Anyone elses horse had a change in character recently?

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Ginn

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Donkey has turned into a complete cowbag this last week - totally out of character for her! Anyone elses changed?

I'm guessing that the reasons behind this are:

1) Boredem - before I went on holiday she had been hacking out for a month and was really enjoying it but haven't been able to get out since mid July due to sarcoid (should be able to start again next week, Yay!). She has barely been lunged as I'd rather turn her away and start her again then lunge her lots at her age and I think we both find the odd bareback session in the schooling paddock a little tedious so she's basically had a month off and this is never ideal with her!

2) Weather, its been horrible and all this rain-sun-rain-sun must change the grass slightly??

3) Change of diet - she was starting to look a little ribby and so has been out on some richer grass with access to adlib hay in her stable whenever she likes and I swopped her chaff to a conditioning chaff (went from horsehage happyhoof to horsehage showshine as recommended by their feed advisor - wasn't meant to alter behaviour but Tilly has odd reactions to certain foods!)

4) Change of turnout patterns - she was out 24/7 with laminitic (only 2 of them on yard so him or nothing) but due to her looking thin he has been on the starvation patch and she has been on the good stuff with access to stable (with mirror) and ad-lib hay - she has been spending 75% of her time in the stable, very unlike her!?

So, as of tonight I have cut the chaff completely and started to introduce some topspec conditioning flakes as I know they don't blow her brains. She will be coming in at night with adlib hay with the laminitic and they will go out together on starvation patch in day and hopefully next week we will start hacking out again.

Does this sound like a good idea? She has had teeth etc checked not too long ago but should she not improve over the next few weeks I'll get the vet up (qualified EDT) to take another look - one thing she's been doing is going from doing a lazy giaffe impression on the lunge to bouncing around like a coiled up spring, leeping into canter at any given opportunity and having a few steering issues but I imagine this may also be an attitude thing as it has come on so quick alongside other cowbag behaviours, and I will get back and tack checked but as she's barely been worked I doubt its this - she hasn't worn a saddle for a month and has been good as gold bareback?!

Any other ideas? She's still good to generally handle but she just seems really stressed and wound up atm and this is then reflected in her behavior
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ETS: sorry for the ramble, biccies to anyone who makes it to the end and has the energy to reply!
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What sort of biccies?

Seriously... she is probably just bored and fed up. My old boy gets grumpy if he doesn't do out much, starts winding up the other horses and being a pain in the backside. Also the weather hasn't helped, a lot of horses are changing their costs early and you very often get a change of temperament then!

Bet she's back to normal as soon as you can start riding out again... good luck!
 
Ours was taken off of his grazing into a starvation paddock and his mood improved no end. He was then turned out with two larger horses, one of whom chases him.

Today he actually cantered down the field to me and stood and just wanted fuss. For the first time in 8 months he's suddenly affectionate! Before he'd have sooner bitten you than be stroke on the face, but today he was letting me touch his ears and put my face next to his.

So yes, he has changed... for the better!!!
 
Had been hacking out most nights, with Max, he has been a star, and done nothing wrong.
Schooled one night and he was a pig. Pretended he couldn't bend, motorbiked round the corners and raced in canter. Blamed myself, for not schooling enough. Schooled following night and he was a different horse!!
Lost a shoe a few days ago, so he's had a short holiday. Farrier came yesterday and fixed him up... took him out tonight.. different horse!! wanted to race every time i asked for anything quicker than walk.
No change in turnout, grazing, feeding etc.
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Must ask farrier if he put him a go faster shoe on, lol
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I reckon it the change of feed and lack of work .I would keep her on the long grass and the laminitic on starvation.
Spending time in the stable isnt surprising given our lovely summer we are having.
I would feed her something fattening but not heating. I dont know much about mixes as I feed mine Alfa A, oats,linseed and bran.
Hope that helps
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Well it would seem she's not the only one then
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Will put her routine back to how it was and take it from there I think, either that or put it down to the weather!
 
No change here...he is still munching as if food is going out of fashion, dozing in his stable and generally lumbering about like a big well fed Welshie.
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Axel is surprisingly chilled and laid back at the moment. Especially as I've upped his feed as he was looking a bit 'less round' than normal.
In fact the last few days he has been quite hard work in the school and felt quite tired. Until yesterday when he had a complete paddy about being asked to work a bit harder!
 
