New Horse behaving differently!

Definitely get her to come. If he acts like an angel that will help both your confidence. If he's still a twit then you'll know there's something else going on.
 
ester said:
Definitely get her to come see, it might be enlightening.

We actually got Frank's previous previous owner to come. The person we bought him off hadn't had him very long, ridden him much and had limited ability. We figured we were missing a lot of info about him previously/why he was having some issues and they were a bit concerned where he had gone being sold so quickly.
It was absolutely the best thing to do, they brought videos with them and the teen was a much better rider than either of us were at the time so we learned loads too :).
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I think I will definitely take her up on the offer. She knows him well and doesn't seem to have had any issues with him, so I'll message her later today.
Thanks for your advice!
x
 
I know this isn’t what you probably want to hear, having just brought your lad- however, he is welsh and welsh are (mostly) incredibly sensitive and can be neurotic.
Turn him away, and let him just be in the field with no expectations of working him for a couple of months.
When we first got our welsh D mare, she was completely and utterly traumatised by the move of home. Diva she definitely is! She ditched myself and daughter several times, and neither of us are novices! So, we listened to her, and turned her away to just totally absorb and take in her new environment, for 6 months....
When we brought her back into work, she was fabulous and I now trust her with my life, as my nerve isn’t not great these days.
We do also own another welsh D, he is currently out on loan, but could not seem to care less when he has moved yard! So, while I won’t tar them all with the same brush, yours is clearly high on the sensitive diva scale, and I seriously would consider turning him away to adjust to the shock he clearly feels he has had.
 
my mare was in a herd of 12 when i bought her and i had to have her on individual turnout at the dressage yard i was on but she always had horses either side of her in the adjoining fields, she was quite a stressy mare and always on high alert. i considered selling as i was having trouble with her ridden work but persevered..... i then had to move as the yard was being sold and once again she was on individual turnout with a horse next door. i then moved to another yard where she had to go out with another horse as they were short of grazing and she immediately was much more relaxed and easier to ride. she was never going to be a quiet ride but she was much calmer so it may be worth trying him in with another couple of horses ..
 
Have you gotten his back checked? maybe he's somehow hurt it in the field or stable. Might even twisted it doing a buck and its pulled on his muscels. If back isn't the problem try having his tack checked. Maybe his saddles applying pressure in the wrong places/saddle may be ill-fitting in general. Also check bridle/bit. You might do it up a bit tight without realising - its a common mistake -. Or His bit might be irritating him. Which one do you use? Or it might be positioned to high on the bridle which is putting pressure on his mouth. All of this would explain why he wont move or just broncs.
You may want to try using magnitude in his feed. Its a calming powder that you mix in with his regular feed. We used this on one of our new ones a couple years back and it helped a whole lot. We stopped using it once the pony had gotten used to its surroundings and to this very day never put a hoof wrong.
And as for fetching him in i dont think theyres much you can do about that. We have to drag our mare down lol. nothing to do with age or back/teeth problems she just loves being out! That is just mainly down to her leaving her friends. After time he may get easier fetching in and you may think 4 months is plenty of time for him to settle in but it varies with different horses some take a week some take a year you just need to get him and tacked checked but if they're isn't a problem with either try strengthening the bond between you ie. take him for a walk just in his headcollar, give him lots of treats and just strokes and pats and talk to him he may relax once you bond is a lot stronger even talk to him when your riding him and lots of praise when he does something good so he knows that hs getting rewarded might encourage him to do more.
Would love to hear updates!
Hope this was helpful :)
 
We have a horse like this - although he is fine if you bring him in from the field and tack him up by himself. Very good in school and under saddle when by himself as has total trust in owner. He is very stressed however, if you leave him in yard/field and take other horses away - squealing and bucking and slamming into the door - happily very respective of electric fencing, so just runs up and down fence. Very bonded with horse he goes out with. Also, and hope this is not the case with yours OP, not good to travel - screams, paws and gets very agitated to the point we have stopped going out and are waiting for a horse behaviourist to come out.
 
On the 21st April a year ago I collected my new mare, she had been in the same home since birth and was 7 years old.

