Personality change and new yards - is it normal for even the most laid back ponies?

[jumpingjo00]

Hi all,

Bought a horse a year ago as a livery at the riding school I was at was selling a working horse and had been there ever since. My mare is the most docile thing I have met - have had more issues with handing my cat and small puppy than her. My nieces (4yo and 6yo) handled her and genuinely she only spooks (nothing bad) in super bad weather or if its very sudden.

Due to riding school now being a pain in the ass (feels like a lot of riding schools are becoming so according to my horse friends who live around the country), I moved her a month ago to a smallish place. Now, in the stable she is fine and according to the yard manager she is good coming in and out of the field.

Everytime I ride her, she bolts and I keep falling off in the arena. I have taken her in hand and it's the same. Not spooking really. Just being nuts. Everyone at the yard is helpful but I am getting embarrassed as I can't handle her like this.

The YO said to wait for her to settle.

My question is, can even the calmest horses so through a bad period like this when they move?
not all, but some.

very scared

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Yes it can take a long time and even the quietest of horses to have a personality transformation.

As she was used in a riding school it could be a separation issue if you are attempting to ride her in a strange arena alone.

Maybe try taking her in there with another quiet horse and see if she is any better, try in hand first just lead her round then after a few days if she is calm try getting on.

 

[nikicb]

I definitely agree that horses can take a long time to settle. I also wonder how much her routine has changed since you moved her - has her feed changed, how much turnout is she getting compared to before, how much work is she getting compared to before, is she turned out with others/individually and is this different to before? That's just a few things I would consider to start with. Also some horses seem to thrive in busy atmospheres and don't like quieter yards and vice versa.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Has her feed changed since she changed yards?

 

[jumpingjo00]

I generally rode her alone in the arena at the riding centre. She was in a heard turnout there and is currently out with two other horses who moved to this yard at the same time. she has less turnout but still plenty. the only reason she is worked less is because I can't ride her or even do things in hand. yes, her feed has changed. they barely fed her at her old yard and now is getting fed (not every day - only when in), but nothing sugary (can't remember off the top of my head)

Yes it can take a long time and even the quietest of horses to have a personality transformation.

people who would come to shows etc at the old place always commented how she was literally the chillest horse they've seen. its so alarming to see her like this. do they usually revert back to their usual personality with time? I can't bear to see her like this and generally she is very adjusting to changes. she was left out for 1.5 months when I was recovering from covid early this year and came back in exactly the same...

 

[maya2008]

Has her workload massively decreased now she’s not at the Riding School? Change of feed? Some horses react like this to feed (alfalfa, soy, more sugar, haylage rather than hay have been ones I have known) - one of mine went from rolled oats to crushed this week and lost her tiny little mind. The others didn’t react at all…

 

[nikicb]

I generally rode her alone in the arena at the riding centre. She was in a heard turnout there and is currently out with two other horses who moved to this yard at the same time. she has less turnout but still plenty. the only reason she is worked less is because I can't ride her or even do things in hand. yes, her feed has changed. they barely fed her at her old yard and now is getting fed (not every day - only when in), but nothing sugary (can't remember off the top of my head)


people who would come to shows etc at the old place always commented how she was literally the chillest horse they've seen. its so alarming to see her like this. do they usually revert back to their usual personality with time? I can't bear to see her like this and generally she is very adjusting to changes. she was left out for 1.5 months when I was recovering from covid early this year and came back in exactly the same...

So she has less turnout, less work and more feed. I would cut out the feed and just feed hay and see how you go from there. Can someone else work her for you on the days you can't?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

She could just need time to settle but maybe cut feed and get her exercised a bit more.

If everything is much the same it might be worth getting some help from an instructor.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

You say the feed isn't anything sugary, but what about all the other common trigger ingredients? Soya, alfalfa, barley, oats, etc. Even if there were no issues at all, you still need to know what your pony is eating! That's absolutely basic stuff for owning.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

The first thing I suggest you do is find out what she is being fed.
Unless you think that she was too thin/ in poor condition when she was kept at RS, there is no sensible reason for her to have more feed at her new yard. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the root of your trouble.

The second thing I suggest you do is cut the feed out/down (depending on what the ingredients are)

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Friends bombproof cob went nuts for 2 weeks after moving don’t know what caused it but she soon settled xx

 

[jumpingjo00]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far.

Dont think its turnout as its only slightly less, and that's mainly because the weather has been either downpour or completely frozen over so fewer full days out. even then, she's been getting at least 72 hours a week as a minimum. Riding load is less due to her behaviour (she wasn't on working before, she was always on full livery under my ownership). But, she's the type who you could give a break over the winter and ride again in the spring. as mentioned, wasn't ridden for 6 weeks and literally the same when I got back on.

the feed things is probable. I will certainly ask as I don't remember off the top of my head every component. what should I cut out first? I don't want to cut her feed completely personally as she's not even fed everyday as she's out most days 24 hours as when we moved the weather was good and this week is fine.

other than that its just a settling thing that I could think is a cause. can I make it any better for her?

whatever is the cause, its just not her.

its like a diff horse, but only really in the arena or leading further away from the stable block. no barging in stable or other bad behaviour.

riends bombproof cob went nuts for 2 weeks after moving don’t know what caused it but she soon settled xx

this is interesting as mine is part cob. how bad was she and roughly how long did it take? x

 

[jumpingjo00]

I'll try the things suggested as far as I can

but does anyone else have anecdotes of calm horses going a little crazy when moving and then settling down?

