Advice / Update

[I_A_P]

Feel a bit down at the moment

Had my 4th lesson with my new instructor again today and he was generally good but the last 2 weeks he has been so lazy and i feel like i am chasing him all the time. He does have a different attitude when he is out (ie. in the ring) to when he is warming up or in a lesson.

My instructor said its almost like he is fed up with being schooled but i have no arena so i only school in a lesson (which is max once a week really) he has been like it since i have had him and tbh with his way of going (ie. awkward and stubborn if hes not kept on top of) i feel he needs little and more often sessions!

My instructor thinks he could do with a bit more weight on (although his ribs are well covered think he looks a bit shallow through his flanks). He said he just looks really down.

Problem is when i bought him he was the saddest horse i think i have ever seen (he had only been over from ireland 5 days) and although he has got much friendlier he is a very laid back type and to be honest i don't want anything fizzy or silly! He was just saying for his breed he really shouldn't act how he does- but i do kinda wonder if it is his nature?

He said it might be a good idea to give him a good dose of wormer and to get him blood tested as well as a week or two off. When we finished me lesson my instructor pinched his skin and it did not go back very quickly, yet when i got hom and got him off the lorry he was fine.

I did say the last week however he has been barging up against the stable door and is as bright eyed as anything! He also suggested maybe i should take him hunting (Argh!!), but i might just take him out to the beach or woods and do something fun.

I just generally feel down at the moment, i don't want him too fired up but at the same time i don't want there to be something wrong with him

Any advice/ experience? Could it just be his nature or is it likely there is something wrong?

 

[BigRed]

Maybe it is a good idea to talk to your vet and have a blood test done, he could have a virus. He also might be one of those horses who does not like working in a school. My own Mare goes very well in an outdoor arena, but is dead and flat indoors, no matter what the surface is like.

Don't get down about it. Have a re-think about his feed regime maybe he isn't getting enough food on board. Call up Dodson & Horrell, they have very friendly feed advisors. Maybe he is just going through a growth spurt - is he a baby ?

 

[_jetset_]

What feed is he having at the moment???

 

[I_A_P]

He is coming up 7. Don't get me wrong he is not "unhappy" to be around and he doesn't look "poor" or have any signs of having a virus at all. he has been like it since i have had hiom which does make me wonder if it is just him.

I really feel we hit a brick wall a few months ago and although the last few weeks a couple of things have improved with my new sintructor he has said with him being like he is it makes everything 100x harder and both of us end up fed up and tired!

Its really difficult as i don't want to fire him up as he is lively enough out hacking and i have no way of exercising him other than hacking or a lesson.

 

[I_A_P]

He is having as much haylage as he wants (and its very good quality) plus hes on a big scoop of hi fi lite, half a scoop of sugerbeet pulp, and 1/2 to 3/4 of a scoop of mix (just changed it to a economy mix the last few days) two times a day. He was on slow release energy mix over the summer but have weaned him off it as he has been a bit stroppy and barging me around in the stable recently- which again is unlike him. He is actually having the same amount of feed (if not more) than he was last year and rugged the same (although he actually has more hair on this year!).

I know a lot of people feed far more mixes than me but he is only really being exercised 3-4 times a week at the moment and the majority of that is hacking where we are not doing any fast / canter work.
He is turned out for the day as well.

Also even when he is fed summer time and is on better grass and sometimes putting on a little too much weight he does still have that laid back attitude to schooling and although sometimers goes fantastically, other times he just can't be bothered to go fowards.

I have kind of lost where i am heading with him.

 

[icestationzebra]

Some horses are by nature much quieter than others and always will be. I think for piece of mind I would have him blood tested to see if there is anything lurking. There seem to be quite a few low grade viruses about at the moment and he could be feeling a little below par. If he looks a little dull, a lacks a little coat shine or condition this might point towards there being something there - but if not, a good vit/min supplement should give him a boost. Could he be feeling the cold? Is he getting plenty of fibre to keep everything ticking over? Once you have ruled out anything medical then why not take him somewhere new - the beach etc and just have some fun. The cold weather/dark days depress us all and perhaps Digby feels the same. Who know he may be awesome out hunting and you would love it too!

 

[KatB]

Goddy was exactly the same for ages.... as said above, what is he being fed? What is his weekly routine? Just wander if he has picked up a virus or something.....

 

[I_A_P]

Thanks

he is getting a lot of fibre, i know the grass is not great at the moment but unfortunatly i can't help our bad grazing

I like him being quiet and laid back as i don't want a fired up nutter but then i don't want to feel like i am constantly nagging and making him do something he doesn't want to do.

