Rugs & change of behaviour

[Beth_hen]

Hi all, really eager for some advice as I’ve just witnessed behaviour in my Connie that I have never seen in 16 years..

Quick background info: have had my mare for 16 years (she is 18 this year). She’s been ridden her whole life and is now a brood mare, currently in a field with her 6 year old daughter and 2 year old son.

Decided to rug this year to prevent rain rot. My 18 year old has worn rugs before, the two youngsters have not. Brought them all into the yard, got them all rugged up and brought back out, so far no problem.

Usual galloping around at the beginning until the 18 year old started going for the two youngsters, in particular the 6 year old mare. They continued to gallop until I started getting worried (all are unfit ) had to remove rugs due to excess sweat. Took the two youngsters off first to see if the 18 year old would calm down- she didn’t. Took hers off and then she finally did. So all were now bare- no rugs.

2 hours later I went to check on them, older mare seemed cold so attempted to rug her again. She was calm and had no issues. Attempted to rug the youngsters again (all in the field) and before I could strap the rug on properly, the old mare was circling again looking to blast the poor 6 year old. Removed rug off the 6 year old and all settled again.

What I’m confused about is the 18 year old has had a rug on before and shared fields with other rugged horses. Any indication of what is causing the reaction and how to address it? Don’t want to use the poor 6 year old as a punching bag

 

[dorsetladette]

My older gelding is prone to 're-introducing' himself to his field mates when they have a rug change or when rugs go on for the first time in autumn. I bought him a second hand rug for autumn last year and the 2 younger geldings were all over him. He's a bit of a nervous nelly so having his rug pulled about really upset him and the youngsters got a thorough telling off.

I just put it down to them being boys and not having to many brain cells to share around.

 

[rhino]

I just put it down to them being boys and not having to many brain cells to share around.

You’ve just reminded me of my boy as a yearling. He’d gone on a day trip to the horspital for a scan, when he came back we turned him back out. In the interim, his field companions had had their rugs off for the day - first time for the year. His ‘uncle’ came down to meet him (he’d obviously been worried about his charge) only for my yearling to have an absolute meltdown.

Turns out the daft lad had actually thought his uncle was blue with spots!

 

[smolmaus]

Sometimes they are just deeply deeply stupid creatures.

I've had this happen with a change of sweet itch rug. And again when I put a muzzle on. My poor pony was so confused.

 

[Peglo]

Are they new rugs?

When my old haffie died I gave my old rug to my cousin (whose ponies share a field with mine)
I got a new horse in the summertime and the handmedown was never used until autumn when it got cold. New horse went berserk at cousin’s pony the first time she wore it and wouldn’t let her near any of the other ponies. We had to take the old rug off to calm her down. She must’ve smelt my old horse on the rug but since they never met it really unsettled her. The other ponies who did know her didn’t care less. (But are also maybe more sane )

New horse has never had an issue with new rugs, just the second hand one. Fortunately she did get over it and realised it was her field mate in the rug.

 

[eggs]

Some years ago I decided to put rain sheets on my two three year olds - they had never worn rugs before. They had lived with my herd of horses since they were six months old. One of the mares took massive exception to one of the youngsters wearing a rug and chased him round and round the field until I could catch her. She completely ignored the other youngster in his rug. Neither rug was new.

In the end I put the two youngsters in an adjoining field in their rugs for a couple of days which resolved the issue.

 

[GrassChop]

My youngster when he was 6-12 months didn't know who my mare was when I first rugged her that year. He ran around calling for her whilst in the same field as she was!