Advise needed ,

[Rdcookie6008]

i have been going to my local riding school for a year now, riding a 14.2 Connemara gelding aged 20. Last month the riding school closed and I have taken him on, 5 weeks after having him, he has started spooking out on hacks, and last week started getting very bouncy on his feet like he just wanted to bolt.....it has made me really nervous to hack him out again. The other thing is he is kepted stabled as he has been known to escape......the whole of the year he was at the riding school I had totally confidence in him and now don't know what to do.... Should I keep hacking him out or not ????

 

[outinthefens88]

i have been going to my local riding school for a year now, riding a 14.2 Connemara gelding aged 20. Last month the riding school closed and I have taken him on, 5 weeks after having him, he has started spooking out on hacks, and last week started getting very bouncy on his feet like he just wanted to bolt.....it has made me really nervous to hack him out again. The other thing is he is kepted stabled as he has been known to escape......the whole of the year he was at the riding school I had totally confidence in him and now don't know what to do.... Should I keep hacking him out or not ????

1. What is his workload now with you as opposed to what he was doing before?

2. Kept stabled 24/7 do you mean?

Was the horse kept in a herd environment before and is now an only horse?

Environment has changed, has feed, etc also been changed or upped?

A little more information required I think.

 

[Rdcookie6008]

He was working 6 days a week 3-4 hours I think, he is kepted stabled all the time I'm not at the yard but when I'm mucking out and spending a whole morning or afternoon up there I will put him out for as long as I can, his field is electric but this doesn't stop him if no one is watching him, when the riding school stopped it stayed open as a diy livery, there are 8 of them there in total now , there were 13 before. So he has some familiar faces there. Environment the same just less people around, feed the same but a bit smaller

 

[Rdcookie6008]

I have been hacking him out for 1 half once a week, jumping in the school once or twice a week and 1 day off, the other 3 days another lady has him and does some school work twice a week and again gives him another day off

 

[ester]

And it's a surprise that a pony doing a quarter of the workload it is used to and not turned out is misbehaving??!?

 

[Rdcookie6008]

Do you think the more I get him out the better he will be ???? I Was never nervous with him before as he never spooked or got springy on his feet and I had hacked out lots with him...but now I'm really nervous

 

[hcm88]

Sounds like the decrease in workload and lack of turnout has made him a bit more energetic. I doubt its anything malicious or anything to be worried about, but if you're nervous maybe try hack out with someone else (either on a horse or can someone come on a bike?). The more nervous you get the more he'll feel your nerves and be more likely to worry himself and consequently misbehave, I doubt its anything to worry about but he'll sense your nerves so you need to find a way to keep calm, a hacking buddy may help! Can he be turned out with a companion or does he still jump out? Check what you are feeding him, it may still be too much for his workload or giving him too much energy.

It may have just been a one-off though, loads of things can get a horse a bit more lit up than usual and you may find he's back to his normal self next time!

 

[be positive]

When he was doing 3-4 hours work each day he would have been quiet to ride as he was tired from working so much, now he is getting so much less work he will be feeling fresh, full of energy and that will make him spooky and springy, he will, and you will, get used to the change but for now it is a shock to you both, turn him out more if you can, feed him no hard feed or just a token to keep him happy, plenty of hay to fill him up and ride him as much as you can, a free school to get rid of some excess energy may help, once the weather is warmer he will probably be quieter.

 

[Rdcookie6008]

Thank you, I can hack out with 1 or 2 others on their ponies, the first few weeks we hacked out alone he was ok, then we paired up and he got a little spooky, the next on our own and really spooky scared me quite a bit then on Saturday paired up and he was really bouncy on his feet which is a total first.
He has 1 large scoop Alfa a, 1 large sugar beet, 1 large maintenance cubes and a joint supplement plus 12 kilos of haylage per day.
The fields are next to each other with electric fencing between, each pony has their own area....

 

[Rdcookie6008]

When he was doing 3-4 hours work each day he would have been quiet to ride as he was tired from working so much, now he is getting so much less work he will be feeling fresh, full of energy and that will make him spooky and springy, he will, and you will, get used to the change but for now it is a shock to you both, turn him out more if you can, feed him no hard feed or just a token to keep him happy, plenty of hay to fill him up and ride him as much as you can, a free school to get rid of some excess energy may help, once the weather is warmer he will probably be quieter.

Thanks, I'll reduce his feed down a bit at a time and see, do you think once we get used to the change he calm down, I also have 3 children who ride him, not much they are only small but I don't want him being like this with them..

