Question:
Arabian horse gone wild?
Alia
2008-09-18 16:12:32 UTC
I've been riding a horse for awhile now and she has always been somewhat of a bitc* but overall I think she's pretty cool and I love being with her. Recently she has picked up this habit where she rears and bucks trying to throw the rider off. She was always more than perfect with me but the last time I rode her, she was fine for 30 mins, then flipped. A vet has checked her, she's fine. What do you think set this off, and how to get her out of this?
Eleven answers:
Starlight 1
2008-09-19 08:20:48 UTC
Listen, pal- horses don't just start acting up like this for no reason. There is ALWAYS a reason why, and it's up to YOU to do some detective work and figure out what that reason is. It sounds to me as though this mare is either in pain ( whether in her mouth, her back, or her feet) or she has been abused in some way and this is how she is responding to that abuse. NO horse can rear and buck at the same time- these two activities require different muscles, and shifts of balance. Rearing is most likely to happen when the horse is standing still, whereas bucking is something which happens while the horse is moving. I have never seen a horse which could buck at a standstill without losing his or her balance- so I take leave to doubt that this mare is doing both of these things at one time. I think you are exaggerating on that point- either that, or you are a TROLL who is asking this to get attention. I will proceed on the assumption that the former is true instead of the latter.



Clearly, the first thing to do is get this mare thoroughly evaluated by a vet to rule out medical problems, and while you're at it, have her looked at by an equine dentist and chiropractor as well to rule out mouth and back pain. Next, have a master saddler come and check the fit of your tack ( look in the phone book and ask around for the name of a saddler in your area) to make sure that your saddle is not pinching the mare's withers or putting pressure on other parts of her spine. I wouldn't rely on your trainer or instructor to look at the saddle fit, because most trainers only rarely if ever have the knowledge to do this correctly. It may turn out that the saddle needs to be reflocked or restuffed, and a saddler can help you with this. Lastly, you need to have the mare looked at by your farrier to make sure she isn't having issues with her feet and shoes which are contributing to her behavior.

If everything checks out medically, and there are no other issues which are causing problems, the next thing to look at is the mare's environment and routine. Does she get any turnout time when she's not being ridden? What is she being fed, and how much? Is she on a diet that includes a lot of sweet feed or alfalfa hay? If the answer to that last question is yes, then you need to be aware of a few things.



There are some breeds of horses, particularly Arabians and those of Arab ancestry, which cannot be fed large amounts of sweet feed. Most commercial sweet feeds for horses contain large amounts of molasses,which in turn is a by product of the sugar refining industry and is very sweet. Arabian horses, and other breeds with Arab blood or genes in them often have trouble metabolizing the sugar, and it tends to make them "hot" and hard to ride and train. This can be compared in some ways to what happens when little kids eat too much candy or drink too much soda- they get a sugar jag and can be impossible to deal with. From your description of your mare's behavior, I have to wonder if this might be an issue with her which you need to look into and correct if necessary. There are lots of lower energy, nutritious feeds on the market which do not contain such large amounts of sugar- we feed our horses beet pulp for this reason, something you may want to try yourself. Next, about the alfalfa. What kind of hay does your mare get? If it is alfalfa, be aware that a similar situation exists with this kind of hay, just as it does with sweet feed. Alfalfa is a very rich hay, full of protein ( it has the highest protein gradient of any hay which is fed to horses, anywhere from 14 to as much as 18 percent or even higher, depending on where it is grown and baled) and too much of it can not only make horses hot and lead to behavior problems, it can also cause the animals to founder or colic. For this reason, Timothy hay or a Timothy alfalfa mix is really best for horses to eat- and in the case of your mare, that mix may need to be Timothy and grass until she settles down.



I would try altering this mare's diet and routine, and make a point of longeing her for at least 30 minutes a day, BEFORE you get on her back. She needs to have a chance to buck, play, run around, and get the fidgets out before you get on her, and longeing her is a great way to accomplish this. Make sure she gets at least some turnout time every day too- she needs a chance to relax and be a horse, just as you need mental down time to stay healthy yourself. Turning her out will keep her from getting bored in the stall and resorting to vices such as cribbing to amuse herself, and it will mean she will not be quite as fresh and frisky when you do go to ride her.



