My Young Horse is Naughty on 'Outings' Help?

coreteam1

coreteam1

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I have a five year old 17.hh gelding (Irish sports horse) that I backed just under a year ago. He hasn't been the easiest to back (bucked a bit when learning to canter) but he's going nicely now. At home he can be spooky but works well in the arena. I took him out to an unafilliated Dressage Comp just before Christmas where his behaviour wasn't to bad but he did buck in the warm up arena. The second time was in January this year where he bahaved much the same as last time.
I took him to my new trainer last week and his behaviour was awful. He warmed up ok for the first five minutes but then seemed to think he'd finished, I spent the next 45 minutes trying to stay on, each time he was naughty (bucking from trot) my instructor told me to make him work harder and gallop him each time he misbahaved?. Eventually after nearly 50 minutes of an intensive workout (for me!) he put 10 min of excellent work in.
When I rode him the next day he was a little sharp (like he was in the lesson) which is unusual for him at home but I did as my instructor told me and he settled eventually?
I would just like some views of what others think? Have you had similar problems when out competing or somewhere new? Will his behaviour get better over time? Is it because he's young and everything is new and strange?
I don't like giving horses an excuse for bad behaviour but a few have mentioned the weather (!??)
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I have another lesson this coming week so fingers crossed his behaviour has improved!!??
I would really like to be doing some BD soon, but can't until he can be warmed up correctly without a mass exodus from the ring! All these horses I see behaving well at events, were they good from the start or have any of you out there had to contain a time bomb before your horse evuntually learnt to behave!!??
Sorry for the rambling post!!
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The first few times I took Lacey out, especially xc, she got very very excited, bucking and bunny hopping a lot.

The more outings we did she realised it's not all that exciting and is now fine.

Maybe he just needs a few more outings. Has he only done the 2 you said about and to your trainers?
 
Take him out as often as possible to lots of little things, lunge him before you get on if possible and just get him used to different atmospheres.
Sounds like a baby thing.
 
My 5 year old was like this when I first started taking him to things last year. Awful in the warm up, with ear-piercing neighs and squeals, mini rears and playful buck. I'd just ride him forward and he would eventually get over the excitement. As he's gone to more things, he's calmed down and realised it's not such a big deal after all. Makes life a bit more pleasant!
 
I think it is (hope it is ) a baby thing, although I forgot to mention that he is quite agressive in his actions rather than doing it out of high spirits. he seems to be like a child having a tantrum rather than being excited?
 
My boy was exactly the same and still at 6, comes off the trailer like a giraffe, flared nostrils and snorting away. They are all different, but with my boy, it's a case off once he's off the trailer, get on as quick as possible and get his mind focused on the job asap. A little bit of lateral work tends to do the trick. As others have said, getting him out to different events will help. Also perhaps try a calmer in his feed the night before.

Best of luck. x
 
Makes u feel any better i have 13 yo Chesnut mare (she i know!) and one day she will warm up beautifully at shows and other shows she will rear and clear the collecting ring! But i know htat forward riding and giving her something to think about will work even if it takes a while!
Perserverance is the best answer!
 
im assuming you have had his back/teeth/saddle done recently? Ruling all that out take him out as much as possible. Dont worry about the warmup, people will get out of your way.

I have a 6yr old 17'3 KWPN gelding whom i compete BD on - he was terrified of the white boards, ive been competing him weekly for about 3months now and hes slowly getting there but hes extremely spooky and sharpe. He has a phobia of otherhorses cantering towards him and completly freaks out and will bronk across the warmup arena. It used to take me ages to even get on him out competing as he was so tense he'd just try and b*gger off everytime i went to get on - he'd also often shoot off bronking once i was mounted in the warmup.

People will stay out of your way, trust me!!
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Is this your first youngster? What's the rest of his routine? What I'm trying to get at is if he just has too much energy for what he's being asked to do. Is the rest of his schooling varied, with some jumping and hacking. He's still such a baby. I have a friend who backs and rides lots of youngsters, he always says that he'd prefer 4 year olds or 6 year olds but 5 year olds can be the worst. When they're 4 and being broken they can be a little bit "in awe" of what's going on, if you know what I mean. They're also not so strong and everything is new. When they get to 5, and they're fit, well fed and in good form, they suddenly start to question your authority. When they get to 6, hopefully, they'll have learnt some sense and manners.

Keep going with your instructor and get out as much as you can. You don't always have to compete when you go out, but get on (or lunge), ride around as if working in. Make sure your horse is getting the right balance of exercise and feed.