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Well, far too much food for a start. Did you weigh the haylage, can he eat it all?
Who is actually in charge of this pony, they should be aware that you are having problems and should help you out.
You sound quite young/inexperienced/even naive, are you sure that this is what you want, or was it just an opportunity that came along and you took it without thinking it through. If there are facilities I suggest you get an instructor to come out twice a week and give you a lesson until this is sorted.

 

[springtime1331]

Well I'd start by cutting all that hard food down to pretty much nothing - a single handful of Alfa (hifi lite would be better) just to carry his joint supplement in. You could also swap the haylage for hay. IMO he is having a lot of hard food. My 5 year old has a handful of hifi life and half a mug of nuts per day and she is working harder than your boy.

 

[JennBags]

H

Well I'd start by cutting all that hard food down to pretty much nothing - a single handful of Alfa (hifi lite would be better) just to carry his joint supplement in. You could also swap the haylage for hay. IMO he is having a lot of hard food. My 5 year old has a handful of hifi life and half a mug of nuts per day and she is working harder than your boy.

Yes this ^^^ Don't cut his food bit by bit, he does not need all that energy! My 17.2hh IDxTB doesn't get anywhere near that amount of food!

 

[Rdcookie6008]

Well, far too much food for a start. Did you weigh the haylage, can he eat it all?
Who is actually in charge of this pony, they should be aware that you are having problems and should help you out.
You sound quite young/inexperienced/even naive, are you sure that this is what you want, or was it just an opportunity that came along and you took it without thinking it through. If there are facilities I suggest you get an instructor to come out twice a week and give you a lesson until this is sorted.

I'm not young ,mother of 3 in my forties, but yes not very experienced. I've been riding him for a year and rode as a teenager but this is my first loaner pony, the yard has an instructor there who has been telling me what he should be eating hence the amounts I've been told and upto now it's the only advise I've had. I can hack out with her and get lessons if I want.

 

[LovesCobs]

All of the above is great advise, the more turn out he gets the better as well. I took on a riding school horse and he did have a phase of this as well, there's a great difference in the work load. He also now (reduced over time) only gets a handful of chop with a supplement.
Can you lunge him before you go out as well, increasing his exercise and taking the edge off. What he's doing is normal for your situation. All the best with him

 

[SpringArising]

He has 1 large scoop Alfa a, 1 large sugar beet, 1 large maintenance cubes and a joint supplement plus 12 kilos of haylage per day

That's a huge amount of food for any horse, let alone a native! That coupled with the fact he's now only in light work and stabled all day and night is why he's 'playing up'.


There's no reason a healthy Connie should be eating more than ad-lib hay and maybe a handful of chaff.

Is there any way you can turn him out during the day? Being in all the time isn't good for their mental or physical health, and now he's getting older he needs to keep his joints moving.

 

[ester]

maybe that is what he needed when working 3/4 hours a day, he shouldn't need it now- hay and some chaff/vit min supplement will likely suffice.
You need to either provide him with turnout or exercise him more, he doesn't have to continue with that level of work indefiniltey and will get used to doing less but will need some time out in the field to keep him moving (staying in is not good for oldies). If lack of turnout is a yard thing could you move him?

Essentially you have a fit person, still being fed their usual rations being stuck in a box most of the time, it is hardly their fault if they are then a bit lively when they get allowed out!

 

[Rdcookie6008]

That's a huge amount of food for any horse, let alone a native! That coupled with the fact he's now only in light work and stabled all day and night is why he's 'playing up'.


There's no reason a healthy Connie should be eating more than ad-lib hay and maybe a handful of chaff.

Is there any way you can turn him out during the day? Being in all the time isn't good for their mental or physical health, and now he's getting older he needs to keep his joints moving.

Thank you to all the replies, seems to be the consensus to reduce the feed and turn him out
/ exercise more, I asked the instructor today as to reducing his feed and her answer was, keep it as it is because it's winter , he's 20 years old and losses weight easy , ...... I feel like I'm stuck with him because what you have all said makes total sence to me. I did school him today and let him out whilst I was there, 3 hours but then I had to put him back in, hated doing that. ( I did reduce his feed a little hopefully no one will notice...

 

[LovesCobs]

Not all instructors are right. I have a 20 year old, he gets a handful of chop with supplement and hay. I add a little oil if he needs it mid winter.
All the best with him x

 

[Rdcookie6008]

Thank you, what you have said is what my gut feeling is telling me , hard to go against an instructor who pretty much runs the yard and has a lot more experience than me.....But I'll deal with all the issues 1 at a time.....and make sure he is back to his normal self soon...

