disheartened :(

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pony&cow

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sorry its long...
currently drowning my sorrows with a huge bar of chocolate thinking where the hell did we go wrong....
I bought my 4yr old mare june last year she'd been backed, ridden for for 8 months then turned away for 6months. I never rushed anything with her. gave her a few weeks to settle, lunged without tack, then with tack, then lay over her until i was riding her without assistance after about 2 months of owning her. we had the odd bad day but on the whole she was progressing nicely. hacking out alone schooling (only in a small riding field) and lunging lovely. she has always been a little spooky but nothing to major.
the last fortnight 3 weeks ish have been hell! she botlted in the field where i fell off, shes started napping, and has gone seriously spooky, snorting all the time with her eyes out on stalks!
today I rode about 50 metres from home where she planted herself and refused to go forward. we went up, round and backwards until she put her back legs down the ditch and freaked. I hate giving up but i got off and tried to carry on the way we were originally going so he decieded to rear up at me.
i got home, untacked her and had a little cry while she gave me the butter wouldnt melt look and rested her head on my chest.

First thing I will get on to is getting her back checked. (if anyone knows anyone in south staffs that would be helpful) I also want to find a good local instructor.

any ideas? chucking her back out and leaving her for anothe 6months has gone through my mind but then i don't want to turn her away on a negative. another option is to possibly move to a local livery yard with facilities for a few months as I dont have a surface at home but then the hacking wouldnt be as good.
or keep calm and carry on?
 
Oh not a good situation for you. I think you are right about getting your horse's back checked and a good instructor. I would personally take some steps backward and concentrate on a good deal of groundwork in the form of long reining if I were you. You can achieve everything you should be able to ridden via long reins. You can spook proof (as much as one can :) ) a horse and send them forward into also sorts of situations. Get a good book if you are unsure, but it would give you confidence in your horse that they will learn and behave and trust you to take them anywhere. You too will gain confidence in your horse and your relationship with them. Good luck OP - do not despair :) Youngsters often go backward after a good start.

This is the book I had and it's great and explains long reining well

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Art-of-Long-Reining-/150999217470?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item232841353e
 
First thing is to get back, teeth and saddle checked. If they're ok and actually I bet at least one needs adjustment make sure that the bridle isn't too tight round her ears.
If all is well, look at her feed. Is she having hard feed of any kind? Supplements? Treats? If so cut them out and just feed forage.
While all this is going on, concentrate on groundwork to build up your confidence in each other.
 
My initial thought would be have you changed her feed? Our youngster went from dope on a rope to eyes on stalks over a couple of weeks as I tried changing her onto the local feed shops own brand cool mix. As soon as I put her back on calm and condition once we'd figured out what it was (she was new to us so we weren't sure what was normal and what was not) she was fine again. Defo get back, saddle and teeth checked out if you haven't changed feed
 
thanks for you replies. she has had teeth done recently but will get back and saddle checked. ive rubbed all over her back quite hard where here saddle sits and she doesnt flinch, will get it looked at though. She only has half a mug of topspec cool balancer a day with magnesium. Thats all and ad lib hay, theres not much grass on her field but a bit to pick at along with her hay. Have gone back to lunging slowy and just trying to get her to relax and walk. she seems to be in a hurry to go anywhere but where i want! Will try long reining, did a bit of this with her when I first started working her but havent long reined since I started riding her.
Any ground work exercise ideas?
 
pony&cow said:
thanks for you replies. she has had teeth done recently but will get back and saddle checked. ive rubbed all over her back quite hard where here saddle sits and she doesnt flinch, will get it looked at though. She only has half a mug of topspec cool balancer a day with magnesium. Thats all and ad lib hay, theres not much grass on her field but a bit to pick at along with her hay. Have gone back to lunging slowy and just trying to get her to relax and walk. she seems to be in a hurry to go anywhere but where i want! Will try long reining, did a bit of this with her when I first started working her but havent long reined since I started riding her.
Any ground work exercise ideas?
Click to expand...

