Horse crazy with company!

[cwindle1]

Hi all,

I have a Thoroughbred gelding who raced back in 2008-2009 as a three year old but was never any good - too slow. I got him when he was 6 (out of racing for 1.5 years chilling in the field) When we bought went lame for 6 months (due to kicking a fence) and then had a few issues with his back so didn't have the best start with his retraining. In 2014 we moved yards and began his training and he had a really willing attitude and start of 2015 we moved to a different yard with better facilities. He is great to ride and we are currently having weekly regular lessons with a great trainer (Polly Williamson - check her out!) and we are really starting to get somewhere...

However, although he is going great in his schooling, he has a massive issue with being ridden in company. He is fine to hack out on roads with company in front or behind but if we are in a school he explodes. He can rear, leap around, buck and squeal. I did go through riding him everyday with another horse in the school and he did get better but he doesn't like horses coming up behind him. He doesn't kick but if a horse comes up behind him he raises a leg or he just rears and leaps on the spot - which you can imagine is very off-putting.

Obviously, I know to keep him forward and I do ride him forward but he gets a tense and does those 'pony strides' or he gets too strong. He is a very talented horse, has the moves and has the jump and I REALLY want to event him as he has it all there but how can I event with 100+ horses around him doing different things at different speeds if he can't cope with just one horse in the school with him?

Has anyone experienced this? How did you get them out from this habit?
(I spoke to a jockey who used to ride him and she said he was always busy in the brain but an absolute 'bus' to ride out with the other racers. Never had a problem in company out hacking and on the gallops even if he was way behind.)

*His back, tack, teeth are fine and are checked every 6 months. He isn't on any hard feed other than a handful of chaff to get his joint supplement in him. Gets turnout ect)

Sorry for massive essay. Thanks

 

[Red-1]

As you rate your trainer Polly Williamson, I would ask her for advice. I would imagine you could recruit someone else to join a lesson with you, and she could control the situation so your horse can get to feel confident with another horse around.

When I bought and trained Police horses there would be some who could be surprisingly violent when first worked amongst others, but by controlling the circumstances they would soon come round. It is about not overwhelming the horse, whilst building a history of successes so the horse can feel confident, especially in the rider making good decisions.

 

[Mrs G]

I will watch this thread with interest; my horse is/was similar; all I can say to help is that repetition was the key to get us to the point where we can share an arena with 3/4 horses; so lots of group lessons, schooling while others are in there too, sometimes we just stood in the middle while he watched the other horses do their thing etc. However many more horses than that and I admit I am not comfortable and he senses that, and we still cannot canter behind other cantering horses without antics such as you've described so you have my sympathies. Fortunately I don't really compete as going in a busy warm up ring would be suicidal!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

ok, few ideas (I am producing a 4yo dressage stallion so we can have days when other horses are just SO exciting too!!!!).

as a 2 and 3yo i hand walked him whilst horses were being ridden, sometimes he was *working* ie moving away from pressure or practicing halting/walking/backing up etc and sometimes we would just stand and chill in the middle and watch. Over time the riders would start to trot/canter right up his ass, cut us up, sideswipe us etc to mimic what will undoubtedly happen at shows!

once he was a bit older i lunged with horses working round the outside or long reined with them going round us.

when he started hacking i made a point to go in front (where he felt happiest) initially but then once he relaxed make sure i could go behind and then alongsides. We can now walk and trot side by side and once the ground dries up will do some canter too.

and just build up doing it in the school, start with 1 sensible horse and walk side by side but not close, then pass head on, then over take someone, then get them to overtake you. then do it in trot, then canter, and over time get closer and closer.

i had a fab lesson yesterday when my trainer pointed out i am TOO good at stopping my boy dead-i keep him straight, i keep my leg on, but i bring him back and over collect if he thinks about *having a moment* when actually i need to accelerate HARD out of it. So i rode round with another horse and every single time he so much a peeped he was sent up about 5 gears and really taught that when he feels tense he is allowed to shoot forward and enjoy the forward and show off by going forward not up in the air. ........................i was never one to go foetal and slow him down anyway but there was a subtle difference between my ususal *just keep going* and this new *come on lets go go go GO MORE* approach and the latter got him on side quicker for sure.

 

[dominobrown]

He will have always worked in a string i.e follow the leader, he wont understand that in the school you all seem to go random direction, not all canter in a line!
Also he sounds nervous and getting tense because he doesnt understand the situation. You have some good suggestions above. You need to find a 'helper', on a quiet horse. You start off in the school by yourself then add you friend on their horse in walk... carry on as you are while they just walk about. If he gets tense or nervous take to the other end of the school and work towards your friend slowly. When you are relaxed ask friend to start tritting about, but if your gelding gets tense agaun they come back to walk ( you need a well trained friend!). Also it helps if they stay on the same rein so they are not going past you to start with.
When schooling do an exercise that keeps his brain busy like a sepintine with loads of transitions. When he is happy with one friend in canter and another etc....
When taking him out avoid tight and busy warm ups... avoid plonkers that come to close and tell them to keep their distance. Get a series of exercises to do in warm ups and that keeps his brain busy and gives in confidence.