My plodder is under estimated....fizzy hack day rant!

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Meadon

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My 16.2hh loan ID who I keep on on livery at a riding school is classed as completely bombproof. In the school she is lazy but then has got to use to doing her three strides of canter and then going to walk straight away...cheeky madam, until I get on!

On a hack she is pretty good, can get strong and can be very silly in a field. Usually she'll plod along until we canter and turns into thunder hooves. She doens't like being left behind.

Today was a nightmare though. I took her down to the river which she loved but spooked quite badly at some boys just playing near by, spooked badly again by some horses in a field (tried to scramble into canter and flung her head right back). Some poor walkers jumped back in fright. Took her into a field, we made the horses walk due to my mare playing up...she tried to bolt twice and jumps into canter.

I decided not to continue up another part of the field but was I letting her get away with this? I took her onto a quiet road, she spooked at everything and then turned to a bridlepath and she reared and went to bolt.

By this time I was nearly in tears...which didn't help. She jogged all the way back. I've never known her like this before. This flinging her head up and scrambling is annoying me.

She's usally soooo chilled and complete beginners go out on her, albeit not the fields. But I know that sometime soon somebody has booked a hack through the fields who hasn't been riding long...do I say something? If I find it difficult, surely they will. I'm the only one who really hacks her so know what she's like.

I've really lost my nerve today
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Anyone elses plodders turning into nutty things at the mo?
 
She doesn't sound too bad tbh - I think she might just have been haveing a spooky day! Don't give up on her yet!

I'd definately say that there's no way a beginner would be able to stay on her if she does act the same, but I think it sounds like she's just a bit fresh.

No, you didn't let her get away with anything - she DIDN'T bolt with you even if she went to.

How big did she rear?

Also, why was she up for loan?

Good luck!
 
Is this horse a riding school horse
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Or is she a privately owned horse on part livery at the riding school
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If she has been used for quite a while in the riding school she will have become 'riding school orientated' When they are taken away from their usual round and round the school they become alittle more alive especially if taken out on their own. I don't know what part of the country you live but it's been quite blustery here today and this can upset some horse's. As someone has sort or suggested when you go out for a hack next time can you go with another horse that she knows and is used to being around or go out with one of the riding school hacks but on her. Alot of horses don't like riding alone and if she has frightened you a little today don't give up on her it may just have been one of those days (is she in season)
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You stayed pretty much in control - she didn't get to bolt even though she tried. So no IMO she didn't get away with it

Ellie can be like this. Put a complete beginner on her and she is like butter wouldn't melt but put me or her owner on her and she turned into psycho sally. She knows who can handle the naughty side of her and who can't and behaves accordingly. Madam that she is
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Maybe your mare is the same?
 
I would say something as she does sound a bit too full of it at the moment for a beginner.

As for your hacks, I would be tempted to put it all to the back of my mind, go out again as normal and if she shows the same weird behaviour get her checked over for pain (throwing the head up, threatening to rear and bolt, could be back/saddle or teeth related).
 
Thanks for the replies!

We were in company, so it's not that. I have her on loan from a riding school. I had a bad riding accident 4 years ago and I have her a building up confidence horse. Which 99.9% of the time she does. Silly thing is though she is no where near as bad as the skitty arabs I use to ride. It really takes me by surprise when she does play up...plus I'm use to 14.2hh!

Her rear was quite high. Looking on the positive side I stopped her from bolting each time and made her walk and listen. Also, if it happened last year I sure I would have come off and I sat through it. I hadn't realised a friend had seen (he was farming in the next field) and said he didn't know how I managed to stay on.

I'm lungeing her tomorrow before we go out again. Think it just is a fresh day that has taken by surprise. I usually ride her side saddle mostly so maybe she found it strange to have two legs either side from me. I feel like a hopeless rider today lol.
 
She's just come out of season I would say. Sorry I didn't make myself very clear in my first post...it's my nerves from today. She's owned by the riding school and I loan her at the same time.
 
Don't know what it's like where you are, but here there are just hundreds of horse flies, even the kid's ploddy pony goes a bit nuts when they're around! ?
 
Lunging is a great idea, I used to do that with my lad, he would canter around and around (trot would have done!) after 5 minutes on each rein he was stuffed, and I'd clamber on and boss him around a bit until I felt more confident!
 
Meadon - not sure if I've understood how all the arrangements work with your loan ned but school horses that seem total plods doing the regular and often hard work that they do every day, can change completely when their workloads change if they go to a private or semi private owner. It can be quite a shock that the sweet plod that a customer falls in love with can appear to be such a Jekyl and Hyde character. But all it is is an often massive reduction in work load that gives the horse energy and sparkle that it may not have felt for years. And bingo, you have a different horse on your hands. Even if the horse is still being used occasionally by the school, if her workload has radically changed, she will be feeling very different about life.

I bought my Sunny from a riding school at age 19. They were quite happy to see him go as he had got to the point where he was skinny to the point of emaciation (my vet's words after I bought him) and had to be beaten with a crop to get a shuffling canter. Poor little man. After just a few months with me he was glossy and shining with health and if the grass had gone down too much in the field he was in he would jump the fence into the next door field! The school staff said, huh, he never used to jump the fence with us. And I thought, no, he never had enough energy. After a few months (and we're almost 3 years down the line now) Sunny has totally settled into being a privately owner horse and can still jump 2tf 9 and canter up the lane if he's feeling silly and win me a 1st place in the walk and trot dressage. His feed was adjusted to reflect his changed workload and circumstances and he's settled and very, very happy.

I think if you can stick with your girl and adjust her feed and management to private ownership, she would eventually settle. The thing at the moment - if I understand this correctly - is that she is still part yours, part riding school. Very difficult situation. Can you change that at all?
 
She is probably making the most of not being in a school with beginners on her back and her way of communicating this is to 'play spooky horse' and have a little jog home.

Sounds like you managed her very well. The more she goes out the less exciting it will be to her.
 
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