I am prepared to be shot down in flames for this but she is only three years old! Without being rude or anything but imo you have been doing way too much with her - just my opinon though. I would leave her to be a horse for the rest of the year and bring her back into work next year. Sorry - but just my opinon.
 
yes mine had one of those days yesterday.

When i first got him he was very nappy and would generally be a pain in the bum to ride. however once i got his confidence up he has been a dream to ride....

yesterday we went for a lovely hack, nearly got home and took the usual path heading back home. My horse knows which way we go so sometimes tries to cut the corner off , so instead i thought i would halt and make him do a 1/4 turn on the forehand as this is what we have been practising in my lesson.
so gave him the aids and he completely ignored me, so asked a few more times still blantantly ignoring me so gave him a tap on his bum in which he then proceded to do buny hops into a hedge at the side of the road. he then would not get away from the hedge and the more i kicked with my right leg to push him over and tap his shoulder the more he would try to put me over the hedge! Then finally got him out of the hegde and onto the correct side of the road he then planted his feet and would nove move forwards or backwards, just mini rears on the spot. Gave him lots of kicks and a smack then donkey carried on walking as if nothing had happened and then a few mins later had a nice calm collected canter up the field in a nice outline. hmmm hes not had one of those days for a few months so think he was just checking i was on my toes
 
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I am prepared to be shot down in flames for this but she is only three years old! Without being rude or anything but imo you have been doing way too much with her - just my opinon though. I would leave her to be a horse for the rest of the year and bring her back into work next year. Sorry - but just my opinon.

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No disrespect but how have I been doing too much with her? Over the last 18 months she has gradually been taught to lead, tie up, be good for the farrier. She was then bitted and introduced to rugs and a girth and I enlisted the help of a brilliant and highly thought of instructor who has supported me and helped me the whole way through her education. Slowly she was introduced to longreins at 2 for just a few mins a few times a week and was then turned away for most of the winter months. We did a little more with her in the spring, went over what she'd been taught and also got her used to people being "onboard" - a few minutes being sat on and walked around the yard once a week. Again she had a holiday for a few months come end of april as I had exams and was then proffesionally backed and ridden away by my instructor as I felt this was a key step and didn't want my nerves to mess it up! Follwoing that she had 4 weeks of light hacking a few times a week which she loved, and I mean really loved - she suddenly grew up and the change in her was a pleasure. In July I went on holiday so she had 3 weeks off and when I got back she couldn't wear a girth due to a sarcoud that had become infamed with the flies - I haven't ridden her more than 3 times bareback since and have popped her on the lunge about 6 times in the last month (and when I talk about lunging I mean working her in walk with some walk-trot transitions around our 30x80m schooling paddock on the end of a lungline for 10 mins). The rest of her time is spent out in a field, 24/7, "being a horse" and she also has 24/7 access to her stable so she can choose where she wants to be.

All that she will do for the next year is some light hacking and from my understanding of horses and how they work this is the best education and best strengthening you can offer them in their early years. She is a big, strapping youngster and if given an inch will take a mile! It was under instruction (and recommended by 2 other respected instructors) that I start her this way as by doing things very slowly nothing comes as a shock but the groundrules are established, both on the ground and ridden. It may also be worthwhile pointing out that while she is a "big" girl I am not - I'm 5'6 and weight around 7 1/2 stone and that on each occasion where she has been turned away for a holiday she has turned into a stroppy bolshy, bored youngster which is a nightmare and on each occasion I have sought the help of my instructor who has suggested some very light work, wether this be inhand walks, longreining or now getting her out on a small hack - something for her to think about!

Maybe I have started her too young, imo I have done what is right not just for me (if anything being a full time student the easiest thing for me would be to do nothing with her!) but also what I believe is good for her, what suits her and what I feel she is physically and mentally ready for and so far it seems to be working. Her back is regulalrly looked at and on each occasion it has been found to be "perfect", she doesn't have a single splint etc on her (except one boney lump from an injury when she was 1yr old) and imo is a picture of health and usually a happy, well mannered and easy horse to be around so where am I going wrong - knowing her as I do I'd say this week she has become stressed due to change of diet and turnout regime alongside being bored!

Sorry if this comes across as agressive, its not meant to be, but I hate having to justify the way I am producing my horse when I actually very few people realise just what I have being doing and how.
 
My frisky chestnut mare was very, very quiet and chilled out during the hot spell.

Since its got colder, shes extra frisky and I've had to up her feed as she has dropped weight.
 
