At my witsend!

Lippyx

Lippyx

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Help me please! I am totally unsure what to do! Sorry for long post...

Toby has turned into this spooky horse who I just cannot trust! He spooked last Saturday and I came off, I was coming to the end of a great schooling session and he leapt in the air when passing a plastic jump block.

Tuesday I broke down in the school in my lesson, and after a chat with my instructor, I had a really good lesson. Wednesday my friend came to the yard, again, had another good schooling session. Thursday I didn't ride due to the windy weather.

Got to the yard early today, mucked out and tacked up. Got on and walked up to the outdoor schools and twice he spooked, spun round and cantered off. I managed to stay on and stop him. He then had a bee in his bonnet, even when I went in the indoor school.

Took him back to the yard, untacked him, and put him in the indoor school, and he let off some steam, cantering round and round. He then calmed down.

I am now so scared to get on. Friend at the yard said its cold, and I don't normally ride him in the morning, I normally ride in the evening, so maybe it was because of this??

I have the saddler due tomorrow, and friend is coming to help me.
She has recommended I lunge for 10/15 mins before I ride him each time, as she said that helped with her cob.

I don't want to give up, but I also don't want to end up too scared to ride!!!

Chocolate fudge cake for getting this far!

Lx :(
 
You said
Took him back to the yard, untacked him, and put him in the indoor school, and he let off some steam, cantering round and round. He then calmed down.

Could it be as simple as not enough turnout/too much (heating) food giving him unnecessary amounts of brio?
 
Has he always been like this?

If not I suggest you get him scoped for ulcers

My friends horse was crazily spooky but weirdly so , now he's had his treatment he's like a different horse I was gobsmacked !
 
Is it the weather maybe? My mare gets dead spooky when its windy or sometimes full of beans for no reason but the weathers always the same when she is, maybe hes the same?:)
 
I second getting checked for ulcers. How is he being groomed/touched under his belly/sides and along his back end?

My horse was left with untreated ulcers (it was blatantly obvious he had them, it was just ignored for convenience) for maybe 6 years, and he is terribly spooky. After I took him off of his daily dose of bute (which he had been on for years to mask it) he suddenly developed an extreme aversion to his girth being done up, being groomed and being touched around his middle. He also started bucking and napping - he was simply in pain.

Vet has confirmed ulcers, and it's not surprising given the background information I, and others, gave them on him, it's pretty bad, poor boy.
 
Has your turnout changed recently? Last couple of days we've had the same problem, daughter fell off yesterday after a big spook and tonight he kept spooking at one side of the school. Our turnout has just been restricted and I know this is our problem. We don't have the option of 24/7 or even all day turnout in the area we live in and I realise that this is what he needs so as soon as turnout changes so does he. Hopefully at some point I can be in a position that we can move him further out for decent turnout but just not possible at the moment. I would also just check what you're feeding him for the amount of work you are doing and try to keep things simple and not too much sugar in his diet.
 
Cold
Less turn out
More food for weight?
More hay/haylage instead of grass?
Riding at a different time

All can = excitable! spooky horse!

Yes, lunge before next time ride....but don't lunge to much as will get fit!
 
Sorry...missed out info... He is turned out all day, say 9:30 til about 3. He was on chaff, nuts and a cooling mix. Took the cooling mix out last week, and as of today, he will no longer have a hard feed... He doesn't need it, quite a good doer.

I don't normally lunge before riding, but will do now.

He is a saint on the yard, and he isn't spooky all the time. I appreciate its all still new to him (had him 6 wks) and he will have a look at stuff, but today was totally different, he doesn't normally spin round and go for it!
 
Don't panic :) You had a scare coming off, and he had already been spooked by something. So maybe he is stressing because you are stressing, and the two of you are just feeding into one another?

Check the saddle and bridle and bit for fit, also look into whether it could be linked to ulcers, teeth, feet or back. Consider his diet and turnout/exercise routine. Lungeing or loose schooling prior to riding will let him warm up and allow you to see how he is going without a rider.

Remember to breathe! I keep forgetting this part, and it really makes you tense up.
 
Ok OP and breath :) there could be any manner of issues here. turn out feed pain change routine or just simply the change of season and cold. You need to sit down and look at such things the big one being turn out. is that more restrictive now. But in winter The big lad always got more spooky and "challenging" . If this case with yours work on lunge before getting on may take the edge of him :) lots horses get a sparkle in step in winter :)
 
Kaylum said:
Have you had a vet check his eyes. We had one napped on one side all the time turned out he couldn't see that side.
Click to expand...

He does have a suture line cataract in his left eye, which I was assured by the vet wouldn't cause a problem or get worse. He doesn't favour a rein, and when he spooked last week, the jump block was on the right side, so he would have seen it.

Again, when he was spooking today, he was looking at stuff to the right and left of him.
 