 

[nikicb]

I think your first job for tomorrow is to find out what she is being fed (brands and type of feed), and if you can, what she was being fed before, although I understand that might not be so easy if you left under not such great terms. You said she has moved with two other horses who are also new to the yard - are they from the same previous place?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree with above you can't just not know what the horse is being fed some peoples idea of good feeding can really vary, I've had my horses for years but wouldn't just get on them without knowing what they are eating as they can react badly to alot of feed.

Can you lunge her?

I would just take her in the school on the lunge with a bridle on everyday until she settles, then attempt to get on once she seems more like herself.

 

[Umbongo]

Deleted, posted on accident

 

[gallopingby]

Some feeds can turn quiet horses into quite the opposite, even feeds labelled ‘calm’ it’s a bit like e numbers / smarties and children. I think that’s your first investigation. It does take a while for som to settle but once everything is back on track there’s no reason to think she wont return to her former ways.

 

[Squeak]

If she's not being fed everyday I really would just cut out the feed, she doesn't sound like she's in a routine of needing it. It's hard to grasp the turnout routine she's on and that she was on previously. Was she out 24/7 previously? Is she in over night at the new place?

As others have said, it sounds like you've upped feed (possibly with something that's triggering her), decreased turnout and decreased work. PSvB's suggestion of lungeing could be worth a go, you could try lunging her before you get on so that she has a chance to get rid of her excess energy before you get on.

There is a chance it's environmental and the change in the yard but its far more likely to have been the change in feed and turnout from what you've said.

 

[Cloball]

Mine was super chill when we first moved then had a complete personality transplant 3 months later in spring with the grass/ first season/change to 247 turn out. I really had to put my big girl pants on and as I was largely to nervous to ride by myself I did a lot of work in hand, lunging, long reining. My instructor helped loads, I got my saddle checked and I paid someone to long rein her on days I couldn't get to the yard. She settled back down after about 6 weeks and became largely angelic again 2 months later. I can now leave her a couple of weeks if I go away on holiday and hop straight back on but back then I really had to work hard. I definitely think it had helped our relationship and how I handle her in the long run as she can be a bit bolshy/in your face if she's allowed (native pony).
My advice would be to cut out food and get some help with some ground work so she is being handled consistently and regularly. You could also think about pain if that doesn't help or you have any concerns as moving can be stressful. In hind sight I think my pony was more anxious than I thought and just boiled over with the extra change and grass.

 

[AmyMay]

How long was she at the riding school for?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I really dislike the habit of intermittent feeding. Horses' guts need consistency, so I doubt that is helping.
However, we have had horses whose only management change has been feed, who have reacted variously to alfalfa, mixed cereals, sugar/molasses, Brewers yeast, seaweed, NAF pink powder, carrot, glucosamine. Most but not all reactions have been evidenced in a change in behaviour, some have involved skin problems.
We are currently trying to work out what has caused a flare-up of a skin problem that we thought had cleared up in my cob. Favourite seems to be non-irganic rosemary but that could be coincidence and the problem could be that someone has fed her over the fence. It is never easy to work out what is going on.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Cinnamon brings my young mare out in welts, and soya turns my roan horribly sharp.

 

[splashgirl45]

Just the change to a different yard with different field mates and less work and being fed when she wasn’t before sounds like enough reason for her to be different. I would cut ALL feed and just give hay, try lunging her for 20 mins in walk trot and canter before you ride and then when riding move her around the school in mainly walk so you can build up her confidence and yours, if you have a trainer it would be a good time to have quite a few lessons to stop this problem from getting too bad. Good luck

 

[jumpingjo00]

as of yesterday, she's had feed cut out but the lunging everyday won't be possible as I'm not there. (also I'm a bit scared of her now after this sudden behaviour change ).

let's see if this helps the situation and hopefully, she calms.

 

[jumpingjo00]

It's hard to grasp the turnout routine she's on and that she was on previously. Was she out 24/7 previously? Is she in over night at the new place?

old place: sometimes 24/7 and sometimes stabled - it really varied. also, the field quality was abysmal so even with turnout, the horses would just be stood by the hay bale
new place: same thing, except the fields are better and she may be stabled a bit more as weather has taken a turn here.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

They can definitely have a complete personality change. My old boy was a totally different horse to the one I’d had for over 4 yrs when I changed yards. It was due partly due to feed as the YO decided to feed him mix instead of the agreed low energy chaff. Secondly he became really attached to a mare he was out with. I had to get them separated. He did become better but I found that being in an indoor barn with horses visible through railings was his main source of stress plus the attitude of the YO. I moved a year later and he turned back into the horse I knew. Enclosed stable and a calm stable yard.

 

[Winters100]

What was the reason for increasing the feeds? Was she looking poor or her workload increased? If neither of these then you probably have an easy explanation for the change in behaviour.

 

[Fire sign]

Does your yard have an instructor on site or regularly visiting? If so I would enlist the help of such a person and pay them to school the horse and teach you on her. If you choose an experienced and sensible person they should be able to advise you on managing your mare and help you to regain your confidence ….

 

[jumpingjo00]

Does your yard have an instructor on site or regularly visiting? If so I would enlist the help of such a person and pay them to school the horse and teach you on her. If you choose an experienced and sensible person they should be able to advise you on managing your mare and help you to regain your confidence ….

no they don't have one on site. My friend is supposedly having a Monty Roberts certified trainer out to see her horse at a different yard so if I hear good things I may also try that option out

 

[jules9203]

Yes they can change hugely. I've had liveries come here that were unruly at other yards and have chilled completely. Likewise I've had 2 mares that came here and really didn't settle at all and had to leave. The mare I bought last year had a complete personality transplant on arrival. If it wasn't for the fact I knew she was a nice person before I would have been sending her back. It took her a good 6 months to return to how she was. She had been in her last home for 6 yrs (since she was weaned) and didn't trust me at all. We're now 15 months on and she's great.