Ziggy entered winter mode... but this is weird

[poiuytrewq]

Lots will know about Ziggy the nutter and his winter personality change. Every year at round the same kind of time he becomes really unsettled in the field. Constantly staring into the distance at nothing, then dashing to the far end of the field where the cycle continues. There's lots more to it than this but its usually the first sign, currently he's fine to ride, a little on his toes going out some days but normal.
Other horses have been here, and the ponies are here, One of them in particular reacts if there is something- If the hunt is within hearing etc. He's a bit nervous but has never agreed with Ziggy that anything is wrong. When my TB was here he was always completely chilled, again unless something was actually going on but he never joined Ziggy in the random tearing round.

Alfie (new horse, very chilled and at his old home lived alone and was brought in last in winter, happy apparently to stand in the field and wait) Is joining in They dont get on really and I've tried them alone/alongside and in together.
He appears to be listening to something and staring into the distance also. Not the same direction weirdly!
So IS there something? No one else locally has unsettled horses. Its making bringing them in really difficult as which ever i get in first the other looses its mind. It's also bloody hard work bringing them together.
Ziggy is fine, He just bounces round and jogs a bit but never gets ahead of me when he's being silly, Alf needs a few manners! He's like leading a bull in atm, that's something I'm less used to!
They are both in now, both ate breakfast but are still like pop eye giraffes, ponies still completely chilled munching hay.


What the hell can it be. I wonder if there is something that is bothering them now that two are a bit like it.

 

[Sandstone1]

Some kind of noise? Do you have wind turbines or solar farms anywhere near? They can make a noise.

 

[scats]

I’d hazard a guess that there’s some sort of noise that they can hear. One of my mares is hyper aware of stuff that most horses ignore or can’t hear.

 

[Equi]

Is there something around like a chicken farm that may be using a generator or similar? Have you asked in a local group is there anyone who puts a machine or similar on only from September? Is there a pilon near that buzzes in the wetter weather?

 

[Haniki]

Any deer around that might be rutting?

 

[Pen]

Could it be someone using a dog whistle. A pony we had we go on high alert, eyes on stalks etc if he heard a dog whistle.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

All good suggestions above. Could you try turning out with ear plugs in?

 

[Clodagh]

All good suggestions above. Could you try turning out with ear plugs in?

That’s a good idea. Or a racing hood?

 

[canteron]

Yesterday my ‘bombproof’ horse was unrideable all day - it was a beautiful calm day, but she was so unsettled and kept staring into the distance.

They had been shooting on the next door farm in the morning - but she didn’t settle when they finished, I couldn’t work it out.

The suddenly, in the beet field next door a herd of deer sprung up and bounced off - they had been sheltering from the shoot - many of the fields have been recently ploughed so they didn’t offer any cover.

So, there is always a reason which makes sense to them.

 

[poiuytrewq]

It could also of course be that Ziggy is winding Alfie up I guess.
No to wind turbines or chickens. He won’t tolorate anything on his head (Ziggy) so a racing hood is out. Ear plugs I’ve never tried. Could they be used over night?
I don’t get why the one pony never bothers, if there was something.
I know there must be a reason for his behaviour but I’ve not in years been able to pin it down.
I will get some ear plugs but I’m not at all sure what he will make of them! Got to be worth a try though

 

[teapot]

Got any military sites near you - they could well be hearing something you can't

 

[poiuytrewq]

Well yes kind of close. They are totally cool with low flying planes and at one point one started playing the American anthem at 4 pm which really confused me didn’t bother them though but maybe

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Rutting season … have you heard deer rutting it is straight out of a horror movie noise.

 

[shortstuff99]

They have been doing ground and bank works near my field which have disturbed the foxes and deer and brought them up. Made my horses be ridiculous , now having to share my top field as won't go in the bottom ones at the moment.

 

[TheOldTrout]

Are there any trees nearby? A few years ago my mare was acting strange at a particular point when coming in from the field: whinnying, trying not to go past, bucking if I tried to get her to walk on then breaking into a trot once she'd got past that point, or once she broke free from me and galloped to the far end of the field. She wasn't as bad if I took her over to the other side of the field (the side where she had the reaction had woods along one side). Then one windy winter day, a big branch came down right at the point where she'd been acting strange, and she hasn't done it since. Theory is that the branch had been loose for a while and made a different noise audible to humans but not horses.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Could be. We do have deer here. No foxes. The game keeper is pretty hot on foxes.
I dunno though, every day, every winter?
He is cool as a cucumber until a certain day then wild until spring.
I hear deer barking fairly often, he could maybe associate it with hunting or something

 

[poiuytrewq]

Are there any trees nearby? A few years ago my mare was acting strange at a particular point when coming in from the field: whinnying, trying not to go past, bucking if I tried to get her to walk on then breaking into a trot once she'd got past that point, or once she broke free from me and galloped to the far end of the field. She wasn't as bad if I took her over to the other side of the field (the side where she had the reaction had woods along one side). Then one windy winter day, a big branch came down right at the point where she'd been acting strange, and she hasn't done it since. Theory is that the branch had been loose for a while and made a different noise audible to humans but not horses.

