Not a good day - advice if possible, bit of a long ramble/rant!

Troggy

Troggy

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 February 2003
Messages
657
Visit site
I am getting more and more frustrated with Toffee at the moment and not sure what to do.

Today a friend and I went to Hill House XC course for some practise, have been there loads of time and competed successfully there last year. My main reason for going was to practise over the ditches as this is are main let down, she will fly everything else. Well not today….. after an hour and forty five minutes, we still couldn’t get her over!
mad.gif
Tried everything, lead from other horse made her bronc on the spot, tried being lead in hand, the 2 of us tried leading her, my fried had a go and she just kept bucking and running backwards. Thought would do a few jumps to have a break and even those she wouldn’t do first time so regretfully had to call it a day (only meant to have course for an hour!). The one plus side was she went through the water!
ooo.gif


As well as the above behaviour, she would do a buck/rear/leap every time the horse my friend was on came past but would slam brakes on if I tried to go in front and the try and bolt. It was a really horrible experience!
frown.gif


The above behaviour has also been getting worse and worse on hacks, she always naps but it’s getting worse and will now leap about as well (will throw herself upwards on all 4 feet) and she even did it schooling the other day when I smacked her as she wasn’t paying any attention!
She was also spooking at the floor at nothing, would look down and run backwards?!
crazy.gif


Soooo a bit of advice please…. Firstly, any other ideas for ditches? It’s not all ditches, just the ones at this venue, at home and hunting she jumps much bigger ones.
Also any ideas what might be causing this behaviour? She is on medication for head shaking which I will stop for a few weeks in case it is that but I’m not sure. She is also on bute and cortaflex for her joints (vets advice).
I’m debating whether to give her time off? But a few weeks ago she was working really well and getting placed at dressage! I just don’t know what to do!!

PAH! GRR! Very frustrated Troggy.
confused.gif

Sorry for long and pointless rant but feel better now!
 
Thanks, it's just so annoying
Vet gave her a check over when she went there for head shaking checks a few months ago and her saddle is fairly recently fitted but probably worth a check. Will get McTimoney out again as well ( last checked about 6 months ago), usually only gets seen yearly. Will try and rule every other possible cause out then can see if it's becuase she is a head case!
 
Sorry to state the obvious, but first things first (and to make it clear to other posters) I assume back, teeth etc all checked?

It sounds like you're working hard with her to not allow her to get away with this? Has anyone else tried riding her? Not saying it's you, but sometimes if it is behavioural then you'll see this if someone else tries her? She may well become a different horse with a friend on board.
 
This is the first time in 5 years I have ever let her win an argument! Which is why I am so frustrated. I have spent hours sitting on a hack waiting for her to give in!She is always nappy and will put up a fight but never to this extreme! My friend did try today to see if it was me but she did exactly the same with her.
mad.gif


A few weeks ago she was also flying over jumps at home( 2ft9 spread) which is why I am unsure if it's pain related? oh ra!!
 
Teeth are fine but will get rest checked.Better to be sure. It's very hard with her, the boy who cried wolf springs to mind....
 
regarding the fear of ditches- do you keep your horse at livery or privately? i had a pony who hated ditches, so we had one built in between two fields (there where some sliprails further on in the fence too) so the pony had to jump over it to get his dinner! then i spent nearly all afternoon trying to ride him over it, and eventually we got him over it (mum stood behind with a long lunge whip and dad stood infront with a bucket of food) and ever since then he was fine with all ditches
smile.gif
 
She's at home! that might be worth trying! Be good for the youngster when he is broken too! Thanks
 
I've known a few mares who have become complete nightmares around this time of year, has she ever acted like this before around this time of year?
 
It's usually earlier than this, last year she had her ovaries scanned in Feb and the vet found that she had a large amount of folicles on each ovary, so would be in more pain when in season, and advised giving bute when in season. She is on 2 sachets a day at the moment. Tried Regumate but to no avail and also Oestress with no difference.
Don't mean to sound like I have an answer to everyhing!
blush.gif
It's just I've been through so much with her and have tried every possible reason for her behaviour
frown.gif

She is on a virtually bald paddock as well so not like she is getting a huge amount of spring grass
 
Does this tie in with her seasons I had a mare once who was fine during the winter but when she came into season she became unpredictable which got worse she was diagnosed with cysts on her ovaries had them removed and she was a lot better.
 
Could you both just have been having a really bad day? Did you start with the feeling inside that she was going to be awkward? I agree it helps to ensure that pain is not the problem, but horses can put up with a serious amount of pain and still manage to jump etc without a problem. She sounds like she just didn't feel like it today. I think I might have seen you today as I drove past Hill House earlier!
 
