Advice please re young horse

[majors]

Please bear with me i need some advice from those of you experienced with young horses. I have a 7 year old 15.1hh gelding good in all ways, but more like a five year old to ride, i have had him six months, he just did a bit of group hacking before that and before that was broken to ride and drive. I have been hacking on his own recently and he is fine untill we get close to home then he becomes like rubber ball, jogs and trys to pull the reins out of my hands. Today I had to wait for a car very close to home he pulled the reins out of my hands and bucked a bit. He is a lovely boy its just excitment but I dont know how to proceed. Thanks for reading

 

[Slightly Foxed]

He's just pulling you when you get near too home? Turn him around and take him back. Keep doing this until he's calm... Probably easier said than done , I know, if you're on a busy road!

 

[AmyMay]

Repetition, repetition, repetition. He'll soon get better.

 

[majors]

Thank you i hadn't though to try that, I will try that next, I am a bit of a wimp after my last horse

 

[AdorableAlice]

I had a welsh D that did that in his young days, all I did was simply hack straight past the yard gates and do another hack. He settled and it didn't take long.

It's just another form of nappiness.

 

[soulfull]

He's just pulling you when you get near too home? Turn him around and take him back. Keep doing this until he's calm... Probably easier said than done , I know, if you're on a busy road!

echo this

 

[majors]

Thank you all great advice I wil try it all

 

[madhoss]

Just my opinion but I always keep in the front of my mind that my horse must wait for me. Make sure when you lead him he will stop when you stop- immediately- he shouldn't be taking a step past you or walking in front on you. Then in the school practise halting lots and waiting til you're ready to move off- keep it all very calm but insist he waits for you. Then translate this to out hacking. Ask him to halt and wait regularly- for however long you want. Also, learn how to 'block' so he can't pull the reins through you hands- tricky to explain- hope someone else can- but strengthen your core and don't pull back, block instead.

He must wait for you- you have the intelligence to keep you both safe- I.e stopping for cars, he doesn't!

 

[Irishbabygirl]

OP, have you got my horse's twin?! Although mine starts to jog halfway round then usually settles again. If he's not by the time we get home I'll walk straight past the gate and do another loop to always leave it on a quiet, relaxed note.
Mine has had all the usual checks done. It's high jinks and lack of exercise/schooling with him during winter as he's fine during the summer when I can ride daily.
What's your routine with him?

 

[majors]

Thank you all, I took him out today just walked lots of halting and he was chilled all the time, i was going to take him round again if he played up. We dont have a school so everything done on hacks or inhand.

He was bought just to hack and keep mum company on her horse, my dad is now very ill so i am riding them both.

It is so helpful to hear about others with similar issues

 

[AengusOg]

Repetition, repetition, repetition.

Of what???

 

[AmyMay]

Of what???

Hacking out. Do it every day until it just becomes routine.

 

[AengusOg]

It sounds as if the problems the OP is encountering are already in danger of becoming routine.

OP, some of the advice already given is sound. I would only add that you need to be careful not to hang onto your horse's mouth in an effort to stop him from rushing home. This will only encourage him to pull and resist your attempts to control him, and he will likely get stronger and more difficult.

Lots of halt and stand transitions, especially when he is calm and compliant, should help establish correct habitual behaviour which you can capitalise on when coming home. Your horse needs to understand that he will have nothing to resist and fight against, yet he must yield to your rein and seat aids.

If you take up the rein, you must give it back as well. When your horse responds to the 'blocking' from the rein, as someone else alluded to, you must release the hold so that he has nothing to resist. He must be brought to realise that you will block him with the rein, but you will release him as he responds correctly to the aid. That way he will learn that if he comes home in a controlled manner he will be gain relief from the blocking hands.

Introduce him to half halts in his ridden work as well.