Please help - new owner and it has gone wrong already.

[JoJoLo72]

I bought a proper happy hacker about a month ago. I rode her twice and my friend who is very very experienced also came to check her out. So far so good! I moved her to my livery yard and it has all gone wrong. Whilst she is absolute fine out hacking, she is struggling with everything else. She gets anxious leaving her field, her manners on the ground have gone to pot. Yesterday after a hack I walked her back to her field and she went all dramatic. She reared, bucked, spun and practically dragged me down to the field. She used to live on her own and now she has a horses around her and she has become very attached to them all. Calls for them when they are out of sight. Even though she used to be ok in a stable, she does not seem to be now and calls and calls when she is stabled even for a short time. She used to be fab with her farrier but my farrier found her hard to manage and she reared, kicked and broke her head collar. I have no idea what to do . I am an anxious rider at the best of times and am completely thrown that this horse seems to have had a personality transplant. I know she has to settle and I know it is a lot for a horse to move but she has moved before to the previous owner and there were no issues. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

 

[smolmaus]

I don't think you have done anything wrong. It was wrong for the previous owner to keep any horse by themselves, they may not show clear distress at the time, or just learn to accept it, but this behaviour you're seeing now is the proof that it has affected her badly.

I hope others who have been through this before can give more detailed advice. But I would work on establishing a routine where she does a little bit and then is returned to her friends so she learns to trust that she WILL always go back to a herd. Or start with bringing a friend along with her until she settles more. Be gentle with her and yourself, this problem isn't either of your faults!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

It's perfectly normal for a new horse to test any new boundaries with a new owner. Experienced owners don't even notice it but for inexperienced owners the horse realises the boundaries aren't there anymore and they take the mickey.

Don't worry, get a trainer to work with you on ground work and teaching the horse what is expected. That can be done easily.

As smolmaus said, the new routine sounds much better for the horse, you just need to add the ground rules and everything else will fall into place.

 

[Petalpoos]

It takes horses a long time to settle down after a yard move - new yard, new routine, new horses, new people - it’s a lot. As above, just be kind and consistent and let her settle. it will take time, but just stick with her and be her friend and prove that you are someone she can trust and rely on.

 

[JoJoLo72]

Thank you to all of you. Very helpful advice. I will persevere. I just need to swallow a load of confidence to manage it all.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Its very early days… stay positive it will get better it can take a while to settle

 

[Clodagh]

She’s just in a panic if she has been kept in solitary confinement and now she has friends. I’m sure she’ll calm down when she trusts you and realises that they aren’t going to be taken away. Work within her boundaries for now, if she comes in to her stable bring a friend to be in at the same time.
Hat and gloves when handling her and get an instructor to help. Good luck

 

[Surbie]

It sounds like she just needs more time to get used to her new routine and to having company. She's gone through a very big change.

If I move yards, mine takes a long time to settle. He can also get silly when the grass flushes.

Can you lead to and from the field/hold for farrier in a bridle to give you more control than a headcollar? Gloves always till you are settled and a hat too as you said she has gone up.

As others have said, stay calm and consistent - and maybe get someone to help you with ground manners.

 

[SilverLinings]

It doesn't sound as though you have done anything wrong- a month isn't long enough for a horse to properly settle in to a new home, new routines and a new owner, and your horse has the added complication of going from solitary living to having equine company. Calm, firm consistency in how you handle her is important, and you need to feel confident to help her to feel confident so a good instructor would be useful to show you how best to handle her.

As she used to live on her own it is very possible that when you catch her in from the field she is worried that she is being taken away from the other horses and may not be going back. When you turn her back out, therefore, she is very excited that you are actually taking her back to her new companions, and is having trouble controlling her excitement.

Even on days you don't ride it would be a good idea to take her out of the field, do something nice with her for a short time(feeding, grooming, hand grazing) and then take her back to the field (increasing this time as her behaviour improves). Repetition will help her to learn that it is ok to leave the others as she will be re-joining them again later. If she has lived on her own for a long time you may need to work on this for a while, but as she feels more settled the behaviour should improve.

