What on earth happened this morning?!

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I am 99.9% sure spring grass is the root of the problem - but I just cannot understand his reaction??

I went to bring my horse in from the field this morning for a lesson. Caught fine, lead fine until we got about halfway down the track. He span and ran off and because I wasn't expecting it I let go. I caught him again and tried again, but this time he got more aggressive and bolshy about it. After about 20 minutes of trying different things he got fed up, reared before he bolted and then everytime I went to get near him he swang his bum at me with his ears back and a scowl.

I've had to leave him today with a headcollar and leadrope on because the yard owner wouldn't let me put myself in danger. He's now back in his original field sans headcollar and leadrope thanks to field mate's owner.

My hand has been ripped apart and I've lost half a nail so I was planning on going down soon to try and get the leadrope off and leave him to it.

Like I said, I am 99.9% sure it is grass related but I just cannot fathom why he was so aggressive - In all the years I've had him he has never acted like this. He's been a bit keen to stuff his face full of grass for the first couple of weeks but I've never had a reaction like this before.

:( Feel like it's 1 step forward and 4 back at the minute
 
Hope you are not too sore...I am not looking forward to trying to get sasha in tomorrow evening for my sons polox training!! She just gone out on new grass too.
 
Ouch...sounds sore.

It can be quite shocking when you get this sort of behaviour out of the blue but as long as you remember it is just most likely him feeling amazing about life and not aimed at you, you'll be fine. Don't let it knock your confidence...sometimes they just don't want to play, no matter what we do.
 
I am pretty sure your right, spring grass, but might be worth keeping an eye on him for a bit. Gloves and hat next time and maybe a control halter or even better a chain over the nose, just until he behaves himself. Glad you managed to get the stuff off, plenty of ice for the rope burns .....boy they hurt!!!!
 
Most annoying thing is any pressure and he reacts very negatively so pressure halters or rope over the nose only make the situation more explosive. He's such a %*@&!! He's so bipolar at the minute - think our ideas of getting him out and about are going quickly out the window!!
 
One of mine kicked me last spring! Not aggressive, just feeling well/being a pillock in the field but still damn nearly broke my femur. Crutches for 2 wks and couldn't do anything much for a month .... really bloody hurt. This spring, I will not be chucking 2 fit horses out in knee deep spring grass for a holiday, lesson learned!!
 
Something similar happened to me last spring with my mare. It turned out the electric fence had somehow gone through the floor and mare had a shock from the ground. She refused point blank to walk past it. It was only after trying for 10 minutes that I too got a shock and realised what it was.
 
TeamChaser said:
One of mine kicked me last spring! Not aggressive, just feeling well/being a pillock in the field but still damn nearly broke my femur. Crutches for 2 wks and couldn't do anything much for a month .... really bloody hurt. This spring, I will not be chucking 2 fit horses out in knee deep spring grass for a holiday, lesson learned!!
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Flipping heck! I'm seriously debating it..how long did they have off? Did you bring them in at all?
 
Yesterday, my 100% perfect gent, who never pulls away when i turn him out, whipped round, pulled away and galloped flat out round his field with his lead rope trailing! Spring grass + blustery winds = bad manners. Today he was fine again, thank goodness.
 
oldie48 said:
Yesterday, my 100% perfect gent, who never pulls away when i turn him out, whipped round, pulled away and galloped flat out round his field with his lead rope trailing! Spring grass + blustery winds = bad manners. Today he was fine again, thank goodness.
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Praying for better behaviour tomorrow.
 
Has his work level been altered at all? My 20 year old TB who is usually very mannerly turned into an obnoxious git over Winter while leading in from the field! He was off work due to an injury but once I got back on him he returned to his normal, polite self!
 
I finished team chasing mid April and chucked them out 24/7 end April. Decided they were getting bit chubby so thought I'd better do something with them and they were a nightmare to be honest. Gone from being ridden every day in pretty hard work to nothing and loads of spring grass = recipe for disaster! So got myself kicked and they had to have month off anyway. After that length of time off they had calmed down a bit.

Think I'll let them down bit gently this year and they can have proper holiday in summer when grass not so rich. Think if you're going to just chuck them out they're better having longer holiday to properly chill out. Mine had month and a half year before and were fine after that - but weren't on quite such good grass
 
Doesn't sound like high jinx to me. It sounds as though something frightened him. Horses don't get aggressive because they are feeling fresh. Has he got a different companion? Could a mare be in season? I'd look into the electric fence possibility too.
 
Wagtail said:
Doesn't sound like high jinx to me. It sounds as though something frightened him. Horses don't get aggressive because they are feeling fresh. Has he got a different companion? Could a mare be in season? I'd look into the electric fence possibility too.
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This is what I was confused about - his fresh behaviour is either gobbing grass at every opportunity (but nothing like today) or prancing about like a diva.

