Arghhhh he did it, he pulled away and *****ed off in the dark

Without going on a bit ,are you also checking this horse for pain re ulcers.
My mare was reacting to turning going through gates due to ulcers and running to get away from pain.
Im all for staying safe but you need to find the root cause of this behaviour too.
 
Horsekaren said:
I posted a few days ago about my horse pulling off and charging about the edge of the paddocks for a good hour! I knew it would have had an effect! Tonight he bolted back to his stable in the dark over taking another horse and causing a big fuss 😫

I lead him in dually with 10ft rope, he was walking to quick I asked him to slow down, asked again, he did for a second then went nope I'm off strait into canter, rope slipped out my hand and he was gone.

Advice again please -
If I use a lunge line can this be dangerous if he gets away?
If I try bridle and ten foot rope and he try's and loses me is it dangerous for him to be running about incase he treads on the rope?
Is there a stronger head collar than a dually? Are be nice ones better?

I know I can't win again his stregnth but I need to have the best chance to stop this.
I know once he has walked nicely for a week we will be back to where he was.
I can't even take him back to try and correct him as it's pitch black hence I don't want this happening :(

He is likely suffering from ulcers which we are about to confirm but that is no excuse for this type of behaviour is it?

Needless to say I went home , pushed my dinner around my plate and felt sick worrying about having to do it all over again tomorrow :(
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People the last time you posted advised you to use a bridle to lead. You took no notice and lead him in a headcollar again (a dually).
If you arent going to take the advice of more experienced handlers on the forum I suggest you pay a professional to help you. Maybe you will listen to their suggestions if you are paying.
 
Hallo2012 said:
i do find it a bit worrying that so far in about 2 days of forum life we have one horse that cant be led down the road for a mere 20 mins, one that wont come in from the field without decking its owner, and now advice from someone with a horse that wont stand for 5 seconds to be tied up and has to have a rope waiting?!
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This is 3 horses out of tens of thousands in the UK, and at least their owners are acknowledging the issue. We weren’t all born as supreme beings who can instantly conquer every issue, some of us have to learn as we go, and we make mistakes along the way. This poor lady has a doing her best and I’m sure will take on board the advice, and in 10 years time will be the one giving out advice to another novice owner who has hit a bump. OP, I can’t add to what’s already been said, but as the less than perfect owner of a less than perfect horse I wanted to add some moral support.

(To add, when I worked as a pro groom for Mark Todd and the lady who has just won puhunui 3*, we had horses who reared, one who at the start of every season when being brought back into work would tank off on the lunge and leave you for dust, one who wouldn’t tie to the lorry and would pull back every other minute, several who needed a chifney now and again, the list goes on. They weren’t feral yobs but they were strong minded high powered horses, and needed you to be on your game all the time. Some issues were resolved with time, others were more ingrained. So don’t go thinking it’s just novices who have challenges like this...the pros just don’t post on forums!)
 
Just to clarify mine own use of a chain for everyone - I would never hurt any animal. A small amount of pressure is enough to let him know it's there and then release. It keeps both him and I safe and he minds his manners.
 
KatPT said:
This is 3 horses out of tens of thousands in the UK, and at least their owners are acknowledging the issue. We weren’t all born as supreme beings who can instantly conquer every issue, some of us have to learn as we go, and we make mistakes along the way. This poor lady has a doing her best and I’m sure will take on board the advice, and in 10 years time will be the one giving out advice to another novice owner who has hit a bump. OP, I can’t add to what’s already been said, but as the less than perfect owner of a less than perfect horse I wanted to add some moral support.

