getting on youngster- any ideas? also in CR

[diggerbez]

when i first get on my baby horse he can be VERY sharp...basically when i land in saddle (as gently as i can

) his back sometimes really tenses and he leaps forward, sticks head between knees and bronks and spins like a rodeo bull til he gets me off

but if i lunge for 5 mins first i can get on and he's absolutely fine...just walks off totally normally... i was thinking that its just babyness that he'll hopefully grow out of? he was backed in february but wasn't the easiest (because of the ariel acrobatics

) and had to send him away in the end... i don't mind lungeing him at the moment but clearly could be a problem when start going to competitions with him if i can't lunge! trainers are stumped but we were possibly thinking that a massage pad might help to loosen back muscles before i get on in same way as the quick lunge seems to be doing? any ideas anyone?!!

 

[Lobelia_Overhill]

sounds like what we used to call "cold backed" no idea what causes it or anything, but from what I can remember you have to lunge before you ride.

There may well be more modern thinking on the subject these days!

 

[quirky]

Mine used to this from when he was broken until he was pts at 9.
He did get better with me, in that sometimes he didn't do it but that wasn't the norm.
I found that if I got on (very gently) and didn't put my leg on, he was less tense. Rather than walk off in a straight line, I'd turn a tight circle, so he couldn't bronc. Once I had felt him relax, I would then walk off in a straight line.
He was an absolute horror if somebody different got on him and turned into a one woman horse.

 

[diggerbez]

oh dear...hoping it doesn't become a permanent thing...as will obviously cause problems if i have to sell in the future

good idea about the turning thing...hadn't thought of that... the problem is that at the moment i wouldn't want to risk telling someone else to get on him, just in case he does this with them as i defy most people to be able to stick on and obviously could really hurt someone

 

[quirky]

I found with my lad, that it wasn't his back, it was his girth area. Not that I ever found a way of making it better.

I know where you're coming from regards other people getting on. Mine too was sent away for breaking due to his getting on issue and the guy who did him said to get as many people as possible on him.
Thing is, nobody wanted to once they'd seen his party trick. One person did attempt it and he sailed off just as his backside hit the saddle. I got on him straight after, fine.

The people who did ride him, got on him after me and he was fine with them. I did have 2 instructors who rode him when I wasn't there and he did his damndest to unseat them but he didn't manage to get them off.

Unfortunately, this behaviour played a part in the reason to have him pts. I couldn't knowingly sell him on or give him away knowing he could've killed someone. Such a shame as I'd spent nearly 6 years trying to get in his head and sort out his various issues

 

[now_loves_mares]

Some thoughts - how long before riding do you put the saddle on? If your horse is changing shape, or just very sensitive, he may find the saddle a bit tight on his muscles. Just leaving it on a few minutes before riding might help?

Also, same principle re tightening of the girth - if you are lunging first, do you leave the girth a bit looser than you would if you were riding first?

I still tend to lunge just for a couple of minutes when I get on my 5yo. This gives me a chance to tell what kind of mood she is in

. If I have to just get on, and she is particularly wild (such as at her first dressage comp), I make sure the girth is properly tight, have someone hold her firmly, then get on and prepare to send her seriously forward if she threatens to explode. Personally I find the worst thing you can do is hold on to them. Also - I wear a breastplate so I have something to hang on to

and I make sure I keep a contact. As soon as I can get hold of a proper contact, she starts to soften in the outline - as soon as this happens, I begin to gain control again

That's a thought actually - does your youngster long-rein? This is great for teaching them the contact, which can only be to your advantage. Apologies if you are past this stage

 

[diggerbez]

out of interest did he do this most times you got on or just the start of a session? mine is fine once on him- after the initial getting on him he's fine and could get on and off 100x with no incident....

 

[air78]

You really need to check and double check everything with him r.e. saddle, girth, back etc etc and if all of that is still 100% then you need to think about breaking the habit.

I wouldn't be getting on him with out an experenced person having a line attached to a head collar under his bridle, so if he tries to bronk off they can pull him tightly round, pull his head up etc etc. Good luck with him

 

[quirky]

[ QUOTE ]
out of interest did he do this most times you got on or just the start of a session? mine is fine once on him- after the initial getting on him he's fine and could get on and off 100x with no incident....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just 1st time of getting on. I could get straight off him once he'd settled, get back on and he wouldn't do it.

Taking him out to competitions he was even worse.

He had his saddle, teeth and back done 6 monthly, so no pain issues.

I had to go up to Leahurst with him and after lunging him, I had to tack up. He absolutely exploded when I put saddle on and vet was speechless. She was surprised that this was his "normal" behaviour. They found nothing wrong with him.

 

[Ezme]

There's an older cold backed horse at a riding stable I go to and they try not to sit on him for the first 5min, i.e get on an high mounting block with someone holding the other stirrup and basically land in jumping position and let him walk/trot around nice and low on a long rein so he stretches. He's still a little touchy for a short while but it gets over the initial bit. Just an idea

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
You really need to check and double check everything with him r.e. saddle, girth, back etc etc and if all of that is still 100% then you need to think about breaking the habit.

I wouldn't be getting on him with out an experenced person having a line attached to a head collar under his bridle, so if he tries to bronk off they can pull him tightly round, pull his head up etc etc. Good luck with him

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah have tried the experienced person...sometimes it helps and sometimes makes it worse- apparantly his head ends up so far underneath him that its impossible to pull it up and round...but then sometimes i get on on my own and he's fine. is due to have all checks done in next couple of weeks so that should eliminate that...

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
out of interest did he do this most times you got on or just the start of a session? mine is fine once on him- after the initial getting on him he's fine and could get on and off 100x with no incident....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just 1st time of getting on. I could get straight off him once he'd settled, get back on and he wouldn't do it.

Taking him out to competitions he was even worse.

He had his saddle, teeth and back done 6 monthly, so no pain issues.

I had to go up to Leahurst with him and after lunging him, I had to tack up. He absolutely exploded when I put saddle on and vet was speechless. She was surprised that this was his "normal" behaviour. They found nothing wrong with him.

[/ QUOTE ]

see mine doesn't do it when i put saddle on. he stands there like a riding school pony to be tacked up...