From day one I had issues, napping, spinning, tanking, loading etc, she was even biting me. It got to the point where she bolted with me at a clinic and threw me skywards. Not funny and it bloody hurt.

I had her checked over at a vets that specialise in lameness/bodywork to ensure there were no pain issues before I sent her to sales livery, I had just had enough. Following a long expensive day they found an issue that was treated. She has had physio, rehab and her saddle reflocked (which was made to measure when I bought her).

I have also overhauled her diet and treat/supplement her as if she has hind gut ulcers.

Just in the the last 3 weeks have I found that we have turned a slight corner, she is softer, listening and compliant. Even whinnies at me now when I walk on the yard.

I have lessons twice a week, one ridden and one groundwork. I realise I wasn’t the leader that she needed, and I’m working on it every day.

I’ve been told to sell her by numerous friends, but I know that underneath everything I have got my perfect horse and we are getting there slowly.

The point of my post is to reassure you, if you want to put the time, money and commitment in, you will get there. And you know what, if you don’t want too that’s also fine. It is meant to be fun.

I wish you all the luck and just take any positive step forward as a step forward, don’t dwell on the negatives.
 
It is a bit of a perfect storm.
Welsh.
Rising 6
New owner
New yard.

I've been there. He tested me severely (not as much as yours admittedly) but came through it to be fantastic.

Lots of great advice above. You will get there.
 
Spottyappy said:
I know this isn’t what you probably want to hear, having just brought your lad- however, he is welsh and welsh are (mostly) incredibly sensitive and can be neurotic.
Turn him away, and let him just be in the field with no expectations of working him for a couple of months.
When we first got our welsh D mare, she was completely and utterly traumatised by the move of home. Diva she definitely is! She ditched myself and daughter several times, and neither of us are novices! So, we listened to her, and turned her away to just totally absorb and take in her new environment, for 6 months....
When we brought her back into work, she was fabulous and I now trust her with my life, as my nerve isn’t not great these days.
We do also own another welsh D, he is currently out on loan, but could not seem to care less when he has moved yard! So, while I won’t tar them all with the same brush, yours is clearly high on the sensitive diva scale, and I seriously would consider turning him away to adjust to the shock he clearly feels he has had.
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I'm not sure how long ago this was (pre ulcers being known about?) or whether you did scope for ulcers before turning away, but this description would also fit the stress of a move having given her ulcers,, and turning away for six months resolving them. In this situation, if I didn't want to lose the riding for six months, I'd scope before I turned away, just in case.

I also think there are quite a few horses which could do with a few weeks or months to settle in a new home before being asked to work. Some are very sensitive souls.
 
For the sake of £35, I'd be trying something like Protexin Acid Ease for a month- totally chilled my welshie (in profile pic) and he wasn't particularly letting on that's something tummy-ish was happening. Just because you scoped clear for ulcers doesn't necessarily rule out hind gut acidosis/ pH imbalance, particularly since everything you're describing sounds generally 'stressy'.
 
Thanks all. I am waiting for the girl who sold him to get back to me with a day she can come and see him. I also have a lesson tomorrow so may get somewhere with that. I rode him tonight with another horse in the arena and he was a total nightmare- to the point where again I ended up in tears. Yesterday I did some ground work with him and he was relaxed and good as gold - same arena but alone -go figure!
Different advice from people on the yard isn’t helping me I don’t think. Apparently, because he behaved in his old bridle and bit (which is too tight for him - the bit is a nutcracker - I have put him in a better bridle with a French link snaffle - I have been told I should put him back in his old bridle. Sadly, because I am so desperate, I am thinking that’s a good idea.
It is a minefield and I am fed up with sobbing. I am also becoming paranoid 😆.
I have tried calmer this week but he won’t eat his tea if I add it - blooming fussy horses!
I can only persevere and hope for the best.
Thanks for all your support and suggestions- I will work my way through the ones that I can. Hopefully I’ll be laughing about this in a couple of months! 😊
 
I would
my welsh really wasn't very good in a link, even worse in a lozenge!

Deep breath, try not to panic, and take advice from the people you really trust to give it. Often people are just seeing you struggling/upset and trying to genuinely help but it can get too much.

