Napping or pain?

[Sarah Sum1]

I have hacked my new horse out alone about 5 times, also with others twice. Today i went for a little ride down the farm, done it 5 other times and he was fine. Get to the bottom of the track and half way across a field and he made a strange squeal noise and spun round a pranced sideways

i was miffed because he has been so good. I kept him going and apart from being a bit livelier than usual he was fine. I took him into the school after and was trotting round and he did the same thing! he squealed and lurched forwards, as if he wanted to bolt but the fence stopped this.

My question is: Is he trying it on? Or is the squealing from pain? I am riding him in a borrowed treeless saddle until saddle fitter comes out next month. He had his teeth checked (so they say) before i got him, 3 weeks ago. It was just so weird, in the school he was trotting round lovely then he just freaked out. I aslo noted that there were no horses around at all, the fields were empty and he did call out before this happend. I have had problems with his fear of being alone before this, but not ridden.

If he is just being a sod, then it confuses me because i have ridden him out alone before :confused

 

[Parkranger]

Sounds like his hooves are under the table now! What breed is he?

 

[Sarah Sum1]

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like his hooves are under the table now! What breed is he?

[/ QUOTE ]

He is a blimming sod! He is of unknown breeding, an Irish Gelding. He has been so good ridden, i've jumped him also and he was great. The squealing made me laugh, until i thought it may be pain

He is also 7 yrs old.

 

[Parkranger]

ahhhh he's Irish ;-)

I'm not generalising as I've one Irish that napped and one that didn't but the one I sold at christmas started napping after a month of having him.....he was getting fitter and more opinionated!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like his hooves are under the table now!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha, ha - I absolutely agree. Someone is also feeling rather well I'd say.

Just ignore and ride through.....

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Oh booger!! Ah well, i will just have to have it out with him then!

ETA he is not even really fit, dread to think when he is

 

[Sarah Sum1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like his hooves are under the table now!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha, ha - I absolutely agree. Someone is also feeling rather well I'd say.

Just ignore and ride through.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Will do

My fear is that he will rear, he hasn't but i kinda get the feeling he will if he wants

But hopefully it won't come to that. It could have been worse and he could of tanked off with me! I will have to have a word in his shell like and get him to get his act together quite frankly

 

[AmyMay]

My horse can do what yours does ocassionally when he finds something rather exciting. A sharp 'No' is usually enough for a re-think from him. But the key, I've found, is not to panic. So don't grab the reins or kick etc. Litteraly try and ignore the behaviour and just ask and expect him to carry on with what you want him to do. A little scratch on the neck, and a 'get on with it', and they usually do.

 

[Parkranger]

I think the key with a napper is to be one step ahead of them. Ty is too slow to catch me out and I can feel him tense so nudge him on and talk to him. Oscar was very quick and always caught me out.

Golden rule aswell is not to grip with your knees as I always used to - made him worse!

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Oh lord! I only wanted a nice quiet horse to get back into riding. I've managed to get a psycho stable door climber, who jumps out of fields and now has added napping to his list of talents!

I love a challenge though. Who's got Monty Roberts phone number....

 

[Peacelily]

lol - don't panic! stay calm - give it a few more weeks when he's used to his surrounding and he'll probably chill out - look at what you're feeding and if he's getting enough turnout, or if he's getting enough exercise -
like the rest who've posted - i've hacked my mare out one day and she's been half dead, then the next, there's scary goblins hiding behind allllll the blades of grass, and my gosh - has never seen puddles before and these are enough to spend the rest of the hack going sidewards, backwards, upwards, downwards, but alas, not forward... next day, can be splashing through a water complex XC fence like the big mean tank she is...
be firm, stay being the boss