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Marigold4

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I've posted about this mare before - she has been diagnosed with bilateral front foot lameness from navicular. We've tried various treatments but no real improvements. She's on 1.5 bute per day and seems ok on that. She suffered a field accident as a yearling that means she can't be ridden due to a hind leg injury. She's 16 and I've had her for 8 years, she's been retired for most of that time. The problem at the moment is her behaviour. The past couple of winters she has become really difficult to manage. She doesn't want to be in or out. She is prone to galloping manically round/across the field and taking my other two with her. Today she ran into a metal gate, my youngster who I was leading went ballistic, reared above me and got away, recaught her and she was very difficult to lead. This has happened a number of times now. I'm worried someone will get hurt or at the very least the youngster is picking up bad habits. I know that once spring comes she will improve and calm down as this has happened for the past two years. I'm putting her on a calmer from today and have started feeding her more (she's lost some weight over the last few weeks). She's on Baileys Calm and Condition. Might that send her nuts?

Anyone have any ideas how I can improve her behaviour in the field? I wonder if I should scope her for ulcers because of the bute?
 
Sorry to be blunt but if she's so unhappy in the field to the point of being dangerous I'd pts.
Though the food you mentioned has both alfalfa and soya in which are quite common for sending horses nutty: if she was mine I'd cut her diet back so she's on grass nuts and micronised linseed.

ETA has she been tested for Cushing's? It can change behavior in really weird ways
 
FieldOrnaments said:
Sorry to be blunt but if she's so unhappy in the field to the point of being dangerous I'd pts.
Though the food you mentioned has both alfalfa and soya in which are quite common for sending horses nutty: if she was mine I'd cut her diet back so she's on grass nuts and micronised linseed.
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Thanks for replying and for your thoughts on the feed. The latest episode has happened since I changed her feed. I guess skinny is better than dangerous so I'll put her back on the other lo cal nuts. Good idea about linseed. I will PTS if needed, and it is on my mind, but still a few things to try.
 
mossycup said:
Yes minimal feed to maintain her weight. Does she have shelter and adlib forage in the field? How many herdmates?
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Yes, she has a shelter. She won't go in it but will use it as a windbreak. I have 4 paddocks of just over 1 acre and we are down to the last one which I am strip grazing. She is out with her daughter and usually another, although he is elsewhere for a few weeks. SHe's in a night with more hay than she can eat. Part of my problem is that her daughter is a very good doer, so it's difficult to balance both their needs in the field.
 
mossycup said:
Is she better with him around? My mare much prefers being out with a dominant friend - if she has to be in charge, she doesn't like it. Does she improve come spring?
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She is very much the dominant horse. She was the same last winter even with the gelding around. She is the dam of both but he has been away before and she was fine. The last couple of years I've been close to putting her down but she's calmed down once the grass is through. Trouble is, we have potentially another 10 weeks till grass. I'm going to try bringing them in earlier. At least in her stable, although not particularly happy, she's not causing trouble.
 
I would remove all hard feed and give add lib hay and a chaff with milled linseed to add condition. See if this regime helps settle her . Id also give her the whole paddock. One acre is quite small, give her more room to run in. Id even open up another paddock if you can tk give her extra space.
 
I know everyone recommends grass nuts but beware they do send some horses loopy including my Welsh pb. I thought I’d give him those instead of Saracen Releve cubes and his behaviour declined so I gave them away. He only has about a mugful with chaff! He doesn’t need to gain weight.

I’ve put my 16yr old on the Spillers Senior Mash when he started to lose weight living out and he’s stayed sane on that.
 
mossycup said:
Could you separate her and her daughter with a lime so she could have a big pile of forage? Defo sounds like hunger/boredom is the root
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mossycup said:
Could you separate her and her daughter with a lime so she could have a big pile of forage? Defo sounds like hunger/boredom is the root
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I'm not sure I could. If my gelding was here, possibly but don't want to risk one going through fencing as they're not used to being on their own?
 
Sanversera said:
I would remove all hard feed and give add lib hay and a chaff with milled linseed to add condition. See if this regime helps settle her . Id also give her the whole paddock. One acre is quite small, give her more room to run in. Id even open up another paddock if you can tk give her extra space.
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Trouble is she might then trash the whole lot!
 
