Please help advice needed with silly mare

webble

webble

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2012
Messages
5,751
Location
Border of Cheshire/Wirral/ N Wales
Visit site
I need some help/ advice with my mare please. I got her 9 months ago and when she first arrived she was great, would hack out in company first or last and on her own pretty well too. She had not long since had a foal weaned form her and been bought back into work by her old owner so need to put weight and muscle on which happened slowly.

After a few months of having her she began to be nappy hacking alone and would half rear and spin, probably stupidly I did get off her a few times and make her keep going with me on foot.

We moved yards 5 months ago and she now lives with one other mare (which I dont think helps) next to a livery yard and since then the behaviour has got worse and happens in the school too. She will cat leap and squeal and is becoming dangerous at times. Other times she can be an angel and work beautifully. YO is going to try and do some work with her after Christmas but at the moment I am at the end of my tether. She has had teeth saddle and back checked. Any advice suggestions welcome/ gratefully received
 
I'd be looking at her diet and removing all cereals and sugars. If that doesn't make a diffierence, then I'd get the vet with a view to testing her hormone levels and maybe putting onto Regumate.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
I'd be looking at her diet and removing all cereals and sugars. If that doesn't make a diffierence, then I'd get the vet with a view to testing her hormone levels and maybe putting onto Regumate.
Click to expand...

I did wonder about hormones. Her diet is pretty basic at the moment a scoop of cool fibre twice a day plus ad lib hay. she was getting carrots too but I cut those out to see if it helped but no change
JanetGeorge said:
Is her bad behaviour related to her being in season - or does it change from day to day?
Click to expand...

It doesnt seem to be seasonal but does vary a bit day to day
 
It sounds like she might be getting a bit clingy to the other mare, what is she like if you ride out with her companion? If this is the problem the only way to get rid of it would be to either separate or get a third horse/pony otherwise I guess you will have to just ride her through it until she gets used to the idea that she will have to do things without her friend (which is what I think I would do) .good luck.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Not sure what cool fibre is but if it contains any amount of molasses or alfalfa tat could be causing a problem.
Click to expand...

Its a chaff with a few nuts in. Spillers came out and condition scored her and weighed her a few weeks ago and said there was nothing in her food that would be the issue. It started before she started being fed
 
Whilst I appreciate what you are saying about the behaviour starting before you started feeding her, I would NOT be guided by Spillers or any other feed company. Any feed ingredient, even grass has the potential to cause problems. There is a member of this forum whose horse is allergic to grass.
In that case I would investigate the possibility of hormone imbalance.
 
1st - Vets to check for pain and do bloods and check teeth
2nd - Saddle fit
3rd - Herd situation what was this in previous home and how has it changed since being with you
4th - Your behaviour, have you changed around her? Is she not seing you as the leader?
5th - Good luck i hope you get her sorted!
 
cobmum said:
1st - Vets to check for pain and do bloods and check teeth
2nd - Saddle fit
3rd - Herd situation what was this in previous home and how has it changed since being with you
4th - Your behaviour, have you changed around her? Is she not seing you as the leader?
5th - Good luck i hope you get her sorted!
Click to expand...
1 - teeth are fine. I will speak to the vets but unsure re pain as she is fine with other horses. Teeth were done a couple of months ago and were fine

2 saddle done at end aug. I am changing the gullet tomorrow but the behaviour started before saddle was done and continued when it was
3 - I dont know last owner didnt have her long and she had not long since weaned her foal which could be a factor
4 I dont think I have changed
5 thank you
 
When my mare was with just one other horse I couldn't do anything with her, she was a pain. Didn't like doing anything unless other mare was there.

Now in a herd and no problem so could be relying on other horse too much, hormones, ulcers or just behaviour problems.

If only they could talk wouldn't we all be better off - horses and us :)
 
Try having a physio or vet check her over fully to rule out pain, not just usual back, teeth and saddle. A mare that was on our yard behaved like this after having a foal. Turns out the owner had brought her back into work far too quickly and damaged her pelvis.
 
I would have the vet out for a general once over to check there's no pain issues & to run some bloods. Mares can be sensitive souls & require a sensitive handler/rider. Iv only ever owned mares so I'm quite accustomed to their behaviour. Best of luck resolving the behaviour. I recently experienced a behavioural problem with my mare which has been resolved by switching stables (on same yard) she was too close to the bale of haylage which was causing her to become obsessed with it & very irritable! I find If theirs one link in the chain not 100% (even a subtle one) then the rest goes to pot
 
Festive Fairy my old mare was exactly the same hence my earlier post which I'm not sure the OP saw as she didn't respond to it as she has the others? Obviously pain etc should be ruled out but I read the original post as saying she had only become like it since being with this new companion so for me this would be the first thing I would look at!
 
If its likely to be hormonal, stick her on regumate for a few months to see if she improves.

I know a SJ mare who is on it permanently to stop her being a raging devil horse.
 
I'd start by looking at the feed too especially if the feed changed when she moved to the new yard. I do think you may have dismissed this out of hand. Spillers will not know every horses intolerances

Also you day you don't treat her differently but you do as you used to be ok then started getting off her on hacks and I can't imagine you've stopped doing that

I really hope you can sort her out, she sounds nice :)

Lastly and I hesitate to mention it as youve had her nine months and may laugh your head off but is there a possibility she could be pregnant again?
 
Tilda and Festive Fairy, she has got worse at the new place with just the one horse but it started at the old yard where there were lots of horses although she was only turned out with one in her field

Welsh D when it started she was only on grass the feed has only been introduced when she has come in for winter. I only started getting off her when the behaviour started. It has been just over 9 months that I have had her and she isnt showing any signs of being in foal eg no change in tummy, weight, udder etc

Phone call to the vet today to see what they say and YO is taking her out Monday to see if its a me thing

She is perfect hacking out with other horses and has been to the beach forest etc with no issues loads happily
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top