New horse, help/advice needed!

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dulargy10

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Hi everyone,

I have recently bought a 10yr old KPWN who has done mainly SJ. He is 16.3hh and a bit bigger to what I am used to. He has won about £900 and I think he has done up to about 1.20m. I bought him after losing my eventer and I always knew building a new partnership would be very hard however I do adore him and am keen to build my trust with him and vice versa.

He is not overly forward or off my leg which is quite frustrating not to mention tiring but given I have lost a lot of confidence, I figured I would prefer that to something too fizzy or forward for me. The main problem I am having is when I try to get him to trot over ground poles, he tends to run off after the last pole and it is taking me a while to stop him. He has run off with me a few times both in flatwork and also when I attempted to jump a cross pole in the school. In terms of the flatwork, I'm not quite sure why he did it but I think it was because he broke out of canter and when I asked for canter again, I can only assume he panicked and ran off with me! I am now using a neckstrap which has helped but it is not helping my confidence at all as I am now a bit scared to chase him when he is not going forward in case he tanks off with me!

I genuinely do not think he has a bad bone in his body as he doesn't buck when he runs off with me but sometimes when he does eventually stop, he will do a bouncy rear on the spot but nothing that would make me come off him?

I am getting his teeth checked soon (although when I bought him he had his teeth checked in Jan 2011) and I am waiting on a new saddle for him so have been using a jumping saddle in the interim which I have been told is a reasonable fit so I have ruled out pain as a cause.

I guess I am just looking for some advice in case I am doing something wrong. I do have lessons so will keep on with these but I just wondered if anyone else had come across a similar problem and if so, what you have done to try and solve it?

Thanks in advance!

Katie
 
Hi Katie,
how long have you owned him? What has your instructor said when he has done this in your lessons?
I would say it might be worth doing a bit of groundwork to get a bond going between you. Lunge him before you ride as this will help get him moving forward, but will also allow you to bring him under control if he charges off whilst not allowing him to feel that he has scared you.
If he has been a SJer he should be used to poles and gridwork, however, he may be getting bored if you are just doing trot poles and crosses. Try a range of fences, jumping lane, combinations or gymnastic work to get him interested and focused on his work again.
Give him and you plenty of time to adapt to each other. Have fun.xxx
 
Hi

Thanks for your reply. I have owned him now for about 3 months. My instructor originally thought he was just a bit fresh but when he did it when he broke out of canter she wasn't sure, she just thought he was being silly.

I have lunged him tonight to try and build a bond from the ground too and I'm sure I will get there. My problem is that because he has done this, I'm apprehensive about jumping him in case he does it again but I guess I will just need to take my brave pills!

thanks again

Katie
 
I know how you feel I got a new one last September also bigger than I was used to and it took me a while to feel the bond and not be a bit wary of the size factor! Also had a few teething issues with a bit of a rearing problem! My advice to you would be to take it slow don't push yourself too far out of your comfort zone too quickly because he will pick up on your fears and that will only hinder your bonding. As regards to the taking off part there are a few things to consider I know you say you've ruled out pain but it might still be worth having his back checked by a good osteopath, teeth always good to check as you say and then once you know all is clear your back to bits and schooling. I think sometimes we forget we're new to them as they are to us and it just take a little time. The thing that really helped us especially as he's young was leaving the work part for a bit and just hacking out with a friend which actually indirectly has helped with getting him more off my leg (forwards and sideways) and got him to stretch down a bit (he has a hollowing issue). Above all else believe in yourself it will come and so will your confidence :)
 
A woman at my old yard had an ex showjumper...as soon as she asked for canter its head would go in the air and it would just go flat out like a loony! We also had an ISH arrive at the yard a month or so ago who has only just stoped running to and away from a fence.

Unfortunately I think it is a trait a lot of showjumpers pick up from going against the clock etc...see a jump and go!

First rule out back, saddle, teeth blah blah, then you know its not medical. Then id get all other transitions sorted, lots of walk trot halt trot walk...you get the idea! Then once thats established and your happy try asking for just a few strides of canter, then another downwards transition. Just try and teach him that canter doesnt need to mean out of control running! Lots of variation will keep him thinking and anticipating, meaning he hopefully listens to you more. If he does run, lots of praise when he slows or becomes collected!

You will get there :) If its knocking your confidence go back to basics, no point losing more confidence before youve started. Good luck xxx
 
I would do the whoa and go exercise. Basically pickup canter down the long side and as you get the short side keep him straight and ask him to halt. The first few times u might need to used the walls of the school to 'make ' him stop, but if you keep repeating he will soon get the idea and you will be able to do a more gradual transition and eventually just be able to half halt and stay in a controlled canter. I'm sure you could do this exercise after a jump on e you have established it without.

Good luck x
 
dulargy10 said:
I am getting his teeth checked soon (although when I bought him he had his teeth checked in Jan 2011) and I am waiting on a new saddle for him so have been using a jumping saddle in the interim which I have been told is a reasonable fit so I have ruled out pain as a cause.
Click to expand...

Hi Katie

It's early days in a new partnership and without actually seeng the horse (and how you ride) anything I say can only be educated guesswork. You need a good instructor on the ground to give you some advice on remedial schooling - but I would certainly not try to jump him at this stage. Stick to flat work and a couple of ground poles and work on making him more responsive to the aids (particularly VOICE - THE most important aid!)

But don't think for a moment you have ruled out pain - teeth and saddle are just a small bit of the possibilities. If this horse is 10, has jumped to 1.20 - and won £900 - then unless you paid serious money, he has been sold because he had a problem. The problem may simply have been that he had gone as far as he was likely to go (and it wasn't far enough for previous owner!) OR, he may have had soundness or behavioural issues.

I would recommend you get a GOOD equine physiotherapist to give him a good work-up. Any athletic horse who is working hard gets the odd strain - thos strains almost inevitably lead to the horse 'compensating' - and further problems as muscles tighten! The horse develops a way of going to compensate.

I have a superb, well-bred dressage mare in at present (4 years old) who had suffered a bad barbed wire injury with a previous owner - and bore the scars on her near fore. But the scars were the least of her problems. The off fore shoulder had seized up - the diagonal hind didn't work properly! Her behaviour didn't show it - just her way of going. Just two sessions of physio and follow-on work prescribed by him have improved her movement by at least 50% so far!! She hadn't been in work for long enough for behaviour problems to develop - and she's a very good-natured mare anyway so was prepared to suffer in silence!!

Another diagnostic aid is a Bute trial. Speak to your vet about putting him on Bute (at least 2 per day) for 10 days. For the firs few days, lunge him only - then try riding againand see if the behaviour continues. If it has improved, then pain is the cause!

I should add that if the problem is 'mechanical' (i.e. not TRUE pain but restricted movement as a result of previous pain) then the Bute trial might not make a difference.
 
Thanks everyone, appreciate your help and advice.

I am sure I will get through this with him and have a lesson today so will see how he goes. He is not badly behaved as all he does is run, no bucks etc and I'm hoping with the neckstrap that because I am not pulling so much on his mouth, he will relax more quickly and stop a bit sooner :) I will get his back etc checked again and his teeth are being done in a couple of weeks so will see how we get on.

cheers

Katie
 
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