question re horses reaction to evening time riding!

showpony

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Just a quick one. My friend who exercises my mare for me once/twice a wk doesn't finish work till 6 or so so by time she gets to yard its late enough and everything has wound down... As we are in winter now its very dark, thankfully we have floodlights indoor. My Mare judging by past couple wks tends just " not to be in the mood" for working in the evening time where as during daytime she works very very well. Anyone else experienced this?
 
My mare is like this. I usually ride in the morning so when I occasionally ride at night she is really hard work. She also hates the floodlights !!
 
Only the sheer disappointment that spreads across her face when my mare realises I have picked up her tack and not her dinner :D
 
Shy goes into shock if he's not in his stable by dinner time. A complete meltdown really, he really throws his toys out the pram - I love it (is that bad ?)
 
This may sound hard but someone said it to me years ago, they do what they want for 23 hours out of 24, you feed/clean/groom etc so for the hour that you want them to work they have to get on with it, end of! I quite often have my dinner late as i have been running around doing the horse so it is give and take
 
My old mare was like this...always ridden at about 4.30 or 5ish on a weeknight, yet as soon as it was actually dark at those times she would be really grumpy when I arrived with tack and not dinner, as Stargirl88 has said! She would work fine, but clearly more reluctant than at weekends,when she was ridden in the mornings.
My gelding doesn't seem to care either way.
 
My boy doesnt seem to mind night time riding, but this morning I had a lesson early in the morning. I am definately not a morning person and it seems hes the same. Talk about "I need another cup of tea before I do this". If only he could talk, he grumbled for the whole lesson although we did eventually achieve some results.
 
Working full time I get 2 ride anytime from 6 onwards & honestly I just think tough he's been in field eating all day- or doing whatever he wants with his time so he can put up with 40mins of riding when I get there!
Saying that I do feel v mean if I have 2 ride in morn on my days off- his look of shock at routine being 'disturbed' & not getting out with others is funny!
 
My current horse is ok with nightime riding, but I feel really guilty getting him out of his cosy stable, rug, etc! The old boy was not a fan of excercise in any form - "i'm supposed to be going in the field" first thing " I'm busy eating - go away" any time after 10am, "I'm preparing for tea and a rest - go away, unless you have come to take me to tea . . ." any time around 4pm or later. Any time after 5-6pm "go away, I'm having a rest". He was lovely to ride out at any time but less so in the school. RIP Ratty!
 
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