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

[Jenko109]

I would pay a decent freelance to ride her daily for a week or two.

 

[honetpot]

I moved six to a friends new yard, which was purpose built, you name it they had it. What was thought provoking was they were all turned out together, as they would be normally, but the land and the yard was very flat and open where as the old yard and fields where enclosed and hedged. They did not like it at all, and the yard which looked like something out of a magazine, took ages for our old boy to settle in to, you could not leave him and he jumped over the stable door. The young pony put his first buck in and I would have moved back only my youngest daughter wanted use of a floodlite school.
As soon as she stopped riding as she went to uni, they went back to often untidy hedge rented paddocks. I do not know why they all got unsettled, the openess, the fact that there was always something happening, the grass was seeded and not old rough weed ridden pasture, anxtiety when turned out, but I know if had bought any of them I would have been worried about my new purchase.

 

[jumpingjo00]

does anyone have any tips for settling her quicker? or do I just wait it out?

she gets no feed now for those suggesting it earlier

 

[Miggy99]

does anyone have any tips for settling her quicker? or do I just wait it out?

she gets no feed now for those suggesting it earlier

It’s scary when they have a personality transplant. I haven’t seen my boy in nearly 4 weeks as I had a bad fall and can’t currently drive or do very much for myself. We’d moved yard and he’d come back from a “trainer” a week before. His behaviour on the ground has been unacceptable in the last 4 weeks. The yard manager and another livery are now leading him in and out in his bridle which is helping and they’re just casually leading him around. Certainly no one will be getting on him until his groundwork improves.
I previously had an ex riding school horse. They are challenging in new environments because they are so used to their environment and work etc. I’m sure your mare will come good, but in the meantime I’d be inclined to do the same as with my current boy and forget riding for the minute, work on her confidence and manners on the ground and only when that is rock solid move on to getting back on slowly and with an instructor or knowledgeable and capable friend on hand to help.

 

[MissTyc]

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.

Does she get ad lib hay on new yard? If not and she was used to it, then that can affect many horses even without them developing ulcers.
New place "better fields" = more grass?

Quiet horses can sometimes react harder than more extroverted horses to changes like yard/herd/feed. She lives with other horses but has she left behind her friends?

Is she used to travelling, or is this is a real shock to her?

Time will probably help her settled but this horse is not new to you and I would trust your gut feeling that something isn't quite right. And it might just be the yard - not their fault, but like previous posters I've known horses to simply not like their new yard for some reason. One Newfie who left mine turned dangerous. 9 months later he'd been unridden for 8.5 months, apparently labelled as unhandleable, unrideable, etc. I went to see the owners at the new yard and all I could see was a miserable pony. Brought him home and within days he was as before, rideable by anyone. I'll never know why - grass? other horses? people? no clue! But he didn't like it there! For a while he wouldn't travel after that and they tried to take him to pony camp and he instantly turned dangerous, rearing, bucking, kicking ... Now, several years later, he loves pony camp and seems to know he's coming home again after 3 days.

 

[jumpingjo00]

It’s scary when they have a personality transplant. I haven’t seen my boy in nearly 4 weeks as I had a bad fall and can’t currently drive or do very much for myself. We’d moved yard and he’d come back from a “trainer” a week before. His behaviour on the ground has been unacceptable in the last 4 weeks. The yard manager and another livery are now leading him in and out in his bridle which is helping and they’re just casually leading him around. Certainly no one will be getting on him until his groundwork improves.
I previously had an ex riding school horse. They are challenging in new environments because they are so used to their environment and work etc. I’m sure your mare will come good, but in the meantime I’d be inclined to do the same as with my current boy and forget riding for the minute, work on her confidence and manners on the ground and only when that is rock solid move on to getting back on slowly and with an instructor or knowledgeable and capable friend on hand to help.

Does she get ad lib hay on new yard? If not and she was used to it, then that can affect many horses even without them developing ulcers.
New place "better fields" = more grass?

Quiet horses can sometimes react harder than more extroverted horses to changes like yard/herd/feed. She lives with other horses but has she left behind her friends?

Is she used to travelling, or is this is a real shock to her?

Time will probably help her settled but this horse is not new to you and I would trust your gut feeling that something isn't quite right. And it might just be the yard - not their fault, but like previous posters I've known horses to simply not like their new yard for some reason. One Newfie who left mine turned dangerous. 9 months later he'd been unridden for 8.5 months, apparently labelled as unhandleable, unrideable, etc. I went to see the owners at the new yard and all I could see was a miserable pony. Brought him home and within days he was as before, rideable by anyone. I'll never know why - grass? other horses? people? no clue! But he didn't like it there! For a while he wouldn't travel after that and they tried to take him to pony camp and he instantly turned dangerous, rearing, bucking, kicking ... Now, several years later, he loves pony camp and seems to know he's coming home again after 3 days.

I'd been dreading going to even see her but I went yesterday and this morning and I've seen a drastic improvement.
She's stopped calling completely. As I mentioned, she had moved with some horses from the old place and they all seem much calmer this week. Maybe it was just a time thing?

I got on her this morning with two friends on the ground and she was fine. the tanking off previously was for the gate, not spooking, which has stopped. Handling-wise, she's actually listening again.

Yes, I've certainly seen horses hate their yards which is why I was getting worried. She seemed happy in the stable from hour 1, but you can't really tell what they're thinking unless they learn to talk.

 

[poiuytrewq]

How are things now Jumpingjo00? Hope its all going well

 

[jumpingjo00]

How are things now Jumpingjo00? Hope its all going well

I was going to bump this thread anyway, but thank you for asking!

We are having some really good weeks but then she goes backwards nothing too bad: just strong to handle or very tense to ride. it doesn't help I'm having to do most of this myself and if I get nervous, I just can't deal with her.

Not sure whether I explicitly said this earlier, but the move would have been a shock to her as she rarely travelled and if so, it was to one specific place for lessons

Really starting to doubt if I should keep going with her or just give up. As mentioned, some weeks, she's a literal dope on the rope and a slug in the school and the next week, it's like a few steps back. Is this part of the settling process? Is back and forth normal for some horses? She's spooking/getting nervous by things she's never had issues with?

Also, before anyone asks, she's now seen: the dentist, vet and physio and also had a massage by a specialist I called from a 3hr drive (!!!), so nothing underlying there. Overall, she's happy at the yard, so I can't figure this out...

 

[Bobthecob15]

Sorry you’re still having some issues. Have you investigated if there is a possible hormonal cause for her behaviour? Is she a mareish mare? Have you tried her one something like Oestress to see if it makes any difference?

I know sometimes mares can behave differently when in season and certainly their behaviour under saddle can really change, we have several on our yard that can be really difficult when in season. There are lots of treatments for it which might help?