Help with Friesian Gelding Please!

sleepykitten

sleepykitten

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Hi, I have very recently bought a Friesian Gelding who hasn't done much since last summer. He's been with me about 3 weeks now and seems to be settling ok. He has started to bond with me and comes over for kisses and cuddles and scratches and treats and will stand for hours to be groomed! However, he can be a bit nappy out on a hack. The other day I took him out and he got so fa down the road and started backing up, the seller told me to give him a slap with the whip, so I did and he attempted a broncing fit! Didn't get me off or anything but I lost my nerve a few years back and basically bought him as a quiet type to plod round the countryside on! Since then, we have done a bit of schooling and hacked out again a few times, now managing to get further away from home before he gets nappy. I'm just wondering whether he's doing it because he's insecure being in a new environment or whether this is going to be an ongoing problem. Does anyone have any thoughts? He's 17hh so a bit big to be throwing his weight around! Also, if there are any other Friesian owners out there, have you taught yours any tricks? How would I go about teaching him some? Sorry this is so long!
 
How old is he ?? Did u by him from the field or was he ridden when you went to see him ??
Have you tried schooling to see if he does it then and if it's a physical problem ie back teeth etc
If you have done all things and he doesn't then
I would say it's a insecure thing
With you hit him he was probley reacting to it
Try riding out with another horse for the first couple of times then just slowly wean
With friesians If u not all the ball they can take the Mick
Just like any other horse
 
Is their anyone you could hack out with? at least for the first few time's. He may be worried about being out in a new place and with a new rider so another horse will reassure him that all is well. He could also be testing the boundries, as your new to him, see what he can get away with, did the previous owner tell u why he's not done much? Was he too much for her? If she let him go back when he had a hissy fit he would learn that that was all he had to do to get out of work.
 
Hey,

We have 7 friesians and they all react in different ways. Selina was nappy at first, but just stood like a ROCK and no matter what you did, you wouldnt get her to move. I ended up getting off a few times to walk her past whatever it was, finally she realised that nothing will actually kill her and she takes great trust in me. She now goes anywhere...

Phoebe, now shes a little buggar. She backs up like you describe, bucks etc but she does more than not go past whatever it is. She is getting better but I guess its my fault as I used to hack her with Selina in the front when we first started her riding. Now she relies so much on another horse, however, if you get off and walk she'll go past anything.

I think the best way to combat it, is... Ask, Ask again, Tell! If that doesnt work, get off and walk past whatever it is. Some people say if you get off the horse "wins" which is a total load of crap in my eyes. You're getting them past whatever it is. You'll eventually find you get off less and less and they trust you more and more.

Another thing with friesians is they're a one person breed, they bond so much with a certain person ( or thats what I certainly find) 3 weeks isnt that long, and you'll probably see that he'll start getting better the more you get to know each other. Just make sure you make him do, and that respects you.

Let us know how you get on & just remember, theres no harm getting off if youve Asked, Asked again and TOLD them. x
 
So you bought 17hh of Friesian to restore your nerve??? Did the previous owner tell you to whop him before you bought it?Get yourself a "confidential cob" ..they do exist,but obviously honest cobs are`nt often for sale.
 
I personally wouldnt ride out with others, and id make him deal with it alone before going out with others. He'll start to rely on them too much, and when you want to go out alone he'll expect another horse there and still be nappy.

Hit it head on. Only start riding out with others when he's more comfortable on his own.

This is exactly what I did with Phoebe, thinking it would save me time. Now, dont get me wrong in company shes fantastic. On her own, not good at all, because its shes used to going out in company only.

Ive now started taking her out on her own and shes getting better every day.

You could, at the very most take a person walking, if they drop behind and let you lead and just come up if he naps badly that could help him maybe in a way... at least he's still "lead".

I, Ask (with my legs), Ask again (with my legs and voice) Tell ( Legs, voice backed up with whip). Dont give in too easy though, before getting off. Only in worse cases..
 
He's 8 years old and the seller was selling him as she has injured her back and couldn't ride anymore. Sorry East Kent, I didn't buy him to restore my nerve, I actually bought a beautiful push button hunter type who did that for me beautifully, I bought him because she's injured her suspensory ligament and may never come sound again :-( all I mean is that I don't want him to knock my confidence again as I don't want to be where i was 5 years ago. I want to be able to take him out alone as thats what I do, I hack out alone as I dont have that many people round who I can hack out with! The idea of getting off and leading him past actually DID cross my mind, so I may try that next time, as long as I can find a gate to stand on to get back on!! He maybe is just trying it on as he seems to have steadily improved so hopefully wont be a long term problem, just want to nip it in the bud before it becomes one! Thanks for the help guys!
 
Hey I have a 4 yr old friesian, beginning of this year he did the same thing with me, he didnt want to go up a hacking route then spooked turned and bronced unseated me then flung me out the side door. I didnt fair as well as you and am still recovering from the accident.
I have put it down to 2 things, one is his teeth were terribly sharp and on further investigation after the accident it was found his mouth was full of ulcers (the friesian breed are reknown for having fast growing teeth and should be checked every 6 months).
Secondly I put the accident down to his lack of confidence, he was never happy about that hacking route and on previous hacks he had done the same as you boy did and backed up rather than walking forward.
I have found with him that if we have company he is so much more confident and is a happy plod so Id suggest you try it, also perhaps try long reining, till you suss out his reactions, better to be at the end of the long line than on his back if he throws a strop.
Good luck with him and keep us updated
 
Sorry to hear about your accident friesian80, my boy doesn't seem nasty at all, just seems a bit lacking in confidence. I actually had his teeth done on Tuesday and they were really sharp, the vet said he was surprised he didn't have any ulcers. Since then he has been a lot less strong and hasn't bucked (apart from a wee tiny one when I asked for trot the other day, but I put that down to spring grass! :D) I think its probably because he doesn't fully trust me yet, but I will try long reins and see how he goes then. We did go past some really scary stuff the other day too, where we had to stop and adopt the Full Friesian Alert pose before we went past, and he did go past so made a big fuss of him!
 
Sounds like it could well be down to his teeth then, my boy also is one of the nicest natured horses ive come across, after my accident I put him to a backing yard for 8 weeks and he hasnt put a foot wrong since arriving, also before the accident he had been perfect throughout. He is not the type to bolt so the accident was very out of sorts.
If I were you id take him out a few times on the long lines till he gets used to the area and his sorroundings and will help you both bond and if you have a hacking buddy then I think that would also help build his confidence.
 
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