Bad Behaviour

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Long time lurker, first time poster with a frustrating problem.

I've had my gelding for about 4 months now. I recently ( 1/2 weeks ago) moved him to a new yard. The yard is small (about 10 horses) and quiet.

He has been acting out of character at this new place.

I gave him 3 unridden sessions in the indoor school to get him used to the new surroundings. He seemed very happy with everything and totally chilled. So I hopped on him for the 4th session. There were 2 other horses in the school and he just flipped. He was totally immune to my aids and rearing up out of frustration when I wouldn't let him chase the other horses and asked him to halt or walk. He was attempting to bolt most of the time though a horse in front of him prevented that.

I took him out the school as he was quite frankly too wound up and worrying the other people in the school. So I stuck him back in his stable.

Now I realise that he may need more time to settle in, but I'm worried that since I stopped a schooling session when he was naughty he'll pull the same stunt to get back to his stable.

Also, how should I conduct my next schooling session? (I intend to be alone in the school)

Any help is really appreciated.
 
I think maybe you asked a bit too much of him by expecting him to settle in the school with 2 other horses in a new place.
Personally I would have allowed him a couple of weeks at least before going in the school alone for a very short session on the ground. You know your horse better than anyone so only you can judge if this behaviour is out of character for him.
Give him some more time to settle then take him in the school for a small session of ground work ending on a good note- even if you don't achieve much. Some horses take longer to settle than others and you need to bear with him a bit longer.
 
Bah I meant to write 2 1/2 weeks ago, not half a week.

He's been shown quite a lot so he tends to be used to different environments.

You're both probably right about giving him more time to settle. I just felt quite disheartened!
 
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I think maybe you asked a bit too much of him by expecting him to settle in the school with 2 other horses in a new place.

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Are you serious?? I ride and expect perfect behaviour from mine on DAY 1!!! I say get him into a routine and ride him in the indoor everyday.
 
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Are you serious?? I ride and expect perfect behaviour from mine on DAY 1!!! I say get him into a routine and ride him in the indoor everyday.

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Yes, but your special GT's and we don't all have your talent for getting the ladies to behave as they should
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I would say take him in the indoor school every day and give him a lunge, only if he is behaving on the lunge get on. He will soon settle down when he reaslies how boring it is!! Try lunging him when other horses are in there before riding him again with others.
Dont be disheartened, i know how disappointing it is when you move and your horse behaves like a bum but they soon get used to all the new things!!!
 
Sorry but I disagree- IME expecting too much on Day 1 can be disastrous, obviously you have different expectations and experiences with your horses. This horse has behaved out of character and I truly believe a bit more time would do him the world of good.
 
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Sorry but I disagree- IME expecting too much on Day 1 can be disastrous, obviously you have different expectations and experiences with your horses. This horse has behaved out of character and I truly believe a bit more time would do him the world of good.

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I believe that not expecting too much right from the start can be disasterous - you have not owned the horse long and it will be evaluating what you expect of it / what it can get away with etc and once they decide that you are a soft touch then changing this view is harder than showing them you are the boss from day one.
Even when a horse is sold and so goes to a new yard with a new owner it should behave from the start, yes, it may stress a little but it is a better owner who is firm but reassuring than those who allow and thus encourage insecurities.
If your horse was well balanced, knew you were the boss and felt safe with you then moving to a new yard shouldn't be too big a deal at all. When horses compete they are expected to settle and perform well in a new environment immediately.
And added to that, good behaviour isn't that much to ask for - it is not like you moved and asked him to jump a GP course - just walk and trot sensibly..... really not expecting much IMO!!
 
I know it depends on the horse but I dont give my new ones "settling in time" other than the first night, and day in new stable and field, get to know their friends then they have to fit in with my routine!

The more you worry about it, the more the horse will pick up and think something is not right. If you get on with it as if all is normal (preferably on your own without others in the school to begin with).

If you ask what you want of him and he gets wound up, persevere to a point where you end on a good note...

Fred our looney was like this but he was acting up to get back to his new found friends. it took 3 good sessions for him to realise he would not get his own way by bucking or leaping around, he gradually settled and gave up the games, and was rewarded with extra time out...

Is there someone who has a settled older calmer horse that can say "go for a little hack" in the school?

