QUESTION:

My mare is grumpy with the leg aids and also when I tighten the girth, what can I do to make her happier?

ANSWER:

Mares can struggle with their oestrus cycles and to ease this you can give Munkpeppar - chasteberry. It's a natural herb that has been used for hundreds of years to address hormonal imbalances. Since the ovaries are located just behind where the saddle, this could explain why your mare gets irritated when the girth is tightened.

It's important to note that chasteberry has a 48-hour withdrawal period for competitions in Sweden.

Grumpiness can also have other causes, such as gastric ulcers and imbalances in the digestive system. For optimal utilisation of feed, it is very important that the gut flora is balanced and able to extract all the essential nutrients from the feed.

To support the system, you can use Fiberplex which contains several beneficial ingredients such as the fibre concentrate PV70, fermented yeast culture, methionine, B vitamins, and lecithin. Fiberplex is also available without yeast, Fiberplex Sensitive, for those horses that are sensitive to yeast or dislike its taste.