Horse started rearing

[brownlow]

My friend has just bought a 4 year old gelding ID x WB. He arrived about 6 weeks ago and has been impecably behaved....up till last week. Whilst hacking , he started spinning and crashing into my horse after spooking at the grids in the road. We made it home OK but have to say it was with relief when we got back. The next week he spooked in the school and went up vertically and dumped his new rider. A few days later he did the same on a hack and ran back home! He came from a private seller who is an experienced 3DE , and he's been schooled, jumped and hacked by his previous owner. Do you think that after a period of "settling-in" he's found his feet and now pushing the line to see how far he can get? I've suggested :
Getting back , teeth and saddle checked
Cutting back his feed to just AlfaA and hay (taken out pasture mix and beet)
Making sure he's got a firm routine
Regular turnout and regular exercise - ie every day
A martingale (for safety at the moment)
Some ground work with a pressure halter
Riding him forwards at all times

Any other suggestions?

 

[cazza]

Sounds like you have it all covered, if he was with a 3DE then he was probably worked a lot more than he is currently and is just trying out the new owner.

 

[Darkhorse]

He's only 4, when was he broken ?

If all physical things are ruled out then I would suggest turning him away for the Winter to finish growing up and letting him chill out. Presuming he was broken, sold, new yard, new owner this year... It is a lot for them as babies.

I am a believer that horses should be turned away after their inital backing and then brought back again.. That is a personal choice though.

 

[brownlow]

Thanks BBoo. Not sure , but you'd think he'd only been broken recently , so maybe thats something for her to consider. I've not got too much experience myself....youngest horse I've ever bought was 8!

 

[Shilasdair]

She needs to ride him more strongly...and make sure his work is at the right level of duration and difficulty.
As no inexperienced person would have bought a 4yo, I am sure your friend is an expert rider, and more than capable of schooling him through the nappiness.
S

 

[AmyMay]

With the hacking thing - how much had he actually done, had he seen much, or just poodled around???? Sounds like a genuine fright thing.

How comptent a rider is your friend - up to bringing on a youngster?

How much grub is it getting, and does it need to go in the school, can't it just do some quite hacking and see the world a bit before being turned away for the winter????

 

[brownlow]

She is a confident rider , and in the past has broken horses and rode youngsters....but she's had a break through career etc and just come back to it. I know myself I'm not the same rider as I was when I was younger , so maybe without realising , she's not as forward. Also he came from a rural area , and although we are in one...it can get fairly busy with "tourists". I think it's a good suggestion for her to give him some "time - out".

 

[YorksG]

Try stopping the Alfalfa, both me and another member on here have found that it causes problems with our horses. Plus check what he was eating in his old home.

 

[Flame_]

Yep you've suggested all the right stuff. Only other option is a different rider but I hope it doesn't come to that!

 

[JenHunt]

i think you've about got it there... that should rule out everything except him just being plain naughty!

i schooled and IDxWB for a friend one summer who was brilliant (given he was 4) for 6 weeks then suddenly decided that at 18hh he wasn't going to be bossed by a 16.3 human... and would park himself and refuse to move except backward...

it really was just naughtiness, and i think its in their breeding unfortunately.... id can be stubborn and wb can be a bit backwards... keep riding positively and don't give up. he'll soon come round i'm sure. the one i schooled is great now, he is so responsive and the judges love him, he's great to ride, jumps beautifully and looks fab in the ring.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Cutting out the pasture mix could well make all the difference - it has quite a lot of barley in it.

My TB was a psycho when I first got him 5 yrs ago, tanking, temper tantrums, the works. Someone randomly suggested a barley-free diet and he hasn't looked back. it can be like a child on e numbers!

 

[TarrSteps]

This is going to sound a bit harsh but if your friend has experience starting/with young horses then then she should be able to suss out the root of this problem fairly easily. Certainly your list is pretty conclusive and should have already occurred to her.

If she's struggling, I'd suggest finding a reliable, experienced (with young horses) professional to see the horse in person, sit on it personally, and advise your friend on whatever seems pertinent. This doesn't sound like a horse "trying it on" in the literal sense of simply refusing to do what it already knows how to do, this sounds like a communication breakdown and a horse who's training it not allowing it to cope with the current situation. But NO ONE can tell you over the internet. A strong approach COULD work if that is what this horse and this situation needs, or it could precipitate more trouble, even disaster if the horse is in pain/lacking confidence etc. Behaviours are expressions, not strict cause and effect. The horse is telling you he's not coping and his needs - perhaps including confident leadership and good decision making - are not being met.

Highly bred horses are born to leap in the air and be athletic. That means if it all goes wrong it can be very unnerving. But the point is not to bang the horse down, it's to use all that energy and sensitivity for good. If the horse has been with a professional all its career it may very well be used to a very structured, very experienced system. Your friend needs to recreate that and then TEACH the horse what he needs to do the job she wants him for.

 

[brownlow]

Cruiser - thanks for your comments. I'm not at all suggesting we can answer this over the internet....just wanted to see what others could suggest. I know she's considering getting someone in to help , and hopefully she can work through it and do the best for him. I am starting to think that maybe this is a stance against him not being able to handle the recent changes and maybe he isn't coping....thanks for your advice.

 

[SteveD]

could also be that she has heavier hands than the previous rider and is in some way pulling on his mouth making him uncomfortable...some horses respond to this by going back, then up...

 

[Cuffey]

Could be teething--at that age our horse used to constantly snatch at bit
Reality of the change could have just set in
High fibre diet ad lib hay/haylage at night--cutting out all hard feed
Max turnout hopefully with company he likes
Lunge with saddle on before mounting
Dont think Id want to turn away until problem sorted but dont necessarily ride every day--do some ground work