bucked off again:(

[frb]

Right - opinions/help people!

Bought current horse six months ago. 15.1 part arab thing gelding 12yo. Was bit poor/under, needed back/teeth/saddle sorting, all of which I have had done. Was looky but not at all spooky, would not say boo to a goose. Had been a dobbin with prev owners. Have worked hard to build muscle/topline. Starting to move well and put weight on but has got more and more spooky. Have hacked on our own twice a week since I have had him, but getting more and more spooky and insecure out. Bronked a month ago, dumped me and galloped home. Tries to do this when we have gone out again, and yesterday succeeded in dumping me, but I managed to keep hold of the reins so he could not leg it. Cannot seem to cope in big spaces. No one on yard to hack with.

With me leading him he is better, but as soon as I am on board his eyes on stalks and he tries again. Admittedly I am getting nervous now, and he knows it. He is on global herbs so calm, not working. Was on magnitude.

He is on hi fi molasses free 2x scoops a day, top nosh (simple systems linseed and alfalfa) 1 x scoop a day. Was on more but cut it back. He was on alfa a oil but started to get bad so took him off it. Don't want him to drop off but don't want to get hurt. Should I cut the protein? Allen and page fast fibre? Have to avoid sugar/starch.

Sorry its long!

 

[Carlosmum]

Bl***y horses! Does he have a laminitis prob as you say no sugar/starch. Try him on a hi-fibre cube, & cut the linseed as this has oil. Sounds like he has too much energy & not enough work, do you turn him out? I would suggest you get some professional help before you loose you confidence. Try the local riding club for escorts. good luck

 

[MrsMozart]

Hum. Sounds like too much fizz.

If he still needs feeding up, I like Saracen's Equijewel. Tried it with the Dizzy (DWB) and two ex-racers. No fizz

 

[frb]

He seems to react to sugar and starch hence avoiding them - trying to keep him as chilled as poss. He is turned out every day and worked 5/6 days a week. lunging/schooling half hour. His prev owners had him on competition mix to try and wizz him up! He was poor with them though, his back was not right and saddle did not fit, and he was jumping discovery. Now he is obviously feeling better, so I know he will be different but he is so out of character now. He is not too bad at home, its just out. Need to know he will behave at a show. He was a dobbin at his first one, won his dressage test but had only had him two weeks. Bloody horses. My poor sore bottom. Better than the concussion I had last time!

So scared of switching feeds, but wondering if its the soya in the hi fi, or the top nosh.

 

[Honey08]

It sounds as though he is starting to feel well and getting more energy. There is a little bit of grass starting to come through now, so you often get this at this time of year - we call it spring lamb syndrome! Perhaps start cutting his feed down a little bit - he will need less and less as we get nearer to spring anyway, and the grass will help him gain weight..

It also sounds as though he is not gaining the confidence that he needs from you. Its a vicious circle - the more he is naughty, the more nervous you get (quite natural), and the less he feels like you are a confident "herd leader" - which he needs as he is not over confident anyway...

Could you find a local instructor/professional who could ride him out for you a few times to iron out the problems, and so that you can see how they react when he is naughty? Also try and have some lessons in a school too. I bet things will get easiler in summer.

Last resort - perhaps look if there are any other yards in the area with people that you could ride out with, or a card in the local tack shop asking for companions for hacks?

 

[MrsMozart]

Try calling the feed manufacturers and ask their advice.

If it's any consolation, when we got GM, when the weather got bad, as they were out 24/7 I put them onto Speedibeat. Three neds fine, but GM started to get whappier and whappier! 180 degree leap spins, cantering sideways up the school. Totla irriate! Was getting rather worried as D1 on GM kept disappearing at a great rate of knots. Cut the Speedibeat and now she's back to her version of sane

 

[frb]

Thanks guys. I have a lesson once a week and instructor says she will hack him out, also know the ex head girl of well known eventor who has serious brass balls who said she would help.

My last horse was a nutty hanno who could be very spooky and did massive flying bronks/bucks, and I was ok, but I knew him well as had him five years before he was pts, and he was bigger so always managed to stay on. Only fell off him once in five years. Have fallen off this one three times recently! He is narrow and does this buck ping thing, even shipped my instructor without any trouble!

Hate feeling this nervous, but know I will probably fall off, whereas knew I could stick on before. If I could sit to it could probably cope.

Wondering if it is the soya in the hi fi. Just worried about him losing but have got to be safe. Not nervous at home. He is such a little ****!

 

[Honey08]

I know its easy to say, but try not to let yourself dwell on it - and stop saying that you will get bucked off again/can't sit to him, and worrying what he will be like at shows - you're setting yourself up megatively before you've even started. Give it time, and take up the lovely offers that you have of help - its only a blip, and you WILL get over it...x

 

[jendie]

My cob is a bit like this. The fitter the gets the naughtier she becomes. My instructor hacked her out whilst I rode alongside on another horse and she was just as bad with her, although she never got her off. She is an ex riding school horse (she was expelled for good reason >g< )and knows every trick in the book to evade work. Such as canter, canter, canter head down, shoulder in, rider off, gallop back to the yard!! She is fine with yellow daffs but the white ones eat horses. She is lovely to school though and I've become very, very fond of her and her cheekiness. I've had a bad injury (from another horse) and at the moment I'm only riding her in the school as I can't face the potential falls I'd suffer hacking out!

