Rugging and Biting

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SouthWestWhippet

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My mare has always been "marish" about her girth area. She pulls faces, lays her ears back and snaps at the air/door etc. She is worse once she's been clipped. I usually just ignore it or give her a growl... just put it down to the fact that for many years (BEFORE i got her) she had a saddle that didn't fit so I figured it was a pain memory.

BUT... recently she has been being really mean about being rugged. Not so much the girth area, it is definitely the front straps. Again I ignored it, just ducked under her head so she couldn't get me and put it down to change in routine (fields have just shut), cold weather, being clipped and sensitive etc etc.

However, I reclipped on Saturday and although she is usually ok to clip, she went bananas when I clipped her breast area, pulling back, pulling faces etc. I know she is ticklish ATM cos she got stroppy about her back legs as well but the reaction to me clipping her breast area was quite unexpected.

Yesterday I gave the area a rub with my hand and she got upset again and tried to bite me... basically I think it is pain maybe from rugs pulling? does this sound likely? And what can I do about it? Don't really want to buy her a new wardrobe but will if necessary... Trouble is that she is very skinny but quite long so it is hard to find rugs to fit perfectly as they are either too wide or not quite long enough. I've gone for 'not quite long enough' as too wide would slip back and pull on her whithers but I dunno... anyway, any thoughts would be helpful.
 
Daisy isn't a biter at all apart from two times, when I'm doing up the front straps on her rugs and when I put a headcollar on her. Neither is noticeably a pain reflex, particularly the rug one because she has loads of different rugs and they can't all pull. I've always assumed that its a dominance thing and she doesn't like having to submit to either thing.

I'd be interested to hear people's responses to this though as it would be nice to put a headcollar/rug on without having to be ready to dart out of the way.
 
My mare developed sore muscles at the base of her neck due to her stable rugs being a bit too tight round her shoulders (she's short and wide!), so it's possible the rugs are causing your mare some problems as well.

I got a new stable rug (well, a hand-me-down from my mum's horse), and gave her a daily massage on the sore areas for a week, and kept her rug free in her stable as much as possible and she's now back to normal.

Have you changed the rugs she's wearing recently?

If it's cutting in at the front, a towel could be tucked in to give it some extra padding in the short term.
 
I have the same problem, but with mine I think its rugs slipping back and pressing on her withers. I just try and put the rugs on well forwards and look for ones with generous overlap at the front so there's no pinching or rubbing in this area, plus nylon linings or shoulders if poss.

Make sure they're not too big around the shoulders - this is our problem as madam suddenly gets wider about 2in behind the point of the shoulder. If you don't want to buy new rugs, does your local rugwash person do alterations? You could get some dart put in to make them fit better.
 
Hi..My mare hates her rugs being either done up or undone at the front. To do this I tie her up short otherwise she can get me with her teeth (its mostly threat but she can catch me sometimes..panics when she does...but very painful...blood has been spilt before!). Saying that, sometimes she doesnt react at all...
I have had rugs altered at the front but she still hates it. She wears a bib cos her shoulders can get rubbed during winter months with all the rugs constantly being on. It wont make much difference as i think it is actually the fact of front rug being done up and the pressure this causes.
Rugs do pull at the front and my mare gets slight lumps from it on her shoulder line..I do massage them lightly...but during winter you cannot avoid it due to increased rug wearing.
I tend to do them up quite loosely at the front so they are not tight and this seems to lessen her hatred but she will always slightly react to the action of her rugs being done at front. She doesnt mind anywhere else really. I dont use back leg straps as these have rubbed her before now too.
She is a tb ex-racehorse and has sensitive skin...I have been told that it is a trait many racehorses have as they can get any rugs put on them and not particularly with the care that an owner would do it. She used to make faces at her girth being done up too but not with such hatred. The physio I used to have said it is the discomfort she finds as she could get sore at the front, from tenseness as much as anything else. So slight massage can help. She did have a tendency to soreness in her neck/shoulder area...and had physio for this. So this may be worth looking at.
Once its on, even if I just touch it she can get grumpy...but I have yet to find a workable solution. So I tie her short which seems to stop a lot of the drama and she will stand there quietly with no reaction and also she cant get me if she reacts forcibly.
I have always put the rug on carefully but I have had her for 11 years and it is her pet hate still to this day tho it is less like taking your life in to your hands now when you do them. She is a sensitive mare.

Sorry I dont have a cure..if there was one I would have done it years ago!!!
 
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Does the rug feel unconfortably tight around the chest in the mornings???

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know what, that is the most logical thing to check and it hadn't occured to me. I will check tomorrow morning.
thanks!
 
I think I will try the massage and keep the rugs loose round the front if I can. My back lady gave me a stretching exercise to do with her last time she visited so I will start doing that again as well. She is due a back check, have it pencilled in for post christmas and my dad has agreed to tow me to the saddlery for a saddle check so I'll give her an MOT and make sure that any discomfort is limited.

It is very frustrating, she isn't a tactile horse and has always been one for pulling faces but she is actually vicious at the moment with her rugs which is not like her. However, it is reassuring to hear that I am not alone. bloomin moody mares!
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does the rug feel unconfortably tight around the chest in the mornings???

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know what, that is the most logical thing to check and it hadn't occured to me. I will check tomorrow morning.
thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

tongue.gif
 
My mare started the biting thing when she got a new stable rug. It was moving back and digging into her chest. She would try and bit me every time I put it on. So she only had it on a few days before I gave up with it. She's now back in her old tatty rug and is much happier. It is also worth checking the tightness of your rugs when your horse has its head down grazing or eating in the stable as its amazing how much tighter they are over the chest. I now leave the top fastener of my turnout undone as it was really cutting into her when her head was down. I don't care how they look so long as they are comfortable.
 
My seven year old mare is a delight in all respects except when it comes to rugging. She is pampered and has a rug for all occasions. During the last 6 weeks or so this has become an issue as she always tries to bite when I do up the front straps. On two occasions I have sustained bad bites. One to my shoulder and one to my forearm - teethmarks and bruises to show. Today was the worst experience. She managed to bite me once then with ears back and teeth showing she lunged at me aggressively several times. I was only able to get out of the stable with my friends assistance she then lunged at her. I have always been very kind and gentle with her and made sure her rugs fit well. This is the first year she has been clipped which might have something to do with it. Any advice as this is become quite scary and dangerous.
Thanks
 
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