behaviour problems - grass too rich????

[perkypinky]

i am seriously hoping someone can give me some help/advise please. As some of you who are following my diary thread will have sussed.... something seems to be 'happening' to D. He isnt the easiest pony in the world at the best of times ill admit, but since leaving him out 24/7 since saturday he has become like a teenager on drugs!!!:eek: The spooking is absolutly ridiculous. This morning i thought i would try a 'bonding' walk round the block in hand. He jumped and spooked so many times! And when i put him back in the stable he bit me!:o:mad:
the grazing is quite good so i have made the decision today to bring him in at nights, as before, because this behaviour has started since saturday. Do any of you clever bods think that it could be too much grass (i was under the illusion that it would make him calmer being out 24/7) Do you think the grass is still 'spring grass' and still has too much sugar? He only has a handful of hi fi lite to get his calmer into him - it had been halved up until today - due to only having one feed in the morning when he is bought in, but i doubled it up again this morning.
I am beginning to lose any confidence i had began to build up so im desperate!!!!:o

[chickyd444]

i think it could well be the grass and i would be inclinded to stable D during the day as the sugar levels (fructose) drops right down at night, ive been finding jasper brill when i get down in the evening really chilled after being in for the day :) hope it all works out Pinks :)

[*Sez*]

I'd also suggest in during the day and out at night. Sal is feeling a little bit full of himself at the moment, which I think is because the grass is so lush and his weight and condition haven't been this good in years.

Other than that, is there anything you can do to really work some energy off him, such as lungeing or long-reining?

[Yann]

Definitely sounds like grass to me. Fast growing grass is not only high in sugars but also often low in magnesium, which would account for the spookiness and reactivity :)

[perkypinky]

[QUOTE Other than that, is there anything you can do to really work some energy off him, such as lungeing or long-reining?[/QUOTE]

i lunged him yesterday after i tried to ride him into the school and due to his spooking i had to get off. we both enjoyed it, and i will do it again but its my riding confidence that i worry about.

[posie]

i'd say it's the grass - the horses at the yard are all being mental at the mo - esp with this strong wind that seems to be hanging around - gets up their tails!
i'd do what the others suggest - in during day out at night...
how about loose schooling him rather than lunge initially - if i think i'm going to have control issues i loose school first and allow them to have a buck and fart and play - then ask them to listen to me and lunge - helps a bit i think as they get initial burst of energy out of way. x

[twinkle11]

totally agree with yann if you want to keep him out then maybe think about feeding him a magnesium supplement or maybe a calmer with it in like naf magic or equine america magnitude.

or if he is a bit complicated anyway might just need to be supplemented with it anyway as he is lacking a bit of mag in his diet because of the grass :)

[perkypinky]

thankyou all so much for the replies - it has actually put my mind at rest hearing that you all agree it is the grass - i thought as it was june the spring grass would have 'gone'!!!:o im learningall the time!#

i tried D on naff magic a while ago and im afraid it made him worse - i have now had him on wendalls special calmer (with valerian) and its proved to be a god send.

i would like to put himout at night but im afraid it doesnt fit in with my 'other' life!!LOL the only reason i was prepared to put up with having him out 24/7 was because i thought it was nicer for him and also it saved on bedding/feed/diesal ect. so was worth the disruption.

xxxx

[BabyBear]

Ditto the suggestions that it's the grass.

Try to get him off it during the day as this may help or muzzle him to reduce his intake. I'm feeding magox just now to reduce the risk of lami but I think this also works as a calmer?

The grass seems to be having the opposite affect on my horse - he now constantly looks sedated:rolleyes:

[perkypinky]

[QUOTE=The grass seems to be having the opposite affect on my horse - he now constantly looks sedated:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Lucky you!!!:) thats the effect i was hoping for.................:o:mad::rolleyes:

[jaydevon]

the grass is still sprouting. how about giving him a good lunge before trying to ride?

and remember to give yrself a kick up the bum, when he acts like a muppet tell him to get on... get cross, that seems to work well for you both...

[kturner]

I have just spent 3 weeks investigating calmers and a lot are magnesium which does calm them because of the lack of it in the grass like Yann said. That is why it works.

I have just finished first bottle of Equimins Tranquility and it only worked one day when he went on richer grass, filled himself up and it was hot, so that was probably not the calmer.

I have decided on which to use next (with valerian). Have to order it next week.

Naf Magic is a calmer, so dont add magnesium as well as it is already in there. Mine gets quieter on good grass and hungry and nippy and refuses to leave the hay in the stable if he is in the 25% grass paddock.

Unfortunately because of lami, he gets muzzled or is not allowed on long without it. So he is permnantly uptight, unless stuffed full and very hot. Cant ride in this wind either, dont even bother trying.

[Joyscarer]

I was going to suggest the magnessium as well just as Yann suggested.

I get mine off a lady on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magnesium-Oxide-Mag-Ox-Heavy-450g-Laminitis-Calmer_W0QQitemZ330231140636QQihZ014QQcategoryZ90862QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem) although just to be different Joy isn't on it when the grass comes in because she only wants grass :rolleyes:

I don't go for any of the branded calmer, just plain old magnessium oxide (heavy)

[kturner]

joyscarer - does it work just as well. the brand ones tell you it has to be mixed with things for absorbtion. I was going to go for one with valerian, probably hilton herbs.

I will finish the equimins tranquility this week, and after a month it hasnt worked. I emaild about 8 companies and had discussions, and am not able to make a choice now, but at least I know a lot more about them. Still dont know which one is going to work though and at 20 - 30 per try it could add up. I thought magnesium ones such as NAF Magic and So Kalm only worked if they have a deficiency?

[Joyscarer]

Well that's the big question.

I have never used a branded calmer so I can't make the comparison between them but I do think plain old mag is worth a try.

Added to that when I started Joy on the Mag in January I was just coming out of a confidence crisis and had upped her work rate and started to fall in love with riding again.

Was it my increased confidence that made the difference or was it the mag? Others noticed too so there was a diffence but why?

I did think it was the mag because there were changes in behaviour when I wasn't riding too and I have always been confident on the ground.

I'll never know what made the difference or whether it was the mag or whether it was me

[kturner]

Joyscarer - I suppose the only way you could tell would be to stop it and find out.

I did that with the TopSpec Antilam because I didnt know if it was working and it is expensive to keep giving if it was not. Within 3 weeks the farrier came and said there was blood in his hooves again, so I found out for sure that it was working. He has not been a day since without it. lol

SoKalm are sending me a syringe of magnesium stuff, to try, and if that works then I will get a magnesium one instead of herbs with valarian.

Will arrive and try it sometime this week. Will let yo know. Thanks for the info.

[Joyscarer]

Joyscarer - I suppose the only way you could tell would be to stop it and find out.




Well she's off it now because she won't eat anything except nice green grass :rolleyes:

Back then I would notice if she went without for a couple of days. Mind you, who's to say if that was down to my lack of confidence or due to a real lack of magnessium.

I don't find her challenging now but so many things apart from my confidence have changed so I couldn't say if back then it was down to the placebo effect.

Others noticed it too back then but now she isn't hectic enough to need it. Maybe we have both matured?

Tbh I don't want what little edge is left to be rounded off as it is what gives her personality. That reads badly if this is due to a dietry deficiencey but I don;t know what esle to say :o