No longer "overseas"

[SueandBaqi]

Hi all, I have often viewed and posted while living overseas but I have returned home and brought my arab gelding with me. He is being a bit problematic but under the circumstances (sand to english countryside) I think he is doing well. However, I have recently started hacking out and he is a nightmare! With other horses he gets all fired up and wants to race. If I take him out alone he is too nervous to go forward and sometimes just puts the brakes on and refuses to move. At this point I just have to turn around and go home. Any advice please? particularly on getting a horse that is welded to the ground to go forward. I am a bit nervous myself, having undergone a hip replacement in recent months, and don't want to get in a situation where I might need another!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I'm sure it's a big change for him. I am concerned about you turning on the spot and coming home again, with my lot they'd soon learn (arabs are not daft, as I'm sure you know well ) to play up more, so that I'd give in.

Does he lead sensibly in-hand? If he does then I'd try a short route that is either circular or lollipop shaped (even if there is just a tree that you can use as a roundabout) and do that in-hand. Then I would try riding it and if he planted I would pop off and lead, even if I had to lead him the rest of the route. I would rather that he got going again and then stood nicely to be remounted, but I would not be turning on the spot and going home - forwards would be the only option. Repeat until he's used to that route and does it sensibly while ridden the whole way, then progress onto another route (again circular or lollipop shaped).

There are techniques that I have used while mounted to encourage the horse forwards, but given your recent surgery the best one would be to wait him out. I would only start that though if you have lots of time (and also a safe bit of road) to see it through.

TBH I found that getting off, leading and then remounting worked best with my mare, but she is prone to getting worked up so nipping it in the bud prevented that and was much safer for all concerned. I often found that the spot where I had to dismount the day before could be ridden past today and she's not really nappy these days at all.

 

[SueandBaqi]

Remounting is not an option for me as I need a mounting block. I could try inhand but he walks very fast and I don't (haha). I am happy to do the waiting it out. I assume he would just get bored and walk on? The reason I had to turn around today is because I was on a single track road and a van came up the rear. Fortunately the driver was very considrate, turned his engine off and waited patiently for me to carefully walk past the van. My horse is not scared of traffic, just what is lurking in the bushes.