Hetsmum
Well-Known Member
Any ideas gratefully received!
New horse purchased 5 weeks ago. 4 year old cob. Forward going but solid type very good in traffic and tried hacking alone all good. 5 stage vetting all done flew through it. First week with me out with my other 2 in the field 24/7 (good weather). Hacked alone (once) and in company and started teaching him to lunge (Irish horse from dealers never lunged!). Hacking alone he is looking and a little hesitant but only stopped to look at things a couple of times - all good.
Clocks change and he starts to come in overnight only. Still going out around 10-11 hours a day with same company. All good until we had a shoot about 2 fields away. He seemed ok in the field (on edge but not flinging himself around). When bringing in he bolted running me down (my fault for leading 3 together) but stopped fairly quickly and was re-caught and led in relatively calmly. Settled straight away in stable and seemed ok. After this friends have insisted I wear hat when turning 3 out and they help with bringing in.
We have had a few instances when he has been quite rushed coming in but last night he was about to tank off again but friend who leads him felt it coming. Cue 3rd person having to help and I lead in new boy. He was extremely hyper and didn't settle in stable. Fireworks in the distance stared about 10 mins later and he really started to panic. I have half partitions between my stables so he was able to see and touch my older cob who was totally chilled out but it didn't seem to help. 10 mins later fireworks stop but it takes him another hour to calm down. I don't live locally but friend does and says there have been other fireworks this week and he certainly hasn't reacted to that extent as his bed has been very clean each night and he always lies down.
First week I clipped him - low trace. He was a star just a bit ticklish when I did between front legs. Lots of praise and rewards. Tried to re-clip last week as he was getting really hot in the stable overnight and he lost the plot. I had to borrow a friends cordless clippers and just get off what I could as he was in melt down. I have clipped 100's of horses in my time and never seen one change like that unless burnt or something bad happened.
I was convinced it was diet do he is now on (and has been since last Wednesday) Thunderbrooks chaff and Dengie leisure vit & mins (no fillers in that whatsoever). Haylage - he had at the dealers - its the same supplier and my grass.
The thing is that these semi-explosions seem so out of character. He really is a very chilled out little cob. Fab in traffic and lots of things I would expect a young horse to be freaked out by he copes with brilliantly. I have been working him about 6 days a week with a variety of hacking and schooling but only very lightly. He started to refuse to hack out alone by planting and I tried every trick in the book. He really was scared - you could tell by his breathing. Currently I either lead the first part of the ride then hop on and he is fine or friend has been walking with me and gradually backing off by taking short cuts and just meeting us in 'spots' on the hack. He has been coming on in leaps and bounds with this method and getting more confident daily.
Other things:
I have had horses 30+ years and worked in the industry, including teaching so not a novice. He is not going anywhere so suggestions that I take him back are null and void. The behaviour doesn't scare me at all but I feel so bad for him being so afraid. So sorry for the essay if you're still reading!!!!!!! Any thing I have missed??????
New horse purchased 5 weeks ago. 4 year old cob. Forward going but solid type very good in traffic and tried hacking alone all good. 5 stage vetting all done flew through it. First week with me out with my other 2 in the field 24/7 (good weather). Hacked alone (once) and in company and started teaching him to lunge (Irish horse from dealers never lunged!). Hacking alone he is looking and a little hesitant but only stopped to look at things a couple of times - all good.
Clocks change and he starts to come in overnight only. Still going out around 10-11 hours a day with same company. All good until we had a shoot about 2 fields away. He seemed ok in the field (on edge but not flinging himself around). When bringing in he bolted running me down (my fault for leading 3 together) but stopped fairly quickly and was re-caught and led in relatively calmly. Settled straight away in stable and seemed ok. After this friends have insisted I wear hat when turning 3 out and they help with bringing in.
We have had a few instances when he has been quite rushed coming in but last night he was about to tank off again but friend who leads him felt it coming. Cue 3rd person having to help and I lead in new boy. He was extremely hyper and didn't settle in stable. Fireworks in the distance stared about 10 mins later and he really started to panic. I have half partitions between my stables so he was able to see and touch my older cob who was totally chilled out but it didn't seem to help. 10 mins later fireworks stop but it takes him another hour to calm down. I don't live locally but friend does and says there have been other fireworks this week and he certainly hasn't reacted to that extent as his bed has been very clean each night and he always lies down.
First week I clipped him - low trace. He was a star just a bit ticklish when I did between front legs. Lots of praise and rewards. Tried to re-clip last week as he was getting really hot in the stable overnight and he lost the plot. I had to borrow a friends cordless clippers and just get off what I could as he was in melt down. I have clipped 100's of horses in my time and never seen one change like that unless burnt or something bad happened.
I was convinced it was diet do he is now on (and has been since last Wednesday) Thunderbrooks chaff and Dengie leisure vit & mins (no fillers in that whatsoever). Haylage - he had at the dealers - its the same supplier and my grass.
The thing is that these semi-explosions seem so out of character. He really is a very chilled out little cob. Fab in traffic and lots of things I would expect a young horse to be freaked out by he copes with brilliantly. I have been working him about 6 days a week with a variety of hacking and schooling but only very lightly. He started to refuse to hack out alone by planting and I tried every trick in the book. He really was scared - you could tell by his breathing. Currently I either lead the first part of the ride then hop on and he is fine or friend has been walking with me and gradually backing off by taking short cuts and just meeting us in 'spots' on the hack. He has been coming on in leaps and bounds with this method and getting more confident daily.
Other things:
I have had horses 30+ years and worked in the industry, including teaching so not a novice. He is not going anywhere so suggestions that I take him back are null and void. The behaviour doesn't scare me at all but I feel so bad for him being so afraid. So sorry for the essay if you're still reading!!!!!!! Any thing I have missed??????
