spring grass & TB

[clarenz]

Will the spring grass (in NZ) be fizzing up my TB? She is only on a couple of acres but it is quite lush and her behaviour is getting worse and worse. She even reared when I was trying to lunge her. She is definitely lonely, but I cant do anything about that short term, and she is therefore probably bored - I will try and find another person so she gets ridden more, but she is just not the same horse I bought 8 weeks ago. It's a vicious circle as I am getting more and more nervous of her behaviour which she can sense

 

[CSYMolly]

Can you not lunge her first to get rid of the excess energy first? Apart from that there isn't much you can do but try get her off the grass for a fwe hours but I'm assuming she lives out?

 

[Benefice1]

If you have only had her for 8 weeks then she could be testing you out and as you say they can sense when you are nervous so she is probably trying it on to see what she can get away with. She needs to realise you are boss, when she does she should calm down. The grass probably isnt helping though and she probably needs more exercise. hope things work out ok x

 

[brightmount]

Once horses have settled into their new home, it is time to test the boundaries, so the fact you have had her for 8 weeks is probably more significant than the grass. When my horse was vetted for purchase, it was something my vet warned me to expect, and right on cue, after a month or two, the horse started behaving exactly like yours! It was also Spring and she came into season, so I was onto a loser! It's time to be firm with her, and hopefully she will understand her place in the pecking order.

Can you get a magnesium supplement in NZ? I use NAF Magic. The ingredient you want to look for is Calcined Magnesite. It will help to calm her, and it is also useful to counteract the effect of good grass for laminitics. I'm not saying your horse is susceptible, but as it would have a dual benefit, it would definitely be worth considering.

 

[Parkranger]

eeer spring grass drives most horses crazy!