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emaR

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Looking for help/advice with behaviour in the school

I got my ottb gelding 3 year ago now, he was perfect when I got him until we got into the school...I was having lessons, tried a couple of instructors to find a good one things were good but he was always abit nappy, one day he pulled a stunt where he dropped a shoulder spun and bucked - ain't no-one sitting that type of stunt. It became abit of a regular thing as he knew it would get me off. I always got back on again and we would finish on a good note.
I got to the point where I was ready to give up as I didn't know how to fix this, had a couple of people come out and ride him who he would nap for but not as bad and was given the difficult horse title. I decided to move yards as a couple had suggested he wasn't settled where we were because it was quite and not like a race yard. Although he was fine on the ground and put hacking. Best thing we ever did! He stepped off the lorry a completely different horse so chill loving life. We both enjoyed settling in hacking etc. I avoided the school as I felt I needed an instructor to help past the basics. 6/7 months ago I stated having lessons with a fab instructor who was told he can nap.
He didn't show any of these signs apart from sometimes he would throw in a spook or as she said have a bit of a debate about what your asking him to do before doing it. She has ridden him and puts him under more pressure than I do but generally he goes quite nicely. Her favourite line to say was you need to make him think it's his idea to get him to do what you want him to do. Sometimes he can be reluctant to go forward. I had another experienced rider ride him a couple of times a week to get him going nicely aswel which he did.
An then a couple of weeks ago he started when I asked him to go into trot, he was napping on this lesson, he starts with pinning his ears and swishing his tail, he cow kicked and then pulled the ain't no-one sitting that stunt with an audience who finally see the stunt I've told them all about and said exactly that when I came off spinning in the air. Luckily not hurt. I got straight back on and rode him round in walk. Instructor wanted me to trot him again but I could feel he was going to do it again. Anything other than a walk and he's going to chuck me off again as he gives all the signs before the stunt. It's not leg pressure because I even dropped the reins and leg and asked him forward through voice commands and he still behaved the same. We finished the lesson on a good note but at walk.
I went back in another day. Same thing except I didn't allow it to reach the stage of chucking me off.
The other more experienced rider got on and he went like butter wouldn't melt for her going forward etc.
Next lesson tried again and I told her I could feel It coming so instructor got on and agreed he was napping and in her words being abit of a pig but eventually he went lovely for her.
The other girl schooled him again .. again fine for her.
I have hacked him out loads in-between these and he's absolutely fine for me will school on a hack go forward etc and he's absolutely perfect on the ground.
I had an idea to go into the school with poles as a distraction, all the whole he was focussing on the pole fine, he went into trot eventually but in-between the pole he would pin his ears swish tail but then was back at the pole before u knew it so forgot about the napping.
We've hit abit of a wall, I don't want to take him in there unless I know how to fix it as it will just get worse and I want to nip it in the bud before he reacts big. He's very quick and sharp and you don't get much warning if any at all when it happens.
Has anyone got any help or advice please
Using a whip ridden doesn't do much it either winds him up more or he retaliates with a cow kick. Though when lunging he's fine with whip.
I also don't want to do the poles too much incase he gets clever to that.

Teeth saddle physio all newly checked

I just don't understand why he won't go forward for me but is fine for the other girl.

I debated ulcers but figured they would show at any time and not just in the school

Thanks in advance
 

ycbm

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Copied from your introduction thread.


My first thought is that your horse needs to be checked over by a vet, preferably by a performance specialist at a hospital who will be able to nerve block and x ray if they see anything. There are lots of horses which will work in pain for a strong enough rider. Being happy to work on straight lines on a hack but not in the confines of a school is often an indicator of pain when having to work harder on the bends or because of the surface.
 

emaR

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Any ideas what could lie dormant for 3 years or why he's happy to bend in the school over poles but not on the flat? 🙏🏻
 

GypsGal1718

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Just a quick question, when you work him on the flat do you work him on an outline predominantly or when you do ask him to does he act up after a bit or soon after/straight away
 

ycbm

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Any ideas what could lie dormant for 3 years or why he's happy to bend in the school over poles but not on the flat? 🙏🏻

It's common, believe us. Nothing needs to have lain dormant. Arthritis and injury can start at any time. He had a go to set of behaviours which he previously used because he was unhappy in a quiet place and is now producing because he's unhappy for another reason.