The answer is you have had him for 6 weeks, so I take it new place new owner, come back in 12 months and say the same thing. :) Take time and time again get to know him and he you.:)
 
To be honest, unless he was doing anything else when spooking (ie bucking etc) I would suggest it's more a case of him being a bit of a pr*t! :)

You've had him 6 weeks so he's got over his initial 'checking out the environment' stage and, now he's feeling a bit secure he's noticing all those 'lions' etc that hide ready to attack him!!! Sound quite normal to me to be honest in an alert horse and yes, it is colder and we've had some mad weather which will stir up their senses a bit.

IF there were other signs - ie napping, general tense-ness, head shaking then yes get his back/teeth checked etc but otherwise,if you are feeling nervous (it takes a while to get to know a new horse), then maybe as someone a bit more confident to get on him and see how he goes then.
 
Echo Bravo said:
The answer is you have had him for 6 weeks, so I take it new place new owner, come back in 12 months and say the same thing. :) Take time and time again get to know him and he you.:)
Click to expand...

I know you are so right! I just can't help worry I have gotten in too deep! This is my first owned horse, that I have waited for all my life (I am 34!) And I never imagined it to be like this. Again, he is a baby (yes, I should give him a chance) and I really hope this time next year I will say to myself "it was worth it!"

Stupid thing is, I see so many new owners go through exactly the same thing, and I tell them exactly what you have said EchoBravo... I need to learn to listen to my own advice!!!
 
What are you feeding him?
First owned horse, he's young, take your time.
Try cutting out sugar from his diet.
He may be having too much protein and too little fibre?
 
Remember you haven't had him long and some horses take a long time to settle to a new home and a new owner. When I got mine I had a 3 month honeymoon period and then it began, napping on his own or out with others and refusing to be caught or letting me catch him and then tanking off so I had to let go. I had to get help to get him in, inforce rules with handling and also hack out many times a week with others until he knew every inch of the routes and was happy to go out on his own. I'd say some horses can take 6 months to a year to settle to the routine of a new yard, to get round summer and winter changes. If he's stabled overnight he may find that difficult as some horses do find it tougher in the winter (though mine now loves coming in to eat and sleep!). I know my chap lost his nerve with me a bit in those early months out hacking and it took a while for him to build that trust up again . Lots of riding and very regular lessons really helped. Try to tackle your nerves too as he will be picking up on your anxieties after the fall. Hope it improves soon - don't give up too soon, get help/support from other riders at your yard - he sounds like a nice chap :)
 
Slightly Foxed said:
What are you feeding him?
First owned horse, he's young, take your time.
Try cutting out sugar from his diet.
He may be having too much protein and too little fibre?
Click to expand...

He was on chaff, nuts and a non heating mix. Cut out the mix last week and as of today, cut out all hard feed. He has dry hay, of which he has left over come the morning but not much grass in the paddocks at the moment, although should be moving to a new one soon. He never gets treats... Polos, apples etc.
 
You normally ride evening, after he has been out all day letting off steam. Problem solved, either turnout 24/7, or turn out before riding.And 2nd the taking him off hard feet, nuts can be very heating
 
ridefast said:
You normally ride evening, after he has been out all day letting off steam. Problem solved, either turnout 24/7, or turn out before riding.And 2nd the taking him off hard feet, nuts can be very heating
Click to expand...

Yes, after all the years of feeding nuts and chaff to the ponies in little work, coz it gives them something to munch, I didn't realise how much pony nuts can be heating!! Only coz my instructor said today about them!
 
I feed mine fast fibre and linseed, 2 cobs and a native in very light - darker light work (most work they get is hour - 2 hacking walk trot canter 5 days a week) they all do fine on it, plenty of energy and carrying the right amount of weight, don't think most horses need more than a maintenance feed
 
So lippy look at all things spoken. but breath and try not to worry. Easier said than done I know. 6 weeks of owning first winter with him who is a sweetie. So much for you both to deal with. sit think about all said on here and maybe something will jump out at you but remember sometimes it can just be the "winter wobblies" . But go through everything .hugs x
 
Lippy, don't start panicking about it being ulcers, back, tack etc. Of course it's something to consider but I think the bottom line is he is a young horse who has found his feet in his new home. The honeymoon period is likely to be over but that doesn't mean you can't cope.

Windy weather ALWAYS sends them wappy! He sounds like he was worse after a day off though so until you get your confidence back it may be worth lunging him before you ride. Do you wear a body protector? If not wearing one might give you a bit more confidence.

I hate to say it but there are VERY few horses that don't spook so I think it's a case of finding strategies to overcome it and learning to just ignore it and carry on.
 
He's a young horse finding his feet in his new home.

Cut out all hard feed, and if need be give him a lunge before you ride.

Otherwise just give it time, he'll learn to trust you :)
 
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