advice with young horse

[verient]

I got Patch mid april. He turned 4 on April 1st. I rode him 3 times at home and he was well behaved - no napping. He then went lame and had to have 3 weeks off. Then I started to lunge him and after he was going nicely I had 4 lessons on him. His bucking just got more and more and my instructor advised I went back to basics and lunged him as she said if I don't I wont have a horse I can ride. We don't think it is pain and I am pretty sure it is napping. He is fine to hack out, doesn't nap at all or buck. However when ridden loose in the school he naps to the gate and broncs if you ask him to go forewards. He is also well behaved if I ride him on the lunge. I hacked him 2 days ago and he was fine and enjoyed it. My last ridden lesson was on Sunday. What should I be doing...? My instructor has moved to Canada now so I'm going it alone!

 

[Tempi]

Get his back, teeth and saddle all checked out and then go from there - then at least you have had all the pain aspect rulled out. Once that has all been done and you are certain there is nothing wrong then I would personally do lots of hacking to get him thinking forwards as he seems to like it, do the odd lunge/long rein session in the school but no ridden work in there. He sounds like he might have become a bit stale in the school (if it turns out not to be pain related). Also lunging over poles/small fences to give him something different to do.

I would also try and find a new instructor now yours has moved, every one needs help and advice when bringing on youngsters

 

[verient]

Get his back, teeth and saddle all checked out and then go from there - then at least you have had all the pain aspect rulled out. Once that has all been done and you are certain there is nothing wrong then I would personally do lots of hacking to get him thinking forwards as he seems to like it, do the odd lunge/long rein session in the school but no ridden work in there. He sounds like he might have become a bit stale in the school (if it turns out not to be pain related). Also lunging over poles/small fences to give him something different to do.

I would also try and find a new instructor now yours has moved, every one needs help and advice when bringing on youngsters

thanks. teeth and saddle both fine. haven't checked his back. surely he'd be naughty hacking or ridden on the lunge if his back was sore? will defo get a new instructor! just lack of money at the moment!X

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I had this with a youngster that came to me. In the school she would bronk and nap like a real Diva. Out hacking, she was a sweetheart. I decided to abandon the school completely over the winter and she hacked out only and thoroughly enjoyed her adventures exploring and learning to balance herself and rider. she grew in fitness and confidence.
Took her back to schooling 4 months later in the spring, fitter, more balanced, more positive about the notion of being a working horse and more mature. She hasn't bronked or napped once since. She's forward going and enjoying the variety between schooling and hacking.

Its quite hard work for them in the school, so if its not working, try doing what he enjoys until he's ready. Keeping him forward going, relaxed and happy with a positive attitude to being ridden while hacking, will not hinder his progress as it will save time working on correcting issues that possibly could be avoided.

 

[BigRed]

You know, I had a lovely horse who was a fab hack. If I tried to school her, she would be a bugger to get in the school and hung by the gate. What she was trying to tell me was - I don't like it in the school. I was trying and failing to school her. Until I found a decent instructor to work with and then the horse decided it was OK.

Don't take this the wrong way - but maybe in the school you aren't making things clear to you horse and he doesn't enjoy the sessions, also is it a good surface or a deep slippery one ?

personally I'd be grateful such a young horse was a sweet hack and I'd leave the school work for a while.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Don't take this the wrong way - but maybe in the school you aren't making things clear to you horse and he doesn't enjoy the sessions, also is it a good surface or a deep slippery one ?

Very true. Some instructors are more intuitive with youngsters than others who have fixed ideas. Not saying your instructor was like this, but its worth being extra picky with training babies.
Also the school surface can make a big difference. One yard I was at had an awful surface that the horses couldn't get any purchase on, its easy for horses to lose confidence when trying to work out how to carry themselves.