Bending around the school causes more stress on some joints, or the side of the joint, than others. Introduction of the pole might temporarily be distracting him, or the action of picking his feet higher is avoiding the pain, or his neck is making a different shape for the same reason. Hacking is a pleasant experience so the horse ignores niggles and twinges but when doing work he likes less, doesn't.

Please don't let anyone call him a pig. Most horses that behave like this turn out to have been in pain.
.
 

emaR

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Sometimes he can act up abit after and sometimes it can be straight away. He would be absolutely fine for the best part and then if you went down to walk transition for abit but then go back up to trot again he'd actually up because going down to walk means he thinks he's done ...
 

emaR

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It's common, believe us. Nothing needs to have lain dormant. Arthritis and injury can start at any time. He had a go to set of behaviours which he previously used because he was unhappy in a quiet place and is now producing because he's unhappy for another reason.

Bending around the school causes more stress on some joints, or the side of the joint, than others. Introduction of the pole might temporarily be distracting him, or the action of picking his feet higher is avoiding the pain, or his neck is making a different shape for the same reason. Hacking is a pleasant experience so the horse ignores niggles and twinges but when doing work he likes less, doesn't.

Please don't let anyone call him a pig. Most horses that behave like this turn out to have been in pain.
.
I think rather it being a quiet place it was more expensive racing testing the boundaries and if he saw another horse he'd nap even a cart horse he wanted to follow up the road one day on a hack lol 🫣 he's got so good with this now though we practiced loads will happily have horses pass by out and about and not need to be with them when he's hacking alone
 

ycbm

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He is a great age, especially as an ottb, to be starting with hock arthritis. (Though with one of mine it was at the other end, in the neck, but producing similar results). If he was mine I'd get him to a performance workup. Don't let people tell you it's your riding, strong/dominant riders can get horses to work in spite of pain. He's relying on you to fight his corner.

There are a lot of experience people on the forum who can spot lameness if you want to stick up a bit of video, on the lunge if you don't want to show your riding.
.
 

Goldenstar

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It is time for a work up from a problems with performance type vet .
I suspect it won’t hard to find the issue .
You could either take him to the vets and leave him or do the early part of the work up at the yard.
If you have video of the behaviour that’s great because if the vet can see it it’s a big help .

I many times seen horses where they grit their teeth and get on with it with dominant riders and show the behaviours with their owner who trust or weaker riders .
This may be part of what’s going on here , but I am pretty sure he has pain .
 

Polos Mum

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Have a watch of this - it's quite thought provoking - I appreciate that Sue is quite a controversial person but I don't think that means everything she says is rubbish.

It a bit cheesy and long but the before and after nerve blocks are interesting to me as well as all the subtle stuff that she points out - 24 different ways to observe pain.

 

emaR

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I am listening to my horse, I'm looking for help and suggestions and have the vet arranged to come out next week.
I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions on where to start before it breaks me financially lol.

Does anyone know if ulcer pain would be more consistent?
Only reason I keep mentioning ulcers is because I know how common they can be in ottbs, but I know nothing really about them.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice everyone really appreciate it 😁
 

Green Bean

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If kissing spine is ruled out, I would say he is being nasty. I have a mare who, if you don't immediately put a stop to unacceptable behaviour, she will continue the same behaviour knowing she will most likely get away with it. That is just the way she is. No haters please as I know my horse enough to recognise issues.
The issue with OTTBs is KS is a very common outcome of being ridden too young unfortunately.
 

LEC

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I am listening to my horse, I'm looking for help and suggestions and have the vet arranged to come out next week.
I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions on where to start before it breaks me financially lol.

Does anyone know if ulcer pain would be more consistent?
Only reason I keep mentioning ulcers is because I know how common they can be in ottbs, but I know nothing really about them.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice everyone really appreciate it 😁
In your boat I would:
Scan suspensorys
X ray hocks and stifles
Treat as if an ulcer horse with supplements (Abler as easy to get in USA) and diet for 2 weeks to see if improved in happiness.

I wouldn’t x ray back and scope quite yet unless your vet saw good reason to and depending if you have insurance. If you do I would x ray back.

Then depending on above findings I would scope for ulcers as bound to appear if any of the above.

If I was being a bit cheap about it all to start with I would stick on NSAIDS for 2 weeks. See if improvement in behaviour. With this kind of thing it’s working your way through one thing at a time.
 

