Hungry horse
QMy horse has to have a restricted diet because of Cushing’s, so she gets quite aggressive and anxious around food and the people on my yard complain that she’s like this because she’s so hungry. It’s important we keep her weight down, but is there anything we can do to improve her mood generally, particularly her tendency to box walk and kick the door around dinner time? Lara Parkers, Dunbar
ARest assured what you’re experiencing with your mare is pretty common. Feeding a restricted diet while at the same time keeping your horse calm and happy is a challenge. The good news is there’s lots you can do to help her. Door kicking is usually a learned behaviour. It’s difficult for us to ignore incessant door kicking, but by feeding something to pacify or even by shouting “Quiet!” we pay more attention to the horse and they learn quickly that kicking the door brings what they want, faster. The box walking behaviour you describe indicates that rather than being hungry, she may be feeling frustrated, anxious or excited. We know that most animals love routine. By keeping a very strict routine, however, we make a rod for our own backs. This is because some horses quickly learn to anticipate and this is when frustration or
anxiety-linked behaviour can creep in. The solutions lie in tweaking your mare’s routine so any anticipation or frustration is kept to a minimum. Increasing her time in freedom and eating forage is key.
Tips to lighten her mood around food:
Try moving her away from her stable before any food anticipation behaviour starts. Could you take her for a walk or pop her and a good friend in an arena for a bit of extra ‘horsey time’? It’s best she comes in to find her food already there. That way, you minimise any anticipatory behaviour. Horses learn fast to associate certain triggers with receiving food. This could be someone approaching with a bowl, or just the sound of the feed bin. Even other horses looking alert around ‘that time’ of the day can be enough to trigger her unwanted behaviour. A useful rule of thumb is to ignore bad behaviour (if safe to do so) and reward good. If safe to, firmly attach rubber matting or thick sponge to the inside of her door to quieten the door kicking. The padding will make it easier for everyone to ignore her and, in turn, help re-educate her not to kick, as well as prevent any concussion. Giving her an empty feed bowl if she door kicks can also help. She will stop brain linking the ‘reward’ of food with her behaviour of kicking, as you’ll be changing the consequence for her. Feeding her only once she stands still and quietly will teach her a new ‘reward’ for her good behaviour.
Naturally horses would spend at least 12 hours a day grazing, so follow these tips to increase the time she spends eating while at the same time keeping her weight down: Use small-holed hay nets, spread around the stable. Soak hay, which will reduce its nutritional content and take longer for her to eat. Avoid feed bowls and scatter feed instead. Foraging is a more natural way to eat and will avoid bolting, plus keep her stimulated for a longer time.