Stroppy Mare!

[TheresaW]

I have had Dolly for 5 years now, and she has always been perfect in every way. Lately however, she has been acting odd. She is still perfect to ride, but on the ground, she is being quite rude for want of a better word.

A couple of times. as I have gone to do the front of her rug up, she has snapped at me and bitten my shoulder. As I push her over to go around her, she will put her ears back and throw her head about. She is bolshy when I go to feed her and if I try and move her back, again she will throw her head around and flatten her ears.

When picking her feet out, she always just picks each leg up for me, but last night, she was snatching them from me and being awkward.

Any ideas? She is in season (again) at the moment, but she has never been like this before when in season.

 

[kerilli]

umm, i think i'd get her checked over by a mctimoney chiro.
might be worth blood testing for hormone problems perhaps?
if there's no chance that it's pain related, maybe she's just getting older and grumpy!
has anyone else been handling her who might have been a bit too strong with her? sounds as if she's a bit resentful, maybe?

 

[TheresaW]

The only other person that really handles her is my sharer, and she has been sharing her since before I bought her, so don't think she would have upset her. In the past, have had the odd day when she has seemed in a bad mood, but this one isn't going away.

About 18 months ago, my sharer was bending over picking her feet when Dolly bit her on the bum. She left a huge bruise, (Saw photo's), but at the time, it was an isolated incident.

 

[Cop-Pop]

If she's in season it could be that her hormones have gone wild. When my mare turned 6 she started acting like that - the vet took a blood test and after a few weeks of 'therapy' she was fine.

 

[JenHunt]

sounds like she's trying it on to me... maybe she feels a bit left out, or maybe someone else on the yard has been being a bit forceful with her.

sometimes my sisters horse is like that if he's cold tho!

might be worth trying a course of naf ostress or equine products hormonise to regulate her hormones a bit and see if that helps.

 

[jumpingjack]

My mare is just the same, has been fine all summer and got to october and she turned into a witch.

I tried her on Oestress, it helped a bit although stopped it and have her on calmag now and she's getting much better.

be interested to see what people suggest as have only had my mare since april and until oct she was an angel.