AppyLover1996

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My friend brought a beautiful OTTB and after a while came across the same issues that you are experiencing.

She got the vet out and it was found that he has Kissing Spines and the pain also caused ulcers - gastric ulcers are nearly always secondary to something...

My friend's OTTB was known as "The Legend" out hacking cause nothing bothered him, but in the school was where she had the issues, which coinsides with asking them to work harder, bending etc all of which can twinge something here and there.

He went on to recover successfully and had many happy years of eventing before she sadly lost him to a field accident.
 

emaR

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If kissing spine is ruled out, I would say he is being nasty. I have a mare who, if you don't immediately put a stop to unacceptable behaviour, she will continue the same behaviour knowing she will most likely get away with it. That is just the way she is. No haters please as I know my horse enough to recognise issues.
The issue with OTTBs is KS is a very common outcome of being ridden too young unfortunately.
I completely accept this and believe my ottb can behave like this also, we have over come so many problem behaviours since owning him and I've worked on every single one and got past them all.
This is one I don't know how to deal with.

The other riders put him under more pressure so I wondered if he behaves like this for me as he knows I am the weaker link.
 

Miss_Millie

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I completely accept this and believe my ottb can behave like this also, we have over come so many problem behaviours since owning him and I've worked on every single one and got past them all.
This is one I don't know how to deal with.

The other riders put him under more pressure so I wondered if he behaves like this for me as he knows I am the weaker link.

He knows that you will listen when others won't. That makes you the stronger person, not the weaker one. Suppressing, ignoring and punishing behaviours won't make them go away.
 

Polos Mum

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The other riders put him under more pressure so I wondered if he behaves like this for me as he knows I am the weaker link.

Or he behaves like that as he's less scared of you so he feels he can exhibit more of how he feels with you - rather than hiding it with a stronger rider.

As a herd prey animal they are evolved to not show issues in front of the predator even when they are feeling terrible. It's not so much of a big leap to this.

Presumably your riding has not got a lot worse suddenly after 3 years - so why would he suddenly be thinking he can take the P*$$ out of you for fun ??
 

SEL

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I am listening to my horse, I'm looking for help and suggestions and have the vet arranged to come out next week.
I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions on where to start before it breaks me financially lol.

Does anyone know if ulcer pain would be more consistent?
Only reason I keep mentioning ulcers is because I know how common they can be in ottbs, but I know nothing really about them.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice everyone really appreciate it 😁
Common in a lot of horses but if he's got turnout and access to forage at all times then usually secondary to pain somewhere.

Are you insured? If not then be honest with your vet and say finances need to be managed and it can't be throw the kitchen sink at it investigations

I'd start hocks & suspensory ligaments if he was mine but if you can video and send to the vet then they get an inkling before they come out
 

I'm Dun

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If kissing spine is ruled out, I would say he is being nasty. I have a mare who, if you don't immediately put a stop to unacceptable behaviour, she will continue the same behaviour knowing she will most likely get away with it. That is just the way she is. No haters please as I know my horse enough to recognise issues.
The issue with OTTBs is KS is a very common outcome of being ridden too young unfortunately.

You honestly think that your horse is "being nasty"? I cant believe in this day and age with everything we know that people are advising others like this. Horses arent nasty. They are stoic, amenable creatures who do their best to do as we ask. If your horse isn't doing as you ask either your asking wrong, the horse is in pain, is overfaced or confused or is unhappy for some reason.

Horses are NOT nasty for no reason.
 

I'm Dun

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I completely accept this and believe my ottb can behave like this also, we have over come so many problem behaviours since owning him and I've worked on every single one and got past them all.
This is one I don't know how to deal with.

The other riders put him under more pressure so I wondered if he behaves like this for me as he knows I am the weaker link.

So every single comment apart from the one you quoted tells you to get a vet, and you agree with the one comment saying horses are "nasty". Please don't listen to advice like this. Its nonsense and leads to horses suffering.
 

paddi22

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I'd get a performance workup from an equine practice that specialises in lameness. don't go to a local vet or a local small practice, I've had horses that were nightmares in the past and you can go round in circles with the wrong vet. you will spend less overall going to a specialist and they will pin point any issues.

If you find nothing it might be a case of you and him not being a good fit for each other?
 
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