Q for those with experience of 5 year olds

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Tallante

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My boy turned 5 years last month, he was backed in April 2010 and we have been making slow but sure progress with ground work, hacking and schooling.

He spent most of last year being hacked out rather than schooled. This year he is being schooled 3 times a week (by someone who knows what they're doing) and I continue to hack him out. He's fitter and stronger now so we've been going a bit further and faster.

For the most part he has been fine; compared with last year he is making good progress with everything he does. Yes,he still naps a bit, but goes well when he's confident, rarely spooks and often enjoys himself. Recently however he has been losing confidence in himself. This weekend there was a gateway where he was seriously reluctant to go through where in past 12 months we had no problems. It took me 10 minutes to get him through the first time (and we did it over and over 6 or 7 more times after that but more easily). More worryingly he has also grown unhappy with faster traffic ie 40mph+. I think he has started to realise that the world can be a scarey place.

Now I realise I am gonig to have to go back to square one with him on the traffic stuff (no choice after all) and I am limiting his hacking to very local rides while he recovers his composure but my question is - how normal is it for a horse to go backwards like this?

It's very frustrating for me, I haven't got the experience to know if it's just a phase or whether I've overdone it by asking him to do too much or whether it's symptomatic of a wimp in the making. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

I need your support; I know it's going to be a long job but it's such hard work at the moment.
 
Don't despair, young horses can be one step forward and two back at times!

I have always found 5 to be the most difficult year, a 4yo will rely far more on you for reassurance, once they hit 5, they have their own opinions and will often try to test you, by 6 they are marginally better and at 7 it is almost like a button has been reset and the lovely 4yo you had makes a reappearance :)

There can be exceptions to the rule but this is generally what I have found happens and you may have to take backward steps before you can go forward again but it will be worth it in the end.
 
Agree with Amaranta- when they hit 5 they are a bit stronger and smarter so like to test you a bit and try it on.

Just keep persevering. :)
 
Mine was lovely at 5, a brat at 6 and back to lovely again by seven, I’m hoping that when he hits 8 he’ll go right back to how he was when he was 5! Despite being a tb, he’s a late developed (he was still growing last year!).

Do you always hack him out alone? I find that my horse goes ‘sour’ when he’s only hacked out alone so I try and go out with other people a couple of times a month. I dragged OH out on foot with me the other day and interestingly enough this made no difference to his behaviour.
 
I know exactly how you feel! My lovely, bold, brave "will jump anything in front of me" 5yr old disappeared at the turn of 6! Still the same in many ways but bigger, stronger and more opinionated than ever! Like a spoilt teenager! I'm hanging on the thought that they all go through this "phase" and turn in to amazing 7yr olds! Lol never give up :)
 
Mine was perfect at 4 and 5, he turned 6 this year and has grown in confidence so much and started to become a little big for his boots haha!

Don't worry, it'll come in time, mine had a horrible fright with a car soon after he was backed, he has come so far now and he is still nervous with bigger vans etc but it is so much better than he was.

I know sometimes it can be very frustrating with them, but when you look back to see how far you've come it will all be worth it! :D
 
Its like having the terrible two's in children...he will settle back down just dont let him get away with anything, thats when you will have big problems if you do.....i used to get so upset and want to burst into tears with my horse when he was 5 but eventually he snapped out of it......he became soooo nappy it was awful especially seen as i had been hacking him out loads on his own as a 4yr old with no problems.
 
Agree with the traffic thing. We used to be super in traffic, then moved home last year and didn’t hack out for months, first hack back and we encountered a motorbike, cue horse having a total fit all over the road. That was a year ago and now we happily pass motor bikes when were out on our own, BUT we have been blessed with some hugely considerate bikers firstly the two that turned their engines off and let me turn back round trot past them and then I turned back the original way and played ‘chase the bike’ since then he’s hardly even noticed motor bikes!
 
Yep....5 is horrible.....I really didn't like one of mine when he was 5- he got a bit 'billy rock-on' and thought he was 10 men. He's almost 7 now and totally different.

My other one turned 6 last month - he's had a personality change to go with it and is now lovely- he was a total twonk prior to that. With him it really was 1 step forwards, 3 steps back. He had me in tears on several occasions -frustration mainly.

Stick with...it will be worth it in the long run.

(PS- glad its not just me:D)
 
Thank you everyone for your reassuring comments.

I feel a lot frustration about his progress at the moment but I'm as stubborn as he is and I won't give up easily. Let's hope he turns out to be worth it.
 
How frustrating! I'm sure he's just feeling fitter and the effects of the flush of grass we're having now. I rode past him the other day when he was out in the field - at least I think it was him as he didn't look too puzzled when I yelled "Ola! Que pasa?" when an English horse may have been confused...

I have a month off in July so let me know if you need a hacking partner, I'm happy to ride over to your place as P is quite fit now :)
 
i know many people will think this is stupid but:

if i were you id get the horse whisperer out - sara coppin is v. good! we had sara out and the horse didnt like going right at a junction because round the corner he could smell death and hear spirits scream. this could be the same thing

is it a wide gate? she also said that he once got badly hurt by a half open gate. that is why he will never go through a gate unless it is open as open as it can go (if you get what i mean)

thats my idea anyway

xxx
 
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