As others have said, wear a hat and gloves when handling her to keep yourself safe (this is always a good idea, especially with a horse you haven't owned for long), and lead her in her bridle and a lunge line if you are having trouble holding her.

It is great that she is being good to ride, so enjoy this and try to remember how nice a time you can have with her when you are dealing with her more difficult behaviour. Good luck, hopefully she is settled and back to being like the pony you tried (but happier as she is no longer living in isolation) before too long.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Unfortunately she is experiencing separation anxiety because the poor girl has been kept without equine company previously and now that she has friends, she is afraid that she will lose them again. Try just taking her out of the field, giving her a small bucket feed and putting her back. Build up gradually to doing more with her and try to organise a companion for her, so that she doesn't panic when you take her out of the field.

 

[JoJoLo72]

She’s just in a panic if she has been kept in solitary confinement and now she has friends. I’m sure she’ll calm down when she trusts you and realises that they aren’t going to be taken away. Work within her boundaries for now, if she comes in to her stable bring a friend to be in at the same time.
Hat and gloves when handling her and get an instructor to help. Good luck

Yesterday when she kicked off, she was following her new best friend back to the field. They have adjoining fields. I therefore do not understand why she got so silly when her friend was just in front of her. But I guess I cannot speak 'horse'.

 

[ycbm]

Breathe!

You were all excited about getting your first horse, as everyone is, and bad management by her previous owner has caused her to be unusually unsettled by the move.

You're now upset, which will be upsetting her even more.

All of this is fixable and in a few months you'll probably look back and wonder what all the upset was about and be loving your happy hacker.

Some great ideas above, including get yourself a good groundwork trainer and

Breathe!

 

[smolmaus]

Yesterday when she kicked off, she was following her new best friend back to the field. They have adjoining fields. I therefore do not understand why she got so silly when her friend was just in front of her. But I guess I cannot speak 'horse'.

Going into adjoining fields means separation if they are currently right beside eachother. And getting back to the field is always exciting.

My mare was like a bulldozer getting back through the gate today because it was raining, I was early and my OH was with me AND her friend was in season. I would trust a 5yo with her most days. They just have big feelings about change and adrenaline is adrenaline no matter what the source is.

 

[millikins]

Agree with above posters. I'd just add to equip yourself to succeed, wear gloves, a hat and stout boots, lead in a control halter or a bridle. We needed some photos of our young Dales gelding a couple of weeks back, he's 2 and was a bit of an ignorant, pushy git, and in large part I think that was because I was only wearing plimsolls and was nervous of being trodden on, he picked up on that immediately, he's usually very polite if rather clumsy.

 

[ponyparty]

Yesterday when she kicked off, she was following her new best friend back to the field. They have adjoining fields. I therefore do not understand why she got so silly when her friend was just in front of her. But I guess I cannot speak 'horse'.

Try avoiding following another out to the field - she may have felt she was being left behind. Over time she’ll probably get better as she gets into the routine but for now, little things like this could help to manage her behaviour.

Is she actually out with other horses in the same field now, or just adjoining fields? Was she completely alone before?

 

[TPO]

Like you and others have said, it's a big adjustment moving yards. Even more so when the horse has been living a deprived life with no company.

She'll be going through a lot. As ycbm said, breathe! The horse picks up a lot from you, and you need to be her constant.

The best advice us to find a good trainer to help you. Not only with groundwork but her handling on the yard/in the stable/handling feet.

No idea what area you're in but if you're close enough to get him out, or go to spectate at a clinic, highly recommend Joe Midgley. He also has an online subscription service for training videos. Good Horsemanship Channel.