Unfortunately they are also very good at picking up on your vibes, I'm still rather rubbish at controlling mine but it was helpful to quite how much they could effect on a bad day. . . . I did give up one day and call mum (I am v. much a grown up) to come and meet me on the bicycle as they had started clay shooting and we couldn't easily get past without either of us getting very wound up. (and this is one who 1) is generallly well behaved and 2) I'd owned by several years by that point!
 
ester said:
I would
my welsh really wasn't very good in a link, even worse in a lozenge!

Deep breath, try not to panic, and take advice from the people you really trust to give it. Often people are just seeing you struggling/upset and trying to genuinely help but it can get too much.

Unfortunately they are also very good at picking up on your vibes, I'm still rather rubbish at controlling mine but it was helpful to quite how much they could effect on a bad day. . . . I did give up one day and call mum (I am v. much a grown up) to come and meet me on the bicycle as they had started clay shooting and we couldn't easily get past without either of us getting very wound up. (and this is one who 1) is generallly well behaved and 2) I'd owned by several years by that point!
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Thank you Ester. You are right and people are just trying to help - I was just feeling quite unhinged at the time 😂. I’ll put him back in his old bit and bridle tomorrow and see how that works.
😊
 
the new bridle is likely to be ok , the bit could be the problem. my old mare hated any double jointed bits and was only happy in the single joint type. i always thought the french link were more comfortable for them but she wouldnt have any of it.. my loan horse didnt like single jointed bits , so i got her a lozenge bit, she hated it but was fine in a dr bristol.:rolleyes:.. .i rode all my other horses in french link and they all went well so i was very surprised when these 2 were difficult...goes to prove they are all very individual..
 
While waiting for the seller to get back to you, I would try lunging him and ground work, maybe you can build a bit more of a bond with him from the ground. Will the instructor you are going to have lessons with be prepared to ride him?
 
It's a bit woolly, and likely the solution to the problem but quite good at teaching them to calm and pay attention to you. So while you are waiting I'd suggest looking at https://www.straightnesstraining.com/where-to-start/

There is a free ebook though I did get a lot out of having a handful of lessons too and it is certainly a tool I will use in future. ....

To amuse, this old welsh cob, when his previous avoidant tactics didn't work promptly started to eat the trainers microphone lead... that worked :D
 
So my lesson Wednesday went amazing. I changed his bridle and bit back to his old one and although he started messing around when we got into the arena as soon as my instructor arrived she got me working him in circles so he had nothing to look at and he was amazing. I have organised lessons twice a week with her for a while and hopefully things will get easier. 😊
 
Hi all, just an update on all your fantastic replies and messages. We are now 9 months into ownership and my boy has settled right down into the routine. It took a while, but I have been having regular lessons and riding regularly as much as possible and he has become a different horse! I cannot believe that he was ever so difficult, so I am so grateful for all your help and support! Thank you all for replying! :)
 
louf said:
Hi all, just an update on all your fantastic replies and messages. We are now 9 months into ownership and my boy has settled right down into the routine. It took a while, but I have been having regular lessons and riding regularly as much as possible and he has become a different horse! I cannot believe that he was ever so difficult, so I am so grateful for all your help and support! Thank you all for replying! :)
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Really pleased for you both! Now how about some pics 😊?
 
I haven’t read all the other responses but here’s my two penn’orth.
Welshies are incredibly intelligent and can become very wilful and naughty if they don’t have a strong leader. Mine looks for weaknesses in me and will use those weaknesses to her advantage. If I give her an inch she takes a mile ! Spooking, napping, running off etc etc. Horses need a leader and if you don’t take up that role, they will - cue problems. I have literally gone to hell and back with my welshie but we have almost cracked it and she is now the kindest, most loyal and hard working horse I have ever known. You need to closely analyse her living arrangements, management, feed, tack, health, etc etc and when you are absolutely sure your horse isn’t trying to tell you something, then it’s time for the brave pants and crack on ! Consistent work will help along with firm handling but kindness. Mine knows when she has done well as I make a fuss of her which she loves. Good luck :-)
 
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