alishaarrr
Active Member
New horse arrived a month ago - 10yo mare, done a bit of everything (eventing, hacking, hunting, etc.) and is very well educated. Generally has a very sweet disposition and has settled in very well to new environment, herd, and routine.
When I tried her before buying, she was a very easy ride. A few spooks but otherwise straightforward and responsive, on the quieter side but certainly listened to aids and knew her job.
Flew through a five-stage vetting with no issues, and the vet was quite effusive about what a nice horse she was. On arrival at my yard, has had her back done (was in fine shape, only minor adjustments), feet done, saddles fitted, teeth up to date -- all good and zero red flags there. Overall reasonably fit and ready to go. A little rigid through the ribcage and bracey, but just seems like she needs to build up her suppleness.
I was told she can be a little girthy, and she has been to varying degrees with me. I put her on a 10-day course of a gastro supplement (Peptonil) that's supposed to be effective in diagnosing ulcers, but have seen no change in symptoms. I'm very slow and intentional while tacking up, use a nice fluffy girth, reward for good behavior. From the way the girthiness is expressed, this seems like a learned behavior pattern carried over from perhaps some prior discomfort.
In the month I've had her, she had a week off after a scrape to her fetlock out in the field, so we've had about 10 rides. I'd say 7/10 of those, we've had issues with napping. She does it in both the indoor school and outdoor school. Typically worse when I first get on: doesn't want to go forward, kicks out/small bucks, sometimes small rears. Sometimes she works out of it, other times she'll do it at various points in the ride when she's asked to go from halt to walk or walk to trot. Also tends to really contort herself going to the left in trot, bulging her inside shoulder in and carries her head kinked out to the right, refuses to get into the outside rein and soften to the inside. I'm a pretty soft rider, but if I give her a good boot to the sides to tell her to get going, she'll kick out. Can sometimes be quite sluggish and hard work initially, but can really perk up and go nicely.
When she DOES put her head into her work, she moves really nicely: back comes up, stepping under well, on the bit, nice soft self-carriage. My saddle fitter observed her for quite a while and said she didn't notice a single indication of a horse in physical discomfort.
My coach rode her a few days ago and she was super well-behaved, none of the shenanigans. Coach has observed her doing this several times with me and hasn't been able to point to anything that might be the problem.
We will get out for some hacks and more jump schooling, but this seems very quick to be arena sour or bored.
I do a fair bit of natural horsemanship stuff, so we will do more consistent groundwork and work on the bond and leadership, which I hope will help.
But in the meanwhile, thoughts on what might be going on here? Something physical I've not considered? Simply trying it on with a new rider? Still not very confident in the new environment under saddle? Something I'm doing that she's not liking?
When I tried her before buying, she was a very easy ride. A few spooks but otherwise straightforward and responsive, on the quieter side but certainly listened to aids and knew her job.
Flew through a five-stage vetting with no issues, and the vet was quite effusive about what a nice horse she was. On arrival at my yard, has had her back done (was in fine shape, only minor adjustments), feet done, saddles fitted, teeth up to date -- all good and zero red flags there. Overall reasonably fit and ready to go. A little rigid through the ribcage and bracey, but just seems like she needs to build up her suppleness.
I was told she can be a little girthy, and she has been to varying degrees with me. I put her on a 10-day course of a gastro supplement (Peptonil) that's supposed to be effective in diagnosing ulcers, but have seen no change in symptoms. I'm very slow and intentional while tacking up, use a nice fluffy girth, reward for good behavior. From the way the girthiness is expressed, this seems like a learned behavior pattern carried over from perhaps some prior discomfort.
In the month I've had her, she had a week off after a scrape to her fetlock out in the field, so we've had about 10 rides. I'd say 7/10 of those, we've had issues with napping. She does it in both the indoor school and outdoor school. Typically worse when I first get on: doesn't want to go forward, kicks out/small bucks, sometimes small rears. Sometimes she works out of it, other times she'll do it at various points in the ride when she's asked to go from halt to walk or walk to trot. Also tends to really contort herself going to the left in trot, bulging her inside shoulder in and carries her head kinked out to the right, refuses to get into the outside rein and soften to the inside. I'm a pretty soft rider, but if I give her a good boot to the sides to tell her to get going, she'll kick out. Can sometimes be quite sluggish and hard work initially, but can really perk up and go nicely.
When she DOES put her head into her work, she moves really nicely: back comes up, stepping under well, on the bit, nice soft self-carriage. My saddle fitter observed her for quite a while and said she didn't notice a single indication of a horse in physical discomfort.
My coach rode her a few days ago and she was super well-behaved, none of the shenanigans. Coach has observed her doing this several times with me and hasn't been able to point to anything that might be the problem.
We will get out for some hacks and more jump schooling, but this seems very quick to be arena sour or bored.
I do a fair bit of natural horsemanship stuff, so we will do more consistent groundwork and work on the bond and leadership, which I hope will help.
But in the meanwhile, thoughts on what might be going on here? Something physical I've not considered? Simply trying it on with a new rider? Still not very confident in the new environment under saddle? Something I'm doing that she's not liking?
