Advice on a TB who crouches and threatens to explode out hunting

[Doormouse]

I have been given a charming 11 year old chaser as a hunter. He is great at home and a real saint to be honest but when I took him to look at hounds the other day (they were just down the road) he was fine for a bit and then lost his temper about being asked to stand still.

I appreciate that horses in training never have to stand still and that it is a fairly foreign concept and I did keep him walking in small circles but suddenly he started running backwards and then crouching and I really felt the next step was probably going to be an enormous buck! Call me a coward but I retreated out of the field fast!! I then discovered that even standing still on exercise results in a certain amount of reversing but no crouching unless asked to stay in roughly the same area for more than 5 minutes.

If he does buck I am fairly confident I will probably fall off, he is very athletic and from a standing start I suspect it will be messy.

What do I do?

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Shoot it... or get a daisy rein and I'll take you out on a leadrein.

 

[L&M]

Have you got somone more confident that could take him out for you?

We have a very gutsy p2p jockey that will happily sit on anything for a few quid, and you may find the horse settles after a few times enough for you to then take over the reins.

If not I would question whether it is the right horse for you to hunt as doesn't sound like much fun......

Good luck!

 

[Doormouse]

Shoot it... or get a daisy rein and I'll take you out on a leadrein.

You're no help! I know you want me to keep the other one but I can't !!

 

[Doormouse]

Have you got somone more confident that could take him out for you?

We have a very gutsy p2p jockey that will happily sit on anything for a few quid, and you may find the horse settles after a few times enough for you to then take over the reins.

If not I would question whether it is the right horse for you to hunt as doesn't sound like much fun......

Good luck!

That was my thought and I do know someone who could take him, was just wondering if I was being a bit of a coward about the whole thing!

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Had an even better idea. Hobble him.

 

[L&M]

Your not being a coward - you are being sensible!!!

I am a firm believer in being safe out hunting - too much can go wrong even on a well behaved horse.....

A friend of mine had a rather wild youngster that reared up and very nearly went over at our first Ah last season (amongst other mis demeanours!) - the p2p jockey hunted it for a few weeks until it stopped throwing tantrums, and she then safely rode it for the entire season. Has turned out to be a very good hunter and she has not lost her confidence in it, which she may well have done if she had carried on trying herself.

 

[Goldenstar]

I am in my fifties I have a younger friend who loves starting hunters to test pilot them so that's what I would do put some esle on and get him taken three times a week if you can.

 

[JillA]

I am in my fifties I have a younger friend who loves starting hunters to test pilot them so that's what I would do put some esle on and get him taken three times a week if you can.

Second this - if you are worried he will pick up on that too. You need him to get to the point where it is all part of life's rich pattern and if anything slightly boring. If you do feel him bunching in future, turn him really really tightly so he can't launch himself - make it really tight though, (nose to your boot) anything less and he will still try but risk coming down

 

[runaway]

At 11 I would say he's not likely to alter that fast! My ex racer hated standing still so I rarely took him autumn hunting. If I did I'd often end up walking circles after a short time. He never exploded on me but think that was more him being a gentleman! He went in stages. Head shaking, teeth grinding, snorting, porting, hind leg stamping, tail swishing...by that time I'd have got him moving around. As he got into late teens he would stand with my dad's horse really well but if by himself he wouldn't.

Depends on the horse really but if I was you I'd not take him till they start moving more and then maybe let someone else take him. My Dad hunted my mums ex racer in his teens and he was a good lad but would turn round whenever the field stopped. And after a days hunting he'd be hunting at home for days after - blew his mind so mum couldn't ride him again!

 

[JillA]

Lots of horses take a while to settle to hunting. IME first day out isn't a problem - eyes on stalks and being ultra careful. The second day it is a bit Woohoo and from then on it gets more Woohoo until it is no longer a novelty and a bit "yawn". Test pilot until he gets nearer that point is a great idea, so that once the excitement has gone he will learn more about how to behave.

 

[JenHunt]

Ron threatens to explode from time to time (usually whilst waiting his turn for a fence).... the only answer is to wait him out, but be prepared to go in any given direction. If i try to push him on it makes it worse.

I have two options: be up at the front and kicking on, or right at the back waiting with someone who's horse is a saint. With him, it's the thought of being left out that does it.

in your case, where the problem is standing still.... how about taking him away from the field for 300yds and back again until they move off. If you're at the other end when they move off he gets more 'catching up' and if you're by them then it's no bother, but he's been kept occupied rather than starting an argument about standing still, or circling.

 

[marley and danni]

i have never had this problem my exracers always been a saint. he sometimes walks backwards waiting for a fence as he just loves to jump.... but my friends 2 horses doesnt stand well at the meets at all rears backing up pawing etc... she just keeps her well out the way. my other friends horse she stands him with me and he soon settles.

try with a older horse that stands well or if hes really bad just stand a little out the way

 

[Dreamer515]

My old boy was 11 when i first got him and he is an ex NH racer. i took him hunting once and we kindly got asked not to come out again until we had better control and breaks!! he didnt like to stand still and would rear if stood for longer than 5 secs. he then had a tantrum and reversed down a ditch nearly taking the hunt master with us. when he got out he decided to bolt and try to jump a river but landed in the middle and soaked everyone!! this was only 4 months after i first got him and i have to say that a year later i took him again after much schooling and he was very good boy and stood perfectly when asked and no one could believe he was the same horse.

to teach him to stand still i used to put him on a lunge rein (with myself on the floor), and whenever he moved a leg i used to shake the rein at him. after few weeks he got that he couldnt move until i asked him to, then i got on him and got someone else to do the same with the lunge, he picked it up quicker doing that and eventually when out hacking i would make every excuse to stop and chat to people or just to "sight see" the more i done the better he got and it seemed to clear up his reversing issue aswell!

 

[Dreamer515]

i forgot to say you have to be consitant with getting them to stand. dont allow him to walk off one minute and then tell him off next time. this will only confuse him and he is likely to retaliate ie. bolting/rearing. praise him when hes standing but when he moves away ignore him till he stands then praise again.