From CRAZY to LAZY!!

[Hiddyho1989]

So, I’m not sure if anyone has experienced this. I have a 10 yr old TB mare I’ve owned for almost 4 yrs. When I bought her she was a Hunter prospect, and on the quiet side, almost lazy, which I didn’t really like, (I like hot bloods and had the world’s greatest Anglo Arabian for 20 years). But, she seemed very willing. She quickly became a handful when not worked regularly…and wasn’t at all lazy once I got her!! We wondered if she was drugged but the owner gave me references and I called another trainer etc so I don’t think so.
Fast forward, horse varied from energetic and fun, to our last boarding place, for over a year with an Eventer trainer, she was complete NUTSO. As in spook city, jump out from underneath you, start calm then get fired up at something across the street, needed lunged before EVERY ride where she plunged around on the line like a wild mustang. The trainer never really did anything with her but lunge her all crazy then get on and trot a million times around arena. We never made any progress. I was told by other folks that the spin and spook, and hyperness has to be the grain (she got a full scoop of Strategy twice day) the trainer refused to change.
I was at the point of giving her away but we moved to self care boarding on acres of fields with miles and miles of trails. Basically my dream place. Took her off Strategy at once and put her on one scoop Triple Crown Senior daily with a ration balancer (Empower). She’s on pasture all day and brought in at pm, given her grain and two flakes grass, 1/4 Alfalfa.
Immediate difference. Like, magic. Became easy to deal with but fun, still energetic, jumping logs in woods, galloping up the trails…the horse I’ve always wanted.

Now, 6 weeks into our new home, we’ve been trail riding almost daily, going out alone and with our other mare (a highly strung Trakehner who used to be the calmer of the two). She is DRAGGING ASS LAZY!!
I mean, like riding a 32 year old Quarter Horse!! Granted it’s been muggy and hot (July in NC) but not being pushed, mostly walking, and the Trak is full of it and wants to ZOOM…I couldn’t get her to trot to save my life. Lame duck walking, even letting her friend trot ahead and leave us behind.
The riding, which would be the most fun trail riding ever, now reduced to those trail rides you pay for in resort areas (the nose to tail single file walking where you can hold the horn on the saddle if you want)…
This is my TB that was unrideable only 2 months ago…
I want the energy without the crazy, but honestly I’d almost take the crazy horse back rather than this old folks home trail horse I now have!! HELP!

[irish_horse]

My usually forward trail/endurance horse got very slow this spring. Turns out the bute he took for 2 days in February gave him terrible ulcers! Poor guy didn’t want to move with an owie stomach. (He is a sensitive beast about medicine). Once I started ulcer treatment he started feeling himself again! While I hate to be “that” person who suggests ulcers, I wonder if your horse, with all the changes finally catching up to her? It sounds like it might be a physical problem. Blood test?

It doesn’t sound like she just “has your number,” especially letting her friend run off. How is she in turnout, silly or slow? I hope you solve it! (I like energy without crazy too!)

[KiwiGirl91]

It definitely sounds like she’s feeling under the weather. It would be worth getting a vet out and running some blood work just to see if every is normal. How is she on the ground? Is she otherwise acting normally? Is she usually quite a stoic girl or more dramatic when she’s not right? The tough thing for us as owners is that they can’t talk and tell us what’s wrong! I had a horse who was acting completely normal on the ground, but was slightly deflated and sluggish under saddle. I ran some blood work and it turned out he had Neutropenia (low neutrophil count). It was incredibly low and my vet and I were both shocked at how BAR he was. Especially considering he was not normally a stoic kind of guy.

Good luck with your girl!

[candyappy]

My mare is very forward and somewhat reactive. I remember the one time we went out trail riding and she just plodded along. I remarked to my daughter how good she was and why couldn’t she always be this way.

The next day I found her standing in the shade on a cool morning instead of eating hay. Had the vet out and she and my mule had strangles and very high fevers.

My experience is a drastic personality change means there is usually something brewing. I don’t know what , but a vet evaluation is most likely in order.