(To add, when I worked as a pro groom for Mark Todd and the lady who has just won puhunui 3*, we had horses who reared, one who at the start of every season when being brought back into work would tank off on the lunge and leave you for dust, one who wouldn’t tie to the lorry and would pull back every other minute, several who needed a chifney now and again, the list goes on. They weren’t feral yobs but they were strong minded high powered horses, and needed you to be on your game all the time. Some issues were resolved with time, others were more ingrained. So don’t go thinking it’s just novices who have challenges like this...the pros just don’t post on forums!)
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Thank you for this KatPT :)
 
stormox said:
People the last time you posted advised you to use a bridle to lead. You took no notice and lead him in a headcollar again (a dually).
If you arent going to take the advice of more experienced handlers on the forum I suggest you pay a professional to help you. Maybe you will listen to their suggestions if you are paying.
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OP's had about 50 bits of differing advice including NOT to use a bridle! Good luck OP in following it all :p:p

And she is using a professional - he or she is coming at the weekend.

Chin up OP - you are trying your best and I hope you are finding some of the advice useful. I have seen very experienced riders and handlers come a cropper. Happens to us all. Main thing is you are not just shrugging and blaming the horse. You are accepting the need for change and getting advice. x
 
debsflo said:
Without going on a bit ,are you also checking this horse for pain re ulcers.
My mare was reacting to turning going through gates due to ulcers and running to get away from pain.
Im all for staying safe but you need to find the root cause of this behaviour too.
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I maybe totally wrong but I believe only a few days ago this owner posted on here and was told to go buy Succeed to give to this horse as apparently it was in so much pain when she posted as it wasn't laying down, it was falling backwards or not getting enough sleep,
which I believe she immediately purchased the Succeed, I believe she is also waiting on some further blood results

I may have the wrong OP and horse
 
KatPT said:
So don’t go thinking it’s just novices who have challenges like this...the pros just don’t post on forums!)
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yep, this!

I also think, as previously suggested, that if you can afford it OP a stint in a good, professionally run livery yard with the horse on FL or at least FL during the week would be beneficial for you and the horse. If you can find one where they have experienced staff, with people out regularly competing/learning rather than one with a load of teenage girls working at it that is. might seem expensive but you could gain a lot from the right yard.
 
KatPT said:
This is 3 horses out of tens of thousands in the UK, and at least their owners are acknowledging the issue. We weren’t all born as supreme beings who can instantly conquer every issue, some of us have to learn as we go, and we make mistakes along the way. This poor lady has a doing her best and I’m sure will take on board the advice, and in 10 years time will be the one giving out advice to another novice owner who has hit a bump. OP, I can’t add to what’s already been said, but as the less than perfect owner of a less than perfect horse I wanted to add some moral support.

(To add, when I worked as a pro groom for Mark Todd and the lady who has just won puhunui 3*, we had horses who reared, one who at the start of every season when being brought back into work would tank off on the lunge and leave you for dust, one who wouldn’t tie to the lorry and would pull back every other minute, several who needed a chifney now and again, the list goes on. They weren’t feral yobs but they were strong minded high powered horses, and needed you to be on your game all the time. Some issues were resolved with time, others were more ingrained. So don’t go thinking it’s just novices who have challenges like this...the pros just don’t post on forums!)
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i appreciate all that and having also worked on yards with SJ horses incl youngsters, stallions and youngstock i KNOW it does not always go to plan however these are pretty basic issues, leading and tying up, and are not horses in the thick of a competition car park or coming back in to work where you could be forgiven for almost expecting some high jinks.
these are leisure horses, being asked to walk in from the field and stand still when tied on their own yard.................not hard.

i am all about being on your game and maybe thats why mine dont give me this aggro...................perhaps if more people got mown down by above mentioned high powered idiotic horses, then ripped a new one by the rider, they would learn to be on their game!!!!!!

i guess my observation was a double edged observation-that SO many horses are SO rude and that SO many people dont just have the common sense to man up a bit and have to ask how to tell the horses no effectively?
 