It’s extremely difficult to manage impaired horses who are not getting enough exercise.
Some horses manage well others don’t .
You have given the mare a safe life but you do have to consider yourself.
Looking after a horse up to this type of stuff can be exhausting and draining .
Tbh is I had a retired horse who was causing issues like the one you describe when you where leading the youngster I would PTS.
This sort of thing is not easy and I feel for you .
 
Goldenstar said:
It’s extremely difficult to manage impaired horses who are not getting enough exercise.
Some horses manage well others don’t .
You have given the mare a safe life but you do have to consider yourself.
Looking after a horse up to this type of stuff can be exhausting and draining .
Tbh is I had a retired horse who was causing issues like the one you describe when you where leading the youngster I would PTS.
This sort of thing is not easy and I feel for you .
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Thanks for replying. I am thinking that I should PTS but don't want to do this as a kneejerk reaction to a bad week. Equally, I did think today that we only just avoided something really bad happening. Although it would be a great relief not to deal with her anymore, I know myself well enough to know that putting her to sleep would haunt me if I felt I could have done more. So I'll try a few other things to manage her behaviour first. She was bought as a riding horse but instead has had 8 years of lovely and pampered retirement, so I guess I don't owe her much more if she's going to be like this.
 
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I would strip her feed back to soaked grass nuts and adlib hay for the moment and see if her behaviour improves - my two can't have a mix of any sort as it sends them mental x My youngster Rabbit also can't tolerate alfalfa nor linseed as it affects his guts x

Another feed that might be worth trying is Allen and Page Soothe and Gain - it's designed for ulcer prone horses, but is high in calories so will help with the weight gain, has no molasses, barley, soya or alfalfa so cuts out most of the common issues for horses that might have sensitivities, it'll also protect her gut from the stressing that she is doing x It does have linseed in it though which is something to bear in mind x

PTS wouldn't be the first thing on my mind, but it would be something that I would consider if things don't improve - she's had 8 wonderful years with you so there would be no shame in making that decision x
 
I agree that the diet should be stripped down. The trick will be finding what she can tolerate.
However, I would put hay out in the field for the 2 horses and give the youngsters a big trug full of plain oat straw chaff (Halleys or Honeychop) in the stable, alongside a smaller amount of hay to manage her wright, while making sure that neither of them feels hungry. I would give Alpe Vera juice alongside the bute to line the stomach and hopefully avoid ulcers.
 
Marigold4 said:
Yes, she has a shelter. She won't go in it but will use it as a windbreak. I have 4 paddocks of just over 1 acre and we are down to the last one which I am strip grazing. She is out with her daughter and usually another, although he is elsewhere for a few weeks. SHe's in a night with more hay than she can eat. Part of my problem is that her daughter is a very good doer, so it's difficult to balance both their needs in the field.
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It's a difficult one but at this time of the year, I would try extra hay in the field for say 2 weeks to see if she improves. The good doer will stuff themselves but you would get an answer and there is still time to reduce the good doer's weight before spring if needed.

Emerald Green - Meadow Magic grass nuts are good - under 10% sugar/starch. Some grass nuts are like rocket fuel!

Good luck. My mare started behaving differently late teens, more depressed than difficult. She was diagnosed with PPID around 21 so maybe something is changing with your mare.
 
Sanversera said:
Does that matter? Given enough room id have thought the mare woild settle better.just sayjng what i would do.
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You may be right. She would like to stand by the gate back into the stable so maybe if I let her get her way she will be happier. Although she will be standing in a muddy gateway it might be better than her galloping round like a loony!
 
meleeka said:
I think it was Calm & Condition that sent my mare batty. I'd cut out the feed and just feed a simple feed for a couple of weeks and re-assess.
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I agree with this. C&C turned my old sensible cob in to a compete night mare. No idea what it was because it's essentially fast fibre with a bit of linseed in it, which is what he ended up on and was absolutely fine.

I also find that mine are far calmer with more space in winter so in turn churn the place up less. After the acorns are all gone in the autumn/winter I open all 3 paddocks up for them to roan and pick at grass and hedges to keep their minds occupied. I only have 5 acres but it's enough for the boys to entertain themselves.
 
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