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QMy Thoroughbred mare has started scowling and biting the door when her rugs are put on. Front straps seem to be the trigger. Her routine hasn’t changed and she doesn’t do it when being saddled. Is this a sign of a physical issue, or is it behavioural? Stephanie Swales, Aberdeen
Shirley says… When dealing with any changes of temperament in your horse, it is always worth ruling out any physical causes before treating it as a behaviour issue. Like ourselves, horses have different pain thresholds and personalities, so they all respond differently.
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is one of the first things I would rule out in a horse that has changed its behaviour in response to normal handling/stable management. Your vet can perform a gastroscope, whereby an endoscopic camera is used to examine the stomach and the first parts of the small intestine.
It is really important to diagnose the condition correctly instead of just treating the symptoms, as ulcers in different parts of the stomach require different treatments.
Environmental factors
If no physical cause is found for such behaviour, the next step is to look at environmental triggers. Changes to a herd or social group can have an impact, so it is worth watching the horse interact with its field mates.
This can be particularly relevant in the autumn and winter or if there has been a reduction in the available grass, as horses will naturally respond to this by becoming increasingly competitive for resources.