I'm at a lost at what to do! Selling Horse or not?

Exasperated said:
This sounds a lot nearer the mark: horse has surplus energy to burn, also, his manners and ‘groundwork’ are described as “impeccable” much of the time.
Therefore, going over and over ‘groundwork’ must be incredibly frustrating for him, and certainly not using up any of that energy at all.
A total of 1.75 hours per week ridden work (when that was even happening, which it currently isn’t anyway) is serious under-occupation for any sound riding animal, and bouts of impulsive behaviour fully understandable in that context.
The instructor has advised the horse needs to be worked, but he is having the winter off!
If riding more than that is a chore for OP, and there is no one else to take him out for some decent, longer rides, they probably aren’t ever going to be suited or happy - if their needs are incompatible, would both be better with different partners.
He actually sounds like a really nice horse, hope OP gets him fixed up more suitably.
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When you put it like 1.75 hours it really does hit home! In my head i was doing something with him 4 days a week. I think i am going to up his work, and let him live out for the time being (as thats where hes most happy). I genuinely dont beleive anyone will understand him or be able to progress him as much as me as i know him inside and out and we do have a really good bond and have achieved lots together. That being said, i am going to get a professional out to put him through his paces and see if theres anything else! i dont think i'm at a point of selling, i think i unfortunately i got lazy and then blamed him for his behavior. I think i just need to listen more, and put in more effort as he is clearly not a horse that does well without stimulation!
 
SGElse said:
When you put it like 1.75 hours it really does hit home! In my head i was doing something with him 4 days a week. I think i am going to up his work, and let him live out for the time being (as thats where hes most happy). I genuinely dont beleive anyone will understand him or be able to progress him as much as me as i know him inside and out and we do have a really good bond and have achieved lots together. That being said, i am going to get a professional out to put him through his paces and see if theres anything else! i dont think i'm at a point of selling, i think i unfortunately i got lazy and then blamed him for his behavior. I think i just need to listen more, and put in more effort as he is clearly not a horse that does well without stimulation!
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Don’t forget it’s that awful time of year too where spring is literally peering round the corner and the horses know it! My gelding is always an idiot around this time of year, fresh as a daisy and quite frankly annoying. It’s hard not to get lazy over winter but some horses just need a job. Mines been out of work since around may last year because of one reason or another and it hasn’t don’t him any favours. In summer he was fine and dandy but as soon as autumn set in he was getting himself very worked up and stressed and even became aggressive. I put it down to him not being in work mostly (among other things)
 
SGElse said:
I absolutely love this outlook! Everyone that meets him says he has amazing character with so much potential and its one of the things i love about him! I genuinely dont beleive selling him would transform him as i know him inside and out (including when hes talking the mick!). I think i just need to accept i will have tough days and unfortunately, maybe i made the wrong call thinking a break would be better for him (although he has been amazingly calm up until this week!). I'm not convinced i would love something thats so easy or placid so i need to just remember its not the end of the world when he misbehaves every now and then!
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Horses like this are hard work and they grind you down a bit - it's been a long winter and the last thing any of us want to be doing is tied to a schedule of HAVING to work our horse 6 days a week, it's exhausting and you're not doing wrong by him by not having the enthusiasm or the energy for it all the time. I just accept that mine will be a bit of a noodle if I've slacked off working him, I don't blame him but I don't blame myself either, it's just where we are at that day.

Mine often needs a good 20 minutes schooling in a forward trot before we can do anything productive in that session, quite often that 20 minutes is all I would really like to do that day 🤣 but I've learned he's just a busy horse and I need to give him an outlet for that energy if I expect him to be calm and focussed (he does get 10 hours turnout in winter and 18 in summer, but he still needs 'work' as well). In summer when he is out doing 8-mile farm rides, XC schooling, clinics etc. several times a week he is an absolute DREAM.

On the plus side I love his enthusiasm for his work and wouldn't swap that for anything 🥰
 
Could your instructor (or another freelancer maybe) hack him for you twice a week? my freelancer does this for several people in our village. She works them hard and has them forward and off the leg. They really get a work out when she takes them out. It means the owners have 2 days less to worry about exercising their horses. As the FL is so confident onboard the horses naturally become more confident and a nicer ride for the owner.

Basically the horse gets 2 good hard work sessions a week where they are made to think, use their bodies correctly. And then the owner can do a couple of schooling sessions or relaxed hacks or some jumping or what ever in between. It really seems to work for her customers.
 
dorsetladette said:
Could your instructor (or another freelancer maybe) hack him for you twice a week? my freelancer does this for several people in our village. She works them hard and has them forward and off the leg. They really get a work out when she takes them out. It means the owners have 2 days less to worry about exercising their horses. As the FL is so confident onboard the horses naturally become more confident and a nicer ride for the owner.

Basically the horse gets 2 good hard work sessions a week where they are made to think, use their bodies correctly. And then the owner can do a couple of schooling sessions or relaxed hacks or some jumping or what ever in between. It really seems to work for her customers.
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Ideal, if OP hasn’t the time or motivation (for whatever reason), someone else to get this horse out burning off energy, getting used to all sorts, and into a more focused, sober frame of mind - perfect, and keep him going, doing something, on all the other days.
 
