Lowest point since i bought him

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Flint12

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I have had the worst morning with my boy today since i bought him.

I went out and set out a school on the grass and paced it out etc and was really excited and happy. I got my boy out and he was being a darling like normal, tacked him up swapped his bit i use for falt work onto his falsh bridle. Was really excited.

He stood still for me to get on which is a bit of a breakthrough. Got him out in on the grass and he was fine. . .to start wit. . .

The whole idea of having to WORK on grass was obviously a bit exciting and he suddenly perked up. . . alot

To be fair on him he didnt do anything fundamentally wrong. . .i think i was just expecting toooo much from him. . .he is only a baby and has never had to WORK properly on grass.

My riding went totally to pot and i ended up being terrified to apply any leg aids because i was worried he would tank of when all he would do was speed up. . .

I ended up spending the rest of the morning sitting in his stable on the floor. . .feeling useless and pathetic.

The last week he has come so far. . .he let me put in blanks for his stud holes and stood while i cleaned his sheath. . .he is letting me hold runing clippers near him and he is generaly behaving brilliantly.

Today has just made everything i have acomplished with him recently seem stupid and pointless as i cant even ride him round on grass without my nerves and riding going to pot.

I dont think it has helped me that i have just changed his bit to one i can use for dressage and i have it stuck in my head that i have no control. I dont want to up his bit to one which is stronger but i dont know what else i can do other than having a ton of lessons if i have a chance of doing a decent test at the end of august.

Just feeling a bit pathetic and useless, its just one of those days where it ended up going wrong
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You're not useless and pathetic!
How old is he?
Hovis is 5 now and I bought him 6 months ago. He too gets very excited on grass and I ride like an idiot with fear so I can relate to what you write entirely. But my YO said to me the day I told him I'd bought a 4 year old - it'll be the most rewarding and frustrating thing you've ever done - and he was right.
A while back Hovis ditched me at a comp on grass and i now have an utter fear of it. It took me til last night to jump again but I did it. So I'm getting my nerve back then I'm going to try the grass thing some more.
Everytime I'm having a bad day I remember boxing day this last christmas when i stood in his stable crying my eyes out because I couldn't get him to lift his feet to pick them out. I was convinced he was the worst mistake of my life. Now that is nothing but a distant memory and one day so will him not behaving on grass.
You'll get there - just give yourself and him some time.
 
Heeeeeeeeeeeeey! Hold on a minute!

Take a step outside your life and look at this from an outsider's perspective! You've put running clippers near him, cleaned his sheath, got him standing still while you mount (my 15 year old still struggles with this concept sometimes!!), you've made steps towards building a good bond with him.

He got excited on grass... somewhere he usually associates with PLAY TIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMME! 'Yippeeee, mummy, let's play!'.

Give yourself a break. You are doing wonders with him and, like you said, he is still a nipper! It takes time for things to become habbit, so take him on the grass tomorrow knowing that he's not really going to tank off, you can control him, and keep doing it until he comes to realise that it's time to work for a bit. He will settle but it will take time.

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PS, I agree with hovis about it being rewarding having a 4 year old. We bought our mare as a 4 year old - she'd been broken and lightly hacked after being turned away, but was really carte blanche. It was amazing to be able to mould her into what was a beautiful, wonderful horse who died too soon.

You WILL get there!
 
don't worry about it, everyone has a bad day now and again. You both need to get used to working in that area and he needs to realise its for work not play. To be honest a lot of horses get excited on grass if they arn't used to it.

I would maybe do some lunging or groundwork in there before you get on and then take it slow, dont trot until the walk is good and calm etc and if his trot starts getting fast come back to walk. Stay pretty much in your comfort zone and don't push it too hard or he will feel you getting tense and it won't help. I'm sure you will be fine in no time if you do short sessions most days he will soon realise what is wanted and the novelty will wear off.

Good luck! keep us updated
 
He has just turned five, have had him for 10 months. And is a very bold five year old. He gives me a hell of alot of confidence XC and SJ and im now always up for having a go at tackling anything with him.