Good luck- I hope these tips help. If all else fails, and the mare is still acting up at the end of a month or so, I would consider getting some professional help for her.
ChipinCA
2008-09-18 21:13:50 UTC
Some people who think they are "really really smart' can be "really really dumb" when it comes to horses. From your post it sounds like maybe someone else has been riding her? Maybe they have gotten something started with her and now you are experiencing their troubles. What we do with horses that think they want to rear, is put them in a round pen, saddled or with a long soft rope around their belly. Tie them in an arc to one side and then let them work it out on their own. Leave them for an hour or two or more - whatever it takes for them to work it out without you in the picture. (be sure you watch them tho - in case they get in trouble) Then you aren't the bad guy. They have to learn to give to the pressure and if they resist they may go hard and rear or even throw themselves over. Better them doing that without you on them. They may have to do it more than a few times to figure out that it is not a good choice. Also tie them around both ways, many horses are good one way but not the other. If you are not comfortable doing this then I suggest you find a professional who can help you. Rearing is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous and has to be stopped before it goes any farther. Good luck
anonymous
2008-09-18 16:33:49 UTC
How long have you been riding her? Has her feed, or any supplements been changed recently? You would be surprised how some things that are good for them, can also cause them to become "out of control" all of a sudden......a.k.a. Alfalfa, Sweet Feed, Vitamins. Even worse on hot blooded horses like arabs and thoroughbreds!



If the above mentioned is not the culprit, and your vet has cleared her any illness....I would defiantly check the fit of your tack and equipment. Also, think about calling an equine chiropractor? Maybe somethings out of alignment? Perhaps it only effects her after you have ridden her for a bit?



If you can rule out all of these, and still have the problem, I would also say it is a bad habit she has picked up. One that I might ad is VERY hard to break. Depending on your experience level, you might want to consider hiring a professional to break her of this habit. You don't want to end up crushed or have something broken. An ill tempered horse can quickly sour your want to ride, or even be around them, so best to do something quickly.....especially if she has already figured out that you will get off and not ride her when she does this. It's only a matter of time before she goes the extra step and flips over on you.



Hope this helps? Good Luck. Cheers, Alex
Maid Fresh Daily
2008-09-18 16:22:10 UTC
I couldn't tell you why she is doing it w/o more info, although I am sure someone aloud her to do it once without punishment and now she going to try to get away with it everytime.

But arabians are very habitual creatures and have an uncanny memory.

Once they do something, it can become habit for them very easily, and it is very hard to break. Often times after the habit is supposedly broken, years later they might try to pull the same stunts again just to see if you remember. Alls I can say is if she does it try to stay on and work through it if you can or find another structural way to make her work harder so she learns that bucking and rearing aren't going to get her out of work.
alex
2008-09-18 23:11:43 UTC
try doing a lot of lunging with her. lunge her with the same saddle you or others ride in and start trowing some new stuff in there, iv used a balloon, sack of cans ect. tie them to the saddle. if she can adjust to things like that she may be more willing to have you on her back. she def seems to have a strong idea of what she wants. just make sure you dont let her get her way when shes acting up otherwise you'll end up with a dangerous situation. also try lunging her before you ride. let her get all her spunk and playing out before, lunging helps your horse focus and realize its time to work. hope some of this works good luck!
anonymous
2008-09-18 16:16:54 UTC
Have someone familiar with tack check the fit of the saddle. Horses generally change behavior dramatically like that because something hurts or is uncomfortable.
pole&barrelchamp
2008-09-18 18:09:51 UTC
did you have the vet check her teeth? she could need her teeth floated.. i had a horse who had the same simtoms and i just had her teeth floated and she 100% back to normal... if she does that again try takeing a crop or a leather bat to her shoulder every time. i had a different horse who did the same thing... i showed him the crop and he was a perfect angle the whole ride...
anonymous
2008-09-18 17:20:38 UTC
horses don't just turn wild something has to be bothering her. If you had a good relationship with her she would not be acting like this so I don't no what to tell you.
The Tall Cool One
2008-09-18 18:16:06 UTC
Maybe the horse needs a break from people riding on her. Just visit her and spend time grooming her and feeding her and walking her around or let her run free on her own in a field a bit.



She is acting out. She does not want people riding on her for awhile.



Give her a break, do things for her, talk to her and then in a few weeks take her for short rides.



Its an animal, not a machine.



Take up motorcycle riding to give the horse a break.







You are welcome, watch the old Mr Ed Shows, maybe your horse will talk to you, too.



Instead of asking her what's wrong you ask strange people on the internet ?



Try asking her, and really really listen to what she has to say.



Then she will tell you exactly what is wrong.



Maybe she would like to play a game of chess:



http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/mred.jpg



Or ping pong:



http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa103/freimont/mister_ed.jpg



Dance:



http://horsefame.tripod.com/1ie/ed_cdnc.jpg



or just talk:



http://www.timvp.com/mred2.jpg



" a horse is a horse of course of course and noone can talk to a horse of course unless that horse is of course the famous Mr. Ed......"



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/352528880_c62d0a18bc_o.jpg



http://www.code7r.org/inquiz/0602/images/mr_ed.jpg



I hope it works out.



; )
Simple Little Ways
2008-09-18 16:19:05 UTC
maybe something is spooking her
Mandi
2008-09-18 16:50:40 UTC
its very normal for Arabian horses my friends did the same thing


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