 

[Fun Times]

This sort of situation is not uncommon with ex riding school ponies. I would give some feed companies a call and see what feed they recommend for this pony. Its all well and good the instructor saying he loses weight, but you are the one having to deal with his naughtiness. The feed companies will be able to steer you towards products which help maintaining condition without being heating. More turnout would also be better, even if you have to invest in better fencing to keep him in. Do not despair OP, you basically have the equivalent of someone who has worked full time six days a week and now has semi - retired....bound to let their hair down for a bit no?

 

[ester]

Most 20 year olds would not need much feed to do the workload you are asking. Spring isn't far away he does happen to lose weight but if you drop it and the weight falls off him you can just increase it again.

 

[Honey08]

If the instructor insists that he must stay on that feed (also more than what my 17h hunter has) then take them up on their offer of hacking out with them and having lessons. Let them see the problems you are having and let them advise you..

 

[twiggy2]

if you are only loaning him tell them you don't want him anymore as he is too much for you and you are losing confidence, go find something more suitable

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

There are a lot of things to think about here, it is easy for us to sit here and tell you what to do, but I will be honest, from what you have said, I would not have a lot of confidence in the instructor [!], also, the owner of the pony should have made sure any loaner is suited to the pony and monitor progress.
If pony loses weight there may be other reasons, like sharp teeth or infrequent worming program, but there are also other ways of maintaining weight without stuffing him full of hard feed. I think you need to tell them you are thinking of giving up the loan. He would probably settle in the right hands and with the right management, but it needs to be done fairly quickly. I feel sorry for this poor boy, working so hard and now kept inside most of the time when he should be rolling in mud, playing with his mates, and generally taking things easy.

 

[Clodagh]

You poor thing. It is horrible when they make you nervous, remember if you are nervous he will feel more so so sing to yourself or something. (I have often been caught singing to myself by footpath walkers, but it really does help.
I would put him on sugar free food, do you feed him yourself so instructor need not know? He really is on far too much. Speedi beet and hif fi lite will maintain condition without giving too much energy, but I do see you don't want to upset the instructor, what a tightrope! Hay would be better than haylage as well, but maybe one step at a time, I would address the hard food first.
Good luck, keep us informed.

 

[cazrider]

I really feel for you. That kind of change can be really frightening, and conflicting advice as well. I agree with everything everyone has said about cutting down on the feed and turning him out as much as possible. Just to let you know, I have a 15h 25 year old welsh cob, similar in type to your connie, but even older. He has as much hay as he wants, but a handful of chaff with supplements is the only feed he gets. He's well covered. Honestly, I can't see that your lad would need all that your instructor advises, with the workload he's getting. However, if she insists, you may find it better for your confidence to give up that loan and look for a different one, with a horse that suits you and your family better. Another thought, could you ask your instructor to hack him out on his own so that she can see what the issues are, and comment? However I would say that confidence is a fragile thing, and you might be as well to look elsewhere rather than perservere with a horse who's scared you, and whose looking after you have no say over.

 

[LovesCobs]

Thank you, what you have said is what my gut feeling is telling me , hard to go against an instructor who pretty much runs the yard and has a lot more experience than me.....But I'll deal with all the issues 1 at a time.....and make sure he is back to his normal self soon...

Yes I agree with you, I've been in that situation as well x

 

[Rdcookie6008]

There are a lot of things to think about here, it is easy for us to sit here and tell you what to do, but I will be honest, from what you have said, I would not have a lot of confidence in the instructor [!], also, the owner of the pony should have made sure any loaner is suited to the pony and monitor progress.
If pony loses weight there may be other reasons, like sharp teeth or infrequent worming program, but there are also other ways of maintaining weight without stuffing him full of hard feed. I think you need to tell them you are thinking of giving up the loan. He would probably settle in the right hands and with the right management, but it needs to be done fairly quickly. I feel sorry for this poor boy, working so hard and now kept inside most of the time when he should be rolling in mud, playing with his mates, and generally taking things easy.

Well after hearing some much great advise, Today I changed his feed and reduced it right down, insisted he was given a different field which has much better fencing to stop him getting out and given him a really lovely workout.....he was out from 11 till 5 and I stayed watching him.....I don't want to stop loaning him as he is so sweet natured but I'm going to make sure he gets all that he deserves....😉😀

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I hope your changes show positive results soon.