Do some horses just have no self preservation?

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widget

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Well my yearling who you may remember jumped over a fence on arrival at mine hanging himself off it by his back legs. He has since this jumped a gate when spooked by a wheelbarrow and jumped another gate. Jumped a stable door as I closed it behind him and them jumped another gate when he couldn't stop out in the field cantering with his buddies. These were all as a 6-8month old foal- all has been quiet until yesterday. I brought my old cob out of the field for farrier- leaving him in field with my younger cob, a Shetland and two sheep all of which he is friends with. As I led horse in heard an clatter behind me and he had tried to jump the gate again. Getting his hind foot stuck in the gate. Managed to get foot out of gate and once again he was lucky to just have a few scrapes.

So my question is are some horses just born without self preservation? This is the fifth thing he has jumped with little provocation and fifth time he's hurt himself/ got stuck. Surely at some stage he should realise not to do this. I'm at my wits end and considering selling him as the old con is being pts at the end of the summer and I don't want a hysterical yearling to deal with as well.

Strawberries and ice cream for those that got this far!
 
Not to that degree :O bet that's a stressful time!!
But old lady is very good at injuring/spooking herself on anything. The other day she was itching her foot and as she lifted it up she then dunked it in her water bucket. Que running to the back of the stable, snorting and not looking at it..good job everything is well padded in her stable!
 
I'm going to have to wrap him up in cotton wool or sell him. I keep them at home an on my own here a lot of the time so it's heart stopping when he's attached to a gate/fence/stable door and your struggling by yourself : (
 
widget said:
I'm going to have to wrap him up in cotton wool or sell him. I keep them at home an on my own here a lot of the time so it's heart stopping when he's attached to a gate/fence/stable door and your struggling by yourself : (
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It sounds like he loves jumping. Can you not increase the height of the gate with a wooden frame? I know it's impossible to address every obstacle, but the gate would be an easy one. I had a youngster who jumped out quite a bit - he did change with age and settle down. He was only 12hh and he would scrambe over 4 ft fencing uphill as well.
 
I know how you feel. I'm so bloomin' stressed at the moment :(

(I will make a thread to explain fully when I get home from work) I recently moved Ned and he has already jumped out of the stable. He's just as stressed as me!! Thankfully he is ok in the field now *tough wood*, but who knows how long that will last. Who knows how long he'll last at that stable at all!!

At the old yard, he jumped and got caught and had a rotational. Thankfully he was ok (vet checked him). He then jumped over the same fence and this time made it!
He jumped a barbed wire fence and cut his hind legs, then the next day jumped the same fence!!!
I'm on the verge of tears just typing about it. :'(
 
Nah I feel your pain, he hurts himself each time and then just does it again. Makes me scared of what he will do when he's of a riding age if this is his behaviour now!
I cried last night thinking he'd grown out of it then does it again
 
Well I had one on self destruct before she was started. To be honest the list of all she did as a youngster is long and boring. And when you call your vet and he chuckles as you explain why you need him ASAP is not amusing. However to me it always seemed like her enthusiasim and "oh I got this" attitude was more to blame than lack of self preservation. If she were a person she would be the "here hold my beer and watch this.....". She's not a follow the leader type mare she just got herself into stupid situations.

I'm not recommending this last part to anyone and I can hear the gasps as I type. We started her at the end of her 2yo year. The only riding I did was I sat on her for a walk at the very end. We mostly longlined her through fields at a walk over various obstacles in tack at a walk. Up and down hills. Anything that got her concentrating on what she was doing and to start thinking before just deciding. Then she did 2 more small periods of work as a 3yo. Not much riding as didn't think her mature enough. That started at 4. But to be fair these little stints in which she had to engage her brain helped her immensely. Gave her a bit of focus. So when on her while she is not an easy ride, she anticipates, tries to do things before you ask ect, she is not spooky or in danger of rearing or bucking you off. You just have to deal with her being her. You need to tell her what you want and be definite. But her enthusiasim made her good at her jumping job. She NEVER says no and tries so hard. So I wouldn't really categorize her as no self preservation. She knows actions have consequences. You do not have to worry about her bombing off and running through things. Or not stopping until you or her are killed. To be fair that whole running off malarky would not suit her. But also we've always given her things we know she can do to keep her confidence high.

Hope that made sense. Not sure really what your guy is doing. My girl did indeed learn from her mistakes. She just found new destructions. She too jumped put of rather tricky and high spots. She never got hung up on fences. Nor would she jump out of a stable. Things like clearing a 5.5ft hedge no problem then falling flat on her side and skidding down a wet drive when she turned to come in the yard. Putting her foot through a gate for no good reason. I watched that unfold. Went running to her and she came flying over on 3 legs and gave a little whinny as if to say "look I screwed up again, help". She's not a lovey mare but I know the second she isn't right. She puts her head in my chest like of geez when will I learn.

Terri
 
I think masons problem may be the complete opposite- lack of engaging brain. Going to start walking him out inhand so hopefully he will learn a bit more about life and independence
 
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