Help needed!

[dodgers89]

I have a new loan horse and I know he's great in the school, I schooled him before I loaned him. Where he's stabled we don't have an arena, just an area of a field fenced off. I took him down in Sunday and he did one lap of the area and then went bananas and I couldn't do anything with him. Today I decided to walk him round in hand in case something had frightened him and he went round absolutely fine. However when I got on him he just cantered back up towards the stable. I marched him back down again and we didn't get half way down before he raced back. When I tried a third time he wouldn't even go through the gate. I'm losing my confidence and my faith in him and I'm annoyed that he's getting away with it. Please help!

 

[Arizahn]

Get an instructor to come and assess the issue, and have a few lessons on him. Also ask his owner if he has ever been like this before.

 

[B&J]

Maybe try lunging him in the area. Or go and see him without riding him a couple of times, groom him etc in case he associates you with having to work?

 

[dodgers89]

I've realised he's lost a shoe. I don't know if that would affect but it could make him uncomfortable to be ridden I suppose. His owner says he's never done it before and he's been in all types of schools.

 

[Shay]

The missing shoe shouldn't matter - unless he has managed to tear off a hunk of hoof too. But do get that seen to before you ride. However that can't have been a factor in what happened when you originally posted as that was 5 days ago. He must have lost it in the 24 hours before yesterday's post or you would have seen it when picking out feet etc.

It could be that he is used to the confines of a school arena and doesn't understand that you are trying to school in what to him looks like a patch of the field. You need someone more experienced - an instructor ideally - to come and have a look and see what the problem is. There are too many variables for a forum to be of much help I'm afraid.