Advice with rose-tinted owner, cc please! *rubbish day warning*

ZoeCharlotte

ZoeCharlotte

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**Discalimer, long post!**

I've been loaning a pony for 4 weeks now, and it's all been a bit of a shambles. He's very unfit as his last loaner stopped the contract in october of 2008, and he has been exercised probably three times since august this year. Therefore, he is extremely unfit and I assumed he would be wired for the first fortnight. So, after leaving a month to get to know him, and having ridden him for about a fortnight before I started the loan, he was back used to his work. However, he is currently 15 years old, so re-education is not really an option for me, and while I was trialling him he was basically a schoolmaster!
I had a friend over today who competes her grade A jumpers regularly, and has been doing for very many years! He refused every jump we put infront of him today, all of which were about 2ft, 2ft 3 and bolted with me about three times. Eventually, after he had worked up quite a sweat, it started to rain quite lightly. By this time, he was going quite well over a 2ft 6 course, so I popped the 3ft gate, which he did after refusing from both directions. At this point his owner comes into the field to feed the horse over the way. He refuses the jump and she immedietly scorns me, telling me he should never be in that state ever again. After this 30 minutes or so, I walked him in hand and sponged him down thoroughly.
Am I right in thinking that she, this horse being her baby and only seeing the last part of our session, jumped to the horrible conclusion that I was torturing her horse? I know he is very capable of a 3ft course, jumping about 3ft 9 with his last loaner. She then proceeded to ask me to scrub out the water trough, which was utterly filthy. Poo picking is in my agreement, clearly stated, but after a scan it says that all other jobs will be done by staff. When I calmly told her that he bolted and was very excited, she muttered that 'he doesn't bolt'.
My friend recommended that he be put in a half gag or half cheek, as he is very strong. He's been ridden by her and by another friend who has been working at this yard for about 5 years. But another person, also working there, said he was a delight to ride in about January. I'm terrified that if I tell the owner that he needs a stronger bit that she will take him back, convinced that he is being treated unfairly. I've decided to ride him mostly flatwork to build up his fitness for another month or so, with occasional hacking and jumping, working hard on the boring stuff. Hopefully he will come back to being calm and collected with the bit he is in, but I'm not convinced. Lots of the girls there say he is lovely, but strong and hyper all the time. I'm so confused! Everyone seems to love him, because he's a great allrounder, but because of the state he is in now, he's behaving badly. I was, however, let in to the fact that it took his previous owner 8 months to get him calm. I didn't sign up for this!
I've had a fairly awful day because of this, so please point me in the right direction! He is much fitter now than he was, and jumps a 4 jump course of about 2ft 3 twice easily in the school with about an hour long session. I'm both confused and angry, PLEASE be honest with your opinion!
 
To be fair 9 months of work, then in first month of work jumping 3ft seems a bit much to me, he obviously wasn't fit enough to handle it or he wouldn't have sweated up to such a huge degree to get owner annoyed. Yes asking you to do water trough may have been out of anger but I have to say I'd be a bit angry if my horse had been pushed too far.
 
I have to say that an hour's jumping session sounds like quite a lot for an elderly horse that has only been back in work a month after best part of a year off.

I would also, personally, take the view that if he tanked off with me three times and refused repeatedly at 2'3 jumps, he was probably telling me something about how confident he felt regarding jumping. It sounds as if he was feeling rather overfaced so continuing to jump him (and putting the fences up higher and higher) doesn't sound very fair to him.

I'm sure he is capable of jumping but perhaps after such a long break, he would be better starting small again and building up over shorter sessions to jumping bigger tracks. If I was the owner and came in to see my horse refusing a 3' fence lathered with sweat, I would be concerned as well. I hate to see horse's repeatedly refusing cos it teaches them nothing except how to stop
.
Your post comes across as you saying what the horse 'SHOULD' be able to do, or has achieved with others in the past. I think maybe you need to take a step back and treat the horse as more of an unknown and let him tell you a little more about what he feels comfortable doing. This doesn't mean fluffy bunny hug him and let him get away with murder, but maybe lower your expectations and let him regain his jumping confidence slowly.

Why not ask the girl who rode him in January to have a sit on him as she claims she found him 'perfect'. She might have a different style that suits him. I personally would avoid bitting him up for now as I think this will further upset the owner. A month is hardly any time to get to know a horse, give yourself a chance before you resort to stronger bits etc.

JMHO
 
Having loaned out an elderly horse, I don't think I'd have been that happy either. Did she ever discuss work load? After that period of time off and his age he should take quite a few weeks to come back into work. If you think of a week walk hack poss 2, then at least a week trot hack, then perhaps a week adding canter before you even go in the school and start gentle schooling. I think he's probably not fit enough and if you've been riding him/schooling him he may well be not feeling that great and that is why he was stopping.

I would say he's been pushed too hard too soon. Sorry.
 
Hi,
From an owners perspective I can understand her being upset, though I can understand you being upset too.
I would have thought he best place to go with this would have been to restart some schooling and fitness gradually, also to establish trust and most importantly obedience.
Its hard to change a pony of this age, but it is easy to sour an unfit pony quickly by overworking him.
I would do some lunging ask for help if you need it, and try and talk to the owner about what you are doing and trying to acheive(always best to keep them on your side)
Sounds like you got frustrated believing pony could and should jump.
It always looks better on another day, give it time.
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i have loaned my Exracer out and he is very unfit and his loaner is wanting him for jumping but he hasn't even seen a jump yet spending first few months on flat work and competeing in dressage trying to fitten him up
 
I can see I've made an awful jump in assuming his confidence, thankyou for this. I'll be doing lots of flatwork both in the menage and in the field without jumping, so he doesn't associate the two. He just confuses me, as he's very happy on the lunge doing short sessions with little jumps and in the menage but not in the field. Thanks, I'll fitten him up, as you're all right, taking a step back and looking at it from a different perspective really has put me in my place. I'll fitten him up before I consider doing jumping like that again. Thanks for the honesty, it worked it's magic.
 
Hi,

Just wanted to say, best of luck with him and keep us updated. I'm sure you guys are in for loads of fun together.

Owning a horse is about overcoming the setbacks and learning all the time. He sounds like a nice pony, HAVE FUN!!!!!
 
Im glad to be of help. Horses are above all-creatures of habit. Hence it is useful for them to have routine. Your pony has not had a routine in a while and it would be best for you to establish one in a nice, kind way. Take it slowly, gain his trust and he will repay this by always trying hard and trusting you. Its important to get it right as often as possible, yet all of us make mistakes. Dont worry, just be kinder for him next time you see him.
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Do you know if he's had his teeth checked - could account for him bolting. If the owner is right in saying he doesn't bolt it maybe he's got a sore mouth and trying to avoid the bit.
 
I find with my youngster that if we have a setback jumping and he loses his confidence he will tend to try and bolt, normally when he does this i put the fence down so he settles again, then build it up to the original height and once he's done it nicely leave it at that. If you make jumping easy for him he will see it as fun instead of something scary, believe me I know how frustrating it is, my yuongster will go from jumping 1M spreads from a trot to refusing a 2ft cross pole on a bad day!
 
Also just to say please don't assume you can't improve a 15 year old. Frank is 16 and learning new things all the time, we have just started half pass (which he can only do one way atm he is insistant that his body doesn't bend the other way)!
grin.gif
 
To be honest, I would have been upset too.. horses can become very ill and get lot's of things wrong with them when they are suddenly put under a lot of stress, especially when it's an older horse..

I think you were quite unfair on the horse..


Just my opinion.. *hides*
 
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