We did this to begin with and asked for no work at all and worked at treat.
 
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Even when a horse is sold and so goes to a new yard with a new owner it should behave from the start, yes, it may stress a little but it is a better owner who is firm but reassuring than those who allow and thus encourage insecurities.
If your horse was well balanced, knew you were the boss and felt safe with you then moving to a new yard shouldn't be too big a deal at all. When horses compete they are expected to settle and perform well in a new environment immediately.


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Sorry, but this is just plain stupid. I don't know where some people get their ideas from. This horse is new to this person - and has moved twice in as many months.

Horses are ANIMALS.
Animals can be SENSATIVE and UNPREDICTABLE
And also appreciate a little CONSIDERATE HANDLING.

What is so wrong with giving it A LITTLE TIME TO ADJUST.

And breathing..............................
mad.gif
 
I would allow it to adjust - just not by rearing and runing after other horses - to me, it is stupid that you think that is ok behaviour just because the horse in new..... it is actually dangerous. And at what point do you decide that this behaviour is no longer acceptable.

I would reassure the horse but I would expect it to behave.
 
I had a similar problem with my gelding, he had never been in an arena with other horses before i got him.

I lunged him and lunged him with other horses in the school - i got my friends on the yard who had 'safe' horses to bring them up when i was lunging him and walk them away and bring them back in etc so he got used to it.

Now hes a saint with other horses in the arena, and this is only 4months on. I can get on him whilst other horses are trotting/cantering past him and he dosent mind.
 
I'm afraid I've seen more than one bad accident where someone has immediately expected their new horse in new surroundings to 'fit in' on day 1. Whats the hurry?? If it takes a week or 2 for a horse to settle in surely thats better than a horse and rider having an accident.
I'm not suggesting anyone allows bad behaviour from their horse but surely a bit of leeway can be allowed for those that do not adjust immediately. Some horses are more sensitive than others. My mare took quite a while to adjust to her new routine with me, but allowing her time has meant she is now a super, well adjusted mare. My sisters horse took no time at all to settle in - every horse is different.
 
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[ QUOTE ]
Even when a horse is sold and so goes to a new yard with a new owner it should behave from the start, yes, it may stress a little but it is a better owner who is firm but reassuring than those who allow and thus encourage insecurities.
If your horse was well balanced, knew you were the boss and felt safe with you then moving to a new yard shouldn't be too big a deal at all. When horses compete they are expected to settle and perform well in a new environment immediately.


[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, but this is just plain stupid. I don't know where some people get their ideas from. This horse is new to this person - and has moved twice in as many months.

Horses are ANIMALS.
Animals can be SENSATIVE and UNPREDICTABLE
And also appreciate a little CONSIDERATE HANDLING.

What is so wrong with giving it A LITTLE TIME TO ADJUST.

And breathing..............................
mad.gif


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I'm with you AmyMay, sometime ppl just expect too much.
 
I have just thought about this some more and I do not think I really treat new horses that differently to existing ones, I am reassuring but firm with all horses all the time.
If you allow insecurities then you encourage them and how can this ever be good for the horse - you are just creating a stressy horse who thinks they can have a fit eveytime something changes. Surely it is better to encourage the horse that there is nothing to worry about and therefore no reason to mis-behave and thus create a confident horse?
I would never pander to or encourage naughty behaviour in a horse just because it was new - as I said, IMO, that is when disasters occur.

Claire, it depends how effective the rider is - it is no good riding on the first day unless you can effectively calm and reassure the horse whilst being firm and making it behave - maybe those people couldn't.
Maybe all the people who give their horse 5 years to settle into a new home can't????
 
If you leave a horse to settle in too long....you have days and days where it hasnt been exercised then you expect it to behave like a saint in new surroundings?

Best to get on with it and start as you mean to go on....

Each to their own, whatever works for you I say?!

As said above it depends on how able the rider is, what atmosphere the yard holds and what people expect?

By working on the second day I dont mean gruelling but at least getting into the routine of still having to work to some degree rather than a holiday!
 
wow, lots of replies and differing advice! Thank you all for taking the time to help.

I had him previously at a friends place, where he was lovely. He was moved due to the fact that the only place to ride was a field that would get waterlogged too often. I have never experienced rearing at all from him and his manners on the ground are great. He never exhibited any sort of bad behaviour previously when ridden or on the ground though he can be dominant with other horses in the field.

