A frequently posted question: why is my horse crazy? Does it have anything to do with what he eats? Interesting article on The Horse magazine’s website.
Here in the land if ponies, diet is frequently considered to be a contributing factor in poor behaviour in horses. There is a common tendency to overfeed them: too much energy for the amount and quality of the work they are asked to do.
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If there was something I could feed my mare that would increase energy without making her obese and founder, I absolutely would try it. So far I have not discovered it.
She gets hotter if she doesn’t get out for a few days due to weather.
Oats give my horse…I guess energy, but it manifests as spookiness. Like…spook at a blade of grass kind of silliness. No oats, no foolish spooking.
He eats alfalfa, beet pulp, timothy/orchard hay, a ration balancer, Omega Horseshine, and a smattering of supplements, and is pretty unflappable these days. I thought alfalfa used to make him “hot” but I think ulcers were the culprit. Alfalfa can help prevent ulcers, but once they’re there I guess it doesn’t do much. Treated the ulcers and the horse is back to calm and can eat alfalfa with no difference in energy levels. Steady-Eddie in pretty much all situations now…cold, wind, tractors, deer, squirrels, other horses acting foolish…he doesn’t care.
I won’t try oats again. I think they contributed to his ulcers. He just can’t do carbs like that.
I also thought Equioxx may have been a contributor, but I think they were just irritating what was already there. He’s back on Equioxx now and no change. Happy, fat, easy-going.
I do believe some horses are more sensitive than others.
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I did not read the article because I know from experience that what you feed a horse can definitely influence behavior ( unwanted) in some horses.
My gelding is prone to mouthiness as a personality trait. When fed what I consider a " high octane" feed( for him) he just gets over the top on mouthy obnoxiousness.