Hallo2012 said:
i appreciate all that and having also worked on yards with SJ horses incl youngsters, stallions and youngstock i KNOW it does not always go to plan however these are pretty basic issues, leading and tying up, and are not horses in the thick of a competition car park or coming back in to work where you could be forgiven for almost expecting some high jinks.
these are leisure horses, being asked to walk in from the field and stand still when tied on their own yard.................not hard.

i am all about being on your game and maybe thats why mine dont give me this aggro...................perhaps if more people got mown down by above mentioned high powered idiotic horses, then ripped a new one by the rider, they would learn to be on their game!!!!!!

i guess my observation was a double edged observation-that SO many horses are SO rude and that SO many people dont just have the common sense to man up a bit and have to ask how to tell the horses no effectively?
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I get your point (although I don’t think competition horses have any more excuse for bad manners than a leisure horse, and not about getting ripped a new one by the rider as the horses were just the same for the rider!) these are basic manners for every horse. My post was more aimed at OP rather than you or the other experienced folk on here, not trying to teach you to suck eggs! I guess I would just rather people come on here and posted about even the most basic advice than struggled along alone because they feel like they will be belitted or judged for asking for help. Yes it’s best to get someone there in person to help, but often a post on the forum is what helps people form that conclusion.
 
I think it's very easy for those of us who have been there and go the tshirt (or who maybe haven't, but think they know everything anyway!) to be either dismissive, or unkind about this sort of issue. We were all there once, and we got through it and came out the other side. The OP is doing her best, and is really good at taking advice, even when it's not phrased in the kindest of ways. Cut the poor girl a bit of slack - at least she's acknowledged that she has a problem, and is trying to fix it.

OP - despite what I said last night about being good at anchoring naughty ones, one of mine pulled away from me this morning while I was turning him out. I was ignoring the fact that he was feeling a bit feisty when I got him out of the box, and I didn't take my own advice about anchoring him. He spooked, ran past me, and then kept going, and I let go! **** happens!
 
yup Aus well said :) I have some epic pulling-away battles even fairly recently (mentioning no names, Kira-bulldozer...:rolleyes3:) etched into my memory! We've all been there, anyone who handles a lot of horses over the years will come across these problems now and then and we will all get it wrong sometimes.

I had to turn back with a well mannered one today and go back to put a bridle on to turn out, she was suddenly 18 hands and breathing fire and I didn't fancy my chances in a headcollar ;)
 
milliepops said:
yup Aus well said :) I have some epic pulling-away battles even fairly recently (mentioning no names, Kira-bulldozer...:rolleyes3:) etched into my memory! We've all been there, anyone who handles a lot of horses over the years will come across these problems now and then and we will all get it wrong sometimes.

I had to turn back with a well mannered one today and go back to put a bridle on to turn out, she was suddenly 18 hands and breathing fire and I didn't fancy my chances in a headcollar ;)
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Speaking as one currently under the influence of a lot of Nurofen, and still picking mud out of my ears, I agree with you and Aus - any of us can fall victim to the horse that suddenly does something unexpected! The difference is that you, me, Aus and any number of other posters will dust ourselves off and deal with the situation to make sure that it doesn't repeat itself in the near future at least (until the next time). People like the OP however do not have the tools in the box (yet) to know what to do in the moment (or the next moment/day after).

I'm glad the OP is asking for help, but I do wonder if this forum is actually the right place, as the advice is quite varied. Just find one person, who you trust, and get the problem sorted straight away. And then get some joint training, you and the horse together.
 
Ambers Echo said:
And in the meantime......???

There is a difference between training a horse to be light, soft, responsive, trusting, respectful etc over time and addressing an unruly rude and dangerous behaviour in the here and now.
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and in the meantime you have a novice with a strong horse (and no one physically dominates half a ton of horse) who is being advised to use every device possible on it's head. Give it a few yanks, really stand up to the horse. Won't be long before you have a headshy horse to deal with as well. It will still be a disrespectful horse. Use force and you get force back. What then? That might work for an experienced person to give a short sharp lessen that they can time perfectly and they know will work but hardly for this lady. Not only might it not work it could well make the problem worse.