My suggestion would be to get an inspriring instructor for your long reining and ground work ideas. Once you have had a bit of help you will be able to continue alone. Long reining and in hand work is really rather a skill and quite underated by many. Have fun with it, but my advice is to ask around and find someone who is very good at it to help. Neither you nor your horse want to be bored doing it. You can get your horse to make turns on the forehand, legyield etc in the long reins. You can have parallel poles to walk between, cones to bend in and out of. Basically you can do all of your schooling exercises from the ground. You can even canter your horse by changing to a lunging position just using an extra line :) Directional changes become fun as you get adept to using long lines. You can tell I like them alot :D
 
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Backing up, stoping when you stop, walking over tarp, in and out of cones if you have any....things like that.

To be honest I would think at least the saddle would have changes due to her being in would and it could be pinching her, agree with YasandCrystal to do long reining as they can muck about without you on top and you can correct.
 
They often go through a teenage stage. Testing us.
But get her, teeth, back, tack etc checked.
Is she getting enough turnout?
What food is she on?
Maybe another yard with a safe enclosed areana.
Safe hacking partners and experienced help would be beneficial.
 
Once youve had the usual back and tack check, is she different on the ground or just to ride? All youngsters go through the bolshy teenager phaze but if its just ridden in light of recent 'borrowing' type posts has anyone else ridden your mare, with or without permission??
 
pony&cow said:
She has equine america magnitude with less than half a mug full of topspec cool balancer so to much feed shouln't be a issue.
Click to expand...

I believe that the change in diet from summer to winter can cause a difference in behaviour. Some horses are very sensitive to diet, but with spring hopefully around the corner everyone will benefit. Clearly you are not feeding anything heating or contentious.
 
I agree with the longreining idea and getting an instructor to help or moving to somewhere with more people on hand so that you don't put yourself in danger and feel more confident. It is always better when somebody else is there! At least if you try longreining or lunging with no saddle you can suss out to some extent if it is saddle causing issues for her.
 
Awww please don't feel disheartened you have been doing everything right! I've been in your shoes and know how you feel. Firsty- def echo saddle and back- youngsters change shape alarmingly quickley- if your mare is very sensitive (like mine!) then the saddle has to be perfect (I'd got through 4 saddles by the time she was 5!). The sunshine last week made the grass very tasty for a bit so consider soaking night time hay for 12 hours + to remove any sugars- make sure not getting too much grass during the day (Might sound mad again in february but my mare is very sensitve to grass- she is starting to wear her grazing muzzle again and having soaked hay). Get in contact with a trusted and recommended instructor who is patient and experienced in dealing with youngsters and when you know health wise she is perfect then don't hold back- win every battle even if it is a small step e.g. you have to get off hacking because she is messing about then lead her (in a lungeline if need be!) youngsters will test the boundaries. Good luck XXX
 
Oh dear! Poor you. Have you thought it might possibly be spring - my little treasure is a complete pita coming into spring - and autumn. Not only is the grass sugar content changing, but mares (he is a gelding) are coming into season atm, and he doesn't want to come in if it means leaving them still out! Also changed into Mr Superspook, whereas he has been Mr Chill since last October. I'm sure you will overcome this blip - hope so. Use some of the suggestions other posters have made. Good luck!
 
Thank you all very much. Will try lunging without saddle tomorrow see if she is any different. I'll get all checks done then maybe give a few weeks to see if its a passing phase. Dont want to move her to a livery yard unless i have to.
Nobody else has ridden her (unless the other half has taken up riding!). Fingers crossed its just a spring grass issue. But now will be a good time to start lessons. Passing phase or not we could benefit.
Thanks again everyone.
 
The terrible fours! My gelding was the same, an angel at three years old and then a nightmare between four and five. I think he gained fitness, realised how much bigger than me he was and started to throw his weight around and test the boundaries. Obvs get all the checks done, teeth, saddle etc as they are going through changes at this age and it could be pain related. But with my gelding it was just a power battle, glad to say I won in the end with lots of consistent work and perseverance.
 
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