Educating reactive young horse

Michen

Michen

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So following on from my post about in hand behaviour vs under saddle, young hot Connemara does do some serious moves under saddle though a scaled down version.

I've been really focused on getting him out to different venues for lessons, boxing to a friend for hacks, going to clinics, hiring arena with friends etc to get his travelling issues absolutely nailed and he has done super on that front. Travels perfectly though I've been keeping the distances short (20 mins each way).

There is no getting around the fact he's a sharp horse. But I'm really struggling with his explosiveness, he has done it all bar one occasion on the various outings he's been on over the last few weeks. It's always one explosion, always a bit random (e.g it's often when he actually feels quite settled and I'm starting to relax, not when he's actually eyes on stalks!). I was fairly lucky to sit yesterday's. I'm not the most confident of riders and I have to say I really am not liking this, I am concerned about how on earth he will cope in a warm up of any sort. He does actually settle very well after ten mins or so, and if anything then feels a bit tired- like his emotions have tired him out!

I wonder whether I am going about it the right way, he is 5 and perhaps I should be leaving big gaps between outings for his brain to process rather than the two times a week or so he is being travelled at the moment, or whether to continue hiring lots of venues to make the whole thing less exciting. My other option is to get someone else to take him to his first few dressage competitions etc but I've done everything myself so far and hate the thought of handing over the reins to someone- would feel like a bit of a failure but there's no denying I'm nervous though I make damn sure I portray confidence to the neddie!

Answers on a postcard? This is my first youngster and for the most part he's very good but... I'm back to feeling like I want to sell him!

Pic to brighten the post from yesterday's arena hire outing.

 
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It will depend on why he is acting the way he is I guess.

We got Topaz at 6 and she was almost dangerously explosive at first, for her she needed to expand her comfort zone so she stopped feeling overfaced. For her frequent (sometimes more than once a week) outings with other horses in low pressure situations were the making of her, I could push the boundaries enough to work through her confidence issues without needing to remove her or the stimulus (which had been feeding the circle of Topaz is upset, thing stops or goes away, exploding works). It was still about 6 months before we sort of realised we could take her out without needing a team of people or fear of death ;), and then ever since she has continued to improve, but if she has a big gap her first outing back out she's always silly.

Skylla is just five and hot, hot, hot, she is as sensitive as Topaz but much more confident in new situations (I showed her from rising 3 in-hand which I think has helped and long-lined her a lot!). She doesn't need frequent outings as it is not the environment that upsets her. I have had to work on getting her over her napping to other horses and also getting very anxious about busy warm-ups, both we could work on at home.

You need to really ponder when/why/how he explodes as if there is truly no explanation for why he is doing it I would be wary. I can always pin-point what mine are being upset by even if it isn't that obvious. Feeling tired reminds me so much of Skylla and how her first few outings ridden were very mentally tiring for her so I would do very little (one dressage test and then home), now she knows what's expected she feels much more established (did two tests at the weekend and still felt great in her second). Would he settle if lunged or walked him in-hand before getting on?
 
I had just sent an email saying you have been quiet recently so guessed all was going well!!
He looks fantastic, as for the explosions the short answer is to not relax until he feels tired and the explosive period has been passed, you will feel when this is and until then keep him busy, mentally as well as physically and don't let him off until he has totally relaxed and done some decent work, this should get him out of what is probably becoming a habit rather than a necessity, will give you the confidence to work him harder then have time out, should translate to busier warm ups once you know him better although it may take longer to get to that point when there is more going on but I would say that if you have to put on too much pressure you may be best taking him out two or three times close together then having a week or two without taking him anywhere so he has time to process things and recover if the work is harder than he is used to.
 
Hmmmm agreed. I do walk him around in hand first. He does nap to other horses if he's in the ring with one but it's not drastic at all, just a minor protest and then he gets on with it.

I just can't pin point the explosions, it's as if he contains it and then boils over and releases it and then he's absolutely fine and totally settled afterwards, all I can say is that he hasn't done it when he's been out in a new arena on his own so I guess that's the link...



AlexHyde said:
It will depend on why he is acting the way he is I guess.