Possibly mares in season as he was keen for a snog off the ones at the end of the track, though he's not one to usually bother about that sort of thing.. has previously been in a mixed herd. Now in a field with one other gelding. Perhaps a crush on him? :P

I wouldn't mind if he was messing about a bit but I was genuinely scared I was going to be bitten or kicked. It's just very out of character. No matter what a tit he can be he's always been excellent to lead and catch. :( Poo head
 
3Beasties said:
Has his work level been altered at all? My 20 year old TB who is usually very mannerly turned into an obnoxious git over Winter while leading in from the field! He was off work due to an injury but once I got back on him he returned to his normal, polite self!
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No, he has been in steady work for the past 2 months since he came back to me. Hacking, which he enjoys, schooling which he's been mostly fantastic and a bit of lungeing. He started getting fresh as he got fitter so I upped his workload. He had the past 2 days off after he came in lame from hooning about in the field.
 
My rising 5 year old likes to pretend to be the black stallion from Lloyds ads ..... She's actually a coloured mare ;) but tries to hi five me in e face with a hoof ..... Be nice can work in two ways either totally control or total resistance .... So now we have a carrot cut into to 4/5 bits in my back pocket , we have to walk in through pan other field with another horse in three gates too a big ask in spring time , but I pask her to stand after about ten steps from first gate and piece of carrot . Walk on stand Nd back up half way down field another piece . A piece on last gateway and one in her stable . Seems to work . Don't do it every time we go in or out just once or twice a week or when other horses are having a hoooooooooooooligan session ;)
 
My mare was funny this morning. She is normally a very level headed kind of pony but is only young at 5. I've had her since November. I did some in hand work with her and she was pretty good if a little distracted by her mates in the field, but no more than normal. I uncliped the lead rope and went to get her rug (as I normally do when I do in hand work before she goes out) and she took off at a gallop round the school. Luckily it's a big square school and she had one ear locked on me the whole time, but she didn't stop for about 5 mins. It was nice to see her moving so well (lovely trot at one point) as she's had a bad shoulder and then as quick as it started she stopped and wandered over to me as if to say "can I go out now please"!!

Silly mare!! Spring is in the air!!
 
Think I'm going to go up with a lunge line, gloves and a hat tomorrow. If he gets any sass I will lunge him in the field then at least he's not just being a hog stuffing his porky face.
 
Could be caused by the grass but you say he has never behaved this way before? Might be worth getting him checed over by a Vet. Is he riggy at all? Or it could be signs of a tumour...
 
My firk( like yours does her high on grass! However she normally prances & makes a nuisance out of her self & a telling off she's remembers herself! However on our way back from a hack a group of bikes (normally fine with!) scared her & whizzed past m so much she started shaking & leaping & trying to protect me from scarey things! So out of her character; she loves hacking. First time I've seen her behave in such a way after 5 years. So maybe something made yours frightens?
 
This sounds to me like it escalated from something not so extreme to a lot worse - he just learned he could do it and did it again. Lunging in the field is a good plan. I'd try leading him in and as soon as he shows signs of excitement, get lunging on the spot. Then let him stand and move on and repeat every time he shows any sign of excitement. He'll learn soon enough.
 
Make sure they are getting sufficient salt (either free choice or in feed not lick they can't consume enough) it balances the high potassium in the grass (flushes it from the system) high potassium inhibits mag absorption and that's the main cause of spring behaviour.
 
Very similar happened to me years ago. On the third attempt at leading him in, I felt a presence above my head and ducked. Henry took off again and I was shocked to see that it was a goose! Bloody thing was dive bombing my poor ponies. His behaviour was completely out of character, too. So it may be something quite frightening that's along that track and not necessarily spring. In my case it only settled after the goslings hatched. I had to live fields for all our safety!
 
I'm not so sure it was something frightening as I tried taking him through a different field, which as before he was fine to lead etc then out of nowhere BAM!

Really cannot be bothered with his attitude so might give it another day - he's always keen to say hello if I've been away. Plus if he does it again I may make threats involving glue.
 
Mine did this one day last year, screaming, refusing to be caught by anyone so I trekked up, caught him fine, he was alone, sweating madly, led halfway up the track then went mad, backing up, trying to go up. He got short shrift off me, especially after backing into my OH and I was horrified, not fancying a trampling. I think mine was frightened, he's normally a honey to lead.

I hope your hand is ok, rope burns are a nightmare and a nail being ripped off must have blooming killed!
 
Poor you...let's pray for better weather and better behaviour tomorrow. Mare in season, spring grass, windy weather and meeting the gelding from the next field whilst out hacking were all entirely unhelpful....glad it wasn't just me. It will pass won't it? :)
 
Spring grass/invisible gremlins/a new good idea? Who knows. Main thing is to keep you both safe and to nip rude behaviour in the bud. I suggest using a bridle to lead in. (Hide it and catch with head collar first if necessary). Some horses are always best/safest/easiest lead in bridle and you should if on a road. If napping is a problem, put long whip under your arm on side away from horse. Soon as the brakes go on, turn slightly away from him so end of whip flicks his quarters. If you get it right, this usually works first time and horse doesn't seem to associate it with handler.
Be confident (they all have their moments) - but wear a hat and gloves!
 
Just to update. I left him for two days as I was so cross and just checked him in the field.

Since then absolutely zero issues.

Can't work out what caused it but just glad he hasn't been a tit since.
 
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