Exasperated said:
Ideal, if OP hasn’t the time or motivation (for whatever reason), someone else to get this horse out burning off energy, getting used to all sorts, and into a more focused, sober frame of mind - perfect, and keep him going, doing something, on all the other days.
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Yes the thinking behind being that he's in regular work stimulating his brain and using up excess energy will hopefully reduce the spooky re-activeness, plus time out hacking with a rider he can take confidence from should ultimately help too. Then the OP might even enjoy hacking her own horse again at some point in the future. I always think someone less attached (is that the right word) gives clearer instructions and boundaries to a horse who known for being 'spooky and reactive'.
 
I have one who sounds pretty similar.
Can be the sweetest easiest dope on a rope and then some days he will go over you coming out of the stable and is barely sane enough to lead out (on foot) for a walk.

Spooky ridden but sometimes OK. Spooks at anything, a leaf, an earwig although give him a large lorry and that is fine. Spins and can go through 180 degrees in an instant. This has gone on for years. Thought it was just him.

I found the answer purely by chance.. He got laminitis and I had to look at the sugar/starch content of feed. That is all feed not just hard feed, hay is also feed and they get far more hay than hard feed. I got him back out leading in hand and sometimes wondered if we would be coming home together. No matter how much in hand training we did no success. He simply couldn't stand still even for a few seconds. He knew everything and could do it but totally over the top. A behaviourist/trainer wouldn't have helped him.

Changed the hay to much lower sugar purely by chance and he was a dope on a rope. Not only lead on the roads but ridden on the roads. I can switch him between impossible and dope on a rope purely by the hay he gets. (high sugar grass will also come into the equation)

Your horse is getting little real work. I don't count in hand or lunging as work. To my mind work is trotting up hills. This may be the answer but I am not as sure as some on here for this horse. I would look at everything that goes into his mouth. Hay is not consistent (unless you make or buy in the same sort and get it tested) I feed very low sugar hay (his reactions tell me that it is low sugar) and I feed horsehage as in Marksway, Devonhaylage, Country haylage etc All of those makes have lower sugar levels rather than haylage bought in where the levels may not be known. I also use equibeet although molassed sugar beet doesn't cause a problem, no alfalfa , timothy chaff (simple systems) a few high fibre nuts and spiller L & L balancer. He stays sane all the time on that lot.,

if he was mine I would start on the diet, just take a couple of weeks strip out sugar (treat him as a laminitic/EMS/PPID horse, I know he isn't) see if there is any effect. It could be worth a try.
 
SGElse said:
I thought i would come on here for some advice, even if i just write out my thoughts it might help! I have owned my horse for 6 years and he is currently 10 years old. He was a challenging youngster but has come on incredibly however i do find he still pushes the boundaries regardless of how much ground work i do. He knows manners - he just chooses when to use them. For example, some times he will push you out the stable just because he chooses to do so, despite him doing ground work consistently. 80% of the time he is amazing but the other 20% is barely manageable.

Now ridden, he has so much potential, he is absolutely amazing, but he is incredibly spooky. I gave him winter off to help him mature and because its so hard with this rain. However this morning he pushed me out the stable again and worse than ever before.

I'm at a point where i dont know what to do. I love him with all my heart but as i get older i worry about risking my safety. He is a very particular horse and i worry if i was to sell him where he would end up. We do have an amazing relationship but i am at a point where i dont know how much more work i can put in and what the next stages are?

Do i try working him 6 days a week but then that brings the fun out of my hobby?
Do i try leaving him out at night but he will be by himself? He currently lives out 24/7 in summer but is in at night on winter (and he waits to come in!).
He is currently on calm and collected balancers and i have tried calmers such as buck off & valerian which dont work.
He had a vet work up and they saw no sign of lameness nor does he show any signs of ulcers.

I am stuck at what to do. I never thought i would sell him and the thought of it kills me but are we at a point where i dont know what else i can do. I have gone back to basics 100's of times. I dont know if i need to be reasonable given he has had winter of. But on the other hand, i have always had these kind of problems.

There is lots of hacking where i am and cant go in them as he is incredibly spooky and if i go with another horse he will set them off so no one wants to ride with us. But out on the road & at competitions he is foot perfect. I could also get on him and he be amazing - its just luck of the draw.

Any advice would be appreciated
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Gut feeling is that he isn't getting enough work and variety. How about you found another rider to share with you? Someone confident who could 'ride through' his spooking and getting him to go forwards, also to school him and give him the mental stimulation he might be craving.
 
Like everyone else has said. He sounds a bored and underworked physically and mentally. I would also get his eyes checked in case he has any issues with his sight (clutching at straws on his behalf!)

I treat my children like horses. If they misbehave it's likely they are eating too much sugar or need to run around more. Changing both puts us back on track 🤣
 
I've got a busy brain 14.2 cob - the least cob like personality I've ever met. He needs to be in proper work otherwise he makes up his own entertainment to use up his energy and barging is definitely on the cards.

Mine are usually out 24.7 but Feb weather has meant in overnight. The first week he was a horror but after a weekend of a 1 hour strenuous polework clinic, followed the next day by a fast 3 hour hilly ride he was allowed a day off. But then a lesson on the Tues, hack Wed, day off Thurs, schooling Fri, clinic Sat - you get the picture!!

He is very fit & a bit leaner than I'd like but some horses just don't do well with time off.

I also don't think we should expect gold star behaviour 100% of the time. I correct the 20% but generally just roll my eyes and we carry on.
 
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