I wonder if it's the spring grass? Or the Fast Fibre?

ladywiththebaby

ladywiththebaby

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Mar 6, 2007
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That's the cause of Tangos sudden spookiness? I'll take him down to the point that he was objecting to so wildly yesterday, on Tuesday with his friend (who had no problems there) so will see what he thinks to it with company. BUT tonight he showed more twittishness!

He had been in a field with some grass in (not a huge amount as its not growing in abundance where I am yet and is not a huge field anyway) all day and night. It is the field right next to the winter field that he's been in all winter. Tonight, went to feed and thought I'd take him off the grass overnight and bring him back into the winter field. Put his food down in the winter field about 4 metres from the gate I'd be letting him in through. Opened the gate, in he walked to his food, put his head down and suddenly went "WTF?!?!?!?!". Head in the air, eyes on stalks, jumped on the spot, starts trotting away and circling back. Looking into the next door neighbours field. Nothing there. Went back to eating. Then did exactly the same thing! He repeated this about 3 more times and I swear he very nearly abandoned his food he was so worried / suspicious about something. But his stomach couldn't quite follow through with that one! :giggle:

Bear in mind that this is the exact same view as he would have had whilst being in the next field for the previous 24 hours - he'd only moved about 4 metres! The next door field is a totally empty field in it. It used to have sheep in it about 6 months ago but they've long gone. The only slightly different thing is that there was a water trough that was upside down. They've been harrowing over there today so maybe moved it - but again, he would have been watching them do it all day! :furious:

Oh and yesterday after I'd given him a bath, I took him into a summer field and he cantered off and even managed a small buck! I have never seen him do either of those things in the field before!
 
Fast fibre is just fibre and vitamins. Nothing in it at all. I have fed this just to give the cob something else to do. It is what i call a barrow filler, as in goes in, comes out fills the wheelbarrow!
All horses spook sometimes even with the same view. You won't see it but he thought he did.
I upset the herd by walking past them. They haven't seen a horse down this track before no one uses it. I could see a lot of tips of ears in my direction. When we graze inhand , we must look odd to them.
Horses don't have the same association we do. A horse can watch another jump a fence but still decide they are scared of it.

You are maybe reading more into things now than before.
 
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You sure it's not foggy where you are?:giggle: Wouldnt have thought that the Fast Fibre would have anything in it but it could poss be a touch of spring grass or maybe just because its warmer and he's happy?
 
I`d say spring grass too, as i`ve been feeding Fast fibre for a long while and had no bother, after all, that`s all it is .. fibre, and that doesn`t make them mental.

It`s could just be spring grass .... it`s really coming green here
 
I think it's the spring grass at the moment!

Finn has been a total spooky idiot the last few weeks, glad it's not just him! He is usually such a good boy and now even jumping blocks that he has seen everyday for god no's how long are now making him leap out of his skin grrr!

He had also been really bolshy in the field which is unlike him too, he keeps going for his herd members even the herd leader keeps getting chased and bitten by him :eek:
 
Good to know it shouldn't be the Fast Fibre - that's one less thing to worry about! And Vicki, I'm glad it's not just Tango! Does Finn do this every year?! Does it just kind of go away once the spring flush is over?! I'd like my half asleep boy back now please! :tongue:
 
You'll get him back I'm sure... for what it's worth Oscar can be so laid back he's practically asleep and then for no good reason just gets his silly head on and something worries him for a few seconds and then it's like nothing happened and he's back to being half asleep again, I can never see any pattern to it it just happens once in a blue moon and seems really out of character, but Im kind of used to it now.
 
Absolutely, it's Silly Season for my mare at this time of year. Every year, end of March / beginning of April time, normally sensible cob gets all giddy and silly. :redcarded: Give it a few days, and you'll have your usual Tango back...

Oh, and BTW, do not underestimate the ability of a horse to watch something being moved, and still spook at it.....:bounce:
 
Can I just say that Fast Fibre sends Arnie bananas! It has unmollassed sugar beet in it and he cant seem to take it in any form.

I know its supposed to just be a filler but it drives him off his head :(
 
As skippys mum says it had unmol beet in and this does adversely affect some though sure he was on some form of beet before? Speedibeet is often reported to send them nuts.

We are having spring grass problems - wouldn't catch tonight, bucking and mini rears unde saddle... General rude pants!
 
Yep. I'd go with spring grass too. Rosie has been stupidly spooky for no apparent reason, including Spooking at things that she's seen before loads of times.

Hacked out today and she spooked at a walker, a person. He was sitting down, how dare he! We had the whole up periscope, snorts and some lovely completely unasked for lateral moves.:redcarded:

I wouldn't care but they are on the winter "field". There is no grass! I hand graze her around the perimeter of the farm and also when we hack around there. About an hours worth of grass a day! But that grass sure is green and tasty at the mo.

Now it's our second spring together, I do recall this very same behaviour from last year.
 
I would go with spring grass too - harvey has had his feed rations cut as he a bit strong minded and silly at the moment in a fun loving it's spring sort of way!
 
popularfurball said:
As skippys mum says it had unmol beet in and this does adversely affect some though sure he was on some form of beet before? Speedibeet is often reported to send them nuts.

We are having spring grass problems - wouldn't catch tonight, bucking and mini rears unde saddle... General rude pants!
Click to expand...

Yes - he's been on unmollassed sugarbeet (the one you soak for hours) for several months now without being a problem so more than likely isn't the Fast Fibre. Phew! Naughty Silver though!

And what a lot of silly ponies we've got between us all then it seems!!! Laura, how funny that you've got spring grass fever, without the grass! :giggle:

Let's hope they all get back to normal very soon!!
 
Sounds like spring grass to me, those tiny green shoots have had several horses I know pinging around the last ten days or so.
 
i'd go with spring grass too,

After a bout of green sloppy poos!!! i've been turning mine out in the morn then putting him back in his grass free area at lunch time with hay. he's not been spooking thankfully but is being really forward going on his hacks which is not like him at all i worry that hes going to tank off back home with me :unsure: he just seems to have endless amounts of energy at the moment.

I feel a bit mean only letting him out to grass for a few hours especially when he looks at me with his big brown eyes:wub: but i soon change my mind when im on bored riding down the road with my confidence slipping away!! x
 
Fast Fibre didn't really suit Tobes either so he hasn't been on it for four or five months ......... but yesterday a pheasant scared him which caused him to whip across the road, then another flew up in front of him which caused him to whip right around and take off, cue me nearly coming off, have a bruised and swollen hand and then he proceeded to treat everything with a huge amount of suspicion.

I would say spring grass - although there is hardly any of it yet, it seems to be coming through - grr!!!
 
I'm pleased to read all these opinions about spring grass. I rode Ben tonight in the field and he spooked at the jumps (we were not jumping, just riding past them). He was snorty and really hard to get to concentrate. I took him in the school after that and he was like a racehorse - well that is an exaggeration but he was certainly more forward going than normal. He kept calling to his friends and had loads of energy. He is in a field with LOADS of grass. It is bright green and he can't get enough of it! Hopefully this phase won't last too long.
 
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