Does anybody have days when they consider just giving it all up?

Dogbetty141

Dogbetty141

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Im so sick and tired of my naughty spooky tb at the minute he is quite dangerous! Im not afraid of him but i dread riding him as i know what is coming! Last night topped it off! I took him into the paddock and there is a usual spot where he spooks last night i could not get him past it rearing bucking dancing! Now he maybe a spokker but he does not rear or buck! He saves that for the field! I got so angry last night i just can have a pleasant ride on him anymore i got off him (i know i shouldnt have done but someone was waiting for the paddock and id had enough) wacked him(prob not the best thing to do and started crying in my tack room! To top it all off theres a woman at the yard who i hate and she took pleasure in watching him and after i wacked him she said orrrh dont do that! Now i wouldnt normally but he is taking the P*** out of me and ive had enough! Im firm with him and he knows im the boss but last night he just couldnt get over it like normal! People will suggest feed (big scoop of HIFI small sccop of conditioning cubes garlic and cidaer vinegar) so not really anything really just keeps weight on him over winter as hes a TB and drops weight overnight! Now in summer hes a diff horse! Still spooks but will get over it! Sorry for the ramble please give me any advice ive had my fill of him! Thanks
 
firstly, do you have to ride him in that paddock? they're always worse on grass, is there not a school you could use? or a different paddock without his pet spooking-spot?
i think i wouldn't ride him for a few days, i'd lunge if pos, and then lunge before you get on. if he's full of bucks and energy, let him get rid of them without trying to get rid of you, is my motto!
have you had the usual teeth, back, saddle checks done? there are often reasons for this kind of behaviour, in most cases the horse is trying to tell you something (and not just "**** off, i'm having fun mum!")
is there anything else you can ride for a few days to get you back to a calm, enjoying-riding frame of mind?
fwiw one of mine is a nightmare to ride if it is very windy, so i just don't bother... not worth the battle. she's fine otherwise (usually), but terrible in the wind, really really naughty, leaps about, broncs for britain, so i just can't see the point... it doesn't do either of us any good.
i would ignore this other woman, or, if she comments again, ask her to get on and make him behave then!
 
HB, do you ride him in the paddock that he is turned out in? I get the same prob with my TB gelding if I ride him in the field because they associate it with their 'play' area not work area. If I ride him in a school or a different field he is a different horse. Funny how their minds work sometimes, try working him in a different area or paddock without his 'usual spooky spot' and see if he is any better for you.
 
Maybe lunge him before you get on? My friends horse had to be lunged as he was just fly bucking round the menage with her on him, He has been brill since, may be worth a try?
I assume all your tack is ok and his back teeth are checked etc.
 
My TB mare has been a right nightmare, worse than i've ever known her. I have eliminated all the usual (back teeth saddle)
So i changed her diet. It made a difference but i was still being dumped weekly. So i investing in some Topspec Calmer and WOW what a difference, she is ridable but still forward going without the spooking and titting about. Might be worth a try (£20 a tub that lasts a month) i've had her on it 10days and the results are fab.

If your guy struggles to keep weight Topspec Balancer & Simple Systems Instand Linseed have done wonders on my mare
 
by paddock I mean school sorry my mistake! There is not another school or field i can take him into! It is nothing to do with teeth back etc as it is just in one spot he is fine everywhere else! He is just getting me down! There is another pony I ride who is calm but i want my horse who is very good once he gets over himself!
 
A lot of people on my yard are having problems at the moment, there's been 4 falls in a week so far. I think it's the time of year, the horses can smell spring in the air and get giddy. If your fields are anything like ours then they're too muddy and wet for the horses to gallop and really let off steam.
Even my mum's super plod cob Chloe galloped off on a hack the other weekend, and she never gets up to speed unless she really has to
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Once Sid has got more turn out and can gallop in the field he should settle down
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I'd definitely try lunging him first for a while.
 
Me, me, pick me ! I had a completely pants ride last night. The Moose is being a bit of a pain at the moment - last night was dreadful. Its a combination of her being in season and the new grass coming through and making her very full of herself. I lunge her for a while before i even get on, until she's got the worst of the high spirits out of her system. Then I get on and school and only then (assuming decent weather) do i get on and hack her out.

Last night she was such a cow in the school, I didnt dare take her out into the fields. I just lunged her and then worked in the school (and got off early because I could tell she wasn't having any of it, and its pointless to work her when she's in that sort of mood).

Horsebetty, i would definitely spend some serious time lunging your boy before you get on, to tire him out a bit and give him a chance to get any silliness out.
 
TBH im not usre its this because i trotted and cantered him in a circle at the top end of the school until i though he would be calm enough to go past without being a complete prat!
 
Just a thought but when mine has her spooky corner moments sometimes I find its best to avoid the confrontation. I know they should go past it but sometimes they get fixated on having an argument with you over 'THE corner' or whatever as an excuse to get out of work. I often find if I get her working well elsewhere I can then go past the corner much later when she's settled and totally concentrating on me and she is fine and I avoid having an issue over it.

Another thing I fnd works is keeping her soft - not forcing her past it as then she just builds up more and more resistance so I do basic walk exercises near it - rein back towards it leg yield towards, turn on forehand etc and keep her guessing so so she doesn't know what I will ask her to do next and then brace herself agaisnt me and become all tense and nasty.

I know what you mean though it is soooo frustrating and you think I shouldn't have to do this. Don't beat yourself up about it - they are all being little sh1t's at the mo!!
 
Put him on magnesium too. There are several makes on the market. It can work really quickly. Farmers have given their animals extra magnesium in the spring for years and years, but it has only caught on recently in the horse world.

My horse has extra magnesium all year round, but even he has been spooky and lively recently.
 
How old is he .My tb was terrible until he hit 6 and changed so much after that .I am walking him out at the moment after surgery but he will go past and do most things and has really settled.It could be age related.I have also put my boy on top spec balancer and will move over to feed this month because its high fibre for his weight really pleased wth the product could be worth a try.Conditioner might be to high in protein there are certain feeds which tip tbs over the edge.Send him to me if you have had enough I love tbs.
 
He is 16 this yr so its nothing to do with that! Maybe hes going through a grumpy grandad phase! You would not like him at the minute hes a star most of the time and wonderful mannners on the floor! Its funny to when i lunge him he does nothing really just a little head shake thats it!
 
Mine was really bad rearing broncing and napping as a 4 1/2 year old..Went over backwards with me on him one day napping towards another horse in a lesson poor instructor had a fit.The only thing I have to really watch him on is haylage if he is underworked (when he has one of his many lameness issues) he can explode.I was thinking your horse must be a youngster just goes to prove they are all mad and bad at times.I know how you feel about giving up in the two years Ive had mine he has done ligament tendon cannon bone bruise and now hock spavin surgery.Ive felt very frustrated and have asked myself if I am doing the right thing ,trouble is I dont want another horse but they do test you to the extreme.Perhaps we are all slightly mad ourselves lol
 
No I never feel like that. It's my livelihood.

Advice? Sell the horse and choose another that you enjoy spending your time and money on.
 
I know how you feel - I have recently sold my TB as, after two years, I came to the conclusion that he just wasn't for me - I don't think I am a TB person! He was 15 and still had moments when he was a total spazz and there was no coming back from it - totally angelic on the ground and a super lad, but he was really affecting my confidence on the ridden side of things so I made the hard decision to give up and move on to something more sensible.
 
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