I am in the very heart of Lyme country! A bit difficult to say when the lameness started as he was already being treated for a lameness in one front leg. It wasn’t until it switched to the other leg that we figured out why he had been so grumpy. So he had been grumpy for probably a couple of weeks or more before diagnosis. He returned to loving his grooming within a week of starting treatment.
If it is a possibility in your area, it is simple enough to get a titer.
@singletreestable my vet did a fecal blood test. It was cheaper and easier than scoping, so I am a BIG FAN of that route. :lol:
I would say go with your gut but also get some sort of testing - at least, that is what I prefer because I like to know for sure if I can. Nothing wrong with the “treat it and see” approach, though.
I will add that if he is feeling extra fiesty, he still doesn’t like to be groomed, so I do the bare minimum before we work and then I can get a lot more grooming done after he’s had a chance to work off his excess energy. Sometimes you just have to work with the horse you’ve got. 
Your description was how my mule was but he was used a lot not abused per say but just used as they say like a “rented mule”. Once he realized I had treats and sometimes just haltered him to love on him he started looking for me and loving on me, mind you it was almost a year.
Having dealt with Lyme disease in one horse, one dog, and one husband, I’d recommend you get the vet to take some blood to test for Lyme.before you spend money trying ulcer meds or adding magnesium to the horse’s diet. The Lyme test is not super expensive and it’s definitely worth doing.
Thank you all for your feedback! I have been very suspicious of ulcers as this horse was not from a heavy Lyme area, although my vet and I had discussed that as well… Thinking I might run the Lymes test and see… my vet will be out next week anyway. I’ll repoort back when I have results… Thank you! 
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I have seen two different horses in my life who hated to be groomed, touched, petted. Ugly ugly faces, one never did anything except the threatening look. The other, “Honey”, bit and kicked if you let your guard down. Both were mares, in two different Southern states. Both fat and shiny, one AQHA, one Paint.
(This is just food for thought - I’m not shooting at you specifically) Here’s the commonality and I believe the actual cause for these two individual horses: Too much grooming, feed, no riding. For some reason it made them quite ill tempered. The QH had a fearful owner who never rode. The Paint had an owner with Lupus who simply never felt up to tacking up and riding. Both owners spent hours grooming, nothing else. They were gentle. Apparently excessive grooming + feed+ no work made these 2 girls angry and ugly. A four hour session was pretty normal for both. Maybe both had pain? I just don’t know. Both were beautiful stock horses but never did anything. I know some horses who would love that lifestyle.
Hi Allons-y, thanks for the thoughts…
however this horse has been in a light training program (3-4 times a week) for most of his life. He is a ridden dressage horse and also drives. He has been ridden or long lined pretty regularly (30-45 mins a session) for the last year… 
He is quickly groomed and tacked becuase he really doesn’t seem to enjoy the grooming at all, so a quick swipe with a brush to remove dirt under his tack is about it… as an aside for anyone who’s looking for more info about his situation, he is very obedient in work and going very well as far as training goes… Just trying to make him happier about being groomed or petted.
My OTTB has never been a fan of grooming. At first it was his general poor condition, thin skin and maybe habit from the track routine. I had to start with my hand, then a soft rag, then a soft brush. I’ve never gotten past the super soft brush for his physical comfort, he just has thin, sensitive skin.
Now all these years later, I have to admit it’s also his personality. He is not a love bug and is impatient with what he deems as pointless wastes of his precious time. He likes to work, he can see a reason for that and he likes to move. He will stand and be groomed because he tries to be a good boy. But he constantly sighs, blows his nose and gives me the eye that says ‘come on, enough already!’
My 14 HH pony, the ‘Sheriff’ of my place, loves to be groomed. He just doesn’t want any of his subordinates (everyone else on the planet) to know that. I get a kick out of seeing ‘the enforcer’ school the others with his perfect flowing mane and tail artistically punctuating his glares and stomps.
The killpen Paint, isn’t sure whats what yet. I suspect he was simply turned out with mares for the past decade or so and then gelded. He is learning to be brushed and pick up hooves. He does seem to like grooming, now that he understands nothing is threatening about it.
