At my wits end - advice/help please!

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pippi

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I bought my 6year old Master Imp horse last autumn and everything was brilliant - I did a few events on him and he was brilliant. Very relaxed and chilled out and loved his work. But in the past month this has all changed.... he has turned into a sour pus. Hating his work, rearing when he doesn't want to do something, spooky and sulky. It's heartbreaking and I really can't figure it out. The rearing is becoming a real problem and is going to start developing into a habit. He doesn't go up very high (but is getting higher) - it's more like napping but still means he gets away with not doing/going where he's told. I've given him a few good hard smacks and he just gets into more and more of a temper tantrum.
His work has upped and I am asking more of him in his work as we try to get ready for the season but I still always ensure he has days off hacking out and days out of the arena being drilled. He is turned out daily and I have had his teeth and back done (his teeth weren't great and his back was found to be sore but I followed all treatments etc and it hasn't improved him).
I'm not sure if he started this because of his teeth/back and has now just developed a habit? Or could it be his breeding - the Master Imp's don't have the greatest of reputations.....
Any help or advice would be so appreciated - I want my old horse back so we can enjoy the upcoming season! Thanks a mill
 
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Although I appreciate that Master Imps can be tricky customers at times (and it may well be he is going through a 'phase' of testing you out after the honeymoon period) it probably would be worthwhile getting a vet to check him over, especially if he has got a sore back - some minor/difficult to see hindlimb lameness' often have back trouble as the early symptoms.

Good luck!
 
I know you have had his back checked but have you had his saddle checked recently? if you have upped his workload and he has changed shape it could be pinching ! - try lunging or loose schooling without tack and see how he is, if he seems ok you could try riding him bareback in school (but only if safe of course) to see how he is.
 
yea sorry forgot to mention - had his saddle checked at same time as his back - they said it fitted him well and wasn't an issue there
 
oh ! what about looking at his diet - have you upped his feed to account for increase in work - if so try taking him right back to basic feed (something he was on when behaviour was good) to see if this makes a difference - if it does try different feeds and brands.

Ulcers also spring to mind - think someone on here a while ago posted that you could give something if you suspected them to see if it helped before paying out to have him scoped.
 
6 months in, my boy tried the same thing. It was all just to test me (i ruled out everything else with the normal checks etc). Napping, rearing and generally just being an a$$ to handle. I got a darn good instructor who occasionally rides and schools him for me and a good YO who helps reaffirm my need to be fair but firm with him.

He's had me off once (i bailed out in a rearing fit), kicked me once and fidgeted so much he knocked me over and spilt my head open!! Hence the get tough stance now.

Lessons, consistant work, both ridden and in hand and checking his manners all the time seem to have got it out of him. I've learnt a great deal about him and my confidence has grown too. Changed him to Pure Feeds and that helped take the edge of him, plus a standing martingale for hacking (just to be on the safe side).

Main thing was to always go forward, even if i had to pony club kick him and tight circles if he did go up, or try to. Not afraid to say he's had a few cracks on the shoulder too.

My instructor was pivitol to it all, she gave me the confidence to deal with his temper tantrums and ride through it. Good luck.
 
IF he where mine I would be getting a good work up from the vet the chances are something's brewing.
Although it must be said my Master Imp remained a quirky so and so all his life.
 
i had a simliar situation with my horse and i spent a fortune getting all the checks done, teeth, back, saddle etc.even the vet

Unfortunatley the problem was the person i had to check his saddle. Master saddler, lots of people used her at the yard with no problems. Kept telling me saddle was fine he was being naughty, show him whos boss etc etc.

Was at wits end, and sat and had a good think. He was only naughty when he was ridden, he had started moving away from the mounting block so i knew whatever was wrong was when someone was on his back. he was fine lungeing in his roller.

Got a different saddler/bowen therapist out. He had a good look at his reactions to just being touched in various locations. And my poor horse was in agony from his saddle being too tight. even though i had the previous fitter out 4 times to look at it.

So 2 months no saddle on , walking out in hand, lungeing, stretching and then a different saddle on him and he has never looked back since. he stands like a rock to mount, he never argues even when being pushed to work hard.

I wish i had gone with my gut instinct that the poor horse was trying to tell me something rather than listening to everyone else telling me he was trying it on, testing me, being bad fr the sake of being bad. I dont think any of them get up in the morning and think today im going to push my luck. They just react to things that happen to them.
 
Sounds like he just bored. My horse is bored, and its hard when they are so good to realise that they enjoy the simple things in life sometimes, when I had mine when he was young my instructor just said he needs to find in interesting, so every so often we have muck about days where we do just trot around all the jumps in the school thinking about turning and responsiveness, but not worrying about outline or the actual turn itself, aslong as he is working from behind etc. Also jumping random stuff in the school, harder now I'm in a better place and people don't leave rubbish lying around. I would just give him a day or two break and then have some silly fun with him. Howabout small noit very testing but enjoyabale grid work?
 
I apologise for the bad grammar spelling and general sentences, its hard to type on this phone. But also I would try to concentrate on the horse going forward but not fiddling with him just balanced forward keeping the hands still and high whilst doing a variety of fun silly exercises. It really does help my horse, then he still enjoys the school because some days it might be work and others it might be silly time. If I work all the time he will eventually try to nap or be naughty.
 
I don't for a second believe they wake up looking for ways to test us. I do believe that throughout their lives they acquire a toolset of actions or reactions that they use when faced with all number of things. My boy knows he's big and powerful and when faced with something challenging he'd rather say "nope can't and I won't". My job is to keep quietly asking and confirming the boundaries until he has the confidence to do it. Then he is rewarded. This works for him and reinforcing boundaries does sometimes mean I have to be clear about what is acceptable. But agree that keeping it fun is key, and mixing it up keeps him switched on to me. It's not always pain, just misunderstanding and both parts.
 
has he had some time off recently? my boy (not your blood lines) is an absolute Git if he has more than a week off, it is like rebacking a 3 year old. i have learnt to try to ignore the rearing bit but the minute he moves on to tell him what a good boy he is (even tho i may want to throttle the opinionated git) after about 3 to 4 weeks of regular work I get my boy back. Just into week 2 post knee kick and keep reminding myself that sanity is on its way. Good luck with yours, just hope mine sticks to the rules and i am not stuck with loon!!
 
Too me it says he is testing you, 4 to 6 months is usually when they start testing more and more. Make sure that EVERYTHING he does is your idea, Even making him wait just before going into his stable even backing up first etc.

Lots of ground work, it only has to be around the stable, ie make sure he moves over when you say if he doesn't then insist he does, backing up, coming forward and stopping before he gets in your space etc
 
I am afraid Master Imps are renowned for being pros horses the fitter they get the more troublesome in my experience knowing several! If not playing up getting stronger all the time.
 
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