Lesson learnt

[Shantor1]

I took my horse to a small dressage competition at a equestrian and agricultural college. Didn't expect there to be llamas next to the yard but just thought he'd give his usual boggle eyed spook and snort.

No way! Llamas took an instant dislike to him, spitting, charging and making llama noises at him. Terrified him, he was whirling around, snorting and half rearing. Glad I'd taken him tacked up. Managed to get on him in the warm up arena away from them and after an hour's warm up he began to settle.

He initially snorted at the turkeys making 'gobbling' noises and the parakeets but soon got used to them. Stupidly, whilst cantering him, I turned circle too sharp and he spooked, bucked and I fell heavily, on my shoulder and neck. Managed to get back up and on him and got him settled...until I was about to enter indoor arena. One of the llamas spied him and made his noise which freaked him out. At this time I'd got off to remove his boots and he would not stand still by my mounting block to get on.

My friend held him and the organisers let me attempt him in the indoor but he suddenly whirled round and lashed out at the block sending it flying and ripped off the top. This had been custom made by my dad. I tried to lead him quietly back but when he cow kicked I'm afraid at that point I lost it and gave him two sharp smacks across his snout. Yeah some of you will throw your hands up in horror and I haven't done this til now but he was freaking out and in danger of causing himself or someone an injury.

He was so wound up I decided to box up and go home. He'd calmed down by then and I washed him off as he was dripping and turned him out.

He was in a mood before we left the yard. He's fed Dengi Hi Fi, 2 small scoops of pasturemix and small scoop speedi-beet. Never had this behaviour before. He is a spooky horse so I have been giving him Nettex nice n easy calmer and gave him a bit higher dose last night. Maybe this was wrong and perhaps it reacted with the selenavite E supplement as our area is low in selenium.

I hadn't ridden him for 2 days due to work and family committments so maybe that's where I went wrong, plus calmer, plus llamas, plus getting off him when I should've stayed on. I've never lost my temper with him before. It has put me off wanting to take him to that venue again.

I've put it down to one of those horsey days. Otherwise he's a lovely boy and I've always managed to reassure him and work him through things but today nothing I did or said got through.

 

[henryhorn]

What an awful day for you.. I do sympathise, when we kept alpacas one mare ran round her field evey day for a week until she accepted they weren't monsters, so he isn't that unusual.
Far from not going to that venue again I think you should box him over there and stable him there for a week, and ride the bug*** every day several times a day until he stops being daft.
I also understand your reaction, having seen horses freak, but perhaps whack him somewhere other than his nose, as that tends to invoke a reaction from anyone watching more than anywhere else..
Do accept it is a known fact some horses go mental over big sheepy things, everytime the hunt met near here we would hear people shouting as their horses hacked past our fields containing alpacas, we say people fall off, get off, turn round and go home etc..
I don't think boycotting tha venue will solve your problems, next time he may use a bird as an excuse. No, go back and make him accept he has to work regardless of monsters is my advice.. (our horses of course ignore the things)

 

[Shantor1]

Yes good idea. I'm planning on taking him back to the venue by hiring their indoor for as long as it takes to get him used to them. Probably take my old cob gelding who is major calming influence to him.

I know it wasnt a good idea to whack him esp as he was scared but he was lashing out at people and I was trying to get him under control. Not something I will repeat again.

My neck and shoulders are painful this am but I managed to lunge and long rein him calmly. He was tense at first but I gave him a lot of reassurance and he worked in a lovely relaxed outline.

Yesterday in the warm up arena he spooked a few times at gobbling turkeys and squawking parakeets but I rode him positively forward and he ignored them. I think I got tense and nervous re the llamas which did not help. Lessons learnt.

 

[custard]

Bloody hell what a day! That's a lot to chuck at a horse all at once but don't blame you for smacking him, they've got to listen to you over and above everything else.

We've got a 'herd' of minature donkeys up the road from us and they often put the stallion in to cover the Jenny's naturally. If the braying wasn't enough they are usually s*****g just to liven up your hack a bit, then there's the babies galloping round playing, they're a flippin nightmare.....