Spring in East Sussex is usually a time of poetic beauty. The yellow gorse is blooming across the hills, the birds are singing their little hearts out, and the endless muddy season is finally coming to an end. But for those of us with four-legged best friends, spring also brings a certain pizzazz.
If your normally horizontal cob has suddenly decided he is a Grand Prix dressage stallion, or if your quiet pony is currently impersonating a kite, do not panic. You aren't losing your mind, and your horse hasn't forgotten everything you have ever taught them. They have just got a case of the "Spring Spicies."
Life is usually quite predictable in the winter. It is dark, it is wet, and we are all just trying to stay upright in the gateway. But there are moments in March and April where everything shifts. One day you are hacking out on a dependable steed, and the next you are sitting on a 500kg fire-breathing dragon who is deeply convinced that a rogue daffodil is out for blood.
My own chestnut mare, Patsy, has been doing her absolute best impression of a Pegasus lately. This is saying something, because she is a well-known neurotic chestnut mare about 90% of the time anyway. Her green light to lose her head is usually just a leaf blowing past in the wind. How dare it! In spring though, she is even more spicy than usual. It is like someone has turned her internal drama dial up to "theatre kid" and snapped it clean off.
It is a seasonal phenomenon often called "Spring Fever," and while it can be a bit hair-raising, there is some actual science behind why our horses turn into high-octane confetti this time of year.
The Sugar High: Lush Grass and Fructans
Let us be honest: not everyone loves the sight of that first bright green flush of grass. If you have a pony who is prone to laminitis, that lush green glow-up is actually mildly terrifying. It is like nature has just wheeled out a dessert buffet you definitely didn't ask for.
That beautiful green carpet is essentially a field of Skittles for horses. Spring grass is packed with simple sugars and fructans. Because the plants are working overtime to grow after the winter frost, they store all that energy at the base of the stem. When our horses graze on this rich, lush growth, it leads to a literal sugar high. This rapid intake of sugar causes fermentation in the hindgut, which can lead to fizzy, anxious, and downright explosive behaviour.
It is exactly like giving a toddler three espresso shots and a bag of Haribo. It is never going to end in a quiet nap.
The Light Factor: Hormones and Holidays
It is not just the grass. The increase in daylight hours actually triggers physiological changes in the horse's brain. As the days stretch out, their internal rhythms shift, affecting melatonin and other hormones. This significantly increases their alertness and energy levels. They feel more awake, more reactive, and much more tuned into their surroundings.
Let us not forget our mares! As the light levels rise, many mares begin their oestrus cycles again after the winter shut down. Patsy is currently in her romance era. She is far more interested in flirting with the gelding three fields over than listening to my leg aids. It is hormonal, it is natural, and it is honestly a lot to deal with on a Tuesday morning.
The Energy Surplus: The Warmth Factor
During the winter, horses burn a huge amount of calories just to maintain their body temperature. They use that energy to keep their internal furnaces stoked against the biting wind and rain. As the weather warms up, they suddenly have a massive surplus of energy.
Instead of burning those calories to stay warm, they decide to spend them on a series of dramatic airs-above-the-ground in the arena. That surplus energy has to go somewhere. Unfortunately for us, it is often released through playful, high-spirited behaviour like bucking, spinning, or the classic spooky-run-sideways manoeuvre.
The Magnesium Mystery
One of the less-talked-about reasons for the Spring Spicies is a temporary mineral imbalance. Fast-growing spring grass is often incredibly high in potassium, which can interfere with how a horse absorbs magnesium.
Magnesium is the calming mineral. It helps with muscle relaxation and keeps the nervous system steady. When magnesium levels dip, horses can become anxious, nervous, and incredibly spooky. If your horse is jumping at shadows they have seen a thousand times before, it might just be their internal chemistry reacting to the rapid grass growth.
Surviving the Season: Management Strategies
So, how do I handle my spicy friends without losing my nerve? Here are a few tricks I use to keep things sane at Ponies & Pups.
