Help/advice needed! Napping/bolting!

Charlie_F_K

Charlie_F_K

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Hi!

I am looking for any snippets of advice or suggestions..

I have had my 16hh ex racer since he left training as a 2.y.o. After turning him away til almost 3 we began work and he would hack alone and in company, and was very impressive in what he already knew as well as learning very fast. We could hack for hours, pop jumps and when it finally came to work in the school he was just ace! I have recently moved along with him turning 4, and although there is no change in feed/routine he has become really nappy hacking out. When I can finally get him to leave the yard he will just stop dead and NOTHING can make him move or he will just bolt home when he feels like it bucking along the way). With schooling he will be a bit more tempted to move if there are some jumps up or poles about, but he is very lazy off my leg and again will just stop or bolt when he pleases. I have gone back to doing a lot of lungeing etc with him and he is a dream, he will also long rein out quite happily. I have have back/saddle etc checked and all fine. If you use a whip at all whilst riding him he actually kicks my leg with his hind! He is improving with perseverance but as I say, any tips for along the way would be greatly appreciated! :)
 
maybe its just him having his "teenage" stage? If hes nappy out hacking, if you do a lot of roadwork, its not with risking him playing up in the road, and the both of you getting damaged.
 
Can you hack with a quiet sensible horse to give him confidence? He may have lost his confidence since the move.

Take it really slowly with him, he is still quite young. Also have you considered ulcers? Moving may have left him feeling a bit stressed and sometimes that behaviour is due to pain/discomfort particularly if he has always been good in the past.
 
You say you have just moved. Has he moved yards, too? It could simply be a complete lack of confidence in his new surroundings.
 
Yes, he has moved yards too. We hack out with others and he doesn't so much want to stop or go home when we do this but gets very fizzy which is not at all like him when ridden alone. He is not remotely strong but just lots of energy and works right down frothing at the mouth with his veins popping out! I feel a lot safer in company and enjoy it really even with him being so on his toes, but don't want to have to rely on an escort all the time : (
 
WetandMuddy said:
You say you have just moved. Has he moved yards, too? It could simply be a complete lack of confidence in his new surroundings.
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I agree with the above. It's a whole new area for him to discover! Also agree with it being a bit of a baby tantrum stage as well. As they say, "Keep calm and carry on"! :)
 
I would hack out with company a few more times so he becomes more familiar with his surroundings, then start to take him out by himself on very short hacks (even if it's to the nearest tree and back!), gradually getting further as his confidence grows. As for the getting excited in company, just relax and he will too. The more you ride out with others/ride out by yourself AND stay relaxed, your horse will too. Practice makes perfect, it just takes time!

With schooling I'd be a bit firmer if he messes about as he does know what schooling's all about, but also try to keep sessions short, sweet and fun. Mix it up with doing pole work etc.

Hope this helps :)
 
My ex racer is going through a similar stage. He has been hacking really well alone and in company and has been doing all the gates (and we have lots of gates on our hacks!). Three weeks ago I went off on my own and he planted himself at the first gate and it took me at least 20 mins to get him through. He has been through this gate at least 20 times before. Now if I were being kind, I would say that there was a puddle in front of gate and on other side of gate there is a little stream under the path - these may have been off putting for him. However, he behaved exactly the same when there was no puddle and another horse had led the way through! Once we have got through this gate, he is an absolute angel and hacks and does all the other gates on route in his stride.
I think they all go through a bolshy stage! I'm grateful that mine doesn't do anything other than stand still but it's so hard to get him going if we have no excitement! My previous TB wouldn't stand for gates at all - I had to send my reliable friend ahead to throw open gates and then we would canter through.
Personally, I would go out on rides that you know you can get round with no problem and be able to ride him forwards. They do grow out of it if you don't back down. I have a very big hill up a road from our farm. I found that if I trotted my previous TB up that, he wasn't as keen to object to anything else on the rest of the ride!
 
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