Advice pleeeease

[charlie900]

I have 4 yr tb gelding ,had him on trial for 4 months before deciding to keep him. So I sold my mare and now just have my 2 boys at home. The problem is since she went Charlie wont be ridden out of sight of Uggy just bucks spin and gets stressy, can lead him out in hand for miles fine quite relaxed till we go home then gets a bit bargy nothing 2 bad .Tried to lead him out and ride home and he turned into a nutter. Have got nobodt to hack out with as everybody here seems to have given up for the winter and nearsest school is a good 1/4 hour hack away. Should i keep walking him out untill he gets used to leaving his buddy then try getting to the school to have lessons or turn him away for a whie and try again in spring when i can go out with others. Fed up dont want to have a horse I cant ride

 

[lucyross]

Have helped with many horses belonging to friends with same problem. Mine also went thru a nappy period as i too have only two boys that live at home with me. I wouldnt recommend turning him away as it really is ignoring the problem, i would suggest to keep trying him. Try leading in hand as you have, build his confidence to be alone and when he feels happy enuff try riding him out again. It is really a confidence thing, try hacking him out just a couple of minutes away from home at a time, then extend the lenght each time he improves. Unfortunately its on of those things that you have to keep trying with. But i promise he will get better, it just takes time and patience.

 

[charlie900]

Thanks , I just needed reassurance I think , maybe having a down day.Just slowlydoes it with this boy, just a shock to have such a baby My mare would hack out any where as soon as she was backed just an extra brave girl

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

You could try long reining him out aswell, maybe with some one by his shoulder to start.
Ive got a 4 yo with the same problem and its taken me months to get him going out alone with confidence. Even now he gets abit unsure, but thats where the rider comes in, confidence is the key! Its been a long hard journey for us, but the reward is great. You cant always rely on some one else to ride out with.
Good Luck. x

 

[BBs]

Most horses at that age go through a period of trying it on, nappy and damn right rude.

My little guy who ive had 2 months this sunday is a real sweetie, however, he started getting naughty about getting on him, then just walking to the school was an issue - but he does have a super nature and if you give him a slap he soon bucks his ideas up and gives in *thank god*
We havent yet ventured on our own yet, but i do like to ride him out in front when i go for a ride and make him go first past scary stuff.
I also take him up the track to the main road and home again to cool off.
I think, you need to either box up and take him to a school and work him or be prepaired to stick it out.
Im not one for giving the horse a damn good hiding *especially if they likely to react badly and youre on your own* but i do sit there, if a horse routes itself to a spot and wont move i will just sit there and wait for the little git to walk on when i ask.
I had a race horse which, if i gave it a smack with a whip it would react in such a way it wasnt safe

so if the little sod stopped on a hack and refused to move i would just sit there, i would then ask and if the horse walked forward i would give i t a pat, however, he would stop again probably 10 yards and we would go through the same process - it worked - the horse didnt get stressed because i was reading him the riot act with a stick and i didnt end up on the floor of a main road

Would he lead off your other horse? couldnt you ride and lead takign them both to the arena and ride one there and ride the other home?
Long reining might help, but i do feel you do need to nip this in the bud and sit it out.

Good luck

 

[SamuelWhiskers]

I too have had the same problem (see my post "an old clingey one" started keeping leading them away from each other and not taking them back until they are calm again this week and must admit, already my old one is a little calmer when the young one is lead away, so i think yes, perserverence is the key, shame there are so little hours in the day at the moment.......!!

 

[suzyseymour]

I have a 4 year old I have worked through similar issues with. We have had rearing and bucking, spinning and planting in the road, oh and she sat on a car!

But I had my other mare to go out with you obviously dont. If your horse is happy to be lead out can you get some who the horse is happy with to come and lead him with you. Then you can get on, as your heading home, still with someone on the ground to give him the confidence that you do when you are leading him. If this works and he is happy for them to lead him, gradually increase the distance between him and the handler over a rides until he doesn't need someone right with him. And let the handler go behind so that your horse takes the lead.

I have got very frustrated over the last 12 mnth that she wouldn't go out without my older mare, that her schooling didn't seem to be getting anywhere, running round tossing her head and her rearing. But over the last couple of months it is definately starting to come together. Dont worry he'll get there in his own time, just try to to rush him.

 

[charlie900]

Thank you all for your advice. Am full of new hope this time next year it will all be worth it. MERRY XMAS TO YOU ALL