my horse tried to lie down... while hacking!!

[lastresort]

Has anyone else had this!!!
In 20 years of owning a horse this was a first. Took new TB out on 4th hack ( daughter on foot jogging as she on a fitness drive) I live in the middle of nowhere with fields and bridle paths so only a tiny bit of road work or lots if you want it so we have been sticking to the 20 minute loop round the bridle path while shes gaining confidence. We trotted up the lane ( whilst looking at the monsters in the hedge) but just kept riding forward. Got to the bridle path and went through the gate, exactly the same time as a phesant flew up out of the verge. She had a spook on the spot but stood still. I told my daughter to close the gate. As she did my horse prompty started to reverse so put my leg on her to ride her forward at which I thought she was going to buck but and she started to lie down!!

She got up and started to prance around whilst i hung on ( incase she started to bronc which is what I was expecting) and she reversed again and started to lie down again this time getting lower!!. At this point I jumped off as we were near a drain. Once I was off i gave her a minute to calm down, and told my daughter we were going to carry on the route as normal as going back was a big NO NO, but on foot till i could find something i could use to get back on her. Typically there wasnt anything so I led her the whole way which she obviously preferred as she then wasnt bothered by anything.

I have had her a month she is green ( she was broken this summer ) but managable, shes very spooky ( again I thought managable) and when she has a strop or doesnt want to do something she does reverse or just put her head as high as possible.... but lying down..... never had this before, I can only think she was so scared this was her last resort to try to go home ( we were only 100 yards up the lane)
Has anyone experienced this before??
Sorry for essay but thanks if you reply

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Oh yes....a few times!!
My share horse went out with her mum a few years ago - galloping across an open field, all of a sudden apparently she just went down - her mum thought she was having a heart attack - but no she was just rolling in the mud!!

She started doing it in the indoor with us, after a little girl had occasionally ridden her (I think she must have thought nobody was on her!) but we soon got her out of that

I think my share horse is just a cheeky little monkey and a few stern words and calm behaviour tend to work best with her.
K x

 

[Dancing Queen]

sounds cold backed?? - get the vet to check her over. xx

 

[pinklilly]

Was she sweaty? Was she not trying to roll, known a few that will try when ridden if they are hot.

 

[whisp&willow]

when i was (a lot) younger i used to ride a couple of ponies who would lie down while we were out!

on a couple of occasions it was because they were hot and sweaty, and decided they were going for a roll... and another they were just taking the proverbial...

after a couple of times i was able to spot the tell tale signs and kick them on and keep them on all fours!

another pony my sister rode for a while was a little horror and would ALWAYS drop to her knees when we were going for a ye-ha along the beach... it was very funny to me... not so much for her!

 

[lastresort]

sounds cold backed?? - get the vet to check her over. xx

no she not cold backed, I have been riding her a month and never with a problem until the bird today lol x
nope not sweaty either !
Just went down then once she realised I was still on got up!!

 

[lastresort]

no she not cold backed, I have been riding her a month and never with a problem until the bird today lol x
nope not sweaty either !
Just went down then once she realised I was still on got up!!

Sounds like my daughters pony she only has to go in a puddle!!

This was as if she was so scared she was having a sit in protest!!

 

[Dancing Queen]

no she not cold backed, I have been riding her a month and never with a problem until the bird today lol x
nope not sweaty either !
Just went down then once she realised I was still on got up!!

perhaps she is just still very green and needs alot more work.

 

[mirage]

Knobberpony tried this once,my 7 year old was riding her in the menage,and luckily was able to get off in time.She tried it again a few minutes later,but I yelled 'NO!' at the top of my voice and raced over and gave her a whack.That was enough to stop her,but it was so out of character I kept my eye on her for the rest of the day-it turned out she had mild colic,poor thing.I felt very guilty.

My friend's mare tries to do it when ridden through water-she keeps her whip handy and gives her a tap if she shows signs of wallowing.

 

[lastresort]

perhaps she is just still very green and needs alot more work.[/QUOTE

She is still , hence the repetative hacking with someone on foot - but wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience. We will do the same route tomorrow but fore warned is fore armed and we will ride forward through the same area.
Unfortunately theres alot of game birds about by me atm as I live on an estate , they fly up everywhere and make the worst noise!!

make me jump when I walk the dog!!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Had a connie which had paddies in the school & threw herself on the floor & had to always be ridden firmly by experienced person. Only did it if she wanted to opt out.

