It was recently brought to my attention that not only has my research been listed in an update on equine nutrition and feeding behavior, but that I’m also appearing on the New Zealand radar… Check out this link http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/nutrition/groupfeeding-017.shtml

Question: I have a 7 yr old appx qrtr horse who we bought 2 years ago. She was fine the first year, a bit difficult for my daughter (12) at first but then they settled and did great. For some unknown reason she will just back up and charge across the ring for no apparent reason that we can see. Some days are good and she’s wonderful, others she just bolts like she running for her life. She has been ridden by the pro/trainer at our barn who now is too scared to ride her. We took her to a professional barn in Albany, NY where they have trained and handled horses for years and work with some of the best. They had her 2 weeks and just loved her. Very docile, good natured, great mover, beautiful jumper and then one day out of the blue in the ring after going smoothly for several times around she just spooked (no bucking or kicking) and took off like she was running for her life. The pro jumped off and refused to ride her again. the barn owner has suggested a neurological condition. I am not a horse person at all, my daughter has been riding for 7 years and this was her first horse. She had a perfect vet check through Cornell University and was born/raised at just the one barn we bought her from. She is a good and loving environment, but I can’t put my daughter on her when she is so unpredictable and adults that train and show horses for a living refuse to ride her. Any ideas? We are at a total loss and have insurance to get her taken care of, but I don’t want her being tested for everything and being taken all over for tests for this and that without trying to narrow down the problem. Have you ever experienced this? She only does this when going in a counter-clockwise direction. She has no signs of a neurological problem; weak muscles, drooping eyes, clumsy, etc. I just want to help Maggie. She is absolutely beautiful and my daughter says she is the best horse she has ever ridden. We need to find out what is bothering her or what is causing her to go crazy eyed (as one person called it). Thank you.

Question:

My grand daughter has a hunter jumper who keeps jumping over the fences while he is in the pasture. He is in a forty five acre pasture with twenty other horses who he gets along with, He has plenty of food, water etc. but all of a sudden for no reason he just jumps the fence to be on the other side, he doesn’t leave the farm but concerned now because he found the alfalfa field………………have good fences and electric fences but of course if he touches them he is already air born and doesn’t get shocked, he is a very happy contented horse…..any suggestions……….

Answer: You didn’t mention how tall your fence is, but if your granddaughter’s horse is jumping it, it is not high enough for him. Horse fences should (in general) be about 5 feet tall for average sized horses. Taller horses

Question: We have two mares on our large farm in the mountains of Puerto Rico a mother/daughter team. We think that the mom (25 yrs old) has past away. I don’t live at the farm my elderly parents do and they hear only one horse (the daughter)basically crying as they have become accustomed to their voices. My father believes in let nature take it course, but I’m heartbroken and concerned. I’ve called on a friend to verify death since my parents can’t reach location of whining. My questions are besides verifying that one has died how will this affect the remaining mare and should we think of getting her a new companion.She is the dominant and aggressive one of the two about 15 yrs old never bread nor would she allow it. What can I expect? What can you tell me? Thank you for your time.

Question: I have a problem, can a mare that is suppose to have a baby , show signs of heat a month before they are to give birth. She has milk developing, because I squeezed some out of both. She looks like she is going to have a baby but she is showing signs of a heat cycle,standing ,spreading, leaking and winking. Can this happen?

Answer: While rare, mares in late pregnancy (and in fact any stage of pregnancy) will sometimes exhibit behavioral signs of estrus (aka heat), such as winking, standing with an elevated tail, etc. Most likely this is due to your mare’s hormone levels during pregnancy, with the possibility that she is exhibiting the signs due to the developing gonads of the fetus she is carrying. Note that I said she is showing behavioral signs of heat, not actually experiencing estrus. If you are concerned that your mare has lost her foal or that there is some other complication with the pregnancy, please consult with your veterinarian.

Question: My question is I have 4 mares one which is 30 years old and the head mare. I brought in 2 geldings one being very docile. The other is very aggressive, his name is spirit. He is 12 years old and from what I understand he was gelded at 6 years old. He has not bred with the other mares but has pushed away my old mare away from the herd. My question is what exactly is he doing? Is he trying to be the dominant one? Will he ever get along with this mare or will he always keep her at bay? Any answers will be greatly appreciated.

Question: I have a gelding that started off with a bad introduction to a new mare. He chased unfortunately to the point of her breaking a leg. Since then he has chased the miniature horses and goats to the point of exhaustion and has broken the legs of a pregnant goat. He has picked the goats up by their back repeatedly and slung them. However he has had NO aggression at all toward people. I don’t understand his behavior and am lost as to what to do. We have had him for at least four years and he has never had any signs of this behavior previously. The only changes in his environment were the addition of the new horse, temporarily having a billy goat on the farm who impregnated approximately seven goats (and is now gone), and the calf we raised on a bottle has now grown into an adult male (castrated but just now becoming a bit aggressive himself). Should we get rid of the gelding? Is there hope to change his behavior?

Question: My miniature stallion will not accept new mare introduced to the herd of 12 mares. How long should I allow abuse to continue. The stallion will run this little mare away from his herd of mares. He not only chases her, he bites her face, and her tail. I realize that they he may be letting her know that he is the guy in charge, but there is injury to her face, butt, and tail to a pointof bleeding and infection.After this went on for 2 weeks, I separated the new mare from the herd, let herrun with the mares for three days, then let the stallion back into the herd. Itstarted all over again. Next, I separated her again but let two of the maresbond with her thinking that would help. Again, when she and her two mares shewas with entered back into the herd, the stallion started all over again. Hehas had other new mares introduced to him in the past (usually 2-3 at a time)and the adjustment did not take more than a few days, never with suchaggressive behavior as being displayed now. Help! It is possible that he seesthis little mare (very passive) as a threat to his herd? Should I justpermanently keep her away from this stallion?

Question: Hello, my five year old mustang mare shares a paddock with my sisters gelding quarter horse who is six. Earlier today i went outside to water the them, andthe gelding drank first and then the mare did and after she finished drinkingthe gelding stuck out his man part. The mare put her mouth in the water andstarted splashing around. I thought she was just playing around. But then shecurled up her lip. and splashed around some more. When the gelding sucked backin, she stopped. What was she doing?

Answer: The mare was most likely just playing in the water. It is common for a gelding to drop his penis partially while resting, so the behaviors are very unlikely to be related in any way.

Question: I have 4 horses in one pen and I have a problem with the 2 older ones my white Arab is mean to the other 3. She chases them and kicks them and when they are close enough, she bites.  I really don’t want her to live alone but I don’t want the others to get hurt. I wonder if it is because she was in a small pen with 11 other horses when I got her. I know she gets spooked easily on her right side because she has cataracts but she can be so mean to the point she runs them through a fence. The other one is a black Arab that was abused before I got her. She is aggressive toward people. She bites, kicks, and tries to run you down. I love her and don’t want to sell her but I have kids. Can you please help me?