What's wrong with my horse?

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proctorclaire

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Well where do I start...... My horse has turned crazy and moody recently and I don't know why. I have only had her a few months and she seemed like she was really settling in at our yard. She has now turned very moody which is not like her at all, she won't let me ride her and she has started eating her straw bedding and doesn't touch a drop of her hay at all which is also really unlike her. She is still eating her hard feed as normal though. She has been in season since being here and never reacted this way so don't think it is that causing the problem. She gets out all day so it can't be boredum. She went mental the other day when got on her, she was trying to rear up, spinning round, trying to bolt off. Couldn't even ride her last night as she wouldn't let me on her, I lunged her for a while to try and knacker her out to see if that would help but she still wouldn't let me on. When was lunging her she was being so lazy and again this isn't like her as she is a highly strung horse and always wants to go 100mph. Went up to see her tonight and she wasn't as moddy but when put her in the stable she just totally turned away from me with bum to stable door and started eating her straw again even though her hay net is always full. She has got trust issues and was mistreated in the past but we were really starting to make a break through with that. I was even jumping her last week and her old owners couldn't believe it, they said she must really trust me to be able to do that. I did go away for a day and night last week so some-one else at yard dealt with her but all they done was take her out to field at day and bring her in at night. What can be wrong with her? She has been like this since Sunday.
 
Ditto, get the vet to look at her. Also check saddle, teeth, bridle etc.. just in case. Don't try and ride her, she's obviously not happy about it. Just lunge and turn out, and maybe offer her hay from other batches? Maybe she just doesn't quite like it? Horses are fussy eaters! Good luck! :) xx
 
It will be essential for you to have her checked out by a vet. It is likely she is having problems with her hormones and possibly may have an issue with her ovaries which can in some instances cause discomfort for being ridden. Her straw eating is almost a "pathological" comfort behaviour caused by the hormone upsets. If you do not know her history regarding oestrus then she may well be a hypersensitive type who just is not comfortable being worked when she is in season.

If this is issues with hormones then it can be managed and treatment would be available for any ovary problems. After the vet has seen her, it may be recommended to go on a course of Regumate to put her on an even keel.

First port of call the vet and perhaps phone previous owners to see how she was coming into season.

Good luck with her:)
 
Her teeth got done before she got her to me and then they were checked by the back man cause we thought she was cold backed which she isn't and he said her teeth are perfect. I never tried riding her tonight as it was her day off anyway (always like to give her a day off a week to rest) but to be honest it isn't really hard work I do on her anyway. Normaly just leisurely hacks or when in school the most we do is a canter on each rein (apart from jumping last week). She loves jumping though. Quite hard to control going into them cause she gets excited.
 
IMHO it's the spring grass. Cut out all her hard feed unless she is an absolute hat rack and see how she goes.
 
Like others have said, it would be wise to get your vet to check her out to rule out anything that isn't obvious. Horses that eat the straw and not the hay usually do this with wheat straw and probably because it is better than the hay. It sounds to me like the spring grass and her hormones. She may sweeten up in a few days.
 
My mare is very sensitive and had been a complete cow with her seasons.Tried her on regumate for week had her ovaries scanned and vet has just implanted a marble becasue we had such good results on regumate.She is back to her old self still difficult but much more manageable.Call your vet for chat.:D
 
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