Sleipnir
Well-Known Member
I am open to any kind of advice on what would be the best course of action with my gelding - sorry for the long vent, but I need help!
Background: - almost 9yo warmblood with a tendency to get strong in the bridle, however, very sane. Has always been a perfect hack - fearless, bold, will cross anything, jump anything, calm around vehicles and heavy machinery. Ridden bitless in a mechanical hackamore (bit is not an option). Together we have hacked extensively in woodlands, on roads, I've even taken him to the sea and he's seen everything from psycho dogs to wildlife to trains, and, although bigger and louder machinery gets him a bit fidgety, it has never caused a problem. That has applied to all the yards we've ever moved to over the previous years and he could be safely ridden in strange environment even totally bridleless.
This January we had to move again and the new yard has access to fantastic hacking in a nature reserve. We could really enjoy it...but, we don't! For the first few weeks everything was ok, we went hacking and, although there are train tracks to cross in order to get to the forest, he was calm about it and didn't stress at all about the trains we saw. Come week three, we were walking back from a nice hack and close to home when we heard a train behind of us (not even close, though!). He kind of wanted to start trotting, to which I took him back to a walk. Next thing I know, I'm in a rodeo show and fly off a bucking monster, who then proceeds to gallop home alone (thank goodness the other horse and rider stayed put). After a few days, we tried hacking again and, although we saw three trains at first, going down a path that goes along the train tracks (but some 200 meters from them), he was reasonably calm. Then there comes the fourth train, and, again, the next thing I know - panic ensues and he flips a true bolt! Luckily, I stayed on, but I managed to stop him only after quite a while and after crashing over some unsafe terrain.
Since then I've been trying to walk him in-hand just to see the train tracks and the trains, but, if a larger comes, he starts panicking even if we're just barely seeing it. To top that, if we just go to the forest far from the trail tracks, he is a nervous mess - calling out for others, spooking, on our way home - trying to buck and bolt, which, thankfully, I've managed to successfully control up to now. But where has my safe, sane hacking horse gone?!
Although I'm reasonably experienced, this time I'm out of guesses what might have caused this sudden change in character and behavior.
He lives outside 24/7 with a herd and is fed adlib hay with just a small handful of oats to mix his supplements with, which are apple cider vinegar, seaveed and garlic.
Background: - almost 9yo warmblood with a tendency to get strong in the bridle, however, very sane. Has always been a perfect hack - fearless, bold, will cross anything, jump anything, calm around vehicles and heavy machinery. Ridden bitless in a mechanical hackamore (bit is not an option). Together we have hacked extensively in woodlands, on roads, I've even taken him to the sea and he's seen everything from psycho dogs to wildlife to trains, and, although bigger and louder machinery gets him a bit fidgety, it has never caused a problem. That has applied to all the yards we've ever moved to over the previous years and he could be safely ridden in strange environment even totally bridleless.
This January we had to move again and the new yard has access to fantastic hacking in a nature reserve. We could really enjoy it...but, we don't! For the first few weeks everything was ok, we went hacking and, although there are train tracks to cross in order to get to the forest, he was calm about it and didn't stress at all about the trains we saw. Come week three, we were walking back from a nice hack and close to home when we heard a train behind of us (not even close, though!). He kind of wanted to start trotting, to which I took him back to a walk. Next thing I know, I'm in a rodeo show and fly off a bucking monster, who then proceeds to gallop home alone (thank goodness the other horse and rider stayed put). After a few days, we tried hacking again and, although we saw three trains at first, going down a path that goes along the train tracks (but some 200 meters from them), he was reasonably calm. Then there comes the fourth train, and, again, the next thing I know - panic ensues and he flips a true bolt! Luckily, I stayed on, but I managed to stop him only after quite a while and after crashing over some unsafe terrain.
Since then I've been trying to walk him in-hand just to see the train tracks and the trains, but, if a larger comes, he starts panicking even if we're just barely seeing it. To top that, if we just go to the forest far from the trail tracks, he is a nervous mess - calling out for others, spooking, on our way home - trying to buck and bolt, which, thankfully, I've managed to successfully control up to now. But where has my safe, sane hacking horse gone?!
Although I'm reasonably experienced, this time I'm out of guesses what might have caused this sudden change in character and behavior.
He lives outside 24/7 with a herd and is fed adlib hay with just a small handful of oats to mix his supplements with, which are apple cider vinegar, seaveed and garlic.