riding out a temper tamtrum?

[charlie76]

Feel a bit bad tonight. I rode my horse for well over a hour as he was throwing a tantrum about lateral work and being in front of my leg. He has a real issue with going sideways and insisted in rearing, plunging and bucking or curling up and dropping behind the leg and contact.
I didn't get cross or after him but made the decision that I would repeat it and keep the aids on him no matter what he did or how long it took. He has been behaving like this for ages. He is fine as long as he is working in his comfort zone but gets cross if pushed

In the end, after a long time he behaved and did all I asked and was lovely.

He wasn't hot or tired but I still feel bad.

He has had his back, tack etc checked and the vet has checked him.

He has a mental block about going sideways and usual when he starts his antics I back off as he is pretty scary when he starts but tonight I decided enough was enough.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

wouldnt worry, if they are genuinely giving you the big F off, then they need to learn it wont wash.....sit up, keep your aids on, their nose in, and keep riding really!

ask me how i know lol!

 

[Bug]

I've ridden for good an hour and a half riding through a tantrum.
Mine sounds similar to yours except it isn't just going sideways it is anything that he just doesn't want to do.
I'm told to not back off, just keep the aids on and persevere! Eventually he gives in and like yours works beautifully. Think he just likes to test!

 

[kerilli]

absolutely... sometimes you just have to keep saying the same thing in the same way until they realise that you'll persevere until they come up with the right answer.
well done on working through it without getting cross with him, sounds like the right thing to do imho.
so, no guilt, don't be daft!

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

going sideways for some horses can be stressful Just keep practising and praising He'll get through it!

 

[LEC]

I think as long as you can remain calm then you have to keep asking and get through that barrier otherwise you will just hit a stalemate.

 

[Littlelegs]

Don't be guilty, sometimes just got to be done, & every time you don't give in the next time gets easier.

 

[SusieT]

If the horse isn't giving us the answer we want, we aren't asking the right question. Soudns like you need to review how you are 'training' him to 'know' that your aids mean sideways. Might help to have some ground input on this. I don't know any horses who won't move sideways well before an hour given appropriate training..

 

[diggerbez]

If the horse isn't giving us the answer we want, we aren't asking the right question. Soudns like you need to review how you are 'training' him to 'know' that your aids mean sideways. Might help to have some ground input on this. I don't know any horses who won't move sideways well before an hour given appropriate training..

see i don't entirely agree...sometimes yes this is the case...but sometimes its that we are asking absolutely the right questions and the horse, for some reason- be it a training issue, a pain issue, a cannot be bothered issue, an its difficult and i'd really rather not issue- decides that it doesn't want to play ball.

i am experiencing something similar OP at the minute- trainer says am asking the right question and that because he finds it hard he just doesn't want to do it- he's the sort of horse that overreacts to everything ( i once fell off because a spectator took a drag on a cigarette ) and so he throws all his toys out of the pram. all i do when he does it is turn him on a smallish circle without any kicking or pulling-until he comes to a halt. then i do a bit of flexing both ways and then off we go again in whatever pace we'd been in before. i work on repeating an exercise until he's done it properly. when he does he gets a bit pat and a break on a long rein. i think he has horse autism ...i would say that if you are happy that physically everything is fine then just crack on as sometimes you do need to set boundaries. horses like everything in black and white and as long as you don't lose your temper (you didn't) and you are quick to reward good work them am sure you will soon get through to him

 

[Tnavas]

When you know their backs are fine and that it is all just 'shan't and won't' the only way to win is to persevere - a friend leased my opinionated TB and he tried the "I can't lunge to the left" - it took her two hours of teeth gritted determination and she won in the end but got a hell of a kick off him, a massive bruise on her thigh - 'just him having the last word' !! :lol: He had so much attitude!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

I think you did the right thing and would so the same myself if I was sure the horse understood what was being asked and wasn't in pain.

I hope the next argument is shorter!

 

[charlie76]

Thanks for the responses. I wasn't going to ride him tonight but I think I will to instill it on his brain!
Susiet- as for not asking the right questions- this is not the case, I have another horse that I have taken from prelim to medium in five months. I do know how to ride lateral moves. I also have a very good trainer.I have had several excellent riders on him to help sort it and he does it with them too.
Physically he is fine. He has the chiropractor monthly who always finds he is pretty spot on and hardly ever finds issues with him.
He is very sharp and over reactive, always has been.
I have gone back to basics several times. He is happy enough to do it in walk but not trot or canter.

 

[Rosiefan]

Well someone had to back down and if it had been you rather than him I would imagine he'd expect you to give in next time too. Of course you did the right thing .

 

[digger2]

Thanks for posting this Charlie, and for all the +ve responses.

I've just had the same this morning when all i asked for was canter!!

(Disclaimer: I too have had all the back etc etc checks)

Know it is the new horse seeing what he can get away with, hope it soon clicks that its far easier to just get on with it!!

 

[ellie_e]

Well done you!! Its very hard to not get annoyed and through the towel in or shout/scream at them!! A trainer once said to me a horse will only react to something your reacting to, wise words especially with my horse.

 

[Saratoga]

Agree that as long as you stay calm and keep everything emotionless then it's fine to have to ride something out. The first few times are always the worst when they think they might win, once the realise they won't normally the discussion is a lot shorter!

