JemZ79
New User
I’ve had my cob for about 4 years. He was brought as a ride and drive, unseen. But we saw multiple videos of him being ridden, and driven in very heavy traffic, and he was fine.
The day after he arrived, we lead him around on the ground, and he was spooking at everything! He was also a little underweight. We had physio out and he was a bit sore in his back, had saddle fitter out, correctly fitted saddle etc. We did the exercises the physio gave us, we gave him some time off to rest and gain some weight. We had all checks re-done, and given the all clear.
We then started long reining for a good few weeks, we’d go for miles, he’d spook and spin at things like drain covers, we carried on with the long reining. When he ‘seemed’ happy with it, we tacked him up and drove him out, he was quite strong a few times, and looked worried to death at cars coming towards him in the opposite lane. We got to the bottom of the road of our yard, and to this day, we don’t know what it was, but he bolted, there was a big builders pickup behind and traffic coming towards, or it could have been a fly bite, but he bolted, there was no stopping him. He turned the cart over, thrashing about in the road, he got up and started bolting the other way, up a verge and straight down, thrashing around again, he got up, we finally managed to grab him and set him free from the trap. Vet was called straight away, he had cuts to every limb, but thankfully, nothing serious.
I decided there and then, that there was no way I was attempting to drive him again.
A few weeks later, I lead him out, I did lots of lunging and groundwork, he would still spook at lots of different things, I tried my very best to desensitise him, but he was still nervous, he was ridden a few times, still spooky, but not too bad.
The next year or so, he didn’t do an awful lot, he’s very low mileage ridden, but hes been lead out, ALOT, for miles and miles, with and without the company of another horse/s. Over summer, we started trying to get him really working, but took it slowly, due to the fact that he has these bolting issues, always seemingly due to fear, I thought I’d try and get a ridden trot/canter on the lunge line, I asked my friend to hold on to the lunge, he instantly started looking at the lunge line and freaking out, my friend didn’t have hold of the lunge line properly, he bolted. I know I should have tried to turn him into a smaller circle, but I was so worried he’d end up tangled in it, I thought I’d try and ride it out, he was galloping and bucking and bronking, and off I went, very narrowly avoiding whacking my head on a fence post!
Over the next week or so, I thought I’d do more groundwork, desensitising etc. Initially I couldn’t get near him with the lunge line, but I ended up getting him lightly lunging, I’d put the lungeline on his back etc, as soon as you put it near his feet, or behind him, he’ll bolt.
I then lead him out with my Daughter on my other pony. I actually cried by the time I got back, because he quite frankly terrified me that much! He saw donkeys, he was spinning and trying to bolt, same with dogs (which he has never, ever been afraid of) joggers, the sound of the gravel on the ground, cyclists etc. I carried on for a few minutes, but I had to turn back, by this time he was even starting to upset my other pony, and he’d seen another rider coming towards us in the distance and just desperately wanted to take off, his eyes are wide open, his breathing is really fast and heavy, snorting and he really does look completely wild by this point. When we crossed the road to our yard, we obviously had to wait and stop for traffic, the whole time he’s spinning, when he realised he couldn’t bolt, he reared up (never done that before!) I have never been as scared as I was in my life that day, I’ve always talked to him, remained calm, but that day, I honestly don’t know how we got home without him killing us, or someone else. I’ve been thinking since then, I’m just going to retire him (he’s 10!) I feel like he’s completely knocked my confidence, I’ve tried so hard, but I just think, and worry he has serious bolting issues that we can’t get him out of.
Does anyone think this is something that will change, am I doing something wrong? I’d never part with him, he’s not had a great start in life, had previously been dumped as a terrified colt and made to carry some heavy loads. And I love him to bits, but it’s gutting that I can’t do anything with him.
The day after he arrived, we lead him around on the ground, and he was spooking at everything! He was also a little underweight. We had physio out and he was a bit sore in his back, had saddle fitter out, correctly fitted saddle etc. We did the exercises the physio gave us, we gave him some time off to rest and gain some weight. We had all checks re-done, and given the all clear.
We then started long reining for a good few weeks, we’d go for miles, he’d spook and spin at things like drain covers, we carried on with the long reining. When he ‘seemed’ happy with it, we tacked him up and drove him out, he was quite strong a few times, and looked worried to death at cars coming towards him in the opposite lane. We got to the bottom of the road of our yard, and to this day, we don’t know what it was, but he bolted, there was a big builders pickup behind and traffic coming towards, or it could have been a fly bite, but he bolted, there was no stopping him. He turned the cart over, thrashing about in the road, he got up and started bolting the other way, up a verge and straight down, thrashing around again, he got up, we finally managed to grab him and set him free from the trap. Vet was called straight away, he had cuts to every limb, but thankfully, nothing serious.
I decided there and then, that there was no way I was attempting to drive him again.
A few weeks later, I lead him out, I did lots of lunging and groundwork, he would still spook at lots of different things, I tried my very best to desensitise him, but he was still nervous, he was ridden a few times, still spooky, but not too bad.
The next year or so, he didn’t do an awful lot, he’s very low mileage ridden, but hes been lead out, ALOT, for miles and miles, with and without the company of another horse/s. Over summer, we started trying to get him really working, but took it slowly, due to the fact that he has these bolting issues, always seemingly due to fear, I thought I’d try and get a ridden trot/canter on the lunge line, I asked my friend to hold on to the lunge, he instantly started looking at the lunge line and freaking out, my friend didn’t have hold of the lunge line properly, he bolted. I know I should have tried to turn him into a smaller circle, but I was so worried he’d end up tangled in it, I thought I’d try and ride it out, he was galloping and bucking and bronking, and off I went, very narrowly avoiding whacking my head on a fence post!
Over the next week or so, I thought I’d do more groundwork, desensitising etc. Initially I couldn’t get near him with the lunge line, but I ended up getting him lightly lunging, I’d put the lungeline on his back etc, as soon as you put it near his feet, or behind him, he’ll bolt.
I then lead him out with my Daughter on my other pony. I actually cried by the time I got back, because he quite frankly terrified me that much! He saw donkeys, he was spinning and trying to bolt, same with dogs (which he has never, ever been afraid of) joggers, the sound of the gravel on the ground, cyclists etc. I carried on for a few minutes, but I had to turn back, by this time he was even starting to upset my other pony, and he’d seen another rider coming towards us in the distance and just desperately wanted to take off, his eyes are wide open, his breathing is really fast and heavy, snorting and he really does look completely wild by this point. When we crossed the road to our yard, we obviously had to wait and stop for traffic, the whole time he’s spinning, when he realised he couldn’t bolt, he reared up (never done that before!) I have never been as scared as I was in my life that day, I’ve always talked to him, remained calm, but that day, I honestly don’t know how we got home without him killing us, or someone else. I’ve been thinking since then, I’m just going to retire him (he’s 10!) I feel like he’s completely knocked my confidence, I’ve tried so hard, but I just think, and worry he has serious bolting issues that we can’t get him out of.
Does anyone think this is something that will change, am I doing something wrong? I’d never part with him, he’s not had a great start in life, had previously been dumped as a terrified colt and made to carry some heavy loads. And I love him to bits, but it’s gutting that I can’t do anything with him.