We got Topaz at 6 and she was almost dangerously explosive at first, for her she needed to expand her comfort zone so she stopped feeling overfaced. For her frequent (sometimes more than once a week) outings with other horses in low pressure situations were the making of her, I could push the boundaries enough to work through her confidence issues without needing to remove her or the stimulus (which had been feeding the circle of Topaz is upset, thing stops or goes away, exploding works). It was still about 6 months before we sort of realised we could take her out without needing a team of people or fear of death ;), and then ever since she has continued to improve, but if she has a big gap her first outing back out she's always silly.

Skylla is just five and hot, hot, hot, she is as sensitive as Topaz but much more confident in new situations (I showed her from rising 3 in-hand which I think has helped and long-lined her a lot!). She doesn't need frequent outings as it is not the environment that upsets her. I have had to work on getting her over her napping to other horses and also getting very anxious about busy warm-ups, both we could work on at home.

You need to really ponder when/why/how he explodes as if there is truly no explanation for why he is doing it I would be wary. I can always pin-point what mine are being upset by even if it isn't that obvious. Feeling tired reminds me so much of Skylla and how her first few outings ridden were very mentally tiring for her so I would do very little (one dressage test and then home), now she knows what's expected she feels much more established (did two tests at the weekend and still felt great in her second). Would he settle if lunged or walked him in-hand before getting on?
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First of all he is stunning and looks like he is actually going really beautifully for a baby!
Have you thought about introducing scary things in a safe environment first to give him the tools to cope with things he perceives as scary so lead him around traffic cones tarps etc. then see about taking him out places in hand so he's having to focus on too many things at once? (In my experience baby brains aren't good at multi tasking so for him to suddenly be faced with worrying new things AND in a new environment might be what is causing the 'explosions'?)
 
be positive said:
I had just sent an email saying you have been quiet recently so guessed all was going well!!
He looks fantastic, as for the explosions the short answer is to not relax until he feels tired and the explosive period has been passed, you will feel when this is and until then keep him busy, mentally as well as physically and don't let him off until he has totally relaxed and done some decent work, this should get him out of what is probably becoming a habit rather than a necessity, will give you the confidence to work him harder then have time out, should translate to busier warm ups once you know him better although it may take longer to get to that point when there is more going on but I would say that if you have to put on too much pressure you may be best taking him out two or three times close together then having a week or two without taking him anywhere so he has time to process things and recover if the work is harder than he is used to.
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Oh it's never easy! I do think maybe I'm being a bit soft on him work wise when he's out (if left to my own devices e.g. Not a lesson) as I appreciate he's still young and travelling is tiring etc. This was him literally minutes after his explosion, obviously it's far from perfect but that doesn't look like a horse that's just done lots of gymnastic moves!

[video=youtube_share;k3jA3sUgnWg]https://youtu.be/k3jA3sUgnWg[/video]
 
Diva&Rosie'sMum said:
First of all he is stunning and looks like he is actually going really beautifully for a baby!
Have you thought about introducing scary things in a safe environment first to give him the tools to cope with things he perceives as scary so lead him around traffic cones tarps etc. then see about taking him out places in hand so he's having to focus on too many things at once? (In my experience baby brains aren't good at multi tasking so for him to suddenly be faced with worrying new things AND in a new environment might be what is causing the 'explosions'?)
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Thank you, I'm not the best jockey but doing what I can!

Absolutely done all that. Including horse agility where he was bothered by absolutely nothing (except other horses walking by the arena!) He's so brave, he couldn't care less about typical scarey things. His trigger seems to be other equines. The video above I posted he didn't bat an eyelid at any of those jumps or fillers despite me schooling right in between them etc.
 
Wow, he's looking fab.

Hard to say without seeing him, but it's likely that if the explosions are random now you are getting the tail end of a habit, rather than a genuine scaredy reaction. Often if you go through a period of getting them out a lot to make it normal, and then give a month or so of no outings it can help cement the experience. But you'd want to be feeling like he is accepting of the outings before giving the break if that makes sense.