In other words, some like it, some don’t. You are smart to rule out any physical or neuro issues first. My deceased heart horse and I could really get in to a love fest of mutual admiration with grooming. I miss him and his personality so much.
Ulcers
Lyme
Selenium or Vitamin E deficiency
EPM
allergy
PSSM
Hmm… I have a fussy gelding I refer to as being fussy or marish. He is certainly girthy and as a result is fussy about blankets being changed. He is fussy about his face too though; it’s not just his sides or belly. Fussy about being bridled, fussy about his bridle, his bit, the straps. Under saddle though, he’s golden. I’ve often wondered about there being something wrong with him, but I’ve owned him for four years, he’s always been the same, and I’ve known him for 12 years and I’ve always known him to be fussy. Now you’ve motivated me to check in with the prior owner about whether she ever tested/treated for ulcers or lyme. Hm.
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Some horse’s just never change not liking being touched groomed. Have a gelding who is like that been treated for ulcers lyme multiple times. Neither has done any good still Hates grooming/ being girthed up. Lots of ear pinning snapping teeth I just ignore him…Unless he trys to bite me then I correct him real fast. Once saddled he rides great never an issue under saddle.
Bridling is also a issue but I accommodate him. And unbuckle crown peice to put bridle over ears.
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It does seem that in this particualr case this horse hasn’t always been this grumpy about being touched (I haven’t owned him very long but previous trainers don’t remeber him being as upset about grooming as he is now). Part of which leads me to believe something physical is to blame.
This answers what I was going to ask you. Look back and see what you’ve changed i.e. diet, is he stalled more now, etc.
You are describing my gelding years ago except for the girthiness. He hated being groom especially with the horse hair brush. Massage therapist said he showed all the classic signs of a selenium deficiency. I’ve had him on E/Se Mag for years now and if I stop it for even a few days I notice a difference in him during grooming. He will twitch I think because he’s wondering why this doesn’t feel good haha. He still doesn’t care for the horse hair brush. I think it tickles him or sometimes there’s static, but he loves all the other brushes now and will actually lift a hind leg up so I can get up there with the brush. Now he LOVES being groomed.
Did you have a test done for selenium? Or did you just begin supplementing? Just curious! Thanks!
I just started supplementing him and in a couple of weeks noticed an improvement.
Mg was the key for mine. Hated grooming with any kind of stiff brush (unfortunately, also a giant pig). Was also ill-tempered about saddling (saddle was fitted to him and no back issues per vet and chiro) and blanketing. Mag ox did nothing, tried ulcer treatment with no change. Finally tried magnesium proteinate and he’s much better. He was always better about grooming in the summer months and after being ridden so I figure he had some muscle soreness.
@hopper20 - That is SO interesting as my pony is better after work as well which I thought was really odd! AND it’s not very warm here at ALL today but he seemed very happy after standing warming in the sun… Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to put together a puzzle with out the picture on the front of the box! 
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Not to sound harsh or anything, but you DO realize that overdosing Se could be VERY harmful?? It’s one element I really recommend testing for before just supplementing willy-nilly.
Glad it ‘seemed’ to work for you, but Se doesn’t get expelled when unneeded, like Mg, but instead gets stored in the body and builds up.
That said, many places in N. America are deficient in Se and so supplementation is warranted, but only under a vet’s recommendation after testing…
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Yes I DO realize this… our area is deficient in these minerals so just supplementing is not a big deal. I didn’t just decide to supplement willy-nilly. It didn’t just “seem” to work for him… it did. One serving 2mg daily for a 1200lb horse… not toxic. It may be toxic at very high levels, but it is also essential for muscle health. Muscles cannot function correctly without it.
Not to sound harsh or anything…
Update: Ran a Lymes test to see if it could explain this horse’s behavior, an extremely ‘definitive’ NEGATIVE for Lymes… wanted to rule that out before start magnesium but that is the nest step!
Thank you for all the replies, both on here and privately! They are much appreciated!
