SAD horse!!

[pistolpete]

The lovely imported Spanish x Arab I ride gets really tricky to bring in from the field in winter! He’s well rugged and fed just gets really bolshy. Rearing etc. He’s a complete lamb in the summer! Anything that can be done? Do horses get Vit D deficient?

 

[FieldOrnaments]

No they don't, generally speaking furred mammals don't produce vit d from UVB but get it from food instead.

Don't have any suggestions as to the cause just want to say I'm sure you do but please make sure to stay safe with hat, gloves, bridle/control headcollar if necessary

 

[pistolpete]

No they don't, generally speaking furred mammals don't produce vit d from UVB but get it from food instead.

Don't have any suggestions as to the cause just want to say I'm sure you do but please make sure to stay safe with hat, gloves, bridle/control headcollar if necessary

Thank you. I stay well clear and let his owner catch him when he’s tricky. It’s so weird. Once he’s in he’s a lamb again.

 

[asmp]

we have had this problem with our Appy X over winters. I think with him it’s running out of fresh grass. Last year we managed to eke out the grass by strip grazing and he seemed much better.

 

[Amy May In A Manger]

The lovely imported Spanish x Arab I ride gets really tricky to bring in from the field in winter! He’s well rugged and fed just gets really bolshy. Rearing etc. He’s a complete lamb in the summer! Anything that can be done? Do horses get Vit D deficient?

He may be better if brought in earlier. It's often because they're hangry (I get the same ).

 

[HopOnTrot]

Hangry horse?

 

[ycbm]

Try vitamin E, it gets low in the second half of winter and when fresh grass is scarce.
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[Widgeon]

Try vitamin E, it gets low in the second half of winter and when fresh grass is scarce.
.

Aren't Appaloosas one of the breeds that seem to have higher rates of PSSM? So perhaps they are more than usually sensitive to inadequate levels of Vit E, even if the horse in question doesn't actually have PSSM? My reasoning may be way off - I don't know what the mechanism is for PSSM - but it was just a thought.