Running and Rolling

[stellabella]

Hello,

I have a mini mare. She is 15 and she lives with 6 goats. She is very content and they all get along great. This fall she started this off behavior. If she gets excited, like with new people around, or at feeding time she starts galloping around her 2 acre pasture. then she will stop dead, throw herself on the ground and roll, jump up and run some more. I have watched her continue this for about 10 minutes until she is sweating and out of breath. Of course all the goats start running with her. And all together they put on quite a show.

Do you think she is just excited? playing?

I have never seen large horses roll in between running. especially not repetitively like she is. leaseYour thoughts?

 

[wingnut]

Mine only do it when they haven't been on the pasture for a while and I give them a treat by doing so. Today was one of those days. They do it for the first 30 minutes, off and on and then settle down. Another time they seem to get the idea to do this is when the whether cools or it gets really windy. Today that's also the case (dropped to 30's after a day of upper 50's) and the winds have been howling. The cavorting that went on in the pasture when I first let them loose was much fun to watch.

 

[bullockcorner]

Sounds like she's just having fun.

But....just to make sure - does she do this in winter too? If not, I'd sure check for bees in her pasture. Those dang ground hornets or bumblebees sure can get ME running when they pop up out of nowhere!

Just a thought.

 

[Helicopter]

Just what I was going to say. Sounds like she is having fun.

Any bot flies around? My donkeys go bonkers if they spy a bot fly. Run, roll, lie down and tuck their legs right up underneath them. Sensitive darlings.

Must be a heck of a sight with the little mare flying around , goats in hot pursuit.

 

[mini horse mania]

It could be energy...I have noticed since I switched to a richer feed....my older horses have spunk again!!! They actually run now...she may just be showing off for you...lol...

 

[stellabella]

She has only started it this winter, so there are no flys of bees this time of year. (But good thought). I haven't changed her feed. I think she is just energetic and sometimes showing her discontent. When she wants to be fed first she will run the goats off, but then get distracted and start playing.

Well happy horses are healthy horses.

 

[Riverrose28]

The cool weather will get them going with excitment and then roll once they get sweaty, another thing to consider is it might just be a habit that has developed. I have a mare that as soon as you want to do something to her or feed her, she starts to lay down and roll. She's been checked all over and Vet says she's just fine, just one of those things she does.

 

[Eagle]

I think she is just happy and has learnt to play in this way, it could be something she learnt from the goats

I have a mare that plops to the ground and rolls as soon as you feed her grain and she taught her daughter to do it too

 

[BeeBopMini]

Is she in with fainting goats? she may be just doing what they do

 

[stellabella]

haha she is not with fainting goats, but that could be really funny.

I think she is just a very opinionated and expressive little girl. At least she is getting exercise

 

[~Dan]

This may sound like a stupid question, but I figure I might learn something by asking, but could they possibly be seizures brought on from the excitement and running?

Dan.