Having to hunt an excitable horse - advice pls.

[kit279]

I have 2 ex-racehorses - chestnut is nice to hunt and will stand quietly at the meet, grey horse is very excitable, extremely strong and not much fun to hunt.

Last season, we decided not to hunt the grey horse. He went on hound exercise and didn't settle, tore his mouth and bucked OH off. Since he's quite bold anyway, we decided to just take the chestnut. We hunt with the draghounds if that makes any difference, so quite a lot of opportunity for the grey horse to tank off and not a lot of stopping and chilling out time..

However this season, our stables are being redone as structurally unsound and they are listed buildings so likely not to be finished until February. I can't leave the grey horse behind if he's not in a box, he would just go mental in the field. If I take him out competing, he goes completely mental if left on the lorry by himself and has been known to jump out over the partitions... EEK. There are no other horses at our yard. So do I:-

a) grit my teeth, take the grey hunting and hope hope hope that he settles? He's not dangerous but he is no fun at all and very strong.
b)abandon the idea of hunting until the stables are done?
c) take him out in the lorry and hope he's still in there intact when I get back (really not what I want to do)?
d) anything else I haven't thought about?!

Any thoughts?

 

[Cliqmo]

Borrow a quiet 3rd horse for the winter that can be left out with nutty grey whilst you hunt the chestnut?

 

[spacefaer]

3 immediate thoughts...

1. find a strong man to take him

2. take him for a canter across plough or something similar the day before so he's tired before he starts

3. heavy duty calmer! something like max dose of magic or nupafeed - can't over dose on it as the body just excretes it but it really really works

 

[AmyMay]

Borrow a quiet 3rd horse for the winter that can be left out with nutty grey whilst you hunt the chestnut?

Ditto.

 

[Steeleydan]

Cantering him across plough wont tire him out it will just make him fitter, if you dont break him down first doing that kind of thing. I would go mental if I saw some one do that one a horse of mine, even out hunting I walk quietly round ploughed fields, galloping through plough=quickest way to break a hunter down, never heard such a stupid suggestion.

 

[MontyandZoom]

I echo ali_m....is there someone who might like the field space for a companion pony for the winter?

 

[zsmm4]

I'd take option b. Its unfair on the horse to do anything else and I cant see how you'd enjoy your day knowing that the grey was stood on the lorry all those hours and possible injured.