I am at a loss

[Frankie]

I have a little stud, and I KNOW he is trying to tell me something, but I haven't a clue.

When I go in to feed he comes at me hard. Not sure how to explain, he isn't charging, isn't aggressive, just moves to me in a quick hard manner. When he gets to me, he acts aggravated. Only pushes hard on me, does nothing else. A little stomping of the feet.

He is 5, had him his whole life, never done anything like it and this has been 6 days straight.

I swear he gets more aggitated by the day.

There has been no change here in anything. All feed the same coming from the same supplier. He is in the same section of the barn he has been in forever. I have checked temp, teeth, gums, poo, and breeding parts. All is fine.

I have searched the barn daily for maybe a little critter in his section,,, nothing.

The time I spend with him the same. The boy next to him, the same.

So, what am I missing? How can I not know?

 

[Miniv]

No mares close by? Ummm...and YOU aren't "in heat"?

We have a young (proven) stallion who is getting much more intense in his behavior now. Perhaps because it's the end of the season.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Have him call Bonnie

 

[Sixstardanes]

Are you fully healthy?

 

[Marty]

Maybe he needs a manner check and some one on one time, which is what I like to call a "friendly reminder." Sometimes I just have to single one out that is forgetting her manners and just work with that one on the basics and make sure everything is in check like it should be and do some reinforcing. Lets not forget the weather is changing and he could just be plain grumpy. We had a ton of rain these past weeks and some of mine had a real bug up their arse and an attitude and so did I! I'll tell you the weather affects me a lot and I feel it does them too. Then we got a cold snap and my darling little angels were feeling a bit too big for their britches. It happens.

 

[REO]

I don't think horses lose manners or start acting that differently all of a sudden without a reason. He sounds very frustrated about something to me. I agree that you should contact Bonnie. To find out what he wants from you and what's bothering him.

 

[ljc]

I'm sorry - I'm still very new to this Forum. Who is Bonnie? Thanks.

 

[krissy3]

I dont know either , but it sounds like she is a very good communicator.They are very helpful in these cases. I had a horse in the ICU at a hospital, my "communicator "told me he wasnt sick , just wants to be home with his friends. I got my vet to release him, the vets at the hospital were very upset and told me I was killing my horse, when we got home he played and jumped around in the pasture with his friends , and never had a medical problem after that. All the islolation and poking and tubes were making him a very sad little boy, and he wasnt getting better there , he just needed to come home and be a horse. Its true , he ran into that trailer at the hospital.

Sounds like we could all use Bonnies number

 

[candycar]

Have you checked his sight? Maybe he's having trouble seeing and this is his way of showing you. Is the barn dark, then you turn on the light? Just a thought,... that was the first thing that came to my mind.

 

[Frankie]

He did it again this morning. I have today off so will spend some time out there and see if I can't figure this out.

No mares in heat.

I plan to put him on a lead, walk his section with him and maybe he'll tell me where the problem is.

If not, Bonnie may be my answer, this guy is frustrated.

 

[Margaret]

Could he be developing a bit of food aggression?

This is the first thing that comes to my mind..

Since fall is comming on, they are burning more calories and their tummies are growling a little more.

Maybe this is his way of saying , Gosh mom, Its about time!

 

[Frankie]

Think, hope I got it!

He has a free run in part of the barn that goes out to the dry lot. The door is left open, it opens into the barn. The box for the electric is behind the door. I could tell where he either rubbed against the door or pushed it back onto the power source. Wires messed up and the sound it makes sounded more like a screaming chicken than the clicking sound it should make. Only noticed when I pulled the door forward.

I started looking when I went back out with him and he refused to go in the barn.

Not sure if the way the door was if he was getting a small buzz from the door or hindge, or just the sound kept him from going in.

Fixed the door and the wiring, some was crossed over, ground pulled some,,,and he went in with me, stayed when I took off the lead.

Hope this is it or we'll start all over again tomorrow.

Thanks for your ideas!

 

[MountainMeadows]

Frankie

Hope you have the answer, but if his weird behavior continues you might want to have a blood draw and check for EPM. I know that often the first symptoms are aggressive behavior which progressively gets worse. Obviously the sooner you catch this the sooner you can mediate and erridicate the problem. Doesn't take much to a horse to be affected. I know of one stallion whos behavior got so bad that he was gelded - didn't change the behavior at all, finally tested for EPM and low and behold that was it - after several months of treatment he turned around and was just fine, but the owner was not happy about gelding the horse - it could have been avoided.

Good luck - hope the answer is already figured out

Stacy

 

[LittleRibbie]

Carolyn, what a great detective you are!! I also commend you for taking the time to figure out what was happening to your little one to make him act the way he was....not just blowing him off as if HE were crazy. What a good Mommy you are

Heidi

 

[TaylorMarie]

No mares close by? Ummm...and YOU aren't "in heat"?
We have a young (proven) stallion who is getting much more intense in his behavior now. Perhaps because it's the end of the season.

you have made a good point that not many people know about!!! when us women hit that time of the month... stallions know it! i was at a thoroughbred farm trimming feet in the colts pasture (just happened to be that time of the month

) next thing i knew i looked up at there where 12 yearling colts crowded together having impure thoughts. thats when i realized it was time to go before they decided to act on those thoughts!!!

Taylor