Little stubborn git isn't she
frown.gif
She reminds me of a certain grey horse I have had the pleasure of riding - nothing at all physically wrong, just as pigheaded as they come when he decided he didn't want to do something. Fact is, if she is just saying NO WAY, there is little you can do - she is always going to be stronger than you after all. Not sure having a break will do her any good - it can actually work as a disadvantage as when they come back they think they are king/queen.

To be honest Trogs, I would up her workload, ride her twice a day if you can, ride her in the field, don't push but at the same time don't let her have it easy - YOUR rules. As soon as she complies with what you are asking, get off and leave it there. Next time, after 2 compliances, get off, and so on. This COULD have absolutely NO effect whatsoever, but she is very, very clever, so it may work.

Have you tried her on coligone BTW? Just it did work wonders with Charm (Cheeky Girls mare) who had ovary probs like DP...
 
I do feel for you - I know how galling it was to have to give in, and if it wasn't for the time you'd have sat there all day! The leaping is a new trick, one which she needs to unlearn pdq.
mad.gif
Funnily she was okay loading today, apart from the sweating thing. It's not long since she had a new saddle fitted so would be surprised if that. The other day at Keysoe she was an absolute dream, weird how she changes. Her behaviour and inconsistency are incredibly frustrating and baffling.
frown.gif
 
The Cortaflex is a preventative measure; she is 17 this year and arthritic changes are a possibility. The vet hasn't spotted any yet, and neither has the farrier. The bute is for her headshaking problem, and is part of an experimental treatment by the vet to try and stop it. It is to do with the trigeminal nerve, and he thought bute might help. She hacked out fine yesterday and jumped beautifully last week, which is why I suspect behavioural problems rather than physical ones. If she was in any pain, it is likely the bute would deal with it anyway!
 
Good point about the break. Now the evenings are light I can ride her more, she could do with shifting a few more pounds anyway! 9 times out of 10 she is lovely to school, really listens and works, so will do as you say and when she really gives, I'll reward her as you say. Will try and get more respect that way and then try hacking again, although she had been getting slightly better with that ( 15 mins of napping rather than 30!
blush.gif
) but still fighting me most of the way. It's all mind games!! Hopefully that will stop the leaping. Failing that I'll bleach her and send her to the Spanish Riding School
grin.gif

She has Coligone before she travels but might look into the supplement, good idea!
smile.gif
 
It's possible she was having an off day, just wish she would give me some clues at home so can save time and money and leave her alone on those days!
I was with a big bay horse, we hacked around the edge of the course to warm up that goes by the road so you probably did see us
smile.gif
 
Read this and thought about all the causes and came up with nothng different to everyone else..
You may have more success lunging her over the ditch, but the idea of a ditch at home (come on Mac get the spade out!) in the field is a good one. Once she is good with it make it harder by putting water in and a blue piece of plastic to make it spookier.
I'm not sure how much of this behaviour is medical or being difficult, if you could get a vid it would be much easier to advise to be honest.
I had a horse that napped daily at the same things for donkeys' years, anyone repainting their front gate would cause a mammoth battle and I came to the conclusion it was just him and nothing I or anyone else did helped. Like you I got an eventer mate to ride him at a show after I got eliminated at the fifth fence. Bear in mind she competed at top level and used to regularly beat mark Philips and Princess Anne, and know that she got eliminated at fence two!! (ha ha)
Some horses have a tendancy to nap and will try it on. it may be she has discovered the leap in the air gets you riled or worried and is using it to effect. (in which case get a long schooling whip, some long spurs and make her go forwards in trot by those means).
Before that however I would have to be sure the medication for headshaking or some other thing isn't giving her pain, sometimes they can be starting with arthritic things that develop slowly but are uncomfortable for them. Are you sure the bute hasn't given her stomach ulcers for instance? I think the coligone advice is worth taking just to make sure. I would keep th cortaflex as it is really beneficial we've found.
Sorry no real help from me today, I would have to see what she's doing to be able to advise properly.. (then again, I may just be coming your way quite soon
grin.gif
)
 
Lol! I would welcome any help if you do come down this way!
grin.gif

I think that's it, her leaping just flies me out of the saddle, if I can I do try and prevent it but it's the only thing she does that I can't really sit to, and it's getting bigger and bigger!
crazy.gif

I have stopped her head shaking pills for now and will see how that goes. Will also look into Coligone.
It's just so frustrating having to force her to do something that should be enjoyable! The only thing she seems happy to do is dressage on the lovely surfaces at Keysoe! She has expensive taste...
tongue.gif

Re the ditches, I'm not sure what it is about that one, she jumps ditches on hacks and jumped a huge one hunting, I'm wondering if it's because it's empty. Will def. look into getting one dug here......
 
Have to say that my first thoughts were saddle and back. Get both of those looked at by the best person that you can find and go from there. It all seems to sound like those two things to me, think you need to rule those out before you investigate further
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top