Timothy/alfalfa pellets...

[barnbum]

I added them to the diet recently just to give my horses some variety--started maybe 6 weeks ago. They only get 2-3 of my palm full twice a day--not much. Less than 1/4 lb each time.

So yesterday I took Mazie out and she was wired. I lunged her a bit and she settled fine. Today I took Gypsy--headed for our 2 mile walk, and she was so spooky and nervous and pulling on me--I cut the walk short. Nothing settled her. Then I took Rosie out and she bucked more than she walked. What the heck?! I noticed Rosie has been flinching at things around the barn that she never used to flinch at before.

So--do you think the pellets are the root of this?

 

[disneyhorse]

No.

Also, cutting the horses' workout short is not to their benefit... I would have lunged them until they were tired and then took them on another walk to reinforce good behavior.

Andrea

 

[barnbum]

Huh. Okay.

Yesterday I did keep with Mazie until all was well--and that is always my plan, but I have a sore heel and just needed for the walk to be easy. The round pen is not lunge worthy right now so the only place is the driveway--and I didn't see that going well. Rosie isn't well trained to lunge yet--espcially in the open rather than in a fence. So my options were limited. Gypsy acted like this only one other time--and Rosie too. It was in spring when they hadn't been worked for weeks. Since we haven't really had a winter, I've worked horses more than any other winter--although not consistently due to wind/cold. They are out on dry lots--big ones--from 6:00 AM until 5-7 PM so have lots of room to run.

They love going for walks. They wait at the ready to get a halter on, so bringing them back early is a punishment in their eyes. lol

I'll head out later to see if there's any change in one of them. If the ground isn't muddy I could lunge Gypsy at least.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Barnmother]

Could it be weather related? Do you have a storm coming in? Are you in an area that could be frequented by "wild" animals.

Where we live usually that behaviour occurs when there is a scent in the wind of a predatory animal or (worse yet) a skunk! They tend to get animated and puffed up to appear twice their own size and not an easy mark for a mountain lion or wolf. A weather change with an incoming storm seems to have a similar effect on them.

Before everyone gets too excited, we have fenced the such contigencies and there are plenty of game animals (deer, elk, etc.) around to be prey but the horses can still smell "that" scent on the wind.

 

[barnbum]

Could it be weather related? Do you have a storm coming in? Are you in an area that could be frequented by "wild" animals.

Where we live usually that behaviour occurs when there is a scent in the wind of a predatory animal or (worse yet) a skunk! They tend to get animated and puffed up to appear twice their own size and not an easy mark for a mountain lion or wolf. A weather change with an incoming storm seems to have a similar effect on them.

Before everyone gets too excited, we have fenced the such contigencies and there are plenty of game animals (deer, elk, etc.) around to be prey but the horses can still smell "that" scent on the wind.

The weather is calm and there's no storms in sight. It's like the winter that wasn't. Gypsy kept putting her muzzle on my jacket--and I checked to see if there was something in it, but, besides a lot of chaff, there wasn't. It's just a puzzle for me--so out of the ordinary for them. Gypsy even spooked big time at a car--and she never does that. Rosie was snorting like she was scared. Gypsy kept wanting to turn to look behind her--even on the way back. I didn't feel they were misbehaving--something was up. As for wild animals--there's nothing I could see or smell--but maybe.

 

[mydaddysjag]

I have a high strung colt that I feed straight alfalfa cubes to (soaked of course) but honestly, dont see any difference with him on alfalfa vs. timothy. He's getting a LOT more than your guys too, about two pounds of alfalfa cubes a day, along with 3.5lbs of grain. I dont think a handful of the pellets would be enough to do anything, even if they were straight alfalfa.

 

[Reble]

Hi, are you talking about Mares, could be their hormones, and yes so nice spring weather around here.

Just feeling good, but sometimes alfalfa has more protein so could be helping the situation out, giving them more energy..

 

[barnbum]

Thanks, Reble. It's early Feb so I wasn't thinking hormones.

Gypsy seemed like she just felt unsafe outside the pasture--and it wasn't a herd bound thing. When I put her back in she took off and stared out towards the back of the pasture. I never saw anything.

Shrug. I'm glad it's not the pellets, but I wish there was something to remove so my calm horses would be back easily.

 

[barnbum]

Gypsy went for a nice lunge and was much better. She did let out a lot of buck and even did a cute little rear, but she kept the line slack. She was much more settled on her walk--animated--but way better than earlier.

 

[kaykay]

Its not the feed. It is definitely that time of year for mares to cycle strongly. Their cycles adjust according to hours of daylight and the days are getting longer again. Mine are all out there teasing black like crazy right now. Since you don't have a stallion on the property its probably harder to tell when they cycle.