naughty horse! please help. (bit long)

[connemaras]

not really sure wear to post this but ill do it anyway.
i took my boy out y.day and we had to go through a very very very tiny gap in hedge which was over grown with thorn bush ect. anyway my friend went through 1st and thn was my turn, my boy had lost sight of his friend and just as i was bending down to go through the bush he charged through and i caught my neck on a thorn bush very thick branch!! it jolted my neck back and ive not been able to move my neck since. it had runied my face massive scratch all over my face, runied my brand new jacket big rips and also to top it all off ruined my CHAMPION HAT!! scratches all over it, totally ruined. i know its not end of the world but i was just sooo annoyed bout my hat, as you know these champion hats re not cheap!! anyway i didnt go to hosptial bout my neck, went out for a ride today and he was just soo naughty!! he was rearing throwing his head up (he does wear a standing) me and my friend swaped horses and even my mate said how naughty he ws being. he constantly jogs somtimes its fine and can sit to it but hes now started being really naughty through fields worse than before, i have not lost my temper with him yet, wel apart from today when he started rearin infront of some people inc. children
im at my wits end as to what to do with him.
any suggestions would be soo greatful. please help!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jemayni]

Could just be the time of year, my conne is exactlly the same; he has had all priviledges removed (no hard feed, no ad-lib haylage.) It really settles him down, also as much turn out as possible!

 

[iwtownsley]

is he fully clipped or mostly clipped?
it could just be the the cold weather and he is getting used to it.
give it another few days and see how he is.
is he in at night or out?
and what feed does he have?

 

[connemaras]

my old connied would never dream of doing anything like that! he does get hay but not asmuch, not as much feed as tryin to shift few pounds from him. hes on a supplement to help out his sarcoid and none heating mix. tiny bit of sugar beat. i dont know what to do! it was however the first time hes been with me hes had a flash on,

 

[iwtownsley]

is he in or out?

 

[connemaras]

out in the day in at night, hes not clipped at the moment, but we might be clippin somtime this week,

 

[YorksG]

Try getting rid of the flash, not a good idea with a standing martingale, too much preassure on the nose, if he fights normally, this could well make him worse. Hope this helps.

 

[tazet]

just a thought but when was the last time you had his back and teeth checked cose if his teeth hurt the flsh could be causing more pressure also whats he like on his own and why the standing martingale (personaly i don't like them prefer a market harborough or nothing)

 

[jemima]

Firstly, if your neck is not considerably better by now then go to the hospital - or the doctors at least.

Secondly, if your neck was very stiff and painful when you last rode him then you were probably not sitting like you usually do and this could upset him / throw him off balance.

Thirdly, what was the flash intended to do? If it was there for a reason and not because it happened to be on a new bridle then make sure his teeth are checked.

Fourthly, how long have you had him? Is he just settling in? If you haven't had him very long is he in tack you bought with him or in new tack. If it's new tack then get someonelse with lots of experience to check out what he's wearing and how the fit is.

Have you anywhere you could lunge him for 20 minutes or so before you take him out - that might take a bit of his sparkle out. I'd also try cutting out the sugarbeet.

Hope you have more luck this week and that your neck feels better very soon.

 

[Dogbetty141]

cut the sugar beet out and try without the flash. My horse has a flash because he drops his bottom lip when panicking and I literally cannot stop without it. If you are using a standing and he is strong I would suggest a drop noseband this takes away some of the pressure.

 

[Clodagh]

My horse goes berko and rears and throws herself around if I put a flash on, I just have to ignore the open mouth!

 

[BethH]

Get a good understanding instructor who can teach you how to handle his behaviour in an effective tactful way. He is clearly telling you he is unhappy about something, it could be too much tack or pain, so I would get his back checked and your saddle and do some ground work with him like long reining to give you an idea of what he finds uncomfortable. If you are having to ride him in a standing martingale he could feel very trapped and that could cause some of the rearing problems as he has nowhere to go to except upwards to get away from the pressure, I would say a good instructor should be a must as we all never stop learning how to improve.

Good luck

 

[Macha]

If you went through the hedge hard enough to hurt your self and ruin a hat and jacket did you make a fuss at the time?
I would have thought that you horse is very frightened by the experience and extra tack etc won't make a differnce to you help him trust you and put his fright behind him !

 

[Skhosu]

I would say the horse may be wound up from the day before (if you hurt yourself, perhaps he hurt himself)
And also, should you be riding with a bad neck? I would certainly get it checked out.
The flash may be causing it, it sounds like quite a bit of tack so maybe try taking some of it off?

 

[connemaras]

he has been in a flash before all teeth and back checked berfore he come to me and in all his original tack, he is also a driving horse (that prob dont make no difference to the situation) i am cutting the sugar beet out, he is also on minimal feed as he is in a good field with 2 other horses as sheep have made a nice mess in the other field. he is strong and he does try to do nything to get his own way, most of the time he does not, stnding martingale is must in my case,
the day before afetr the 'accident' he was fine we was out for another hour, or so, i checked him all over and he was fine, im not riding this week becuse of my neck, i did go to hospital all info in common room, when im back riding i am doing a trot only ride as he jogs everywhere we go, i do stil love him, and fetr the accident i calmed him down i didnt shout at him as it was not really his fault, he jus lost sight of his friend,
anyway this ws me in the hospital

thank-you everyone for all your help, you have really helped me, still keep posting, if any more ideas come along.

 

[BethH]

If he has been taught driving maybe why he is strong as he is used to being on the forehand and powering forward, if you can get a dressage teacher to give you some tips on using your weight through your seat that will make things easier. I have done this for myself with my connemara who has serious attitude and he is much easier when I get him to put his weight on the back end not the front end, it saves a lot of fighting and he is far more relaxed through his head and neck.

Don't know if that helps or not but good luck, my friend had a very strong cob that had been used to drive and it worked well for her.

 

[connemaras]

bethH thank-you i might try that actually, but funny enough when out on hack i do ride him from my seat and legs into the bridle, and he is not on the forhand atall, he always carries his head nd he does work through his back end, when goin through a field he can be naughty by goin sideways throwin his head and gettin a bit strong, but i can tell him "no you are walking through this field" he wont need any contact and most of the time he is better in himself with no contact, the horse who imost always ride out with can walk through a field with his rider holdin the buckle which i think makes my horse act more sane, in fields if he gets left behind, which he does most os the time as he is slow walking which is why he jogs to keep up, he can sometimes throw a bit of a hissy fit,

............do you think him gettin left behind or my friend goin infront a bit far has somthing to do with this problem, i know he does not like to lose sight of his friend, which is why he shot through the bush, but when he is either in lead file or riding two-abreast his seems to be happy, however, because of his age he walks slow, why hejogs to keep up, but even if i ask him to walk he does not walk out enough to walk a timy bit faster, its like sitting on a donkey on a beach when he walks lol! bless him.