So in the meantime I would be working to teach it to listen, focus on me and work with me which would not take that much time. Very little in fact. I would start by walking up to the stable door. Does it back as i try to go in? or at least if I say back. If not we would start there. Next would be a rope halter and schooling whip (to guide not smack) in the stable to teach walk, back, hindquarters over, forehand over etc. Once that can be done move out to an enclosed space in the yard and repeat till horse starts looking and listening and owner gets a lot more confidence. Not really time consuming or rocket science.
If possible get someone to video you handling the horse KP. Then you can play back slowly and see the horse's reaction and exactly where your cues are going wrong and what you could have done.
 
Wagtail said:
Agree with this but would add a knot at the end of the lead rope. This really helps if they try to get away from you. And yes, a plain rope halter is far more effective than a dually.
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I see your point but I am in 2 minds about it. If the horse gets loose with the rope attached I would rather it could slide around it's legs and wonder if the knot would make it tangle and not come undone.
 
paddy555 said:
and in the meantime you have a novice with a strong horse (and no one physically dominates half a ton of horse) who is being advised to use every device possible on it's head. Give it a few yanks, really stand up to the horse. Won't be long before you have a headshy horse to deal with as well. It will still be a disrespectful horse. Use force and you get force back. What then? That might work for an experienced person to give a short sharp lessen that they can time perfectly and they know will work but hardly for this lady. Not only might it not work it could well make the problem worse.

So in the meantime I would be working to teach it to listen, focus on me and work with me which would not take that much time. Very little in fact. I would start by walking up to the stable door. Does it back as i try to go in? or at least if I say back. If not we would start there. Next would be a rope halter and schooling whip (to guide not smack) in the stable to teach walk, back, hindquarters over, forehand over etc. Once that can be done move out to an enclosed space in the yard and repeat till horse starts looking and listening and owner gets a lot more confidence. Not really time consuming or rocket science.
If possible get someone to video you handling the horse KP. Then you can play back slowly and see the horse's reaction and exactly where your cues are going wrong and what you could have done.
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Have to say I agree with this, it's all about body language, those of us who are old enough/been around horses since we were kids have developed our handling skills over decades and that allows you to nip the type of behaviour the OP's horse is displaying before it escalates. I do a lot of ground work with a rope halter and it's very, very effective.

This morning our yards were really icy after some overnight rain on the frozen ground, so I got out the rope halter for a couple of the younger horses just to remind them that they had to listen to me and not demonstrate their skating skills!!
 
Trouble is, once a horse or pony has learned that they are stronger than you and can get away they are already ahead of the game, so there comes a time where it is important for safety reasons to be in control, even if being stronger is necessary.

We had a pony that had learned that if she put her head down and took off there was nothing the human could do and I well remember seeing her galloping round the field instead of loading on the trailer. One thing, you always have more control if the lead rope is clipped to the side of the headcollar, not underneath because once the horse gets in front of you, you are lost and they can pull harder than you can.

Agree with all the points really. Just sometimes a horse has learned bad behaviour and all the owner can do is be aware and live with it, not every bad habit can be eradicated. It is obviously better if they are all well mannered, but sometimes they aren't!
 
paddy555 said:
and in the meantime you have a novice with a strong horse (and no one physically dominates half a ton of horse) who is being advised to use every device possible on it's head. Give it a few yanks, really stand up to the horse. Won't be long before you have a headshy horse to deal with as well. It will still be a disrespectful horse. Use force and you get force back. What then? That might work for an experienced person to give a short sharp lessen that they can time perfectly and they know will work but hardly for this lady. Not only might it not work it could well make the problem worse.

