TheSylv007
Well-Known Member
Just after a bit of advice at the moment! My 7 year old irish sport hose mare has become an impossibly spooky nightmare over the last few weeks, even in the school where we are guaranteed to have at least one big unseating spook (the sort where we suddenly plant then try and spin and run for the hills). She has always been a bit spooky on hacks and I have been going out in company to try and give her confidence, but lately she goes round the first half with the handbrake on (including having a complete fit at the yard gate which makes a noise), then when she does relax she will occasionally throw in an almighty spook (the last of which nearly took us across a busy A-road) to keep me on my toes. A friend commented that she isn't scared and it is almost as if she is inventing things to make the hack more interesting. It is noticeable that once we start jumping etc in the school the spooking stops and she concentrates. Could it simply be that the spring grass coming through and this is a phase that will pass? Should I get after her and tell her off or ignore it (as another friend has suggested). I make an effort not to hang on to her on hacks and to relax as much as possible but obviously its reaching the stage where I can't trust her to be sensible. She is on D&H Placid at the moment but its too early to say whether it is helping. She was on Build-Up over the winter as she dropped some condition but I'm phasing that out and will put her on ordinary pony nuts as soon as the bag runs out. Does Build Up have this sort of effect? She also has haylage chaff as well as her turnout. Any thoughts or tips?!
