Challenging youngster

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littlen

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Sorry this may be a bit of a moan- don't want to admit in real that I'm struggling a bit.

I have owned 4 horses previously, all different types. I have worked with horses and worked with big competition horses. I suppose I'm trying to say I'm not clueless however I have had a break from anything serious and have just been hacking for a few years.

Saw a young pony and loved her and bought her on a bit of a whim. She's rising 5 and I just clicked with her as soon as I saw her. She's backed and ridden away.

Had her home, she's been fantastic. I've hacked her alone and in company and she hasn't put a good wrong. She's good to handle usually. She's been walked out etc and not done anything drastic. She's seen lots and took it all in her stride.

Then she came into season, she bucked me off. She turned into a bucking spinning spooky mess and was awful for 4 days. So awful I couldn't do a thing with her really. She came round this week and has been better but is still very unsettled and spooky. She's also started pulling faces and nipping since then.

She's spooky inhand and ridden. She feels unpredictable when I ride her, so much so I don't want to get on. She's shooting every direction but forwards and is flinging her head everywhere in protest.
I've tried lunging but she bucks like mad as soon as I ask for forward.

She's napping badly when trying to leave the yard but will happily follow me in hand.

She's not overworked, ridden 2-3 times a week in walk and trot and turned out in between. She's in a stable herd and is settled in the group.
She's had her saddle checked this week and her teeth done this month. I've also had a chiro check she's fit for work which she is so I'm confident it's not physical. My friend is an equine vet and dosent think it's a medical problem, just a young pony testing the boundaries who is full of hormones.

I've had lessons and will continue to have them with her and always feel brilliant in them but as soon as the instructor is gone I go to jelly.

I feel like I've really lost my nerve with her though and she can sense it. Maybe I've been far too soft and she knows it. I don't really want to ride her at the moment on my own so it's limiting how much I can do as I rarely have help.

This is normal isn't it with a new pony especially a young one? Is she just testing me?
How can I get past this now without ruining the pony or getting hurt?
 
No, it's not normal and I would say there is a problem rather than her testing you. I would get her checked over by the vet, then if they give the all clear then get a professional to help you out before you get hurt and/ or the pony ruined!
 
Occasionally some mares can stress themselves when in season and have mild ulcers, I would be getting vet to rule out this and any ovarian issues.
Then save up, get instructor in who you obviously trust and get a 30 min session every day for a week, whether in school or accompanying you hacking etc if you can borrow a spare horse.
Hope you get to the bottom of it x
 
Thankyou all.

My instructor saw her in action earlier in the week and said she's backwards thinking and napping to get back to her field mates. She's constantly looking towards the other horses when worked, shouting etc and I feel like she isn't ever listening to me.
In the school it's like she's actively looking for things to spook at on purpose, rather than spooking itself.

My instructor wants me to get on and push her through so she learns it isn't acceptable but I've got no confidence to do it. I can get her working in lessons but as soon as my instructor is gone she takes my braveness with her!

I'm not a nervous sort of rider generally but she's hard work and quick on her feet.

When hacking she is much better although once something scares her she seems to dwell on it for ages rather than forgetting about it.

I will definitely get a vet check just incase it's something hormonal. She's out of season now but is still spooky and silly and has been since it started.
 
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Having also been in a similar situation with my 4 year old (3 years ago) I would say, as everyone else has, it does sounds like she isn't just being nappy! I would say maybe try her on a supplement for hormonal mares to see if that makes a difference to start with. if not then get the vet to do a full work up. i say this because of the following......

I had two different instructors tell me that my boy was napping! he was actually lame and he got so pis sed off with me ignoring his little signs (not standing for me to get on, running off when I tired to put his bridle own, pawing the ground whilst being tacked up, and planting/totally refusing to move) he had to start rearing, vertical! at this point, my instructor told me to sell him, I wasn't capable or riding him, because I was too scared to beat him through the rearing.

I agreed to sell him, my instructor was going to do it for me! I was to drop him off the following weekend! I then felt guilty about selling a potentially dangerous horse! so I got the vet out! when we found his lameness issues! he spent a year, having different treatment and eventually having his hocks fused, and shoes removed! and two years on I have a wonderful 7 year old! he still doesn't particularly like schooling, but his memory of schooling is that its painful! so now we have 1 lesson a month, just to keep on top of things! and mainly do hacking, fun rides, day trips etc! but he's happy now and so am I
 
Just as Kezzabell said, I've also had instructors tell me my horse was napping when we later discovered it was KS. I would definitely get her checked before believing it's simply napping.
 
My youngster now 5 went through a stage last year of saying no. She wasn't pushed, and was ridden say 3 times a week. She appeared to be quite backward thinking. After a fortune spent on X-rays etc I turned her away. She's come back this year amazing , loves her work and is back to being the happy lovely mare she always was. We put it down to the fact she was growing and a bit achy and basically just not mature enough.
 
My mare at 5 lost the plot for 3 1/2 weeks during April - hormonal nutter... killer really, I was just thinking that I needed the vet or to sell her when she went back to normal ... this year I just turned her away for the 8 days of her April season - a lot less painful from my point of view! What I'm trying to say is especially in their first season of the year they can act amazingly out of character so don't panic just yet!
 
Mine is completely wired at the moment and behaving very out of character. She's also been in season and I think there's more goodness in the grass than first thought so suspect it's hormones and spring fever, not a nice combination! Hope you get to the bottom of it.
 
My horse spooks when ridden if something in the yard has been moved recently and is constantly looking around at everything else going on out of curiosity. Thats just him, he does not like change at all and freaks out at it, and he is very easily distracted but not bored really, he just has a very short attention span.

That doesn't really sound the same as your mare though. Mine will spook inhand too, again if something is new or has been moved from one place to the other (he still isn't fully over the fact the yard owner dared to get a new horsebox 4 months ago, how dare he). But your mare sounds like she has something else wrong as my horse doesn't buck.
 
I feel your pain. I have a very peppy "jolly" youngster who is just always full of beans and opinions. I have to mentally force myself to relax on him sometimes and pretend he's my trustworthy lost horse. Youbsay the lessons all go well but not after so it sounds like perhaps she's picking up on your nerves and pushing boundaries. If it was hormonal or physical I expect she would be the same in lessons.

I find singing really helps when you feel yourself tending up.
 
I would definitely look at a hormone supplement. I think with young horses when they first come into season it can be a bit of shock, think hormonal teenager. I got my girl as a 3yo and her first season as a 4 yo she had a complete meltdown out hacking for no reason, she is now 6 and is much better now, just a little spooky.
 
I do find that the first and last season of the year are the worst, so it may settle in time anyway.

Would it not be possible for your trainer to get on her if he/she thinks it is just napping? Often you can feel more than just looking from the floor. Also, if it is just napping then you can take heart of you see that she does as she is told when ridden firmly. I would ensure that the horse starts to actually go with a smile though, rather then just going better because she is more worried about the rider than any pain.

If it is out of character and continues then I would get the vet to have a look.
 
I would be working the horse regularity i.e. Six or seven days a week.
I would also have the vet to take a look at her and see if a trial on regulate is called for .
 
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