Am I addressing this right? Rolling

RubysGold

RubysGold

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Ok so I backed my 4yo last summer (he'll be 5 next month) Hes been really easy and brilliant in every way.
When I first started him, he laid down in his saddle one day and I yelled at him to get up. He did.
Then we went to an inhand show last year to get him used to shows. At the end I decided just to get on and be led around the horseboxes. He rolled with me! I was so shocked I didn't get chance to do anything other then roll away while my friend grabbed him.
He was turned away for Winter and I brought him back into work in February.
As I started increasing the hacking (to an hour in walk) he laid down with me when we got back to the yard on 2 consecutive rides. Both times I yelled and smacked with my whip and up he got. It was just when he got sweaty.
So in March, I clipped him, just a trace clip. And hes not rolled since, we've done a lot of work, faster/longer hacks, schooling and started poles and no laying down. So I thought that was it, problem solved.

On Saturday I took him to our first ridden show, a le trec. He was brilliant, I was so so proud of him, but when he got warm because its a lot hillier over there, he laid down with me again!! I shouted and smacked with my whip till he stood and everyone said well done for getting him up. After, we spent the last hour with me having to tap him everytime I felt him think about it

But now Im not sure, am I approaching it the right way, it doesn't seem to have got the message through :S On the whole hes not done it much, those ^^ are ALL the times in a full years work so hes not doing it often, but I thought Id fixed it :S
 
What else are you doing to address the rolling?

Have you changed the girth, added/removed a sleeve? Have you checked the saddle fit? Have you considered getting him scoped for ulcers? Have you considered his fitness/your weight ratios?
 
Interesting one .
My first pony a Shetland rolled all the time( I was six) I got very adept at staying on yelling kicking and smacking him most of the time he would abort mission and get up the odd time he went for I stepped off and stepped back on as he got up.
Stopping your horse getting hot is a good idea and perhaps check he has no pain as discomfort in the girth area .
Does he pee when you are on him I have also known one horse who would go down when he needed to pee.
 
I'm really not that knowledgable but from what you say, if it were my horse I'd consider clipping in the summer... Unless grey with pink skin. I'd also consider sulphur tablets... Low dose but it seems like it may be linked to itchiness from sweating. The sulphur may or may not help, but it does help with itchy or sensitive skin. Make sure you wash off after every ride to keep skin as comfortable as possible
 
Casey76 said:
What else are you doing to address the rolling?

Have you changed the girth, added/removed a sleeve? Have you checked the saddle fit? Have you considered getting him scoped for ulcers? Have you considered his fitness/your weight ratios?
Click to expand...

But surely, if he's only rolling when he's sweaty, it's the sweatiness not the tack or general health which is the problem?
 
Thank you for all suggestions

I hadn't thought about his girth, I could try him in a girth sleeve though I don't want him being too warm. I could try another girth :) His saddle is ok, I have a saddle fitter out quite regularly :) I don't *think* its a pain thing I think its just when hes warm/sweaty
Hes a nice hardy cob and I weigh very little so its definitely not that

I do wonder about clipping him all summer, I just need to get him used to clippers, he was scared when I did the trace clip, but maybe that might be my best bet, especially when competing. (I wonder if the stress of competing makes him do it, but he seemed really calm at the weekend) But hes a mostly white coloured and he gets a sunburnt nose, so Im not sure if I could clip in summer?
will look into sulphur :)

Thank you :)
 
I well remember laughing as several horses started to roll with their riders on after a fairly long run out hunting - then mine buckled!

You need to be sharp with him. When you feel him going down, yell kick and whack hard!

If he gets down step off and use your whip on his backside to get him up.

He will learn that it is a no no to roll when tacked.
 
Foxhunter49 said:
You need to be sharp with him. When you feel him going down, yell kick and whack hard!

If he gets down step off and use your whip on his backside to get him up.

He will learn that it is a no no to roll when tacked.
Click to expand...

This ^^^ As soon as you feel he is going to roll give him a wallop and turn him sharply, he has got to learn that he must NEVER roll with tack on.

Clipping him will fix the problem short term but it will rear it's ugly head again if he ever gets hairy or hot.
 
I think some of them just like to roll!

At a trekking centre we used with uni, there was a cob I frequently rode and loved...but he came with a warning :rolleyes:

He loved water, and if crossing anything larger than an average puddle, he would paw and the legs would start to go... Likewise with the sandy bits of track. He only tried it a time or two with each rider, and if you kept him moving before the legs started going and told him off, it was fine. If any of the more novice riders rode him, he'd be on his knees, wait till they got clear, then roll! Little b****er:rolleyes:.

Current cob rolled in hand the other day - he never even lies down if a person is around so didn't even occur to me... Walking him off after sponging down and indulgently watched him snuffling and pawing at the grass. Before I knew it he was on his back! Know now that if he starts pawing, get the feet going before he drops!
 
Foxhunter49 said:
I well remember laughing as several horses started to roll with their riders on after a fairly long run out hunting - then mine buckled!

You need to be sharp with him. When you feel him going down, yell kick and whack hard!

If he gets down step off and use your whip on his backside to get him up.

He will learn that it is a no no to roll when tacked.
Click to expand...


I'd also consider using a dummy on him... Not something I'm normally for, but if a horse goes down to roll and won't respond to whacks and screams... Humans have to get off for safety, thus the horse learns they get off... Dummy's aren't a safety risk... They can stay on the horses back.:rolleyes:
 
Toffee was evil for rolling in water but she also knew a whip and soon she stopped. Did make me the laughing stock of PC though.

I had a cob who rolled randomly on hacks. I have to admit to getting on still using whip until he got up. If he got really hot he would still roll but he was better clipped and being washed round his girth with water and shampoo after every ride.
 
Lol lego! I suppose some of them do :)

QB: A dummy wouldn't be any use to us. He does it once in a blue moon and its so unexpected that a dummy wouldn't do anything. And he does get up pretty quick when I yell, :)
 
Lol Toffee. I know the feeling, my phone is the same!!

I don't get off him because he normally just lies down, I smack and he jumps up
 
Something like a whip-whop might help: i.e. start swinging it as soon as you feel him start to think about it. The first time you'll definitely have the shock factor in your favour, so be careful you don't suddenly go forward much faster than you were expecting :D
 
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