applecart14
Well-Known Member
My horse who is recovering from a slight sprain of his suspensory branch (lateral) is a nightmare to ride at present. He is obviously feeling very well due to the unseasonal mild weather we have been having, as have a lot of horses and the fact that he was quite fit when he did his injury (ironically shying from something in a dressage arena). He is resigned to walking and trotting in straight lines for the next four weeks before proceeding to cantering and schooling movement and appears to find the whole thing laboriously boring. THe vet has offered a good prognosis.
Last Sunday he shied violently at something left in the verge (thank you Mr Fly Tipper) and we ended up facing the other direction although he doesn't bolt thank goodness. He got a good wallop and we managed to pass it eventually. On arrival back at the yard I jumped in the car to retrieve said item form the verge!!
Last night he shied violently twice in the school! Someone had jumped during the day and had used a filler that is hung on the menage fence and hung it back up differently to how it had been hanging, thus showing a different design to what he was used to seeing. It beggars belief. Most horses wouldn't have even noticed the filler, let alone that the design was different.
This is a horse that is happy for a combine harvester to trundle towards him down a lane, passing within a couple of feet of him and is often confronted by three abreast cyclists around a bend in the lane, without even flinching. Yet the sight of a different pattern on a filler, a dock leaf blowing in the wind or a piece of boot lining deposited on the verge will send him into near hysteria.
I am not ashamed to admit when I am scared and it rarely happens these days as I have owned him for nearly 12 years (and have not fallen off him in a shy as yet) but last night I was frightened and actually ended up in tears. I spoke to the YO and she suggested I reduce the amount of Good Doer that he is on. I have already reduced the pink powder as its a feed balancer, reduced the carrots and the apples he eats, and also reduced his pature mix and pony nuts to half a mug a feed! He appears from the front like he is fat and carrying weight but to be honest, I think this is just a gassy belly from the hay (he is not on grass and hasn't been since November) and the fact that his tummy muscles aren't brilliant due to his way of going and my lack of skills as a rider. You can also slightly see his ribs when he stands to the side. I've asked the YO to replace the barley water (run off from boiled barley) with water to wet his feeds.
I feel totally desolate, my partner is coming up tonight to support me but I feel like I have really asked him there to assist when I fall off (which I am expecting to). All this shying isn't helped by the winds we have been having lately and the fact that the sheep like to hide under the tree line next to the menage, which terrifies the life out of him.
It was spinning that did his leg in, in the first place, after spraining the branch galloping around on the lunge on a twisted shoe, although we weren't aware of this at the time. What hope have I if he continues in this trend?
Any advice??
Last Sunday he shied violently at something left in the verge (thank you Mr Fly Tipper) and we ended up facing the other direction although he doesn't bolt thank goodness. He got a good wallop and we managed to pass it eventually. On arrival back at the yard I jumped in the car to retrieve said item form the verge!!
Last night he shied violently twice in the school! Someone had jumped during the day and had used a filler that is hung on the menage fence and hung it back up differently to how it had been hanging, thus showing a different design to what he was used to seeing. It beggars belief. Most horses wouldn't have even noticed the filler, let alone that the design was different.
This is a horse that is happy for a combine harvester to trundle towards him down a lane, passing within a couple of feet of him and is often confronted by three abreast cyclists around a bend in the lane, without even flinching. Yet the sight of a different pattern on a filler, a dock leaf blowing in the wind or a piece of boot lining deposited on the verge will send him into near hysteria.
I am not ashamed to admit when I am scared and it rarely happens these days as I have owned him for nearly 12 years (and have not fallen off him in a shy as yet) but last night I was frightened and actually ended up in tears. I spoke to the YO and she suggested I reduce the amount of Good Doer that he is on. I have already reduced the pink powder as its a feed balancer, reduced the carrots and the apples he eats, and also reduced his pature mix and pony nuts to half a mug a feed! He appears from the front like he is fat and carrying weight but to be honest, I think this is just a gassy belly from the hay (he is not on grass and hasn't been since November) and the fact that his tummy muscles aren't brilliant due to his way of going and my lack of skills as a rider. You can also slightly see his ribs when he stands to the side. I've asked the YO to replace the barley water (run off from boiled barley) with water to wet his feeds.
I feel totally desolate, my partner is coming up tonight to support me but I feel like I have really asked him there to assist when I fall off (which I am expecting to). All this shying isn't helped by the winds we have been having lately and the fact that the sheep like to hide under the tree line next to the menage, which terrifies the life out of him.
It was spinning that did his leg in, in the first place, after spraining the branch galloping around on the lunge on a twisted shoe, although we weren't aware of this at the time. What hope have I if he continues in this trend?
Any advice??
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