He is plenty warm enough and well rugged day and night (always check them late at night too) He only has a blanket clip this year (had a full last year) and is rugged the same, and the stables are nice and cosy. His coat is quite shiny really, its a bit dull where his clipped coat is growing back (hes quite wooly again now!).

As i say he doesn'y look "thin " or "poor" just maybe lacking a bit of extra condition and sparkle as hes a big boy?

I think he would be okay out hunting im just a bit worried about it- as it is the unknown!

 

[TableDancer]

I agree with those who say get his bloods done - it doesn't cost a lot and will tell you once and for all whether he is under the weather with a virus, anaemia or something, or not! If not, you can decide what else to play with/adjust, but if he's not feeling well you can take him on the beach/change his feed etc as much as you like and he won't feel any better - and you'll feel awful when you eventually find out what the problem is...

 

[I_A_P]

At the moment one week he gets ridden weds, thurs, sat and sunday, the other week the same but not a wednesday. One of those days is normally a lesson the other days are hacking where i try to do a good bit of trotting (we don't have anywhere to do canter work anymore) and normally try and do a bit of schooling along the road (leg yielding etc just to kee his mind occupied) One of the days at the weekend might be a competition which is usually just one round of jumping.

Goes out in the field from about 8 until 5.30 ish....have been giving them a bit of haylage in a shelter but they are not eating it really- they would rather scavenge for grass! has a feed morning and night and a good amount of haylage.

I wouldnt say there has been a sudden change in how he is- its almost like he is a bit lazier and is just been picked up on more by my new instructor and since the work is a bit harder he gets tried a bit quicker?

her has always generally been on the lazy side in the school.

 

[H-J]

Dougal went a bit like this after his last event, so he had 2 weeks off and was given extra blood salts and an extra blood liquid supplement, I then just walked him for a week and he was then fine back to normal. Maybe he is just a bit down as some do get in the winter and needs a little pick me up

 

[I_A_P]

Tabledancer- i am going to get his bloods done thats pretty much decided- i feel awful as it is.

Thing is hacking and being around him in the field / stable he is different - if he was miserable all the time then it would be completely obvious.

 

[_jetset_]

I am a great believer in only feeding for the work you are doing... it seems as though he is getting enough fibre in his diet through the haylage. The only thing that perhaps could be worth a try is changing him from the Hi-fi to something like Alfa A or Alfa Oil (especially if you are thinking a little more weight would not go amiss).

The other thing that I was thinking is does he have enough to eat through the day in the field? It may be worth giving him a lunch feed or some haylage thrown in the field if it is a bit sparce at the moment (I know ours are) as with the cold weather he might be using up all his energy to keep warm

I agree about the blood test too, better to rule it out if you are worried about it...

I had some similar issues with my IDxTB mare earlier in the year, I felt she just didn't want to do the things I was asking of her. It all came down to the fact that she was not active enough behind, was constantly dropping behind my leg and that was when she felt hard work

I worked bloody hard over the summer to make sure she was truly in front of my leg, and the difference is outstanding.

 

[I_A_P]

Thanks JetSet- i have mentioned about food in the field above...we are trying to get them onto some longer grass for a few hours each day as well but don't want them to eat it all at once.

He is behind my leg and is something we have been working on for months, we were really trying to get him going around the whole areana in a nice foward going trot and he was fine for a little while then he had a 2 mins where he decided he didn't want to go right at all....then a few minutes later we were back to doing tight looped serpentines and he was fine!

My instructor said its almost like he has been worked hard in the school and just bunged in draw reins and never ridden from the leg (which would have been before i had him) which is why he sets himself like that so much and is a bit "dead"

 

[Joss]

If he was mine, I would worm & blood test as suggested. I would then give him a month off & start again in the new year. Its amazing what a little break will do. They often come back much better. You will both have renewed vigour to attack your schooling & competing having had a break.

 

[I_A_P]

Thanks Joss i will get the tests done, i was thinking more like 2 weeks rest (unless he obviously needs more time due to what the vet says) as although a month would be good, i would prefer to keep him ticking over just hacking out as he is not really schooled/competed that much over winter anyway.

i had planned to give him a 2 week break in December anyway

 

[I_A_P]

I know it has been mentioned before but if his bloods came back and he was anaemic / off what supplements are there that are used as a "Pick me up" are they vet prescribed or can you just buy them?

 

[AutumnRose]

You can get things like Redcell which act as a pick me up, you can get that at feedshops. i think there are a few things that do similar

 

[KatB]

Propell plus. I'd be inclined to give it to him for a bit and see if it makes any difference anyway....

 

[I_A_P]

I think i will try one of those then

Shall speak to parents about vet etc!

