Horse suddenly spooking, bolting and bucking.. HELP!

[Sparky321.]

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to handle and treat these problems.

Ive been having lessons from a lovely lady recently on a normally bomb proof older horse, I've had lessons for a few months now and at the start he was fine but the last four lessons he either bucks when asked to go into canter or spooks at random objects, sounds or cyclists and then bolts. Im a novice rider with, little confidence.
My last lesson I was off of the lead rein in canter for the first time and he bolted around the arena and decided to jump one of the jumps set up. I luckily haven't fallen off yet, but I'm getting more and more nervous around him.

Is he sensing my nerves and going off of them? or is there another reason?

He has lost weight recently, and when we picked his feet out he tried to rear (which he never does.)

I'm worried as he is also on loan to two young children, in which he doesnt do any of this stuff.

I am a twenty year old woman and I am worried it is his back as I weigh alot more than young girls, so he would be in more pain with me riding.

Any advice would be much appreciated as I really do love this horse and I cant stand to think that I could be causing discomfort to him.

Thank you.

 

[Red-1]

I would proceed with caution. You are having lessons from this lady? In which case she *should* be insured, but probably is not. She also *should* ensure that the horse she gives lessons on does not buck or run off on your first solo canter. As she had your first solo canter in a school with jumps set up than I *presume* she is not qualified either!

Honestly? I would find somewhere else to have lessons.

I am guessing you think that too, hence posting.

Confidence is easily lost and hard won back.

 

[Shay]

It does sound like a pain response. And although the two girls may weight less than you do if he hurts now it will get worse and it will happen with them too. I presume the instructor is the owner? Are you able to speak to her about it?

Red is abolutely right - confidence is easily lost and hard to re-gain. You need to look elsewhere to ride for a while I'm afraid.

 

[Sparky321.]

I would proceed with caution. You are having lessons from this lady? In which case she *should* be insured, but probably is not. She also *should* ensure that the horse she gives lessons on does not buck or run off on your first solo canter. As she had your first solo canter in a school with jumps set up than I *presume* she is not qualified either!

Honestly? I would find somewhere else to have lessons.

I am guessing you think that too, hence posting.

Confidence is easily lost and hard won back.

Thank you for taking the time to reply

She is a qualified instructor and I have learnt so much more with her than I have anywhere else but I agree with you the horse shouldn't be bolting ect and taking your response into account I'll start looking for other Equestrian Centers near me, I have brought up these problems with her but obviously with the horse being actually owned by her, she's going to be protective of him.

Thank you, your response has helped a lot.

 

[Sparky321.]

It does sound like a pain response. And although the two girls may weight less than you do if he hurts now it will get worse and it will happen with them too. I presume the instructor is the owner? Are you able to speak to her about it?

Red is abolutely right - confidence is easily lost and hard to re-gain. You need to look elsewhere to ride for a while I'm afraid.

Thank you for taking the time to reply

That's what I'm worried about, so far i've been too much of a wuss to hack out but the girls have taken him out already on the roads, what if he bolts with them?

I have continually asked if he is ok, since he tried to rear that time and she said he is fine and gets quite upset. He really does get 5* care but I'm going to try and have a talk with her and hopefully get him sorted.

Ive noticed that the problem as risen since they started loaning him out, could it due to him being over worked?

Again, Thank you for your response it has helped alot

 

[Red-1]

I used to teach a fair few novice adults, and would not have used a horse that bucks into canter to teach canter on. Nor would I have had jumps up in the arena for someone's first solo canter.

If she is qualified and charging for lessons, then beware that if she is using her own horse to teach on then this is not covered either under any BHS trainer's insurance or under a personal horse 3rd party insurance. If this is not a bona fide riding school then I would be suspicious that there is no insurance. Maybe ask to see her 3rd party liability insurance? If she has this then the question would not cause an issue, I have been asked as a trainer to provide proof of insurance, quite rightly so too.

Many people claim to be "qualified" but are either not, or do not follow what they have been trained to do. Safety concerns aside, if you have been having lessons for months and yet have only just last lesson had your first canter off the lunge then I doubt you have learned more with her then you would have elsewhere.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wonder if the little girls are feeding him something that he isn't used to. TBH, the instructor isn't really being protective of the horse, she is being defensive about the way she is running her lessons. I suggest looking for somewhere else to ride too/

 

[FortheloveofBlagdon]

Please put your safety first and not persevere with this horse/Instructor no matter how lovely she may be. It certainly sounds like there's an issue with the horse, and sounds like your instructor isnt acknowledging it. Either way this horse is not safe enough for you right now. The BHS website lists all approved riding schools in your area, try a lesson and you'll see the difference. It should be fun not scary! Stay safe and enjoy x

 

[Mule]

Yes, as the other posters have said the most important thing is that you look after your own safety. You must have good balance that you didn't come off when the horse bucked (as someone with crap balance I'm a bit envious 😀) but regardless confidence is easily lost and hard to regain. Whether it's a pain response from the horse or its normal behaviour, I'd stay clear (better safe than sorry).

 

[Orangehorse]

Just say to her that the horse frightened you, which it did. My first reaction was that it is having too much food for the work it is doing, but there could be lots of other reasons too, but it doesn't sound suitable for teaching a beginner having a first canter.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

If it was MY horse that was exhibiting behaviour that was different to the norm, then I would be suspecting there's a pain issue somewhere and would investigate it; as would many others on here. i.e. one or all of the following - vet, saddle fitter, physio, farrier, teeth.

This is NOT however your horse, and the owner is being reckless in the extreme by letting you ride it and potentially not just lose your confidence but also injuring yourself. I suspect the lure of a few pounds in her pocket are a little too much to resist.......... instead of finding out what might be causing the problem and spending a bit of her cash on that.

Is this woman qualified to teach riding? Is she insured to do so?? OP if the answer to these two questions is "no", then you need to walk away NOW and get yourself to a properly BHS qualified instructor's yard.

 

[MissP]

Two things are concerning here 1) the horse's new behaviour 2) the owner not doing anything about it. Could be pain or could be bored and on wrong feed. Either way, it's not a problem your can own or solve. Look elsewhere. As others have said confidence takes 10 times longer to build than destruct.