Advice needed - young horse going backwards

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Loopypony

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Hey all, need some advice on what to do really. (the title may be misleading, meant backwards as in in his training not physically!).

My horse is now almost 5 (1st Dec). I have owned him since his 1st birthday and have known him since he was born, I broke him in and backed him myself and am even the only one who has ever sat on him! We have a very strong bond and I have perhaps been very stupid in being quite leniant with him. I have however, in the past year or so started to get tougher with his discipline (and manners!) as he takes the p*ss.

He's been broken in since 3. But we've taken things very slowly, we've gone at his pace and if he wasn't ready for something then we took a step back and waited until he was ready. He will now walk, trot, canter and pop a small fence (when i'm not shot into orbit!!).

However, the past few months he has turned into the horse from hell. On the ground he is still like a little puppy (which is good as he is 17hh and quite chunky!), but when ridden, it's like something clicks in his brain and he's a nightmare. He will be fine one minute and the next he will spin, rear, bronc, everything until I am on the floor. The only way I can contain him now is to keep him constantly round, as soon as I allow the rein he's off! This really isn't the way I want to be training him at all, that and the fact it's not good for him.
He has had all of the checks done since this started, he does have a wolf tooth but the dentist said it was no excuse for his behaviour as it shouldn't really be causing a problem. His saddle fits, back is good, physio said all okay, and vet checked over thoroughly and again, no problems. I'm having regular lessons with a trusted instructor but we can't seem to find a cause for the behaviour.

I am getting to the end of my tether. I'm fed up of ending up on the floor!! I don't know where to go from here if i'm honest. I'm worried that if it isn't sorted soon then his behaviour will escalate and get dangerous.

So, any advice on where to go from here?! :(
 
He is a big and as yet physically immature young horse has he been turned away and had a break since starting or has he been in work since 3.
I would think he could be bored does he have a variety of work, hacking or going to competitions, I realise that as he is difficult this may not yet be possible, but he may need stimulating more.
Can your instructor ride him to assess how he goes this would be useful as they often think more with a different rider, how is he on the lunge does he work well and is he able to be loosened up in this way before you get on.
Options as I see it a] turn away and let him mature, possibly coming back worse rather than better.
b] get someone else to work him , with you there and see if they can get him going for you, it is not admitting defeat just taking advantage of a professional that will have less a emotional view of him and may be able to get you both back on track.
c] push your boundaries with him, at 5 he could do more than walk trot canter and a small jump, do some grids they dont have to be big but can be challenging mentally, loads of pole work, he should be able to have a longer rein over them as he will need to think as he is working over them.
I am not sure if any of this will be useful but it gives you a few things to try.
If you keep working with him dont worry about pushing him at times, it can be just what they need and give an easy day after so you are not pushing too far or too often.
Have something to aim for with him, getting out and about to a clinic or similar would be a good start.
 
Don't worry. It's quite normal for a horse to have a difficult phase at about this time - even if they've been a dream up until this point. I guess it's the human equivalent of being a teenager! However, it doesn't mean it's easy to deal with. Make sure you remain consistent, stay calm and relaxed but maintain the boundaries that he is expected to stay within. It's really important at this stage that they know the rules and this never changes. He's challenging your authority, seeing who's strongest - just as he would with another of his peers, so it's up to you to re-establish yourself as the 'better' horse.

Good luck!
 
I would say that he is bored with doing the same old things, get some work into him as in getting him out on some decent long rides where he has to work consistently - most of it at the trot and plenty of cantering.

The answer to most problems when a horse is taking the p*ss is to make it WORK!
 
I find the hardest thing is starting from scratch I can cope with anything as a reschooling project but the with the ones I started from scratch I am just too cautious I want it too be perfect I never want them to have a bad experience I think it comes from doing so many nutty recholling project when I was young.
becUse of this I always sent the home breeds away to a schooling yard a regular intervals up until they are 6 this works for me I push it withbthe trianing to get them to the level I want them be at when they go it gives me some targets.
Suggest you consider a period away for him if you can afford ,it would be best if it was somewhere were you could go and have some sessions with him . It's probally just teenage tantrums Nd he's ready to more Good Luck !!! Let Ur know how you get on and don't get down about it.
 
be positive said:
He is a big and as yet physically immature young horse has he been turned away and had a break since starting or has he been in work since 3.
I would think he could be bored does he have a variety of work, hacking or going to competitions, I realise that as he is difficult this may not yet be possible, but he may need stimulating more.
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He had last winter off then came back into work around April/May time. He's done a little of everything and in all honesty we aren't in the school a lot of the time. He hacks out at least twice a week, goes to rc rallies, we were competing in walk trot tests before this started and he also gets taken out in the fields for a bit of a school. We are a bit limited in what we can do however as the sod has taken a dislike to out lorry (spotting a theme here?! He just says no! :o ).

I have to be careful with the hacking now though as he has started to dump me on hacks which, obviously, is not ideal! He loves a hack round the village and very rarely bothers doing anything but plodding when we go round...this is why I know he's definately taking the p*ss.

I'm looking at sending him away for a couple of weeks to see if someone else can try and sort the dumping issue. I can deal with anything else he throws at me but when he wants me on the floor he will do it without a second thought. BUT, I don't want to 'give' the issue to someone else so i'm a little unsure.
 
It sounds like a good plan to send him to a yard for a while, dont worry about giving the problem to someone else, thats their job. Make sure that while he is away you go and have some lessons on him so that you keep on top of him ready for when he comes home.
They may be able to sort out the loading also.
 
Poor you. Its not a nice time when they are going through this phase. My husband's 17h hunter started this phase at six and was hard work - because he is such a big strong thing. TBH he was better with my more novice husband than myself and our groom, because he didn't push him to work as much (horse can be a lazy male given the option) and also because my husband was physically stronger to pull him together if he needed to. The answer with him was to really push him and give him more work to do. Don't worry about him "doing too much" or that he is in an outline - he is needing the work by the sound of it. He will settle down and won't need to be in an outline after a bit, but at the moment he does for your safety..

I agree with most of what has been written. He's hit his teenage years and is testing your authority (and realising that its not that good, to be frank). I'm the same re taking things slowly with a youngster, but he cannot learn that he can get you off/stop work with this bad behaviour.

I think that sending him to someone to school for a couple of weeks would be a good thing. Ideally someone who would work with you both afterwards, and someone that you could have lessons with for a few months perhaps too..
 
My 4 year old started doing exactly the same thing, i have been doing the same having lessons sent him off for some more schooling from the trainer who broke him in and we seem to have had a break through, he kept bolting with me or he would just bronc until he had me on the floor and eventually he just frightened himself by doing it and would be really tense. I think they all have a thase like this at some point unfortunatly
Hope you get to the bottom of your problems too!
 
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