Riding excitable horse on open grass

[joulsey]

Just want people's tips and thoughts on how best to handle a horse who gets very excited the minute a hoof touches an open field!

I have started riding again after about a 3 year break, riding a 16.2 TBxCB mare I used to ride previously.

Hacking is very poor near me, but I have found somewhere with decent enough ground to canter, its a bridle path so she doesn't get excited there. But there is also a playing field where I would like to take her. I've took her once, cantered fine for around 6 strides before she spooked at god knows what and I very nearly came off.

To be honest I should have cantered her again after that to get my confidence back, but I was worried as if she was to spin in the opposite direction there is a main road.

I took her there again at the weekend, but to get to it we had to cross another smaller field which was heading towards the main road and as soon as she got on grass she turns into a prancing stallion. We managed to only just make it safely across, at which point I decided not to carry onto the next field as there were also walkers about.

What would you do with a horse like this. I do half halt her which helps most of the time. To be honest I think my confidence is lacking because I'm scared of her bolting, me coming off and her running into the road. But then again she could just be fine. Do I just keep going that way until we can eventually walk across instead of the mighty lateral, piaffe style we are doing at the minute

She is 22 by the way, she needs to grow up! We also have no school, so that doesn't help. She can get very very excitable anyway but she is managable just about!

 

[ImmyS]

Maybe you could school her on the fields? if you try and work through the excitability, do lots of transitions, various circles, some lateral movements etc until she calms down and does some decent work it May give her a different opinion on fields I.e fields mean hard work, not silliness!


We always school on fields out hacking! Great for curbing that excitability and great for simply schooling as we don't have a school either

 

[joulsey]

Thats my aim if I can get her to even calm down slightly. She is just like a waiting bomb. I need to go there really when there is nobody about,it can get quite busy. Next to it is a football pitch and there were a group of lads playing football which I had to shout over and ask if they could stop while I just got past as that was starting to tick her over the edge.

There is decent amount bit of field behind my local pub which is quite and I've asked the landlord if I can ride on there to try and get her used to riding on grass. And its away from the main road.

Maybe I just need to stop being a wuss too, I never used to be!

 

[tink87]

Hey guys I know this is an old post....just wondering if you managed to find a way to desensitise her? I have the same problem with mine :-(

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Ha! Just having that problem with mine!! As Immys said above desensitizing by lots of boring work on grass is the best option and you have to be sensible and grown up and not canter on any patch of grass you find if out hacking etc. Eventually they will stop associating grass with fun. I'm lucky as my yard has a large grass arena we can use so all my lessons will be on that for the foreseeable future. On Saturday we couldn't even trot a 20m circle without lots of squeaks and pissaging! Utter twit. My instructor got on and worked him through it as I went into useless defence mode as he was ready to explode and I really really don't want to fall off. I'm old and he's tall, it will hurt.
I rode him in the normal ménage last night and he was a totally different horse because he associates the ménage with work which is boring! If you can use both a normal arena and grass as well that could be even better as you can work as normal in the arena and cool off (relaxed walk only!) on grass. There is no quick fix and you do need to be very strict with yourself to not revert to "fun" on grass.

 

[tink87]

Ha! Just having that problem with mine!! As Immys said above desensitizing by lots of boring work on grass is the best option and you have to be sensible and grown up and not canter on any patch of grass you find if out hacking etc. Eventually they will stop associating grass with fun. I'm lucky as my yard has a large grass arena we can use so all my lessons will be on that for the foreseeable future. On Saturday we couldn't even trot a 20m circle without lots of squeaks and pissaging! Utter twit. My instructor got on and worked him through it as I went into useless defence mode as he was ready to explode and I really really don't want to fall off. I'm old and he's tall, it will hurt.
I rode him in the normal ménage last night and he was a totally different horse because he associates the ménage with work which is boring! If you can use both a normal arena and grass as well that could be even better as you can work as normal in the arena and cool off (relaxed walk only!) on grass. There is no quick fix and you do need to be very strict with yourself to not revert to "fun" on grass.

That's the exact problem I have with mine....am actually thinking about creating a grass arena to play with whilst we build confidence. Went on her at the weekend and she literally danced around the field......not good! Am trying to think of ways I can do bits without scaring myself silly!!