In your situation I'd also recommend "100 ways to a perfect equine partnership" by Susan McBane. It's £3.30 second hand
100 Ways to a Perfect Equine Partnership https://amzn.eu/d/2O05Euc

Another good book is Train Your Young Horse by Richard Maxwell. Although your horse isn't a youngster, it has good step by step pictures of training exercises. It specifically covers leading and picking up feet too. Train Your Young Horse with Richard Maxwell: An Effective Education from Foal to Fully Grown https://amzn.eu/d/0CDmo1y

@Ambers Echo is best placed to advise, but perhaps a book to help your confidence will help you feel better.
Tame the Chimp, Shoot the Parrot and Silence the Mouse: How fear, negativity and doubt get in the way of our riding and our life https://amzn.eu/d/2mUIyUf

 

[JoJoLo72]

Try avoiding following another out to the field - she may have felt she was being left behind. Over time she’ll probably get better as she gets into the routine but for now, little things like this could help to manage her behaviour.

Is she actually out with other horses in the same field now, or just adjoining fields? Was she completely alone before?

Hi - she is in an adjoining field. She has horses either side of her.

Before she was alone for about a year.

 

[JoJoLo72]

Like you and others have said, it's a big adjustment moving yards. Even more so when the horse has been living a deprived life with no company.

She'll be going through a lot. As ycbm said, breathe! The horse picks up a lot from you, and you need to be her constant.

The best advice us to find a good trainer to help you. Not only with groundwork but her handling on the yard/in the stable/handling feet.

No idea what area you're in but if you're close enough to get him out, or go to spectate at a clinic, highly recommend Joe Midgley. He also has an online subscription service for training videos. Good Horsemanship Channel.

In your situation I'd also recommend "100 ways to a perfect equine partnership" by Susan McBane. It's £3.30 second hand
100 Ways to a Perfect Equine Partnership https://amzn.eu/d/2O05Euc

Another good book is Train Your Young Horse by Richard Maxwell. Although your horse isn't a youngster, it has good step by step pictures of training exercises. It specifically covers leading and picking up feet too. Train Your Young Horse with Richard Maxwell: An Effective Education from Foal to Fully Grown https://amzn.eu/d/0CDmo1y

@Ambers Echo is best placed to advise, but perhaps a book to help your confidence will help you feel better.
Tame the Chimp, Shoot the Parrot and Silence the Mouse: How fear, negativity and doubt get in the way of our riding and our life https://amzn.eu/d/2mUIyUf

Thanks for this. Will order the books.
I am in Norfolk.

 

[karenb]

After 10 years on a quiet yard of 30 horses and having had our own field, at Xmas we had to move our two horses to a yard of 50 horses with 6 horses to a paddock. My horse loved the new yard from day one but my husbands very well behaved, obediant experienced horse became almost unmanageable - unsettled in the stable, clinging to horses in her paddock, a pain to turn out or bring in, we couldn't get her shod, screaming for my horse and all in all a real big problem. Turned out it was the indoor barn stabling that was the issue and once we moved her to an outside stable there was an amazing almost overnight improvement in her behaviour. I think the stress of the indoor barn was tipping her over the edge and therefore she then couldn't cope with all the other new stuff. She has been in her new stable for about 2 months now and we are pretty much back to normal now - calm, shod, obedient, just a bit clingy with one of her paddock buddies but that's not a problem. A month is a very short time for a horse to settle especially if its a drastic change of enviroment, but it might be worth considering whether changing your stabling or grazing arrangement might help?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would want her to have at least 2 field companions. Is there a real reason for individual turnout at your yard?

 

[JoJoLo72]

I would want her to have at least 2 field companions. Is there a real reason for individual turnout at your yard?

yes - and she only has tape between her and the others so they still groom each other.

 

[sbloom]

Thanks for this. Will order the books.
I am in Norfolk.

Give these guys https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063502845796 a shout, I don't know them personally but follow their work. I think good, sympathetic help on the ground, and perhaps some confidence work for you (and this lady does amazing work with horses and owners and I DO know her https://www.facebook.com/balanceandalignequine) and you'll be on top of it all in no time. I would consider at some point trying to get her group turnout. Keeping horses alone, even if within sight of others, is never natural.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think herd turnout will help her I would try for that some horses don't cope with individual.

 

[charterline]

Is she on full or diy livery?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

yes - and she only has tape between her and the others so they still groom each other.

So what is the point of individual turnout?