So in the meantime I would be working to teach it to listen, focus on me and work with me which would not take that much time. Very little in fact. I would start by walking up to the stable door. Does it back as i try to go in? or at least if I say back. If not we would start there. Next would be a rope halter and schooling whip (to guide not smack) in the stable to teach walk, back, hindquarters over, forehand over etc. Once that can be done move out to an enclosed space in the yard and repeat till horse starts looking and listening and owner gets a lot more confidence. Not really time consuming or rocket science.
If possible get someone to video you handling the horse KP. Then you can play back slowly and see the horse's reaction and exactly where your cues are going wrong and what you could have done.
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Another thing to note is it important to know where to stand in relation to the horse. Whatever you have on its head, you cannot stop a barging and charging horse from behind. If it gets its head straight it will just pull, or turn away, and you have no chance. Always be in a position to pull the horse sideways. Stand level with, or just in front of, its nose.
We have a proverb here in Ireland- "an te nach bhfuil laidir is folair beidh glic' - he who isnt strong must be clever....
 
Cecile said:
I maybe totally wrong but I believe only a few days ago this owner posted on here and was told to go buy Succeed to give to this horse as apparently it was in so much pain when she posted as it wasn't laying down, it was falling backwards or not getting enough sleep,
which I believe she immediately purchased the Succeed, I believe she is also waiting on some further blood results

I may have the wrong OP and horse
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you are correct, succeed has arrived today, called the vet 4 times yesterday, was told i would get a call back yesterday. no call back, both vets are off today!!! fuming to say the least!!!

Horse has started to lay down since adding chipping back to the bed. Now he is barging off, i know my boy isn't comfortable, i am a day delayed with the bloody vet but this barging off is not acceptable, i don't mind a swish of the tale rugging but charging off isn't on.


Cant thank everyone enough for the tips, bridle, whip, hat, body protector and elbows tonight.
Be nice ordered (i know mixed reviews but i want it at the ready if it turns out to be the way forward for the time being).
 
thing is horses are clever they can suss out someone who is maybe not the most experienced some take advantage of that and some just don't, prime example is my horses bring themselves in the field gate is 3 steps from the stable doors I just open the gate and they put themselves in no problem, one of the girls that rides with me let them in ls week and the 2 of them ended up in one stable they have never ever done it before, and if my oh gets them in they go for a trot round the yard then on the drive eat a few plants then eventually decide to go in, it's like they just know they can get away with it so they think hey ho let's have a little play.

neither of my horses are difficult to handle or lead but they can spot an opportunity to be a bit naughty they just do and I think most horses are the same.

thing is everyone has to learn and you only do that with handling different horses it's the experience and your attitude that will make you competent around them, at the end of the day they are big powerful animals you don't need to be cruel just firm and have your wits about you.
 
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2 things OP:

1. leading in a bridle works for this horse, it's what the previous owners did to solve the problem. Leading in a bridle forever more is *not* a failure, it's a means of staying safe. There's no need to "give him a chance to do the right thing first" (something many people have said to me regarding leading their difficult horses in a headcollar, when I've asked why they don't use a bridle), it's not cruel to lead in a bridle/chain/whatever and if he's walking nicely at your side nothing that's on his head will be having any effect. Had you been leading him in a bridle since the day you bought him, you'd have had the necessary tools at your disposal when you needed them, the first time he tried to tank off he'd have been unsuccessful, and you wouldn't have had the problems you're experiencing now.

2. the horse probably has ulcers, which have recently worsened and the pain has made him more difficult to handle than usual. If you are going to persist in trying to lead him in some sort of headcollar, I'd watch him like a hawk on a daily basis for anything that could indicate the possibility of him becoming difficult that day, eg pain/discomfort, less turnout/work than usual, a bad/impatient mood (either of you), and be prepared to revert to leading in a bridle if there is *any* possibility that he *might* have cause to think of tanking off that day.

One of the reasons experienced horse people don't have these problems is because they prevent them occurring in the first place. Let's face it, I doubt you feel like going through this sort of thing again with another horse any time soon, do you? If you're wise you'd be quicker to change things next time you come across an unruly thug. You'll fix this problem you're having too, with the right help and attitude. Don't despair.
 
Horsekaren said:
you are correct, succeed has arrived today, called the vet 4 times yesterday, was told i would get a call back yesterday. no call back, both vets are off today!!! fuming to say the least!!!

