HELP! At the end of my tether!

Charlie_F_K

Charlie_F_K

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Hi all! Sorry this may be long and quite moany..

Have had my 4.y.o tb gelding 2yrs, we have hacked and done pleasure rides and a little jumping and although not doing loads with him being young he has been a great horse. We moved recently and although he didn't seem to unsettle with it and his routine didn't change, his ridden work has become awful. I have had back/teeth/vet/tack etc checked. Basically he is dangerously nappy, and if you try to prompt him forwards he will throw himself over. Sometimes you get a bit further than usual then he will just bolt home/to the gate of the arena bucking then refuse to go on. In company he is very sharp, but forwards and cotrollable. However being on a quiet yard I can barely ever cadge an escort. I have gone back to almost re-breaking him at times, tried working him every day, tried working him every few days, but he is IMPOSSIBLE. I had a lesson from a friend the other day (more as a set of eyes on the ground) and after schooling beautifully and popping a jump I think she thought I was lying but the next day he went back to being a sod. I am reluctant to think it is nerves or insecurity with him as he has on days and off days when there is no change in myself or his surroundings.
Anyway.. I tried to long rein him round the farm we stay on this evening and he bolted back to the yard twice for no reason at all. Eventually I just took him wheere I had wanted to but in hand so as that he didn't completely beat me. But I am mentally and physically drained, no idea where to go noext and although I don't want to sell him it keeps entering my head?? ANY advice would be great.
Thanks,
Charlie:o
 
Yikes, sounds not so good :(

Brain isn't up to much this evening, so I'll just bump your post and hope that someone with two working brain cells can help you.

Have a hug and a hot choccy hun.
 
How recently have you moved? Could it not be that he's still settling in?
I'm not much good with this having never had a youngster myself :(
Like Mrs M says, *bump* and I hope someone has had this experience and knows what to suggest for you...
Good luck xx
 
Dont know if this will be of any help but a friend has a horse that was bombproof and totally trustworthy, hacked on busy main roads, was a 'nanny' to young horses etc etc. She bought her own place and he was moved along with others from a busy yard near a main road to a quiet yard. Bombproof horse turned into a looney, spinning, spooking and totally unpredictable. He is quite old now and no longer ridden but at times can be difficult even to lead to the field. He thrived on the busy yard but is a totally different horse on the quiet yard. Just a thought.
 
Perhaps leaving him for a couple of weeks to settle himself, some times a youngster can be going great and them they go off, like an overload to their minds and they just flip. You could try a calmer ( horse first relax me is a good one) giving it time to get into his system by the time you start with him again.
 
Is there anything different about the the yard? The yard I used to be at was a working pig farm, and some horses never settled there, but were fine once they moved to another yard, I guess because pigs (wild boar) would have been a predator?? It happened to two or three over the few years I was there. They would be ok sometimes, while schooling while their minds were very occupied, but hacking they could be very nervy, and also on edge even in the stable.
 
I can't shed any light on this as I only know the little you have told us but I always think that if one thing in the management has changed and then the horse's behaviour changes, you need to go back to the management to find your answer. As Crazydancer says, is there anything at all about the yard which could be causing this problem? If it's a working farm, could this be the problem? Random machinery noises/ animal smells & sounds (I once had a 'bombproof' Clydie who really did not like the smell of cows or goats and made it very obvious). If any of these things, or possibly even a slight change in his diet are making him nervous, could this be your answer.
 
How long was he in the previous yard? I think it might be a combination of being in his comfort zone and acting the maggot, as such. my experience is riding school, and it's amazing how quickly they become "institutionalised", when kept in the same place, but also how cheecky they get. I "got" an ex riding school horse, whose routine i greatly upset, just by asking him to leave the yard by himself. he used to hoist, buck etc, and i let him away with it for a long time, but eventually, as much as I loved him, I slapped him 3 times on the ass, and he never again tried. I'm not into violence but he was taking the p**s and it worked, after that, he always left the yard by himself, and never again misbehaved.
Hope it helps. Let me know how you get on.
 
Sounds like a young horse that's had it's confidence totally knocked.

You need to find yourself a good, safe, equine babysitter and go from there.

He is only 4, and sounds to have done a tremendous amount........
 
I am slightly confused as to when he was behaving well and when he started with the problems.....You said he is 4, and was doing pleasure rides etc, but then said you had moved a year ago.....was he doing all that stuff at 3 or was he behaving ok when you first moved and the problems have just started??
 
amymay said:
Sounds like a young horse that's had it's confidence totally knocked.

You need to find yourself a good, safe, equine babysitter and go from there.

He is only 4, and sounds to have done a tremendous amount........
Click to expand...

Ditto this. When was he backed?

Personally, I'd turn him away for a couple of months, if not winter, & bring him back into work slowly with the help of a good instructor :)
 
I know you've said the saddle and back are fine, but I would have second opinions, and get these double checked as he seems to have done a lot at a very young age, and if you're using the same saddle that fitted him 2 years ago, isn't likely to fit him now. To me, the symtoms he displays suggest his saddle or back could be part of the problem.

I think the advice to give him a holiday is excellent. Then, if it was me I would start from fresh around middle of September, and don't be afraid to get some professional help in. It's often false economy to try and battle on alone, when a few months using the skills and expertise of an experienced trainer will bennefit him for the rest of his life.

good luck x
 
Thanks for all suggestions..
The yards are very similar in set up and the amount of horses, the only difference is possibly a little more farm machinery but none every in close proximity to him. I got him as at around 2 1/2 but he had raced (was very well bred for it, but too easily distracted when actually running). Anyway I turned him away for a few months then just hacked a few times a week upon bringing him in with no issues. I kept his work really quiet but nobody could actually believe how good he was. He has had 2 new saddles in the time I have had him as his shape has changed a bit, the most recent being a month or so ago. I have also had several opinions on back and tack. I can't see a little place I could work on to start making things okay, he lunges and long reins fine because he knows I'm there I guess but the manners/confidence as it may be never seem to stick when riding. I have done A LOT of groundwork since I got him, just things like free schooling and lungeing and even walking out, but he understands voice commands perfectly and on the ground we have a great relationship. I am starting to think that maybe I should turn him out til he is five in Jan and see what happens?:confused:
 
I would. In my experience, there is little that a decent period of being turned away won't at least help, if not solve completely. Especially for a 4yo ex-racer :)

I think your suggestion of January is a good one, to bring him back into work slowly & sensitively, with the help of a good instructor who can help you put a solid plan of action in place.

Just my thoughts though! Wish you all the best with him :)
 
Your post is very similar to problems I have with my horse, except he is a lot older. We have done the same things you have, great at lunging and longreining, but problems begin when asked to go out alone. I have just had his eyes checked and the vet said to me "youd be amazed the number of eye checks Ive done lately, but behaviour could be down to quality of grass and feed !" Dont know if this is a path worth exploring ?
 
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