He's not the horse i saw...

[ForeverBroke_]

Just a quick quiz!
I bought a horse about 2 months ago and when i saw him i thought i couldn't have found a more perfect horse. He jumped calmly and didn't rush, never spooked, went out on his own quite happily, a totally chilled horse.

Passed the 5* vetting.
Now he's at home he spooks at EVERYTHING he can try to find scary, even rubber matting on the floor... that wouldn't bother me, but now he's a bucker.
Take for instance about a month ago when we had a canter on a hack, and he bucked. Then bombed off , bucking as he went. Then spooked, he bucked. Now, i ask him to canter over a trotting pole and he bucks!
It's starting to really put me off and im' wondering whats happening other than him getting excited and settling in.
I've had his back and saddle checked and they were out and he had a sore back so maybe the first three can be let go..

Any one suggest anything?
Thanks.
Sorry if i rambled...

 

[MerryMaker]

Feed? Routine? Maybe he's taking time to settle in.

 

[arwenplusone]

It does sound like he is in pain to me.

Is his back ok now? Who fitted your saddle?
Also have you had his teeth done?

sorry for all the questions by the way!

 

[josiesmithuk]

I think he is just trying you out. I would stay within a set boundary of rules with him 'firm but fair' approach. Also have you spoken to his old owners sometimes they can be helpful, maybe he did this to them.

My sec D was a different horse from the moment he came off the wagon! Give it time and be continuous in your boundaries.

x x

 

[CracklinRosie]

Feeding might be an issue.

Is he due for another back check?

Live in, live out?

Has his routine changed drastically?

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

Sounds a little like he's in pain (or has been) and a little like he's trying it one. Have you had his teeth done as well?

 

[tickety_boo]

It may be worth having the bloods from the 5 stage vetting tested? The vets will only hold them for 6 months so you will be well within the time scale.

 

[Mac1999]

I think he's testing you. If you have had everything checked you can't put it down to pain.
Have a few lessons, and perhaps go back a few levels and reaffirm the basics. be firm but fair and just keep reinforcing the message...you'll get there in the end, they just take a while to settle in and feel confident enough to try you out.

Good luck!

 

[kerilli]

i'd try a totally different saddle, personally, from a very trustworthy saddler with a good reputation. most bucking imho can be put down to an uncomfortable saddle.
hope you get it sorted out.

 

[carthorse]

My daughter's very calm dressage horse became a spooky idiot with me on yesterday . Take your time ,get to know each other , check everything is ok and especially his feed and work ratio.

 

[perfectpolly]

my horse took a good few months to settle in , and was a very different one from the one i thought i was buying!!!!!
are you feeding anything too heating? is he stabled for long periods?
could try lunging before he's ridden to let off some steam.
my horse threw nearly everything at me when i first got her--almost like she was finding the limits. be firm, and like everyone else said follow a good routine, so he knows where he stands.
could be that its all soooo new and exciting, that he'll settle .
is it in the school or just out hacking that bucks?

 

[Flibble]

Ooh I can understand how you feel. I have only had mine 10 days and I still cant believe nothings going to come out of the woodwork hence I am going the slow but sure route and always put a lunge line on him before I ride.

Currently only long enough to say do you want to go around in a circle and if he says ooh yes please I take lunge line off and climb aboard.

Maybe it is your feed/management regime. Although my lad needs condition I am taking it steady so he doesnt find his feet before I find mine.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I fully agree with tickety_boo You should have had bloods taken with a 5 stage vetting. Contact the examining vets & have them checked. Such a change in demeanour could mean he was doped up when you tried him out. If it's not that then at least it's ruled out

 

[TicTac]

Had similar problems so you're no alone!!! Maybe your new horse is used to a lot more work than you are giving him, that can often cause problems. I've only had my mare for 3 months and whilst she is generally ok at most things, hacking her out is not so good as she naps with big bucks thrown in for good measure. She was bought to replace my lovely gelding who had to be PTS in April and it can be very disapointing when you loose a really good horse to replace it with somthing no so good!!

It's early days for you yet. Time and patience and maybe some lunging before you ride?!!! Good luck

 

[dieseldog]

Get him checked out for pain, do not feed him anything at all apart from grass and lunge before you get on.

 

[LoneRanger]

I take it he actually is the horse you saw! It's not unknown for people to do a bit of a switcheroo (as Boris would say). Assuming that it is the same horse, I'd phone the old owners to find out what his routine was. That way you can make sure the spookiness is nothing to do with a new routine. Agree it might be good to have the bloods analysed too. Good luck, am sure it'll come right in the end.

 

[Rocky01]

I would definately have his back and saddle checked again as it honestly sounds as though he is in pain.

When I had my loan horse we had several "master" saddlers out and only one of them fitted her a saddle that actually fitted, the others frankly wanted to make a sale and didn't really care about the horse (one sold us a saddle that was far too heavy and big for her, me or her owner), so I know that one can think I've got the saddler out already and it still doesn't fit. I would get the back person out again and ask them to also look at the saddle. Also get the teeth checked as they can often hurt the back through tension.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me.

 

[Ashkadog]

sorry for being nosy but what is his routine,work load and feed at the moment? Did you check what he was fed and how much he was worked before as some people forget to ask when buying and it can make such a big difference

 

[Tiffany]

Did you have blood taken at the vetting or have you changed his feed since you brought him home?

 

[ForeverBroke_]

GOD sorry about the delay in reply.
He's being worked more- so than he was at his old home i think because he was just used for hacking.
He was in quite a poor condition , he wasn't badly underweight but he needed to put some on, but this wasn't enough to make tooooo much of a difference to his performance. Anywho! he's filled out now and he's on quiet mix and moli-chaff. Then with just a scoop of baileys garlic and apples, with about 8lb of hay and it seems to be sustaining him. Before when he bucked in the school he was on this mix that i discovered wasn't non-heating so i changed that and so far it's okay!
And he was fitted with a brand new wintec synethetic when i bought him because he didn't come with any tack and i'm really happy with the fit etc and the saddler as she's well known

And he might be due for a back check again now becuase he's become grumpy to tack up again which he wasn't before..so i'm going to get onto that.
And had the dentist out on wednesday and he needs power work :s. Eeek! He has an over bite, wolf teeth and a slightly twisted jaw which explains the head shaking etc.
And his general routine at the moment is to be turned out at 7am every morning and to stay out until i ride which is generally around 2,3,4 o-clock. Then bed really. I do enjoy schooling him at the moment which is what he seems to be enjoying , its just the addition of a trotting pole was v exciting and that was when he bucked..whether it was excitement in hindsight though??

Anywho! thanks for all your help, hopefully have him on the straight and narrow now..if not i have a more experianced rider that's been schooling him for me when i was away is keen to keep in touch with him and i might get her to hack/ school/ jump him etc for me while im' re-gaining confidence. Good idea??
Also lunging seems to be working as he's getting used to my voice and he knows now when i say "nooo.." that he needs to stop .
But i'll keep you posted..any more tips i'm all ears!!
I know plenty of horses thinking about it that were complete buggars in the first few months and then settled down to be the xc, pc, rc champions that they are! Me maybe one day???