 

[GTRJazz]

Our horses are on big fields 8 acres plus but have a buck and run when we put them out I often think how a strip grazed horse would react to a open space

 

[Orangehorse]

I had this with one horse. Angel to handle and on the roads but wanted to p....s off the minute her feet touched grass. I think her previous owner must have galloped at any opportunity. She would also buck from one end of the field and back. I'm afraid to say that with 3 young children I decided to sell as I decided I didn't need that every time I rode, although I don't recall falling off. She would calm down and work after the initial bucking fit. I think it was just bad manners, but I didn't have the guts then to discipline her, she needed a good telling off from someone who could stick on and maybe make her work more. My niece took her to Pony Club camp and got on quite well I think and rode her in some competitions, so obviously regular work helped. She stayed at a pro's yard once and he said that he would work her off grass and not give her hard feed!

I think the only way to cure this is to walk everywhere, until they don't expect to go faster. Then introduce some trot, and then very slowly, very gradually canter, and then revert to walk again a few times.

This is what I did with my new horse which I bought unbroken. We walked everywhere, over big fields and wide open spaces (it helps that he is exceptionally lazy too) and now I know that he won't go faster than I want and when I tell him.

 

[mariew]

I used to ride an late teens ex-racer in my mid 20s. The minute his feet hit green grass he was either cantering sideways or over-taking everyone at a gallop. At that age he wasn't going to change, i suspect boring work on grass would have just wound him up more and more until something unpleasant would have happened, he had a mean buck and a spook too when he wanted to. Too old to deal with that now, if I came across one like this i would probably pass it by and leave it to someone else who loves that kind of horse. I've never known a horse more saintly with a beginner or a nervous rider though.

 

[tallyho!]

I used to ride an late teens ex-racer in my mid 20s. The minute his feet hit green grass he was either cantering sideways or over-taking everyone at a gallop. At that age he wasn't going to change, i suspect boring work on grass would have just wound him up more and more until something unpleasant would have happened, he had a mean buck and a spook too when he wanted to. Too old to deal with that now, if I came across one like this i would probably pass it by and leave it to someone else who loves that kind of horse. I've never known a horse more saintly with a beginner or a nervous rider though.

I think this goes back to how they are broken at the stud they came from. MOST well broken yearlings don't do this at the track when ready to race or in retirement. They should be allowed to let off their steam and gently pushed on bit by bit so they associate grass with work. But not so much that you take away the spirit and enjoyment needed to race.

 

[JFTDWS]

Any time I think a horse is predicting or getting silly about cantering, we walk. Walk until settled, then we might trot or canter (never gallop - a sensible, non-pulling, collected canter). Any silliness brings us straight back to walk. If it's engrained habit, it might not ever really be sensible, but most horses can improve - if the rider is capable of sitting whatever they throw in the learning curve.

Personally, I prefer horses that haven't learned to be total twits about life - it's easier to maintain a sensible horse, than bring a horse back from the edge of bonkers!

 

[atropa]

I've never known a horse more saintly with a beginner or a nervous rider though.

Out of interest, what would have happened if a beginner or nervous rider took him on to grass then?

 

[mariew]

Out of interest, what would have happened if a beginner or nervous rider took him on to grass then?

No idea, i suspect he would have taken off regardless. Not something that would have been a good idea to try bless his socks

 

[TreeDog]

When my horse gets joggy, I'll just turn around and walk the other way. When he's calm and not wanting to nap I'll turn back again, loose rein the whole time as tight reins winds both of us up. If he jogs, repeat. You could try this, though my horse is pretty chilled anyway so not sure if it would work on one that's already wanting to canter sideways.

 

[GTRJazz]

Try Willingham woods or the Lindsey trail there are miles of bridleways around Market Rasen and north towards Grimsby. Claxby run a ride from Willowbanks which should be good for starters other rides from Ravendale do the same and lots of hacking around the villages of Rothwell and Normanby. Beach riding at Theddlethorpe and Cleethorpes, Lorry parking beach ride and cross country all over the wolds and at a fee from Field Farm, Roz Canter at canter Hallington and loads of stuff going on at Kenwick, Hill House, Willowbanks, Thorpe Grange, White house Farm etc You can ride miles, show jump Dresage UAffil hunter trials, one day events, show, drive and do endurance within a few miles of here we could be doing something every weekend and probaly every day but you need transport and the cash to do everything

No idea, i suspect he would have taken off regardless. Not something that would have been a good idea to try bless his socks

The first horse I looked at was advertised as a bay mare suitable for a novice when I had a look turned out to be an ex race horse that had won or placed the polish oaks. All good in the arena so I asked to try her in a field setting. Well as we got to the grass ears went forward and got a feel of the horse getting excited. So I said to the owner you better go first to which she replied No way. Anyway did not buy that one

 

[tallyho!]

How fit is this horse? I mean could they touch grass, gallop off for several minutes? If no, then, hold on tight and go with it. 10 seconds later give them a push or three and make sure they are puffing. Makes them think twice next time. I’ve sorted out a few now who think they can handle tanking off.