!! Nerves - its got me :(

PurplePickle

PurplePickle

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Need to nip this in the bud before it gets worse so posting in the hope of a little advice.


17.2hh warmblood, 5'4 rider, other week he was a prat, napping, leaping and such, never had done it before, usually he just does a donkey impression because he doesnt like working in the feild, but he groans then gets on with it.

I dont have schooling facilities but moving house soon and yard so will be looking for somewhere with a school and off road hacking.

Hes had a tendon injury and the ground is soft and uneven so may have been that, may have been the spring grass, or his saddle. Hadnt ridden since as had to wait to get saddler out

So anyway, today trying them out, he does his donkey impression in the field, then spooks and spins at a bird that went behind us and squarked, nothing bad really, but in my mind it was a big evil monster waiting to throw me off.

Q me trying to sit up but feeling exceptionally insecure and wandering around in one small corner not wanting to kick on in case he did something again. damn!

He has muscle wastage so we were trying saddles and of course some didnt fit when aboard, you could tell he was just getting more and more peed off going in and out the paddock to try these things. I should have got after him more but each time he tensed and felt like he was going to do a stop and side spin I got rabbit in headlights syndrome.

Ended up OH bless him came and led him around with me riding, I felt 12! but he didnt try to nap back like before.

Rding out of the field i got my feet and really rode him he did as he was told, so I know he can do it *humph*

But Ive made more of it than it was, so any advice to nip this nerves thing in the bud?
 
Don't get scared, get even!

Turn your nerves into steely determination and zap those "what ifs" out of your head. Provided he isnt a 3yo, he should be able to provide you with good behaviour. Demand good behaviour from him and be prepared to insist upon it.

The next time he tries to arse about you tell him "No way buddy" you behave NOW please! Not when you feel like, but when you are told.

I once had an hour long argument with my old 17hh who had decided he wasn't going past some bins. I won. And he never bothered the next day! Keep winning and surely the argument will get shorter!
 
Summerleft said:
ok wheres the embarrassed emote, cant even delete the thread any more :O
Click to expand...

My WB is a bit like this. He has days when he does it everywhere – I was once told by an instructor to sell him, as he was a “piggy eyed foreign horse with a bad attitude” after he spent a 2 hour xc clinic on his back legs.

Not very much fun.

I tried the beating route, but it got us both wound up. Now I just let him finish, sit calmly, don’t react, then when he has all four feet on the ground, I pat him and ask him to walk on like nothing happened. Slowly, the behaviour has got better.

Your horse might be trying to tell you something though, considering his problems. Have you thought about lunging him to see if the problem is a soundness one? I assume you have had his back/teeth etc checked. If all fine, I would (and I know this would sound fairly obvious) avoid riding him where you are riding him currently. Change fields, trailer him to a school, walk up the road. I had a big issue with a green sign up one of the bridle paths. After avoiding it for two weeks, I no longer have an issue, and he gets LOTS of praise for walking past it.
 
R2R hes the same with the arguing thing, we both get wound up, hes a big horse to be having a physical fight with, I did try sitting calmly but i think by that point id been annoyed so it didnt work.


I know its more me, I need to be more confident with him however, on the ground hes foot perfect, and Im strong and confident with him.

Back done last week, teeth up to date

Ive popped on him trying other saddles inbetween but not ridden him in there so i think thats the best option, I will lunge him though to check but i did trot him up for the back lady last week on hard ground and he was sound if not a little donkeyish.


Saddler was right I think she said being imported hes used to a long legged rider wrapping around him and driving him forward, my little legs 1/2 way up his sides are probably like irritating flies.
 
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