Serious attitude change... : /

Maybe she has an ulcer? I've been reading about them after my equine chiro said my guy likely has one. They can have weird symptoms like attitude changes and crabby / nastiness for no obvious reason.

I don't know but that must be frustrating and even a little scary! To have a horse you trust so completely do those things must shake your confidence when you deal with her. Unpredictable is rough!

I hope you find out what is going on and find a solution for it quickly! It sounds like something is certainly off with her and she'll probably feel much better once you can find and fix it!

Its worth treating for Lymes since it is relatively cheap and causes a personality change. Also look for lameenss or stiffness when she moves. If she hurt that may explain why she took you off on the trail.

You could also look for stomach ulcers. Since you just changed her diet this may be what you're looking for. I'd be pissy if I felt sick all day.

Also - the son hasn't been messing with her has he? If she gets mad at him specifically that may be a factor to consider.

I really doubt it's Lyme or an ulcer... she just doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. I've been riding her regularly since all this started, and she hasn't done one other thing to make me suspect she's in pain other than taking off. Also, we don't really have ticks here. I've never even seen one (here). And her tack hasn't changed at all.

Her stall is actually less breezy than it was before (the ceiling fan keeps it cooler, but it isn't blowing directly at her like it was with the box fan. The stall next to her is empty.

She hasn't reacted with anyone else as strongly as she did with my BO'S son, but she does pin her ears at me as well as anyone else who walks by her stall. But like I said, as soon as you open her door she's as sweet as can be.

My BO's son hasn't even been around the barn the past two weeks, so I'm sure it's not him personally that she took offense to.

I'll respond to the next two posts in another reply, because I can only see one page at once on my phone.
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Okay, it turns out I pretty much covered everything else in my last reply.

I'm out at the barn right now and everything seems fine so far.

My BO and I are going to try to change some things one at a time to see if we can figure out the cause. I'll keep you guys posted.
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I think it's boredom...
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But why would she be bored? She spends most of the day outside, and the time she spends in her stall is broken up between riding, grooming, eating, etc. She also has toys in her stall that she frequently plays with.



Anyway, I figured out why she reared last night. I just noticed a nasty puncture wound next to her bridle path right where her halter goes. It definitely wasn't there when I was out yesterday, so it must have been brand new when the incident happened.

That makes me feel better... at least now it's just a general grumpiness and not full-out aggression.
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Okay, scratch that... The halter wasn't even on her when she flipped out.
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Was she moved away from a close buddy? Sorry I can't really help, and I hope that you figure it out soon!

No, she wasn't... : /

Thanks though!
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Okay, I changed my mind. I'm going to have her scoped, tested for lyme disease, and I'm going to have some general bloodwork done to see if anything looks out of the ordinary. I have an appointment set for next Wednesday, the 1st.

I'd hate to waste time changing around different environmental factors just to find out it's a potentially serious or time-sensitive medical problem.