Feeling downhearted..

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Olliepoppy

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Can too much grass and windy days turn a horse into a bucking bronco?? Took my 6yr old out this afternoon for a ride around the field. I had to get off him as he took umbrage to sheep that have moved into the next field. Led him down to them bit by bit (he has sheep in his own field), at one point he was pushing at me with his head, I'm not allowing him so he started rearing and bucking on the spot. He calmed down, I caught him again then the same thing happened 2 minutes later except he took off across the field. I'm not a horse trainer and do not really understand why he has behaved like this. I had spent the morning with him cleaning his field, doing a bit of groundwork, some lunging etc and then brought him down to the yard for a groom before going out for a ride. He has recently had his section of field moved as the grass was getting really short and the patch he is on now has quite long grass. Could this be the cause? Feeling a bit low as this kind of behaviour is way too dangerous...
 
Your horse is very young, living alone and will be pushing the boundaries if he is full of grass and has no other means for letting off steam, he is simply expressing himself, looking for you to guide him and give him some boundaries, if you panic when he has a few moments of silliness such as bouncing on the spot when he sees something new you are giving him reason to fear whatever has caused it, in this case the new and very scary sheep that to his mind are not related in anyway to the sheep he knows, it seems irrational to us that different sheep are something to be concerned about but to a horse they are different and until he knows better they are to be feared.

You have to start looking at things as if through his eyes, he has no other horses to learn from so you have to be the leader, to me it sounds as if you would benefit from someone to help you as it may get harder before you get through to the other side, at 6 he is still very young and inexperienced needing plenty of education along the way, if you are equally inexperienced get help before you both lose your confidence.
 
be positive said:
Your horse is very young, living alone and will be pushing the boundaries if he is full of grass and has no other means for letting off steam, he is simply expressing himself, looking for you to guide him and give him some boundaries, if you panic when he has a few moments of silliness such as bouncing on the spot when he sees something new you are giving him reason to fear whatever has caused it, in this case the new and very scary sheep that to his mind are not related in anyway to the sheep he knows, it seems irrational to us that different sheep are something to be concerned about but to a horse they are different and until he knows better they are to be feared.

You have to start looking at things as if through his eyes, he has no other horses to learn from so you have to be the leader, to me it sounds as if you would benefit from someone to help you as it may get harder before you get through to the other side, at 6 he is still very young and inexperienced needing plenty of education along the way, if you are equally inexperienced get help before you both lose your confidence.
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this exactly. For a young horse he should not really be kept without other equine company...
 
Thanks for the advice, we usually get through the scary things ok, he has never reacted in this way, that's why I wondered if it was the combination of wind and grass. I have both help with riding and groundwork and he has been coming along nicely that's why it was a bit of a shock
 
Olliepoppy said:
Can too much grass and windy days turn a horse into a bucking bronco?? Took my 6yr old out this afternoon for a ride around the field. I had to get off him as he took umbrage to sheep that have moved into the next field. Led him down to them bit by bit (he has sheep in his own field), at one point he was pushing at me with his head, I'm not allowing him so he started rearing and bucking on the spot. He calmed down, I caught him again then the same thing happened 2 minutes later except he took off across the field. I'm not a horse trainer and do not really understand why he has behaved like this. I had spent the morning with him cleaning his field, doing a bit of groundwork, some lunging etc and then brought him down to the yard for a groom before going out for a ride. He has recently had his section of field moved as the grass was getting really short and the patch he is on now has quite long grass. Could this be the cause? Feeling a bit low as this kind of behaviour is way too dangerous...
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Yes! My "dope on a rope" horse gets very uptight in wind. There is a theory that it affects their hearing, so it makes them anxious.
 
Autumn grass flush, winds and no equine company - anyone one of them is a reason for a young horse to act this way.

At six you need to be prepared for him to continue to push boundaries and go through a terrible teen stage, he might not and this could be a one off but you need to be prepared to nip it in the bud. Spring grass flush can also cause this reaction.

less grass, equine company and someone on the ground would be the first things on the list before things get worse.
 
Do try and get some company for him. I know one naughty pony that was kept by itself, it was moved to a livery yard where it had company and was a reformed character.
 
Orangehorse said:
Do try and get some company for him. I know one naughty pony that was kept by itself, it was moved to a livery yard where it had company and was a reformed character.
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I wish I could.. :( he is not naughty normally, sometimes pushy if he thinks there is food and he's not getting any! And can be a bit resistant to hard work but until the wknd had never behaved like a rodeo horse!
 
can you not move him to a yard with company? it's not very fair on him to have to grow up with no friends. Bit like you being on solitary confinement and not being able to see or talk to any body, not a nice life!
 
I've read through a few of your posts and I really think you need to reevaluate your horses living conditions and the amount of help/support you have. Otherwise this could get quite messy very quickly, there seem to be a few behaviours creeping in that suggest all is not well.

Firstly, there are very few horses that are mentally completely settled living totally alone.

Secondly, a cob on 14 acres of cow pasture is a recipe for disaster.

First time owners have to start somewhere but most definitely need support along the way. If you are unable to get your horse equine company and have an instructor regularly come in to help you, have you considered perhaps keeping your horse on an established yard for a year or so?
 
Thanks as always for the comments, I am in the process of getting him a companion, have approached the farmer who owns the field and he had no objections so hopefully soon my boy will be feeling a while lot happier :) next I'll probably be posting about separation issues lol
 
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