Have anyone elses horses lost the plot this last week?

AShetlandBitMeOnce

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I'm calling out for a sanity check! I've not done much with Dex this whole winter as our hacking is all boggy and I lost motivation, so 1 schooling session per week really and he's been brilliant!!
This last week I have tried to get back on it now its 10 degrees warmer and I've not managed to get any sense out of two schooling sessions, and a round the block walk today I was sat on an unexploded bomb, if I put my leg on I could feel his back come up, then he went up twice and someone was cantering up the hedge line the other side and I knew that would be a step too far, so I hopped off and be bounced and piaffed the whole way home.

Is anyone elses horse like this with the change of weather and maybe a bit of grass coming through? Or had my 4yo finally realised he's nearly 5 and I have a really rough two years of the Kevins coming??
 
My nearly 5 year old has been an angel this week. In fact I've had 2 compliments (from the EP and the vet) on how well behaved he is. Not something I ever thought I'd experience when I was struggling with a narky 2 year old. Now beginning to wonder if he's ill ..
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
I'm calling out for a sanity check! I've not done much with Dex this whole winter as our hacking is all boggy and I lost motivation, so 1 schooling session per week really and he's been brilliant!!
This last week I have tried to get back on it now its 10 degrees warmer and I've not managed to get any sense out of two schooling sessions, and a round the block walk today I was sat on an unexploded bomb, if I put my leg on I could feel his back come up, then he went up twice and someone was cantering up the hedge line the other side and I knew that would be a step too far, so I hopped off and be bounced and piaffed the whole way home.

Is anyone elses horse like this with the change of weather and maybe a bit of grass coming through? Or had my 4yo finally realised he's nearly 5 and I have a really rough two years of the Kevins coming??
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That would be pretty normal in an under exercised 5 year old in spitting distance of spring. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep safe!
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ycbm said:
That would be pretty normal in an under exercised 5 year old in spitting distance of spring. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep safe!
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+1 for this.

High winds, spring grass coming in, stuff starting to grow again so familiar places don't look the same, and a young horse who's not gone out much recently so everything is VERY exciting?

Yeah, not a suprise really - Just make sure you take all sensible precautions for riding/handling and hopefully he'll settle with some more work
 
ycbm said:
That would be pretty normal in an under exercised 5 year old in spitting distance of spring. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep safe!
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FieldOrnaments said:
+1 for this.

High winds, spring grass coming in, stuff starting to grow again so familiar places don't look the same, and a young horse who's not gone out much recently so everything is VERY exciting?

Yeah, not a suprise really - Just make sure you take all sensible precautions for riding/handling and hopefully he'll settle with some more work
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I hope so! It's so easy to overthink!
I'll pop him on some valerian root (don't compete) and keep at it as and when the weather allows and hope the spring grass doesn't spring too hard!
 
Yes one of mine had a moment in the wind on Friday morning! I had to rescue my non-horsey dad from their field after she decided he was there to play with her not mend a fence (only 13hh but oooohhh so friendly when she wants to be!).

I put it down to wind, 2 weeks on a new field and feeling a bit too well on the grass!
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
I hope so! It's so easy to overthink!
I'll pop him on some valerian root (don't compete) and keep at it as and when the weather allows and hope the spring grass doesn't spring too hard!
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Would it be mean to start singing let's go fly a kite? 😃
Fingers crossed the tickly toes dissipate soon though, it does put a bit of a damper on enjoying the start of spring when you're constantly wondering when your furry bomb is going to explode.
 
Yes my rising 7 yr old who is difficult anyway has reverted to being a twat this week.

He’s nearly knocked out the yard manager spooking and spinning around at something and after months of not pulling away in the school he’s done it twice and gave me a glancing kick on the hand on the way past to boot (luckily just a minor bruise). There were some airs above the ground yesterday 😫.

I did start him on grass nuts instead of Saracen Releve nuts last week - literally a mugful with plain chaff. So I’m cutting that out in case it’s contributing.
 
Both of mine are behaving like idiots and they are old enough to know better 🙄 Short on time yesterday so I was intending riding and leading, but the pair of them were pratting about so much that I ended up heading back early and schooling them both.
 
The changes in the length of the days affects some horses .
They want the spring, they are changing their coats which does adversely effect some horses .
 
Ed and Heidi have both been loony the for the last week. Lots of galloping, playing chase and bucking going on, (And destroying their paddocks 🙄). I keep telling them if they carry on like this I'll start riding them again as they obviously have far too much energy.
 
This is about the time of year my horses would start getting to be a handful and playing it up because they can.

Maple syrup season (here) brings out the feisty as the temps can be above 0 more often than not.

Not having to have rugs during the day is a cause for celebration!

I will add, I never deviated from the old school (here in New England) of winters off. Little bit of work here and there but mostly had a three to four month vacation.
 
Goldenstar said:
The changes in the length of the days affects some horses .
They want the spring, they are changing their coats which does adversely effect some horses .
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Yes, coats are definitely loosening here.

My two have been a bit daft this week, but I put it down to a complete change in the weather from dry, still and absolutely freezing to mild, wet and windy.
 
Mine has been rather “jolly” this week. He’s old enough to know better!
Had no brakes during a clinic, cantered on a hack when I asked for trot (was an amazing canter though), and the only trot he was willing to give today was medium :D
 
My ID mare is always a twat - doesn't need an excuse, she has brain farts and her wiring in her head is up the spout
spooky and reactive but that is normal for her. Someone forgot to say coming past when coming in to view and she lurched up and forward
 
Yes my cob, who normally cba to move much faster than a walk, popped his first buck (with me ) under saddle in his excitement to have a canter this week! We honestly never thought he had that in him in the year that we’ve had him. Spring is in the air!
 
My retired 19 year old has been completely and utterly full of himself - yeeting himself around the field with such glee that I've been eyeing up tack for him, contemplating if I fancy sitting back on his absolutely nutty and bonkers back 😅 Then round two involved him deciding that it would be much fun to wind up his younger brother (the rising 2 year old in the below paragraph), resulting in the pair of them doing some beautiful medium work but also resulting in some rather interesting airs above the ground from both parties.....round 3 then involved the retired 19 year old clearing the 1.25m gate into the mares field, realising he's pissed off said mares (who were grazing peacefully and sensibly), getting his arse chased around the field for 20 minutes and then jumping back into the field he was supposed to be in - he supposedly has arthritis in his hocks and stifles hence why he's retired......

The rising 2 year old has decided that leading nicely is no longer fun and trying to barge into me and past me is much more productive - he soon realised the error of his ways when I gently but firmly reminded him that despite being dubbed the yard Labrador (and therefore absolutely loving cuddles and kisses etc), he is NOT under ANY circumstances to use his body to barge past me simply because the goat looked at him funny, the wind changed direction, the hole in the wall looked extra suspicious etc.....he was a bit better this morning but still trying his luck, so I'm going to think of some mental stimulation games for him as I think part of it is potentially boredom as he's quite a clever lad (picked up lining up at the mounting block in 10 minutes, was giving older horses the lead past "scary" stuff on rides when lead out, yielding his hind end away, backing up by clicking and pointing etc).

My friend who has a lovely rising 6 year old point blank refused to ride for the last few days as she's been so full of herself - she's putting it down to Spring coming, grass growing and coats changing....
 
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