My Horse Has Been So Skittish Lately,,?

Question

She spooked at nearly everything on the way to pony club the other day.. A clicking fence, a towel and she stopped and started walking backwards onto the road?!

She also bolted on me a few days ago..

I'm feeding her oaten hay..

Why is she acting like this??

Answer 1

Could she be in season?  Some mares are super sensitive at that time

Tina

Answer 2

How old is your horse? Has she been taken by all of this stuff before? Was she ever "sacked out" as a colt. Has she been taken into unusual circumstances lately? These are all questions that you need to answer before figuring out how to resolve the issue.

Often a horse that suddenly become spooky at stuff that they have never spooked at before has some underlying issues. She may have gotten hurt when turned out, something may have spooked her in her pen and now she is unsure if it will happen again.

The best thing I can think of to help stop this behaviour is to sac her out again. Get a bright plastic bag and tie it to the end of a long stick or something similar. Slowly start going up to her with it in a round pen or similar type setting. Rustle the bag, put it under her, over her, touch her with it and gradually start getting more bold with it. Soon she should start learning that there is nothing to spook at and her confidence will go back up. Also take her to the objects that are spooking her in the first place, walk her up to them, let her see and smell them from different angles as horses have different views of objects depending on the angle they see them from.

Answer 3

How old is she and how long have you owned her?  She may be having a season. My mares become horrible for about 3 days around the time of their seasons.  They become much more highly strung and skittery.  Even leading them in and out from the stable they'll be dancing about and snorting stupidly at absolutely everything. If the silliness stops after about 5 or 6 days and she reverts to her usual self, I'd say it will be associated with her seasons. If this is the case, you'll notice a pattern of her becoming more skittery for a few days, about every three weeks, during the summer.

If she's an older mare who you've owned for a year or more, and she's not shown this behaviour pattern before around her season time, it may be worth your vet taking a look at her. She could be developing cysts or something. Many things can affect a mare's hormones and make them react far more violently during their normal seasons.  There are many things that can be done to help.

Other things which may be causing her behaviour: Have you changed anything lately?  Her feed, the field she grazes in, the horses she lives with, the amount of exercise she gets?  Have people been hunting in your area and shooting guns off nearby?  All these things can cause a horse to become unsettled and skittish. Maybe there is something going on in her neighborhood that she can hear but you cannot. I know when we've had people logging deep in the woods near our stables the horses become very uptight. We can't even hear the machinery noises in the background, but they can!  

Another thing which can cause a horse to be more lively is getting it fit! When a horse is unfit it tends to be quieter to ride but once it starts to get fit and feel well in itself, it does not tire as easily so can become more of a handful to ride out.

Not sure what could be causing your mare to react the way she is at the moment as there are numerous things that could be the cause of it.

Is it possible for you to ride out with someone on another horse for a while?  If your mare bolted with you and is starting to become nappy and shying a lot when you take her out, both of you will benefit from the company of another horse to 'take the lead'. You do not want her behavious to become a habit and get any worse right now.  Another horse would be good; Just to reassure your mare and get her going along happily again. Sounds as if she's feeling a bit insecure and nervous of being out on her own at the moment.

Best of luck :-)