Frustrated!

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AB81

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12 January 2016
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Hello all
So I've posted before about horse leading issues and on turn out now, we've been better! Sometimes a squeal and an attempt to think about a rear but after a cross word and jerk, back to better behavior.
However... The last few times on bringing in from the field, he's behaved like a burke. Usually a lamb to bring in, almost lazy! But now he plants... I got him to move his feet and we carried on but then a rear and shooting forward behaving as if he's spooked? It's always at the same spot, nothing has changed but there is a fox den...(never seen foxes). Today he was playing up so told him off and he Walked nicely through the gate and stood,(where his sudden nightmare place is) then as I bent down to do bottom electric fence he leapt passed me, clipping me with his hoof and pratted about rearing and reversing acting 'spooked' again :(
Is he spooked? Is he testing? What am I doing wrong? Feel so frustrated as I felt so victorious as a novice horse owner dealing with his turning out antics and now this has arisen. Sorry for sounding bratty but it's just so amazingly annoying! And I really can't tell what I'm doing wrong. Your good advice would be so welcome right now :)
 
Our youngster is a bit like yours going through the gate of our new field. We reckon it's something to do with the electric fencing. I think the farmer has buried the cable under the ground to go from one field to the other and the horse can sense it somehow.
 
Horses certainly do react to buried cables if there is a power leak - several race horses died a couple of years ago when a broken underground cable shorted. But it might also be if he has caught himself on it at some point and is now wary of it. One of my more sensitive ones won't come anywhere near the electric fence. (Nice change from the cob who sees it as an obstacle to be met and mastered!)

Are you anywhere where you can get help OP? Some ground work with an instructor might be worthwhile. The fact that he managed to clip you with his hoof is potentially dangerous. What if he had caught your head? Make sure you wear at hat, have the correct shoes etc.
 
Has he been zapped by the electric at all?

My youngster has been on the receiving end of a mains-powered zap when coming through the gate, and now he is very wary and can take a bit of a leap through the gate, especially if you are holding onto is at the same time you are holding onto him. He is getting better with time, but I make sure that I always have proper boots on to avoid accidentally squished toes.
 
Try taking a small transistor radio with around the field, set it to Medium Wave and it should be fairly apparent if there's a 'leaky' electric fence, etc. I hope this helps...
 
Further to my post above, naughty pony legged it to the field today when he got away from my daughter who was leading him. Galloped up to the field but stopped dead when he got to the open gate, even though His field mate was already in there. Definitely something about the area around the gate he doesn't like. Think I will take up the electric fence tester to see if it beeps near the ground.
 
Hi everyone sorry for delay. Yes it's the electrics! Stable girl half admitted (after a lot of questioning from me) that he 'may' have zapped his backside on it when she turned him the other day..... No wonder.
Interested to read about the leaky bit. Think I will do that anyway as that should probably be checked on occasion!
Thank you all so much! 👍🏻He's been much better this week especially when I pat him as we go through.
 
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