He is however a very sensitive horse. When I'm riding him, even after lunging he feels like a coiled spring. Just waiting for the oppertunity to flip out if I would give him an inch. He never has until yesterday and I got the impression that he was so self absorbed that he wasn't going to listen regardless.

I've given him a day off today. He was as good as anything on his own in the indoor so I'm inclined to try riding him alone in the indoor to see if it was the other horses. Then lunging him and slowly introducing my friend and her horse.


Thoughts?
 
I think too many people let their horses get away with far too much - you take a horse to show and expect it to behave, yet you think moving to a new barn they need weeks to adjust. Horses fulfill your expectations, if you think they need time to adjust they will and then you need to work through it, if you don't then they will not.

Stella at age 4:
End of April - from Washington
May - My friends place in the desert
June/July - Santa Barbara
August to mid Sept. - A different place in the desert
3 days at my place
9 days at the hospital
2 days at my place
1 month back at the desert, and then 4 other barns on the way to Colorado.

So in a period of less than six month she was at 9 different places - never need time to adjust!
 
It's weird but when I was younger and we brought a horse he/she would be straight into work.

I'm not saying this is reflection on anyone here but sometimes your attitude can determine how the horse behaves. I used to have a much more 'don't care, just get on with it' attitude and it seemed to work......we even (shock horror) chucked mares and geldings together!! I think I worry too much now and it definately effects Ty occasionally.

I had over 10 horses when I was a teenager, including warmblood/arabs an unbroken horse and none of them reared/bucked or had any major vices. One tanked off once but that's another story!

Wonder if it's just coincidence?
 
I alwaysa give my horses time to settle. When I broght new boy home about a month ago he was in the school which adjoins the field for 5 days while he was wormed and to allow him to get to know the other horses over the fence.

Afer the 5 days he went out into the field, with 10 other horses, mares and geldings.

2 days later, on the weekend after he arrived we rode him lightly in the school, expected a few high jinks if the field horses came over, but he was a star.

Last weekend was his first hack and he was an angel despite the awful wind and the fact he was alone.

He is only 6 and has had a year off so we didnt want to rush him, now he is happy enjoying his work but isnt stressed out because we havent pushed him to quickly.

There is more to making your horse feel settled than just riding, mine got a full groom every day etc which helped us bond and now we couldnt ask for more.

Sure we had the trying it on bit in which he wouldnt let us pick his feet out, would lash out with his legs, and at 17.3hh quite big legs, but after a few days of being firm but kind we have never had a problem since and I think thats the key,being kind but firm and listening to your horse, you know if its fear or a tantrum etc.
 
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Afer the 5 days he went out into the field, with 10 other horses, mares and geldings.

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shocked.gif
 
I think it all depends on the horse and the individual. My lad was ridden out by me on the day after I had him. Having said that though I went out for a short hack with a friend on the yard who has a sensible horse. My lad is 15 and so is not a youngster and judging by his behaviour in the field when he was led in the day before he was chilled and very happy.
Our other horse my daughter's cob is young and green.
We did not do much with him to start of with as he had sore, and bleeding legs ( turned out to be mites). He was kept in for a few weeks as his legs were sore and we thought it was mud fever ( as that is what we had been told he had, had by his former owner) also another horse was soon to be leaving the yard and this horse was top dog until my other lad went in so I didn't want to risk any bullying which may have happened.
When he went out he took a day to settle with my lad as my big un got jealous of the youngster and he wanted all the fuss instead lol.
I would have quite happily worked Mcfly from day one if his legs had been ok and we had a proper school, which we don't. I don't have a box or transport so would have to walk to any arena ( about 30 mins/40 mins away on foot).
He settled in very well though and if the facilities had been there from day one he would have been thrown into schooling there and then. Due to circumstances and the weather turning against us and one thing and another his education proper will start from this spring and summer.
I must say though that from the picture you have painted of your horse adapting to his surroundings that you give him a little bit more time to settle as some horses are more sensitive to change than others and it will be far easier trying to work with a happy and chilled horse than a worrier and unco-operative one.
Good luck though and it will get better, you see
smile.gif

Cazx
 
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