 

[only_me]

Collovet is very good for anemic horses

and i speak from experience

lol

maybe Digbys got "S.A.D"

seasonal affliction (?) disorder... makes you all depressed!

 

[LEC]

My horse used to be hideous to school. He had definitely been schooled too much so we did lots of fun things including jumping. I also spent months getting him off the leg and being really strict even when out hacking. Even now if he is slightly lazy he will get a reminder to be off the leg with a PC kick. Two schooling whips made a huge difference. I also spent ages just doing pretend races in the school just to get him thinking forwards. My horse still thinks walk is the easiest pace but at least is semi responsive!

 

[TableDancer]

[ QUOTE ]
maybe Digbys got "S.A.D"

seasonal affliction (?) disorder... makes you all depressed!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh, I've got that!

 

[little_pink_piggies]

i know I harp on about it... but have you thought about ulcers?

Is he grumpy to girth/generally grumpy at all/plays with his tongue/picky eater/gets worse the more work you do/etc etc? x

 

[kerilli]

coming over from Ireland on the ferry can take a lot out of youngsters, someone who imports a lot of them told me it can take some of them a year to get over the total change of regime etc etc... everything is different here, obviously. Some don't come right in their coat (big indicator) and in their head for a year. (one of mine took that long, fwiw, and he was a really bright happy chap.)
Can you give him a few weeks' holiday? I think i'd do that tbh.

 

[I_A_P]

Thanks everyone you are all following my thoughts which is good

Mr instructor said today sometimes it can take them a good year to "come right" after coming over from Ireland.

I am going to give him 2 weeks off, i was planning to anyway this time of year

he is not grumpy to girth or handle really hes been a bit bargy in the stable (but think thats A. time of year and he just wants to go outside and B. Mr grandad feeding him too many mints!)

he doesn't play with his tongue or pick over his food or anything really.
Lec- Yes he had a few pony club kicks today- it is something that usually wakes him up and sends him on but these last 2 weeks he does seem a bit lazier than usual- but it could be so many things ! I was not actually carrying a whip today which does have an effect without me actually using it - so thats worth thinking about too.

I have always thought give him a year / 18months and bit more age and experience and he will be more "mature" so hopefully with time he will improve.

With regards to the SAD i think i rpobably have it too

I think i may get him tested and give him a boost of supplement and some more wormer and leave him for a couple of weeks and see what he is like...]

anyone want to take him hunting for me

see if that perks him up once he is back into work!

 

[air78]

It could just be his nature; I've got a full TB, who I thought was lovely and calm at 3.5 yrs old, now he's seven and like a donkey- zero enthusiam, really backwards thinking etc etc despite having the most fun and exciting work schedule; it's all fast hacking and jumping etc no school work (cos' it's so painfull) he perks up when out at a comp, hunting etc but only a bit.

He's had every test going and the vets are baffled

He's just very chilled and can't be arsed...... some horses are that way out

With your boy i'd expect the bargy around the stable business is just youngster testing the boundries, so be firm but fair and consistant and I'm sure he'll grow out of it

My donkey can also be a bit full of it on the ground.... especially if any mares are around

 

[seabiscuit]

The fact that he is not carrying great condition and has little energy when being ridden suggests that he is not getting enough hard feed or the right type of hard feed.

Every horse is different- some thrive on just nothing, just hay,( indeed Sam Griffiths horse went to Badminton on just one scoop of pasture nuts a day!!) while others do need a lot of feed to get them going.

I'd suggest putting him on 2 scoops of Baileys no 4 conditioning cubes per day with 2 scoops of alfa oil. It shouldnt 'blow him up' but should just make him more enjoyable to ride and make him feel more obliging about life.

I'd also get a blood test done for peace of mind..

 

[Jellicle]

I'm by no means an expert, but it sounds to me like he might have lost fitness since the summer. If he only needs to do fast work once a week, it might not be enough to keep him used to it. Is that a possibility?

 

[amandaco2]

i would check his bloods, worm him and also check his teeth and get his back done and possibly check his saddle still fits too
feeding wise-he sounds fine.if his weight is good i would change it-it sounds like he is a nice weight.
then i would try to do different things schooling and hacking-can you box him out places, maybe the beach?
or do some pole work/jumping to help keep him interested?or even do something totally different like le trec..?
try to do loads of transitions and bending/circle work to keep him active and attentive and keep sessions fairly short(30mins)
do quick walk to trot transitions on a circle, ask for 2 strides of extension and then shorten him, ride lots of different movement across the school, shoulder in on the straight and on a circle, ride him up to the bit and long and low in all paces...etc etc
maybe warm up/cool down with a short hack.