Oh heavans..what now?

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Shay

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I posted a few weeks back about unexplained poor performance from my daughter's coblet. He was napping and that just isn't like him.

Anyway - back, saddle etc checked - all fine. Vet came. Nothing signficant - she thought it might be a virus. He had fairly rotten mud fever so we took the time off to get rid of it. He was kept in for 3 weeks, on antibiotics, hibi scrub etc. Now completely clear. Brought back into work about 2 weeks ago now...

He was a bit sticky in the school at first but got that sorted out fairly quickly. Then he stuck on a hack to the extent neither my daughter nor my hunsband who was with her on his bike could move him a step. They were at the one road junction we have to cross to get to bridleways, about 1/4 mile from home. I ended up shooting up to move him - he wouldn't mess me about! But they can't get into a fight with him on the road - its too dangerous. A freind has agreed to hack him out for a bit to try to resolve it. (I can't ride him - I'm too heavy plus I broke my back in a fall a couple of years ago and am not keen to repeat the experience!)

Now - just in the last 2 or 3 days - he has become impossible to catch. He comes up willingly enough. Takes the carrot or whatever then spins around and double barrels you before you can get the headcollar on. I got the rope around his neck the other day and his answer to that was to take a massive chunk out of my thigh. I went to wack him - instinct I suppose - lost my grip on the rope and that was that.

I had wanted to just have in out for a few hours - partly becuase the grass is coming through and partly becuase of the mud. But if I can't catch him safely I'm not sure I can turn him out at all. But that will probably make him worse. I'm worried someone will get seriously hurt if he connects - not to mention the annoyance factor.

Now we have had this lad 3 years. He will push you around if he thinks he can get away with it - he is a pony after all - but until the last few days I would have said there was absolutely nothing nasty in him at all. He'll try it on a bit, but is quick to give up if you're firm and he would never really hurt someone.

But now... What on earth am I going to do with him?
 
There is obviously something upseting him, you just have to persevere and find out what. I would get the vet out again and consider a second opinion from another vet/saddle fitter/etc if you dont get anywhere.
 
I would also consider contacting an intelligent horsemanship person do do some work with you. I know what I would do but thats me and may not be what other people do. For a start if he kicked and bit me in the field I would chase him away from me hes invading your space.
 
It sounds to me as though something is hurting him. He doesn't to be brought in because he doesn't want the pain of being ridden. As this is something relatively new I would give him the benefit of the doubt and get second vet/ saddler / farrier opinions.
 
Ok, given that you've had the problems in the past it may be something more problamatic, but my mare is always an arse at this time of year to catch because the spring grass is coming through and she wants to stay out and it...so it may just be that he simply wants to stay out and catch some rays! Though obv it may be something more serous.
 
jendie said:
It sounds to me as though something is hurting him. He doesn't to be brought in because he doesn't want the pain of being ridden. As this is something relatively new I would give him the benefit of the doubt and get second vet/ saddler / farrier opinions.
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Ditto this, if he's always been well-mannered before. He's trying to tell you something.
 
My first thought is that he is still upset by the mud fever, as it can be an INCREDIBLY painful condition..my lad had a severe case some years ago and it upset him for ages afterwards even when it was healed, he was terrified I was going to get near his legs again. He eventually forgot about it.
 
Break the association of being caught/coming in with being ridden (and poss pain but maybe hes just being cheeky and got a new game).

Take a day when you have the time and go into the field with 2 carrots. Give him a little bit, but let him see you have more ..... but don't give it to him until he lets you put the headcollar on. Give him the carrot and let him free!!! ... and then do it all over again!

Over a period of a day or so put headcollar on, bring in, give feed, put him out.

.... and this may sound weird, but picking up from a post on here a few days ago, try putting some vanilla on you!! If I understand correctly, it makes you smell less threatening to a horse. Out of curiousity I tried it with my lot and they definately reacted!!
 
Good Lord vanilla? At this point I'll try anything!

He is usually ridden in the morning - simply becuase it suits. Although he is occasionally caught to be ridden it isn't very often and certainly hasn't been the case for a few weeks. But we are still washing his legs each evening. I did wonder if it was that he was upset about.

When we were first treating the mud fever he did hate being washed, but he does stand quite still now and doesn't seem bothered by it. I don't think there is any pain there now. He can be quite touchy about his legs but isn't right now.

Someone else caught him for me the other day - after we couldn't. She just stood in front of him - about 6 or 7 feet away and ate carrots. He came up to her and she turned away from him still eating his carrots. He came nuzzling around her wanting the carrots and she gave him a couple of treats, did kisses with him etc, but wouldn't let him have the carrots which she was still eating in front of him. Eventually she held a carrot through the headcollar and he put his head through like a lamb! Quite the most intriguing peice of pony psycology!

I spoke with the YO who has known him most of his life and she is fairly sure what he is trying to tell us is that the new grass is out, it isn't dark or raining and he simply isn't hungry for dinner yet! He's in a big feild with only one other and the grass is quite lush - he's got quite porky in the last few days. We're going to try turning him out with the other gelding herd in the feild with less grass to see if that makes him more keen to catch. Plus being beaten up by the 12hh haflinger in there might reduce his sense of ego!
 
I know you said you have had his saddle checked but our mare went funny like this last Autumn. We were waiting for her new saddle to be made and as her old one had been condemned as too narrow we were using a different one which the saddler said was ok. She started napping, stopping and then refusing to be caught exactly as you describe. We gave her a couple of weeks off then when her new saddle came she was perfect again and we have never had any more problems.
Might be worth a second opinion?
I don't believe horses are just naughty, it is almost always a pain response when they behave out of character like this.
 
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