Horse has started to lay down since adding chipping back to the bed. Now he is barging off, i know my boy isn't comfortable, i am a day delayed with the bloody vet but this barging off is not acceptable, i don't mind a swish of the tale rugging but charging off isn't on.


Cant thank everyone enough for the tips, bridle, whip, hat, body protector and elbows tonight.
Be nice ordered (i know mixed reviews but i want it at the ready if it turns out to be the way forward for the time being).
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I came to riding and horse ownership very late in life so feel your pain, it is a very steep learning curve. I was extremely fortunate in that my first horse was a complete saint except she wouldn't load (but that's another story). My second horse had some issues, fantastic in company but a complete nightmare on his own both to ride and handle. He clearly had some separation issues when I bought him but I undoubtably made him a good deal worse and we were on a downward spiral until I made the sensible decision to sell him. He went to someone more experienced than me and he was kept on a busy professional yard rather than a small private yard, and he thrived. When we are relatively inexperienced we need the "right" horse, one that is a bit forgiving of our mistakes, we also need to have experienced people to help dig us out of the holes which show up in our lack of knowledge. I've read most of your posts and it's clear that you want to do the best for your horse but is he the "right horse" for you at your stage of experience? Just a thought and not a criticism, he just doesn't seem like much fun for you at the moment.
 
paddy555 said:
So in the meantime I would be working to teach it to listen, focus on me and work with me which would not take that much time. Very little in fact. I would start by walking up to the stable door. Does it back as i try to go in? or at least if I say back. If not we would start there. Next would be a rope halter and schooling whip (to guide not smack) in the stable to teach walk, back, hindquarters over, forehand over etc. Once that can be done move out to an enclosed space in the yard and repeat till horse starts looking and listening and owner gets a lot more confidence.
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These are all really useful things to do and I do them with all my horses. All of them back away in the stable, all yield to pressure in any direction with just a look or energy. But I am not sure that this always translates into 'respectful' behaviour on the ground. Not in my experience anyway. I don't think horses have a concept of 'respect'. They do understand boundaries but I think each set of boundaries needs to be taught in each specific context. I just don't think yielding readily to pressure in an enclosed space necessarily generalises to leading nicely when the horse has competing motivations and has not had the boundaries specifically enforced in that situation. Or in the OP's case has been successful in trashing boundaries. My daughter's old pony was a good example - he was totally perfect to handle - yielding, backing, listening - all very soft and attentive. Until you walked him past lush grass and he forgot all his manners and dragged my slight 11 yo daughter over to it. She was really consistent in how she handled him - lots of moving his feet around, loads of groundwork etc. But he still dragged her all over the place when grass was involved until we deliberately targeted grass. By that time he had learned he could drag her and he had been well rewarded for being bargy and rude so we needed to considerably up the pressure to teach him grass was off limits when being led. But once we had done that she could lead him through grass on a loose lead rope without him trying to have any. But I don;t think we could have got there with general groundwork.

Maybe polite behaviour generalises for some horses from one situation to another but not for all. And it sounds like the OP did lots and lots of work on general manners when being led anyway. What is lacking is the ability to say NO effectively when the horse ignores what he knows.

I think most people are telling the OP she has to work on the longer term too - but staying safe in the meantime is the crucial issue. And I personally would not trust a horse who has behaved as this horse has when being led in from the field, no matter how polite he is in other situations.
 
I have to agree with the posters who have advised you to take a step back with the 'relationship' you have with your horse. My horse was dreadful when I got him, I had to wear a hat & body protector to catch him in his stable! Leading him was a nightmare. Everyone was scared of him, myself included in the end! But a super experienced friend (I have 30 years experience myself!) came along and told me to stop treating him like my best friend, and to use a chifney. The transformation was far from instant BUT those two bits of advice help the little seeds of confidence grow which is a great help in itself.