Thank you for all your help. . .

i feel alot more positive now, knowing i can do it with more time and practise
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Horses have their off days just like us, they have there excitable days too....just like us... or like you in this case!

5 is only young, but he'll be at that age where he's feeling good and confident and a little more wise to the world and perhaps he'll test the waters a bit now in other areas, if he's feeling a little fresh let him get it out of his system (better out than in lol) but safely on the lunge, I'm sure he'll then wonder what all the fuss was about and you'll just laugh it off in the end, clamber on board and he's be fine.

just think, it could be worse...that always keeps me sane!
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i think everyone has moments when we question our ability and if we have the right horse, if we're good enough for our horse etc etc,
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I'm sure taking a step back to just pottering about in your grass school in a very unexciting way will help you both settle and then be able to move up a gear or 2
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Well, maybe you're not rushing him so much as you're rushing yourself? Why not set the school up again, but instead of thinking 'WORK! I MUST!' just go in relaxed and on a loose rein. Make the point of it walking around and getting as super-relaxed as possible. Then, just maybe if you feel quiet enough, have a very short trot, bring it back to a walk, finish up and put him away. Do that again and again and gradually he will begin to associate grass with quietness. Then when you feel like every time you go in, he's relaxing and becoming steady, at that point gradually start bringing in a little bit more work, more trot, a little more contact, step by step. This way, you're going slow enough both to build your own confidence up, and you're making it an uber-relaxed experience for a baby too?
 
sounds like a good idea. . .

I might bring someone along with me who i can talk to aswell to take my mind of thinking so hard about things
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Oh dear, I know how you feel!! Dont worry though, like the others said its just 1 bad day thats all. Goodness I have had so many ups and downs bringing on my young horse!
One day my young mare had a tiny tiny cut on her leg and I was trying to put purple spray on it, she wouldnt let me, she kept kicking out everytime I got nr. I was crying tears of frustration but I stuck at it for a whole hour!! In the end she let me spray the cut but that was after the rest of her had been covered by purple spray. Being a grey she then looked like a purple piebald lol.
Anyway she cut her leg the other day (3 yrs later) and she let me spray her leg without turning a hair.
 
Right young lady if I was at the yard I would slap you!! in a nice way. Flint is a star and your doing a brill job on him. Yesterday we where in the field and you where jumping huge whilst I poped a log ok it was a stick!!!

He did not put a foot wrong yesterday and no one would guess he is a baby if they saw you riding him.

Last week I was selling sherbet as he was a bugger and today he was a star again, there is no reason for good or bad days just part of the joys of having a horse.

So young lady no more of the I can't cause you can and you do!!!!

XXXX

PS I am at the yard 1st thing if you want someone in field to shout at you!!!
 
OOO

That would be lovely. . .would be nice to have someone to shout at me
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Had one of my silly pathetic days today

thankies


XX
 
My horse is always a t*t in his own field (he's 17 now have had him since a 4yo), of it's their own field they do like to play the idiot generally. I would just try ignore his daft excited behaviour, try doing small circles, serpentines and that sort of thing so they have to listen to you. Don't just go wide in the school or d 20m circles etc cos they switch off and decide it'll be much more fun to be a prat!

Mine always likes to chuck in the odd buck and head shake but you just have to ignore it and do what you want. Honestly don't worry, it's part of your horse's personality but he will just have to realise eventually that when you want to work that's what it means. To be honest with mine I always give him a good stretch out at canter on both reins before starting any work. Gets him to loosen up and get any real silliness out first!
 
I do this and start beating myself up when things go wrong and sometimes it is so hard to see what you have achieved so I do understand. But you are not useless and pathetic, and you have achieved so much with your boy, and as you say perhaps he was just excited about working on grass and took you by surprise.
 
Thanks everyone for all you thoughts and support. . .

I was really beating myself up earlier. . .and getting in a right mess. . . After reading what some of you posted i went back to see him and sat with him this evening. . .

It really made me think that i love the way he is. . .

I wouldnt want a horse with no personality and i love the way he is when i ride him. . . I would have him no other way
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Thanks for making me feel loads better about my smelly horse. . .love him really
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