Across two big fields yes. That’s generally the direction which ever field I’m using that he is staring. From one field he could see both little woods, but always looks in the same (different) direction depending where they are.

 

[Debsflo1]

Grass affected, look at calm healthy horses, one of the symptoms is hearing, seeing things as it can affect the nervous system

 

[Flowerofthefen]

It could also of course be that Ziggy is winding Alfie up I guess.
No to wind turbines or chickens. He won’t tolorate anything on his head (Ziggy) so a racing hood is out. Ear plugs I’ve never tried. Could they be used over night?
I don’t get why the one pony never bothers, if there was something.
I know there must be a reason for his behaviour but I’ve not in years been able to pin it down.
I will get some ear plugs but I’m not at all sure what he will make of them! Got to be worth a try though

Introduce the ear plugs slowly and you shouldn't have an issue. I've used them over night for fireworks.

 

[I'm Dun]

Id send him off somewhere for a month and see if he does it there. It could be as simple as he's winding up the new boy who is more sensitive than the pony, and I'd want to rule that out before I started doing a forensic environment search.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Id send him off somewhere for a month and see if he does it there. It could be as simple as he's winding up the new boy who is more sensitive than the pony, and I'd want to rule that out before I started doing a forensic environment search.

I did think that would be really interesting. Having just lost my "horse keeping" job, seriously bad timing having just got Alfie and taken the TB to field livery so my bills have gone up and income down- by a lot Its just not feasible now. It would have been a perfect idea.
I have decided it is probably as simple as him winding the other up. They dislike each other so maybe that's not helping. Everyone else just ignores him and lets him get on with being him

 

[Annagain]

Have the leaves fallen off the trees yet? I wonder if the leaves block out something in the summer but the lack of them in the winter means he can see / hear something beyond them? That doesn't explain Alfie doing it in a different direction though, unless he's just copying Ziggy.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Have the leaves fallen off the trees yet? I wonder if the leaves block out something in the summer but the lack of them in the winter means he can see / hear something beyond them? That doesn't explain Alfie doing it in a different direction though, unless he's just copying Ziggy.

No not yet.
Good idea though!

 

[Horseysheepy]

One of my geldings has what I call a mad November!
I can only guess it's because the hedgerows and trees have shed their leaves and he can see suddenly through into the fields beyond.
Normally it's a sheep or a pheasant or muntjac deer scuffling along behind a hedge that I assume is catching his eye!

 

[Lois Lame]

Lots will know about Ziggy the nutter and his winter personality change. Every year at round the same kind of time he becomes really unsettled in the field. Constantly staring into the distance at nothing, then dashing to the far end of the field where the cycle continues. There's lots more to it than this but its usually the first sign, currently he's fine to ride, a little on his toes going out some days but normal.
Other horses have been here, and the ponies are here, One of them in particular reacts if there is something- If the hunt is within hearing etc. He's a bit nervous but has never agreed with Ziggy that anything is wrong. When my TB was here he was always completely chilled, again unless something was actually going on but he never joined Ziggy in the random tearing round.

Alfie (new horse, very chilled and at his old home lived alone and was brought in last in winter, happy apparently to stand in the field and wait) Is joining in ... He appears to be listening to something and staring into the distance also. Not the same direction weirdly!

That's so sweet

There must be something that goes on at this time of the year. The fact that Alfie looks in the wrong direction might just mean that for him, the sound seems to come from there (or he could just be vague) (maybe he can't hear it) but my partner has amazing hearing as did his mother, whereas my hearing is not very good at all and I cannot tell the direction of a noise on many an occasion. I'll often ask my partner, 'What was that? Where did it come from?' And he'll tell me it was a possum going back to bed, which is reassuring.

 

[poiuytrewq]

That's so sweet

There must be something that goes on at this time of the year. The fact that Alfie looks in the wrong direction might just mean that for him, the sound seems to come from there (or he could just be vague) (maybe he can't hear it) but my partner has amazing hearing as did his mother, whereas my hearing is not very good at all and I cannot tell the direction of a noise on many an occasion. I'll often ask my partner, 'What was that? Where did it come from?' And he'll tell me it was a possum going back to bed, which is reassuring.

Maybe Ziggy finds possums going back to be unsettling
He was bang on this morning to be fair. Massively eyes on stalks. Then i was told the hunt was about so he wasn't lying (today...) I suspect a lot of the time its the possums in his brain!