I did have a spooky little stallion to break once and if startled badly he would also do the same in going down as he couldn't get away. Was most baffling.
Did it when backing if something worried him, then again when going out for 1st few times.
Once he realised that he wasn't going to be eaten by dragons or allowed to sit/lie down, then things progressed (went on to go to HOYS etc the following yr) & progressed into an absolute sweetie.

Never took him out on his own for quite a few weeks and always had companion rider equipped on something that was safe enough to come up & grab the rein & drag him forwards (rode with 2 pairs of reins on snaffle bridle for a while due to this) then later to chase him on from behind by waving/shouting.

Hope you resolve this quickly - after getting everything usual checked out.

 

[AmyMay]

Is she unclipped?

 

[Foxhunter49]

It could be that she was trying to roll or it could be that she was just going to throw herself down in a paddy.

I have come across a few horses that would just lie down when they didn't want to do something (all mares) and once they have learnt how to do it it is a devil to get them out of it! Doesn't matter how much you kick them or hit them they will just lie there and the only thing I found to do was to continue to sit on them and bounce around on their back, using one rein to lift their head and then letting it drop, making sure that being down under a rider was very uncomfortable! I would also stay on them when they got up then continue riding as if nothing had happened.

 

[Megalini_22]

If it was me I'd give my vet a call and see what they advise you. If the vet says it's worth a closer look...there you go.. Good luck

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

My childhood Thelwell pony would do this. He did it at pony club rallies when he'd had enough of going round in circles (oh the shame), he'd just lay there with his eyes closed pretending to be dead until everybody got bored of shouting and pulling at him, then he'd get up and start grazing. He also did it at the blacksmiths. I had to ride there...it was in the olden days....and as soon as we arrived and he spotted the blacksmith he'd lay down on the yard and play dead. The blacksmith was a lot firmer than the PC bunch and would have him up in no time!

 

[jeeve]

I have two geldings that do this. Mine ISH loves to have a roll when you lunge him, and sometimes he decides he would like another one after he is all taxcked up. It is so hard taking his mind off it that sometimes I have just hopped off, taken his tack off and let him roll and then popped it all back on. He also loves to have a roll when he gets off the float.

My son's gelding has been taught to lay down on command. However, he also lays down when ridden, mostly when he really wants to being doing something else like go and talk to the pretty young mare that has walked past. In other words he does it when he is being naughty. My son has had to jump off many times to avoid getting squashed.

 

[riding_high]

my young pony has done this a few times the last few times he's been ridden, nothing had changed as such, just a different rider, he was doing this on the lead rein in the school and also around the fields. he gave no warning from what i could see so made it even harder to reprimand.
i had the dentist out to check his teeth (they were due) and she removed the tiniest of wolf teeth so we are hoping that's why he was doing it, i've also given him a trace clip as he is a fluffy little pony. i haven't ridden him since having his teeth done but i will hopefully get to ride him properly this weekend so i can see if it made a difference (he only saw the dentist last week).

 

[soulfull]

no she not cold backed, I have been riding her a month and never with a problem until the bird today lol x
nope not sweaty either !
Just went down then once she realised I was still on got up!!

I think the bird is a red herring!! I know of 2 newly backed youngsters that did this and other things, they are so newly undersaddle they just don't realise they are not supposed to just do what they want

so far all their lives they can run,eat, scratch, lie down etc etc when ever they want, it takes time for them to realise things are different now

 

[Spotsrock]

Lottie used to roll on people when panicked. We think it was to get them off so she could run away

 

[Miss L Toe]

I think she will get used to the birds [maybe use a neck rein out hacking] I would try a lunge before you hack out so if she is a bit hyper, you can get rid of it before you go out in to the wide world, just keep her moving and let daughter do the gates.

 

[lastresort]

thanks for all your comments- thats why we are on here to share experiences and as i said in 20 years ive never encountered this!!
My daughters pony comes back this weekend from being on loan for few weeks ( had shelter built and she would just get in the way , trying tobe helpful) and she does gates I think it was fear as shes been checked over ( teeth done etc etc ) so tomorrow im going to have aword with the phesants and ask them to keep it quiet for a bit lol and lunge before we go, but tbh she is a bit of a plod out just spooky ( happily walk for miles rather than exert herself!!)

So fingers crossed this was a one off, but thanks again