New...bit of advice needed!

K

kitcat2009

New User
Joined
4 September 2009
Messages
4
Visit site
Im new on here...I have a 7 yo Highland x Connemara gelding. I've had him about a month and a half and recently I'm beginning to have some issues with him.

He was lame about 3 weeks ago, on field rest for a week then became sound again. Vet said it was ok to work him, so brought him back to normal work. I have just got a sharer and since then he has started acting a bit strangly. Two days ago he apparently reared up while she was on him and did it again today. He can be nappy so the first time I put it down to that. She got a bit worried so I got on him and he didn't even try to rear...I rode him for about 20 minutes.

He has always done a big leap into canter that numerous people (inc my ym and ri said is fine) but now im wondering if its more of a buck because he is in pain...
crazy.gif
confused.gif


He has had the same saddle for the past few years, the vet checked his back quickly when he came out to check his lameness and my RI checked his teeth about 3 weeks ago. Now I am really worried I have done something wrong...I feel so bad about the whole thing. What should I do?
frown.gif
 
Hello and welcome.

Get a saddler out to check his saddle, just to put your mind at ease if nothing else. Does the sharer ride when you're around? He could just be testing his new home, especially if he now has another carer/rideras well.

Have a hot choccy with all the extras.
 
Yeah I was thinking that - I really don't want him to be in any discomfort. If he has been Ill feel terrible.

Normally she doesn't but I came out with her today after she told me about him rearing the last time. He just randomly started going up...I couldn't see anything to trigger it. He was really nappy with her too which was making her tense. When I got on him he was fine - better than normal infact. Eventually I was walking him on a really long rein and he was fine...until a dog started chasing him but thats another horrible, scarey story.
frown.gif
frown.gif
 
i would say he is tryin it on with your sharer. but with any new horse i would give them a complete service when i get them, back, saddle, teeth ( i know ur instructor checked, but no offence is she a qualified equine dentist?) + anything else you may have any concerns about, after all, who know what the previous owner did with them?!
 
I would advise getting a saddler to double check the saddle isn't causing issues. At 7 yo horses can still be growing so it may be his saddle doesn't fit as wel anymore.

If all ok with that then maybe get some lessons. Highlands are not daft and come the age of 6/7 many horses get confident and start to 'test' the rider a bit - especially if new. My advice would be to ride through it and try ignore as best you can but get some advice from a professional (ie instructor) who can see what he is doing as obviously we can't. Do you know your sharer well - have you seen them ride? Maybe there is something they are doing - ie are they overly nervous etc that is causing your horse to react this way.

A month is not a long time and horses do like to test us when they are finding their feet I'm afraid! I am sure it won't be long lasting.

Good luck!
 
Just in case and to put your mind at rest (and its possible he didnt do it with you as you rode after so he might have been more warmed up)

get a saddler to check saddle, years is a long time to go without a check
get your vet to recommend a physio/chiro to check his back
get a dentist to check his teeth unless he was done tin the last 6 months (I wouldnt trust a RI to check teeth)

you may find he has a niggle somewhere which sharers riding is touching that yours doesnt. If you find nothing then you have peace of mind he is ok and you can take it from there.

He might be feeling a bit unsettled, and it might be that your sharer rides differently to you and it might be that she is more nervous and that is making her nervous but I don't think you can tackle it without first checking he is physically ok.

Then I would make sure for a few weeks that both you and the sharer are there when either of you ride so that you can both see what is happening if he starts doing it again and if there is any pattern to it.
 
Oh god...just thinking about how much I'm gonna have to pay
shocked.gif
He is worth it though. Such a special wee boy. If anything I would say he is very sensitive and has some confidence issues! Maybe I should ask the sharer to take a week or so off so I can see if he plays up with me?

I have ridden him first before and none of the nonsense like today. Also I had already warmed him up in the school before we went out so I don't think it was that he wasn't warmed up.

If anyone could recommend a saddlefitter in Ed that would be great. Otherwise I have been recommened central...all I would need to find is transport
confused.gif
.

Otherwise will be getting vet out asap. Do you think he could check R's teeth and if in doubt get the dentist out?
 
vet could check teeth, - do you know when they were last done.

I would also do saddle regardless of behaviour, a 7 yo higlandx is bound to have changed over the years as they often do when they are developing.

So I would do those 2 first, saddle first probably

If sharer would agree I think it would be a good idea for her to not ride him for a bit and see how you get on with him, you haven't had him long and it can take a while for both horses and riders to settle down with eachother and he could be testing the boundaries (has he moved yards too?). It took my then 12yo welsh a long time to settle in, and for me to work out how best to ride him.


and welcome to the forum.
 
can you be around when the sharer rides him? You can see what he's doing and whether its actually something they are doing and not your horse at all.

and as others have said, best to get saddler out, if for nothing more than to put your mind at ease. As soon as my horses saddle doesnt fit in the slightest bit he won't let it near him and bucks going into canter and so we get it checked at least every 6 months if not before.
 
Why not get you and your horse, plus sharer, together - and have a lesson all together?

Then you will have a chance to see how your sharer rides; plus the instructor will be able to suggest ways of perhaps tackling the situation differently.

I let someone else ride my horse; who can be a quirky little git, and he just didn't like the way she rode at all, he would just rear up and/or buck and dump her when he'd had enough. The problem was that she just couldn't see what she was doing, but when I saw her riding him it was immediately apparent that she was too heavy in her hands for him and he was objecting by rearing up.

She'd also similar problems with other horses she'd ridden in the past too, which tells a lot doesn't it, problem was she was so full of herself that she didn't want to see that it was her that was causing the problem.

So I'd be inclined to get a good instructor, preferably someone who is a natural horsemanship practitioner, to have a lesson with the both of you and see how this changes the situation.

The problem is if you go on as things are, the horse is only gonna learn bad habits and act up even more, so I do think you have to nip this in the bud and do something about it now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top