Horse Nickers and then Rears

[jewelsnq]

8 year old mare has four times now reared up after nickering. I need help to figure out what to do about this.

1st time horse was on a loose lead and getting a massage. Horse nickered a low stallion like nicker and reared straight up. Came down and quietly stood for the rest of the massage.

2nd time horse had just finished getting a chiropractic adjustment. No real issues found during adjustment and horse stood quietly and happy for the session. When walked off after adjustment horse nickered the same low nicker and stood straight up. Handler sharply corrected the horse and horse came down and walked off quietly.

3rd and 4th time the massage therapist was on her own and horse was standing on loose lead for massage session. Horse was standing quietly and her shoulder and neck were being massaged lightly right before nickering and rearing, exactly like before. The massage therapist was massaging a different spot on shoulder each time and is certain this wasn’t a reaction to pain. Nothing startled horse and there was nothing going on in environment to cause this reaction.

I feel like this is a hormonal/pleasure response. During the winter the massage’s went fine and no issues at all, same with chiropractic adjustments. Anyone experience anything like this? Suggestions?

[WildLittleWren]

First thing I thought of was hormonal. No advice, just hope other COTHer’s have some advice to offer. Has your vet been contacted? Perhaps he or she can point you in the right direction. Good luck!

[Beck]

I had a mare that was doing exactly the same: a low nicker and up. The nicker was our warning. She generally did it at the end of a ride, more or less out-of-the-blue. It started happening more frequently until she became unrideable. Quickly ended up ataxic. Staggering and falling. We had her euthanised. The vet suggested she had a lesion on her brain.

[tinah]

Something not right about that. I would lean towards a neuro issue. I for sure wouldn’t be riding, and possibly handling the horse as little as possible until its seen by a good vet.

[fanfayre]

You say she’s 8, but you don’t say how long you’ve had her.

Could it be that previous owner/handler(s) overeacted when she nickered before, and she’s remembering a previous punishment and reacting to that (expected) punishment? In which case, you’ll have to not react until she realizes there is no punishment for nickering and relaxes.

[SecondInCommand]

It sounds like you’re saying there’s no warning or build up, and no residual behaviour? That she acts like nothing ever happened once it’s over? The way you’re describing it makes it sound like she’s not making a conscious decision, which would make me think neuro.

Has she had other body work sessions done since her first episode where she hasn’t reared? Or is she 4/4 in rearing during her last four sessions? As in, could you repeat this behaviour for the vet?

[AnotherRound]

This sounds odd. I would be leaning towards neuro. I do not believe its behaviour, and if is were hormonal, she would be acting out, around this incident, which she isn’t. Since you have the warning, you can be prepared, but I do think this is going to escalate and likely become more odd.

[Texarkana]

I have a horse who starts nickering uncontrollably, then “explodes.” Usually she’ll slap with her front legs, sometimes she’ll kick out behind, sometimes she’ll do a low rear.

I have no idea why she does it. She’s retired, plus I have already dumped bucketloads of money into this horse for other issues, so it’s pretty low on my list of concerns.

It happens without rhyme or reason. It’s more likely to happen when another horse walks up close to her (but certainly not every time), sometimes she does it when she’s alone in the field or being handled by a person.

This mare has a million other “quirks.” Lesions on her brain would not surprise me at all.

I don’t think it’s hormonal in my horse’s case only because she was a proven broodmare. She’s been barren the past few years and we’ve gone over her reproductive system with a fine-toothed comb trying to find the cause, including regular bloodwork, which has all been within normal limits. My understanding is that she still had all her behavioral quirks when she was regularly producing foals. But who knows…

[Color_of_Light]

My vote is neuro, hormonal, or neuro-hormonal.

[Color_of_Light]

@Texarkana

I don’t think it’s hormonal in my horse’s case only because she was a proven broodmare. She’s been barren the past few years and we’ve gone over her reproductive system with a fine-toothed comb trying to find the cause, including regular bloodwork, which has all been within normal limits. My understanding is that she still had all her behavioral quirks when she was regularly producing foals. But who knows…

Proven broodmares can have hormonal problems, just like women who’ve had children can have hormonal problems. Hormonal problems other than direct repro hormones can effect fertility. If she’s been unable to ever get pregnant again, maybe something was slowly changing in her body all along and the quirks were the early signs?

[Texarkana]

@Color of Light

Proven broodmares can have hormonal problems, just like women who’ve had children can have hormonal problems. Hormonal problems other than direct repro hormones can effect fertility. If she’s been unable to ever get pregnant again, maybe something was slowly changing in her body all along and the quirks were the early signs?

I don’t doubt it. She had a catastrophic injury at 19 years of age, recovered, but lost that season. I tried for one more pregnancy after that but had no luck in 3 years, despite her being reproductively sound in every measurable way. We also investigated cushings, thyroid, etc. At this point, she’s 24 and has earned her retirement. She’s still weird.