spring grass..

[MissyThea]

this is the first spring i have owned my horse (got her last summer)
anyway..

i was wondering if the spring grass is prone to make your horse a bit more fizzy/naughty?

or is that just a myth? generally speaking my mare is fine but she's been out to graze and has come in exceptionally naughty (does alot of whinnying and plays up) and she bronco'd off when i rode her last night ..

she is due her teeth check-up soon but they seem to be OK her feet and saddle seem to be okay, but she has two very tiny lumps in the middle of were her saddle goes. my friend said could be 'risen' pressure points? they're definitely not fly bites.

she has 2 haynets of haylege a night and one during the day/when she's tied up outside

1 scoop of applechaff/1 scoop of coolmix/1 snapped up carrot/biotin for breakfast & dinner
her meals have never been a problem before ..

she is rising 20, thoroughbred x

 

[skychick]

It certainly does tend to make them a bit fizzier!
So her behaviour certainly could be down to the nice grass coming through....though get her back/teeth checked too just to rule anything else out.
This time of year they generally feel well, the grass comes through, they get the sun on them and they are a bit like us and feel a bit more up beat!

Hopefully she will calm down soon :-D

 

[mrdarcy]

Spring grass is full of sugar...

Think what young kids are like when pumped full of sugary sweets, fizzy drinks etc - they get hyperactive. Same thing with horses and grass. And behavourial problems are only the tip of the iceberg of problems spring grass can cause - be very careful... cut your mare's bucket feeds down (prob doesn't need any now) and either restrict her grazing or up the amount of exercise (or preferably both).

She could also be coming into season.

The lumps under the saddle do sound like pressure bumps so get a saddler out to check your saddle fit asap - did you get it fitted to her when you got her? Even if it fitted then it may well not fit her now.

 

[VioletStripe]

Spring grass can make them hyper! But, if I were you I'd get her feet, back, teeth and saddler checked just to be sure, you can never be too safe! Good luck, hope she settles soon! xx

 

[cptrayes]

A major reason why spring grass makes them fizzy is because it is low in magnesium while it is growing fast. They get jangled nerves if they have low magnesium, which is why magnesium is sold as a calmer. The cheapest way to supplement it is to buy calcined magnesite (magnesium oxide) from eBay and feed a pony at least 15g a day, and a horse 25 g.