 

[illy89]

I had this a lot last year with my 5yo, he would turn himself inside out and all the toys would come out the pram over the smallest things. I would just sit and ignore everything he was doing, let him get over himself and then made him do what I was asking. He isn't stupid so if I know if I gave in once he would think he could win all the time but also he is ultra sensitive so I knew getting cross and wound up myself would only make things worse, he is getting a lot better now!! I'm sure you did the right thing!

 

[Circe]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one with a temper tantrum throwing horse,
When I first got him he used to scare me a bit, so I would tend to back down, ( yes, I know, the wrong thing to do ) but then my RI said to do what you did, just sit quietly and keep on asking.
The first time I sat it out, it took about an hour, my boy did everything except what I was asking, now his tantrums are usually over in a few minutes, and he normally limits himself to pulling ugly faces
Hes learnt its easier and less work to do as I'm asking the first time.
Well done for getting through it, be consistent and the tantys should get less and less.
Kx

 

[ecrozier]

Lol I had a lesson like this yesterday! There were external circumstances partly to blame - new horse arrived midway through lesson then not one but two 32tonne dumper trucks reversed past school and tipped loads into muck heap! But usually he's pretty level headed and yesterday - well, not. We ended up on what my instructor called a 'borstal circle' of about 15m diameter in one corner alternating shoulder fore to quarters in and back to try to regain his attention! It worked though and actually the last 10 minutes were some of the best work he has done to date!

 

[imr]

Me too. Mines 5 1/2 and has temper tantrums when something is trickier. I always ride through it and make sure I win and thats what my trainer tell me to do too.

 

[mik]

Agree that as long as you stay calm and keep everything emotionless then it's fine to have to ride something out. The first few times are always the worst when they think they might win, once the realise they won't normally the discussion is a lot shorter!

A perfect answer, I think you have behaved very professionally, and he needs to get on with his work, and learn his lesson of the day.
i would do the same, if you back down he will never do it for you, and will test you in other ways as well.
My old man (18) x showjumper, is as good as gold usually, but, now and then he will question me, his question is a pause when out hacking and when he wants to go one way, towards home etc, and he says, 'I'm not going': my reaction is very quiet, but immediate and firm, leg on, 'yes you are', and his 'OK then, just checking mum'.
However, the very first time we hacked (15), he span round, ran backwards and was a complete prat. I just sat there and kept turning him back the way I wanted. In the end, I won, he gave up. So we trotted up and down the junction a few times. He has never ever done that again. No shouting, no arguing. He was just seeing if I could manage him, I think! I am far more stubborn than him

 

[wench]

My old horse loved to throw a temper tantrum if he thought he knew best/couldnt get his own way.

Best one was on an endurance ride (pleasure ride part of it), somewhere he had never been in his entire life. He was convinced that he knew which way he was supposed to be going and got in a real mardy when he couldnt!

 

[Tempi]

Have you had him scoped for ulcers out of interest?

Otherwise if everything else is fine then I would say that what you did was the right thing.

 

[charlie76]

Tempi- no but TBH, he has been like it since we bought him. He is warmblood and is a typical over reactive one.
He started the bucking and getting cross about the leg when we started teaching him changes. His changes are good but now every time I use the leg to power up the canter he thinks I want him to change and gets mega cross when I don't let him.

 

[peanut]

I wish I'd seen this post before I rode yesterday as it would have encouraged me to persevere with a similar situation. Unfortunately self-consciousness got the better of me.

 

[Mizzbecx]

On this subject does anyone have their their horse spook at things in the school that they have been past 100's of times? I'm sure if he starts of have a tamtrum he starts spooking at certain parts of the school, he did it a lot when we started working on the canter in the corners where I asked for it. Is he using it to evade?

 

[BBP]

You think your horses are bad, I groomed for a big, late cut ex racer in NZ. My boss was lady rider of the year and the horses other owner was one of the best eventers in the world, so both knew what they were doing on a horse. The big beast decided to take exception to anyone touching the right rein and would rear and fight til you let go of it. I imagine this did used to be pain based as he was the most intelligent but aggressive horse I've ever met. They decided one day that he couldn't win anymore so they would ride it out until he gave even a fraction. 6hrs later, swapping over til they were exhausted, they called it a draw.I know that sounds abusive, but the horse was so full of fight and anger, they couldn't quit til he gave them something, however tiny. He was a very well loved, well cared for horse but not one to back down from a fight (they didn't fight back, just kept repeating the question)

 

[peanut]

On this subject does anyone have their their horse spook at things in the school that they have been past 100's of times? I'm sure if he starts of have a tamtrum he starts spooking at certain parts of the school, he did it a lot when we started working on the canter in the corners where I asked for it. Is he using it to evade?

Yes, evasion ... or actually I often think of it as intimidation of the rider. Quite suddenly even the post and rail of the school and the gate become something to spook at when being asked to do something you don't want to do!

 

[JustMe22]

Nothing wrong with that - sometimes you have to knuckle down and let them know that they will just have to suck it up and behave for an hour a day

 

[ausipaliboi]

They decided one day that he couldn't win anymore so they would ride it out until he gave even a fraction. 6hrs later, swapping over til they were exhausted, they called it a draw(they didn't fight back, just kept repeating the question)

WOW

Next time my horse has a moment I am going to remember this!!!!!