 

[mrdarcy]

Try cutting out all alfalfa. Some horses just can't tolerate it. Fast fibre would be a good replacement feed. Even the HiFi contains some alfalfa. Worth a try removing it for a few weeks to see if behaviour improves

 

[0ldmare]

Ouch, poor you!!

I honestly think there is a big possibility its largely due to something in his feed (combined with feeling rather well of course - so you may not ever totally get back the dobbin you bought!). Its odd how some horses just cannot tolerate certain ingredients. I've had one that was bonkers if there was barley in the feed, one that couldn't take sugar beet (molassed or unmolassed) and the chestnut in my siggy was a nutcase on green horsehage, but absolutely fine on blue horsehage.

If he was mine I'd probably cut out all hard food and just feed hay for a few days (which won't hurt him and you could always just give him a few carrots if he's feeling left out). See how he is then gradually reintroduce hard food one thing at a time and see what happens

 

[sam4321]

Just a thought, as you said you were having trouble sticking when he bucks. Apparently suede full shaps make you stick like glue as they are so grippy all the way down your leg. Might be something to try, but as everyone else has said, it sounds like it might be the feed. Could you try upping his hay and just giving him a balancer and linseed or something like that, as it very high in fat which will keep his weight, but its fat not sugar so it wont make him loopy

 

[mystiandsunny]

Re-check saddle as he's changed shape and slight niggles can add to spookiness as they just feel a bit 'off'. Then I'd cut all feed for a week or so and go for ad-lib haylage/hay (won't lose too much weight in a week) and just see if you get a change. If you do, slowly re-introduce feeds, sticking to one 'type' at a time, to see if you can figure out what is causing it.

 

[Sanolly]

can't help re feed, but would it be worth only hacking him after a (hard) schooling session? that way he see's at as a cooling down period, therefore seeing it as better than schooling?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I'd take the alfalfa out of his diet - we have a mare who reacts very badly to it.
However, having been in a similar position to you around this time last year, I would also get 2nd opinions on back/saddle. My mare bucked me off 1st time out after the snow -I slid down the shoulder and appeared to be unhurt. We went out again a couple of times with no incident. Then we went out again and I landed on my head on the road. I walked home (nowhere to get on, she's 16.3) and then remounted at home and walked round the yard. But then I thought about it properly and got the vet out. He found muscle wastage (all a bit odd because she had been checked not long before). Vet treated her with acupuncture and after most of last year off she is now sound.

 

[smiggy]

Did they hack him?
cant quite see how he was poor but being fed competition mix, yet still a dobbin?
Just thinking maybe hacking is the thing that blows his mind not the feed?
Sent to try us horses

 

[frb]

They only hacked on one route, fifteen mins, but on a VERY busy road, next to an airfield, mojor traffic. I rode him down this road and he did not turn a hair. They used to keep him stabled a lot. I know it is strange with the comp mix, but honestly he was totally different, they had to boot him and lots of tap tap with whip to keep him going. Now he is very different, not so dead off the leg with back and saddle done, and with some topline. He never did anything negative with them. Maybe because he was stuck back wise, under and jumping all the time. They were shocked when I told them. I cantered him in headcollar in school on first day. He did not look at anything, licks running tractors. Now wets himself at the sight of a wheelbarrow on the yard.

All your help is massively appreciated, it is so good to get opinions and be able to talk about this with you people, thank you! x

 

[smiggy]

Lack of magnesium in the grazing

 

[frb]

When I work out how the hell i can get pics off phone, onto laptop then onto here i will post before and after pics for you to see. He is very pretty, but way too clever. I have renamed him Damien.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Mine has also started being naughty and dumped me yesterday - combination of feeling well, high winds and rain and probably having a far too easy time.

So have cut her food completely - she can have as much hay as she likes and is out all day and we'll see how she is on that. She's had back and saddle and teeth done and has just been a minx. I do feel a bit mean not feeding her but as OH says - think how p*ssed off you were when she dumped you. Don't normally follow his train of thought but, for once, I'm tending to agree with trying the farmer's way!!

 

[ForeverBroke_]

Ditto Sanolly, and get all the checks done just to ensure nothing is niggling away!

 

[Lollii]

I would cut out all hard feed and leave him out 24/7 if possible with a big round of hay to munch on, ride and lunge him everyday if possible, also try leading him from another horse when hacking and see if he does the same?

I had a similar problem, my horse he is worse in the winter when he is kept in and being fed more to keep weight on, I now keep him out on ad lib hay and he is so much better behaved.

 

[soulfull]

Try cutting out all alfalfa. Some horses just can't tolerate it. Fast fibre would be a good replacement feed. Even the HiFi contains some alfalfa. Worth a try removing it for a few weeks to see if behaviour improves

I agree

also try mag ox it is so cheap and worked great on my WB

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