- Night Grazing. Sugar levels in grass are often lowest late at night and in the early hours of the morning. Switching to night turnout can help reduce the sugar spike.
- The Grazing Muzzle. It is the diet plate of the horse world. It allows them to stay out with their friends and move around without hoovering up quite so much of the green stuff.
- Consistent Exercise. Even if it is just a brisk walk on long reins, keeping them moving helps burn off that surplus energy before it turns into a vertical explosion.
- Magnesium Supplementation. Chat with your vet or nutritionist about adding a little extra magnesium to their feed during the peak growth weeks to help keep their brain in chill mode.
The Groundwork Glow-Up
I will admit that when my horse is feeling fresh, my first instinct is to think about just getting in the saddle and riding it out. This is brave, but it is also occasionally how you end up practising interpretive dance on the way down.
Groundwork is the sneaky little cheat code here. Not in a "make them tired" way, because honestly, if your horse is properly spicy, they will just get fitter and sassier. It is in a "let's get your brain back in the room with me" way. It gives you a calm, consistent place to practise the boring-but-magical stuff. Leading politely, yielding shoulders and hindquarters, softening to pressure, and standing still while you adjust something. So when spring tries to scramble their neurons, you have a shared language to fall back on.
My absolute go-to spice-to-nice setup starts with my handcrafted All Weather 6mm Rope Halter. I love making these in Primrose Bloom (a gorgeous blend of lilac and pastel yellow) for that perfect spring vibe. Because it is completely metal-free, there are no clanking clips or rattling rings to distract an already hyped-up horse. Every subtle cue travels directly through the rope, giving you instant pressure and release.
I pair this with my 15ft All Weather Groundwork Rope in classic Black Moor. The 15ft length gives you enough distance to send your horse out on a circle and work through transitions safely, while the waterproof BioThane popper at the tail end gives you a smooth, weighted extension for guiding without needing a separate whip. Five or ten minutes of calm, consistent groundwork before you hop on can turn the whole day around. It is like giving your horse a mental download first.
Introducing Your "Spicy Insurance"
I actually had a proper heart-in-mouth moment a while back riding my Mum's usually totally bombproof, kick-along cob, Bluebell, along the river bank. A pheasant decided that was the perfect moment to do its best impression of a surface-to-air missile. I realized too late that I had forgotten my neck strap! How I didn't end up taking an unscheduled swim in the river was definitely more luck than judgment. It just goes to show that even the steadiest of steeds can have a spicy moment when the spring vibes are high!
That is exactly why I created my BioThane Adjustable Neck Straps. I like to call them my "Spicy Insurance". Handcrafted right here in my East Sussex workshop, these neck straps are the ultimate safety tool for riders of all levels. Whether you are a jump rider needing a bit of security or a happy hacker who wants a grab handle for those spring-induced spooks, these are an absolute game-changer.
I make them from 19mm wide genuine BioThane, so they are tough as nails, completely waterproof, and stink-proof. Unlike traditional leather which absorbs sweat and stiffens in the rain, these wipe clean in seconds. You can literally hurl them in a bucket of soapy water after a sweaty hack and they will look brand new.
Because I don't believe safety gear has to be boring, I offer these neck straps in all 21 of my vibrant colours. You can go for the ultimate neon safety look with Foxy Fire or Electric Green, or keep it classic with Chocolate Gold. I have two fully adjustable sizes to choose from: Pony/Cob (87cm to 120cm) and Cob/Full (120cm to 153cm). They buckle securely without fuss, so you can just grab it when you need confidence over a fence or security on a spooky ride.
As the grass keeps growing and the temperatures keep rising, embrace the spiciness! It is just your horse's way of saying they are happy, healthy, and ready for a summer of adventures. Just maybe make sure you have your spicy insurance neck strap adjusted and ready, just in case.
Life with animals is chaotic and messy; but with a little bit of colour and a lot of love, it is also the most beautiful journey in the world.