any horse loopy! I can guarantee my ones would be total nutcases if they were in this much!

Otherwise, she could well just be testing you since she is quite new. I think most horses go through the "lets see how far we can push this new person" phase!
 
Sorry to hear the problems you are now facing with your new horse...
I would say 20 mins lunging in canter both reins is quite a lot of work for your horse...I wouldnt do that much on the lunge in canter.
The restricted turnout probably doesnt help...her main release is when being exercised...not during free time in the field.
Also she could be hormonal...some mares do totally change personality...you may not have seen her in season before and this could be a factor in her behaviour.
If you have had her all checked out for physical problems...it could be a matter of thinking all things through...from daily routine to anything that has occured recently which might have unnerved her.
She could be testing you but it seems a bit of a dramatic way to do it straight off...
Dont forget mares are 'entire' in that they are complete like stallions...nothing removed...so hormones can be a factor in their behaviour.
 
I know several friends having problems at the moment - I think a combination of too little turn-out, too much hard feed, horrible windy weather. I'd cut out her cubes altogether and look hard at the amount of turn-out. I have a 16.2hh who only has 2/3 scoop horse cubes and 1 scoop Hi_Fi Lite twice a day (plus vit supplement and lots of hay) If he's not out at least 6-7 hours every day, he's much too sharp and silly. I'm living for March when they can be out much longer. If it turns out to be a hormone problem, there are some supplements such as NAF's Oestress(sp?) which may help. Good luck!
 
If shes in good condition, cut the cubes out totally or feed litterally a handful in each feed and add a supplement. It does seem an awful lot of feed.
 
her "fiesty behavior whilst tacking up" to me screams pain. whether that be an ill fitting saddlee at different times of year, has she increased muscle etc as that will affect saddle fit tremendously - has she changed weight? My event horse has a summer saddle and a winter saddle as he is totally different shap (I know you have said they are checked but unfortunately you discover very quickly with horses that people who are supposed to be professionals make mistakes - a lot!), uncomfortable bridle (teeth), or if it is whilst girthing quite possibly hormonal issues.

20 minutes canter each rein is a huge amount. I would never lunge my horses for that long even when 3 day event fit.

The diet sounds ok, the economy cubes won't really be giving much more than fibre but check the sugar content of everything and cut starch and sugar to minimal levels.

personally I think your horse is trying to tell you something, please don't punish her until you can guarantee you have bought "a bad horse".
 
Oh the plot thickens. Spoke to dealer last night who said cut out her feed. No sugar, carrots, cubes or hi fi. Just a hand full of mollychop each day and hay.
At the yard everyone voiced that mollychop is high in energy and would probably make her worse.
And then for the drama. 3 normally very well behaved horses, whilst on lunge in the paddock all reared up and bucked.
Anyway I have made a descision to cut her feed to one scoop of each twice a day. and see how she is in a week. Oh and also to go very easy on lunge line.
I am begining to think that its just the time of year, not enough turn out and a bit of spoiling her with kindness(too many treats) Anyway thanks for all the comments and keep them coming.

John
 
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