Any advice for a horse that shoots off?! :(

[dope-on-a-rope:)]

Hi everyonwe, this is my first post so I'm a little excitable (!) but wondered if anyone could give me some advice please?

I bought a gorgeous 5yo skewbald ISH last November named Stan. When he first arrived he was like a little shrinking violet, but has gained confidence since then and has turned into a real in-your-face, cheeky but absolutely lovable boy. He is well mannered and easy peasy to handle, and 99% of the time a complete gem to ride - we've been out quite a few times now to different little things and was an angel. But on occasion he just shoots off, head in the air with no warning whatosever, and no valid reason either! He's lost me a couple of times already, once where I did quite hurt myself, and I have to say, it did knock my confidence a little as it was so unexpected.

He's no spookier than your average 5 year old, will look at things but no jumping away or spinning around so not entirely sure it's a fear thing or him being startled. But anyway, whatever the reason, it happens and I can accept it as his quirk as in every other way he's my dream horse!

What I was wondering was if anyone had any experience of anything similar to this, and what they did about it? Is it just a case of learning to cope with it (and learn to stay on) do you think? Any useful tips would be amazing as it does play on my mind a little and don't want to spoil our confidence together.

He passed a 5 stage in November, vet very impressed, has had his back checked, teeth done and saddle fitted so can't be a pain thing either!

any help really appreciated!

 

[Luci07]

this may well not be the right answer as there is a lot I don't know about your partnership - but this did happen to me a long time ago when I had a 5 year old near TB. He was in full work etc but learnt that he could just go sometimes when he wanted to with no rhyme or reason. I perservered but he became very unpredictable. In the end I changed instructors. Lovely dressage lady who knew what he was doing. taught me once, decreed said horse was "completely taking the piss" and stuck him in a pelham. He got an almighty shock when he tried to do it again. After lessons with her, we then reverted back to a snaffle in the school, but pelham if hacking on my own. My horse had no physical issues, just was a little too bright and worked out how to entertain himself. Did work out though - I had him from age 6 to 27!

 

[kez1001]

where/when does hes shot off and when did he start doing it? my wee horse can be a fruitcake when the weather changes/ spring grass starts coming through. something to do with a magnesium/calcium imbalance apparently. but its only happens in spring. dunno if thats any help.

 

[Cliqmo]

Is this something he has started doing recently? At 5yrs he is likely to be changing shape and so even if the saddle fitted when you bought him it might not fit now (I assume by your OP that the saddle was fitted near the time of purchase?) If this is the case I would have that checked first so you can rule out pain as the cause

 

[dope-on-a-rope:)]

Thanks so much for the replies. He actually did it when my friend was riding him when we tried him! But her scarf had gotten loose of her coat and was flapping a bit so we put it down to that! He's done it probably three or four times since, with me falling off twice as we hit a corner at warp speed! And since doing it the first time has had back, teeth, saddle checked so think it'd be a slim chance it'd be anything to do with those.

Ride him in a french link snaffle with cheeks, with a cavesson noseband and no martingale, but i'm thinking of putting one on him due to the fact he puts his head up so high when he shoots off! I've tried getting more bossy with him, as in riding him more positively/firmly and when he has given me any idea that he might do it, giving him a hoof and telling him to go on, and it seems to have worked so far, but I have to be on the constant lookout and feel a little like I'm riding round feeling a bit paranoid!

 

[scally]

He is still young, I would try desensitising him with everything you can think of, starting slowly with a rolled up plasic bag on a stick, until you can happily touch him with it unfolded and rustling, obviously on the ground and in hand. Then progress to a scrunched up bag in your hand when ridden stroking him with it, till it can be open, then onto bin bags, and eventually a small tarp as a cape, obviously after the first steps and with a handler at his head, and dont rush anything until he is 100% confident over several days minimum.

It sounds as though he is running in fear from things that flap. Also work on sit control rather than hands. In trot rise one stride sit two, so he starts to listen to your seat, use your voice to comfort him. Also dont look for trouble, if you fix on something that may set him off he will very quickly pick up on this and think that there is something to be frightened off. A good example was the other week in our school, a nervous rider on a bomb proof horse rode round 20 times one direction, changing the rein she noticed the horsewalker turning in the wind, and fixed her eyes on it, the horse then looked, and feeling the rider tense, thought there was a reason for the rider to be scared and played up, until then he hadnt paid any notice.

Good luck and persevere, it will all come right in the end.