When my 17.2 hh ISH was 5 we were in a showing class and all he did was buck for the time, until eventually the judge asked us to leave. I'm afraid to say I laughed the whole time he was bucking because there was nothing I could do, except sit it out and not fall off. Best of luck with your boy - any photos? How's he bred?
 
Definitely would say it is just greeness. My boy has only just started going out, but the key that I found worked was to make sure I took him somewhere / anywhere at least once a fortnight so it wasnt such a big deal for him to be out and about. This at least took some of the stress away from him. I am not sure that I agree with your instructors methods - but each to their own. I know with my boy, who has a tendancy to stand up when things get too much for him, he was much better if I just focused on riding him forwards and basically ignoring his sillyness. Eventually he will learn to trust you that there is nothing scary and that the safest and best thing to do is listen to what you are asking him to do. Good luck
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Thanks foryour reply,
No he's not my first younger but definitely the hardest to do. He is TB x ID and has been backed a year in August. I have his teeth checked regularly and he's just had a lady called Catherine Petts to check over his back. he has also just had a new saddle fitted and bought from Milners in Leicestershire so I've eliminated all the obvious I hope!
I think as you (or me!) get older we aim for a nice ride rather than being thrown all over the place. Dressage is suppose to be enjoyable but it's hard when they are young and boistrous?
He is ridden almost everyday. I school him, hack him out but haven't done much jumping yet as we haven't got a correct fitting GP saddle, just dressage.
I thought about taking him out just to warm up rather than compete.
Thanks for everyones advice.
How do I post pictures on here then?
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Noy really sure how to answer you as he sounds awfully like Monty who we sold because we couldn't get him to settle.. We tried everything possible, calmers, lungeing, lateral work to keep his brain occupied, being nice, being tough, sitting like a sack of spuds etc, and eventually as his training progressed we were able to do pure dressage reasonably calmly or Sj, but add Xc and he was almost unrideable with agressive behaviour such as snatching, evading the leg and bit etc.
One day at home we tried the competition dose of acp (sedalin?) and he was a changed horse. Calm, chilled, happy to do anything we asked, so we decided the job we wanted hm for didn't suit his mind, sold him and bought something else.
Now that won't help you but you may need to try some of the options we did!
If the horse is young and excited, take it somewhere new every day for a few days, lunge it first and then just ride it. it may take you three or four hours of just sitting and walking about, but if you allow for that the benefits will be enormous.
I don't think galloping him is the answer at all, as he is learning that bad behaviour is followed by something exciting. I would go back to lungeing him in side reins or a pessoa so he has to actually work and not play about, them ride him when the initial energy has gone.
i do get a feeling his back may be hurting as this behaviour has suddenly started, so check your saddle again and maybe get a MctIimoney person out to make sure all is well.
If it was pure excitement it should stop after he gets tired, but if it carries on there must be a cause such as pain. If he were mine I would do this first before any other work, then tackle the behaviour..
 
Thanks for the advice. I don't think this is a back problem though. He has only done this on the occasions we have been out.

It seems to me to be like a kind of nappiness, he could see my sisters horse standing by the box and became irritated. Swishing his tail and then bucking. The next day after the lesson he still seemed irritated when I was scholloing him alone and kept calling to his field mates! This was at home!
By yesterday he was back to normal so I can only wait and see how he will react next Tuesday when I take him out again?

A few have mentioned that they don't agree with what my instructor suggested...the galloping when he's been naughty? I think her intensions are that he thinks he has to work harder if he is naughty and she was trying to get him to use up more energy so he would calm down? He did calm down after 45 min and worked well and as he does at home but only after the initial naughtiness.
The easy option for me at the dressage events we have done was to stop cantering when he bucked and only walk and trot, do the test and then go home, but is this the best way if I cant warm up correctly?
its a tough one and I think it will take time to see how he gets on.
 
have you thought about putting him on a calmer? I use 'cool, calm and collected' by Equifeast on Archie - ive nearly finished the 'loading' period and ive seen really good results already.

hes much more easy to ride, and will try a lot harder for me and dosent try and nap when i do things like simple changes and rein back anymore.

It works on geting them to work properly, rather than calming them down if you see what i mean.

Oh, and its cost me £51 for the loading period of 5wks at 3 heaped scoops a day. Then he will go onto 3/4s a scoop a day which will cost me £51 for 8wks which is well worth it. You feed it 5 days 'on' ad 2 days 'off'.


heres a link to it: http://www.equifeast.com/EquiFeast/Behaviour/behaviour.html
 
I will definitely try a calmer if the outings dont get better. Will try a body protector for my own piece of mind though next lesson!

I use to be so much braver when I was younger, I took up dressage for the calmer side of life!!!
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