Also, for show situations, I know this sounds like it wouldn't work but I promise that for some reason it often does, spend 1/2 to 1 hour when you first arrive at a show just walking them round the carpark and showground in hand, and then get on.
 
Haha, apologies OP, I seem to have cross posted with lots of others while internet was on a go slow!
 
DabDab said:
Haha, apologies OP, I seem to have cross posted with lots of others while internet was on a go slow!
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Not at all, all advice helpful! I think perhaps I need to forget about any competitions for now? Maybe try and find more group clinics (though these seem surprisingly hard to find). Or sell him and get a nice steady cob!!!!!
 
Michen said:
Oh it's never easy! I do think maybe I'm being a bit soft on him work wise when he's out (if left to my own devices e.g. Not a lesson) as I appreciate he's still young and travelling is tiring etc. This was him literally minutes after his explosion, obviously it's far from perfect but that doesn't look like a horse that's just done lots of gymnastic moves!

[video=youtube_share;k3jA3sUgnWg]https://youtu.be/k3jA3sUgnWg[/video]
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DabDab said:
Wow, he's looking fab.

Hard to say without seeing him, but it's likely that if the explosions are random now you are getting the tail end of a habit, rather than a genuine scaredy reaction. Often if you go through a period of getting them out a lot to make it normal, and then give a month or so of no outings it can help cement the experience. But you'd want to be feeling like he is accepting of the outings before giving the break if that makes sense.

Also, for show situations, I know this sounds like it wouldn't work but I promise that for some reason it often does, spend 1/2 to 1 hour when you first arrive at a show just walking them round the carpark and showground in hand, and then get on.
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I think they are probably habit rather than him being really reactive , you may have to be a bit tough for a while but he will get over it and forgive you!! I agree with walking in hand helping with getting them chilled at new venues, one of mine really relaxes after 10 mins walking in hand but comes off the lorry looking like a firebreathing dragon.
 
He looks like the type of Connie with endless energy, as some of them have. Are you lunging before riding to knock that excess energy out of him.

Is he bucking? Is that what you mean by exploding. I would cut all hard feed to him and see how it effects his behaviour. I promise it won't be a big hardship for him, a Connie like that is as tough as an old boot. If he's hot already feeding won't be helping that.
 
He is looking great :)

I would be working him more and taking him to more places, focusing his training to being 100% off the leg.
 
He doesn't get hard feed other than a cup of balancer! I haven't been lunging him before as he seems to get so tired so quickly when he's out so I felt a bit mean!

I can't even tell you what he does exactly, he sort of launches and both bucks and rears (or rather leaps through the air) straight after eachother, so feels like a catapult lol, but it really is just five seconds or so.

Irish gal said:
He looks like the type of Connie with endless energy, as some of them have. Are you lunging before riding to knock that excess energy out of him.

Is he bucking? Is that what you mean by exploding. I would cut all hard feed to him and see how it effects his behaviour. I promise it won't be a big hardship for him, a Connie like that is as tough as an old boot. If he's hot already feeding won't be helping that.
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Haha, I know exactly the sort of move you mean....
Some horses do have a certain flair for the dramatic with an impeccable sense of timing - there the sort that instead of just galloping around the field when the mood takes they will wait until all other horses are quietly eating then walk a little quite sweetly before whipping round suddenly and bogging off up the field sending the whole herd into chaos, and for bonus points will come to a screeching halt just short of the fenceline followed by a dramatic rear.
 
Well, he is only five....I'd lunge him for at least 10 - 15mins before getting on; don't feel "mean", if he's launching himself then he's obviously got too much energy, so get him warmed up, allow him to settle and process the whole new place/new footing/sights/sounds thing and only get on when he's concentrating and in a rhythm. Just sounds young to me.
 