I have been following all your progress reports as you have posted them just have never commented as I felt it would be rude to when you had'nt actually asked for constructive critiscms. So I am aware of the steps you have been taking. Its a personal opinon though - I wouldnt back a horse before it was four at the earliest - I prefer them to be five! Like I said personal opinon - I can agree to disagree -didnt want you to be defensive or for you to have to feel you have to justify yourself. I would turn her away and play with her next year as I said in my previous post as a four year old. Sorry - no offense intended.
 
With all due respect, how can you judge what a horse is like being backed at 2 or 3 if you have never backed one till 4?

I used to back at 3 or 4, nowadays I back earlier and I have to say I have found the exact opposite of what you are implying. The ones here who are by far the best horses, are the ones who were backed the youngest when they were mentally ready.
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Ginn, my guys have been having an awful lot of fun last night and today - the answer is clear in my situation; we are having rain for the first time in months and they are out there having a jolly good time! One whole herd has lost all of their halters so lots of playing and running around going on.
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There is a difference in being backed and broken though. If I remember in your post earlier in the week you said that yes you backed ie. sat on horses at two or three but you didnt ride them away ie.break them. until four or five. I would put one of those link thingies on but dont know how.
 
You're right, I do back young and then wait till they are 5 to break; from what I've read about Ginn, that is what she is doing too though - she's only lightly backed her horse I believe.
 
Quietly riding out is lightly backing. Schooling is a lead up to, and part of, breaking; so it would depend on how much schooling and how rigourous the regime is as to whether it is lightly backing or indeed full blown breaking.

I don't think any of can sit and judge one another as we really have no concept as to how long or how stressful each session with the horse amounts to. I doubt Ginn would do anything that would overstretch her horse, after all, if nothing else the horse would lose value if she were to break it (in the literal sense
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How is hacking out and schooling in an outline lightly backing?

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WHEN HAVE I EVER STATED THAT I SCHOOL IN AN OUTLINE!!!
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Occasionally (and by this I mean I can count on two hands!) I have ridden her either in a 60x40 sand arena or in a 30x80 grass arena for a maximum of about 10 mins, mainly walking with perhaps 4 separate 1/2 circle of trot. NEVER has she been asked to work in an outline, merely respond to my seat and legs when asking for a transition or change of direction AND with the exception of maybe 4 occasions this was when she was first being ridden properly undersaddle, without being on the lungline, as it would have been dangerous to have taken her straight out on the roads!! If your going to make statements like this please get your facts right!
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Read through your old posts - you clearly state in one of them several months ago that you were in the school asking for an outline with your inside rein - like I said I put a link on but dont know how. I am only going on what I have read you have posted - so I am going on the facts as you have presented them.
 
Well for one thing she was only ridden away in June so she's only been lightly backed for two and a bit months so you are suggesting that I was asking her to work in an outline when she'd only been backed a few weeks! I have asked her to work long and low on the longreins which I think is perfectly acceptable but I have never forced the issue and in walk she will often offer a contact for a few strides whicvh I have taken up for as long as she is comfortable - usually half a dozen strides or so.

On thing I wouldn't do is ask for a contact with my inside hand as it goes against the way I ride and have been taught. I would first ask the horse to step through from behind and walk with a forward and active pace and often when you do this Tilly will soften in your hand slightly, allowing you to take up a more of a contact and then she will walk for a few strides in this way before asking if she can have a stretch down which she is then allowed. And when riding I have been taught that the inside hand merely indicates the direction of flexion in the neck, seat and legs indicate bend and it is the outside hand that does the most work, preventing over bending, controlling the pace, and supporting the contact that has been asked for with seat and legs. I think wheatever post you read you may have misunderstood.

Whats more, it is very different asking a horse to work correctly, either in the field or out hacking, and accepting something good when they offer it and "schooling in an outline" routinely and IMO there is nothing wrong with teaching a young horse to work from the legs and seat at the start of its education, but this doesn't mean she is being made to work beyond what her physical development, merely making sure that she starts to develop the right muscles from the start of her education.

I fully except that the way I am choosing to produce my horse my not be conventional and may not suit each horse and/or rider but you must also understand that I have put a huge amount of consideration into each step of her education and have not been taking it on on my own. Another important point I think you should realise is that if I was having behavioural problems with her and sshe was being "worked" then I would without hesitation re-evaluate and probably boot her out in the field for a bit but this has all come on while she's been out of work and stood in a field so I very much doubt it is in anyway related to the very light work she is being asked to do.
 
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