Pony + Diet = Monster!!!

[jes_nibley]

well, he was a wee bit large around the girth area so he went on a (very) strict diet.

Now he's a bloomin lunatic!

This last week he's: bolted at the sight of a parked car, fallen over because a person was walking towards us (shock horror), jumped six foot in the air about a hundred times, generally been a complete monster, the list is endless.

I'm having great fun, even if it's a bit haiy at times but completely backs up my theory that he's far too wild for someone the right size for him.

 

[Nailed]

Hes obviously feeling better!
Lou x

 

[Eceni]

Hypolgycaemia can turn them nuts sometimes... worth considering. If a decent feed pre-riding doesn't sort him out, try Magnesium supplement (or accept that he's too good for a kid and sell him to an adult. I've got a 14hh wrmblood pony that would be unrideable by the average young-ish teen... but I'm 44, so that's OK(ish))

E

 

[ImogenLouise]

sorry if this a silly question but where do you get a magnesium supplement, and how much of it would you feed?

 

[Eceni]

I use Magic by NAF, because I could get hold of it easily, but am looking at the supplements from Global Herbs on the basis that they seem to have addressed the chelation issue. Global Herbs

There are a variety of Magnesium supplements sold as calmers, it's just a question of finding one that's right for you. I have been told (with no supplementary data - still looking into this one) that ponies with low hoof growth may improve with Mg supplementation, which is what I was going for...

E

 

[ImogenLouise]

thanks for that info Eceni- do you just put a small scoop in each feed? I think our pony is possibly spooky due to being fed haylage since we bought him.

 

[Eceni]

I do put a small scoop in each feed - some of the calmers are liquid and that can be added

can you switch to plain hay? Or Hay plus Happy Hoof or Molasses Free (both by Spillers) or the Alan & Page 'Intolerance diet' feeds - this is a pretty ugly way to make a diagnosis, but if it's a feed-related problem, this *might* sort it out (tho' it'll take at least 10 days, probably longer to be sure)

good luck

E

 

[ImogenLouise]

Eceni- the livery yard I'm on only feeds haylage- haven't asked if I can have hay, though, as everyone else seems happy with it...was hoping to just counteract it with a supplement, but it would probably be best just to ask for hay and see how it goes. Thanks again for the advice!