Cortez said:
Well, he is only five....I'd lunge him for at least 10 - 15mins before getting on; don't feel "mean", if he's launching himself then he's obviously got too much energy, so get him warmed up, allow him to settle and process the whole new place/new footing/sights/sounds thing and only get on when he's concentrating and in a rhythm. Just sounds young to me.
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Indeed, it's so difficult to find places you can lunge! Most won't allow in their schools etc. I can certainly lunge him at home though ;)
 
DabDab said:
Haha, I know exactly the sort of move you mean....
Some horses do have a certain flair for the dramatic with an impeccable sense of timing - there the sort that instead of just galloping around the field when the mood takes they will wait until all other horses are quietly eating then walk a little quite sweetly before whipping round suddenly and bogging off up the field sending the whole herd into chaos, and for bonus points will come to a screeching halt just short of the fenceline followed by a dramatic rear.
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Lol you have got it in one! He's very peculiar, if he decides he's thirsty he will literally canter to the trough and then canter back to where he was grazing
 
Michen said:
Indeed, it's so difficult to find places you can lunge! Most won't allow in their schools etc. I can certainly lunge him at home though ;)
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I have one who does best if lunged for ten minutes before he goes on the box, if we don't do that he arrives tense and stays that way all day.
 
lunging could be your friend here, it also relaxes and softens the muscles so eases any residual tension and soreness before getting on, i use it so if they want to explode that day they can, and i have one horse who does just what you have explained yours doing if i don`t lunge first, and he`s 9 years old.

due to their ancestry i think it is acceptable for the connemara to be lively even excitable, a part of their make up to be er... enthusiastic
 
Yes Michen lunging is your friend here. Let him get all those leaps out before you think of getting on. If you have a little ring then I would loose lunge and let him hop, leap and buck. It's not a question of being mean but if he has less energy he'll be less likely to put on the gymnastics when you're on board.

Think of it like this, you're a little nervous now of his behaviour. Imagine how you'll be if he gets you off? You'll be in trouble because then you could get very nervous and this could quickly become a viscous circle. So you've got to avoid that and a great way to do it is to knock that extra energy out of him on the ground and give you the advantage before you hop up. Oh the joys of having youngsters...
 
Agree with all of the above but to add, I know this will be hard against nerves and the thought of loosing control :o, but if no lunging is possible a little hand walk before hopping on and then ride forwards. With both of mine if I let the nerves get to me and try to contain them too much, the energy would definitely burst out at some point. I found getting them both into canter quickly, going onto a large circle and getting the muscle tension out does them both the world of good :).
 
Michen said:
Thank you, I'm not the best jockey but doing what I can!

Absolutely done all that. Including horse agility where he was bothered by absolutely nothing (except other horses walking by the arena!) He's so brave, he couldn't care less about typical scarey things. His trigger seems to be other equines. The video above I posted he didn't bat an eyelid at any of those jumps or fillers despite me schooling right in between them etc.
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Oh wow okay not sure I can be much help! Is he stabled a lot, that could contribute to explode-iness? Maybe try loose schooling/jumping to calm him down?
 
Mine favours the rear, leap, buck combo and is also triggered by other horses. Do you work with other horses at home? This was what really helped mine. I moved to a busier yard with lovely people who were happy to help. She is now 95% fine with others including the crazy warm-up at Hickstead!
 
muddy_grey said:
Mine favours the rear, leap, buck combo and is also triggered by other horses. Do you work with other horses at home? This was what really helped mine. I moved to a busier yard with lovely people who were happy to help. She is now 95% fine with others including the crazy warm-up at Hickstead!
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Yup and he's totally fine at home the git!
 
We have one that will do the launch/leap/buck thing early in a warm up at events, particularly triggered by horses coming close. It gets the saddle on for a good 30mins before being sat on, gets a good lunge if possible but if not gets pretty much straight into an under the thumb canter.
 
Ok all, going to brave it and take him to a very low key dressage intro on Saturday. Fingers crossed no flying lessons,I'll be lunging the devil before we go!
 
Hi, I have a just turned 7 connie who is a completely different animal to who he was this time last year. when he first came over from Ireland he was a bag of nerves. he bolted down the lane with the lunge line between his legs and went up vertical a couple of times. couldn't touch his ears or his feet!
anyway he was turned away for the winter, and has now chilled to such an extent that my 12 year old daughter is taking him to pony club camp next weekend. I cannot believe how much he has grown up. he is turning into a really wonderful pony.
maybe yours needs some downtime? I think my boy just took a long time to settle and chill out.
good luck. xx
 
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