3 years on I can lead him in a headcollar (although I ALWAYS have at least a bit in him, better to be prepared) while all the people at the yard who judged us still struggle with their badly mannered horses. Just last week a lady's horse bogged off (for the millionth time) and me and my boy stood very calmly while she tried to catch him
 
meleeka said:
Not an excuse to inflict pain but possibly a quick solution to a dangerous problem. In an ideal world the OP would have a nice mud free route to the field, all the time in the world to train the horse and of course, daylight. That isn’t going to happen so she needs to take back control quickly and effectively now. I would never have chosen to inflict pain on my boy, it’s a horrible thought, but then I didn’t, he inflicted it on himself when he went to bog off. I had to hand walk him while on box rest with no facilities whatsoever so understandly when he got out of that stable he forgot his manners. I tried a bridle without success and resorted to a stallion chain. He only went to go once and the shock of it stopped him in his tracks. He was perfect after that and I was safe again.I wish I’d done it straight away as it transpired he’d re-injured himself during his airs above the ground so it all went on far longer than it should have.
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excellent post.
 
oldie48 said:
I came to riding and horse ownership very late in life so feel your pain, it is a very steep learning curve. I was extremely fortunate in that my first horse was a complete saint except she wouldn't load (but that's another story). My second horse had some issues, fantastic in company but a complete nightmare on his own both to ride and handle. He clearly had some separation issues when I bought him but I undoubtably made him a good deal worse and we were on a downward spiral until I made the sensible decision to sell him. He went to someone more experienced than me and he was kept on a busy professional yard rather than a small private yard, and he thrived. When we are relatively inexperienced we need the "right" horse, one that is a bit forgiving of our mistakes, we also need to have experienced people to help dig us out of the holes which show up in our lack of knowledge. I've read most of your posts and it's clear that you want to do the best for your horse but is he the "right horse" for you at your stage of experience? Just a thought and not a criticism, he just doesn't seem like much fun for you at the moment.
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At the moment no he isnt, two months ago he was!
Im not having any fun :( i feel guilty working him if he has ulcers, he needs to be worked as he is a happy horse when worked at least 3 times a week.
i know he is poorly and needs to be treated,
i know he is taking the piss and being damn right rude... because of pain ? or lack of respect , bot i imagine.
i wish i could have the horse back he was in summer, winter is not fun.

but at the moment i have no choice, i cant sell him, who would buy a sick horse that is barging off? I have no where to turn i just need to try and get on top of it for his sake.

He has gone from being a perfect pony, a pleasure to ride, to be around, to lead... everything about 2 months ago to a living nightmare
 
Horsekaren said:
At the moment no he isnt, two months ago he was!
Im not having any fun :( i feel guilty working him if he has ulcers, he needs to be worked as he is a happy horse when worked at least 3 times a week.
i know he is poorly and needs to be treated,
i know he is taking the piss and being damn right rude... because of pain ? or lack of respect , bot i imagine.
i wish i could have the horse back he was in summer, winter is not fun.

but at the moment i have no choice, i cant sell him, who would buy a sick horse that is barging off? I have no where to turn i just need to try and get on top of it for his sake.

He has gone from being a perfect pony, a pleasure to ride, to be around, to lead... everything about 2 months ago to a living nightmare
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don't beat yourself up you can only do whatever you think is right chances are he does have ulcers it can really affect there behaviour, your going in the right direction once he starts treatment just give him the time off he needs the medication can take a few months to really work, hopefully this will all be a distant memory you can put down to experience and move on and start to enjoy your horse again.
 
I don't believe his behaviour can or will improve until you sort his pain.
Get you're vet out again and explain it's an accident waiting to happen and start there imo.

I do feel for you.
Is he on a yard where you have any pros to support you.
I have had horses for years and am v knowledgeable but have my youngster at a yard for this very reason and to nip things in the bud and have help when needed.
When mine took off and jumped a fence she frightened me and pros helped me but supported me persisting with the vet and devising a plan.
My horse is now being treated and we are all happy again.
 
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