scared of messing up my young horse

[EdithSparrow]

Hey i brought my first horse just under a month ago now and shes doing so well and i love her to pieces but shes the youngest horse iv delt with and im just terrified of messing her up im been riding for 14 years now so its not like i dont know how to ride but im now terrified of getting on her and i dont want to mess her up, shes fully broke and been ridden a bit at her last home but she is only 5 and has a lot of learning to do. we have bonded so well on the ground and shes even started following me about in the field its so cute. iv ridden her 3 times now and the last one scared me a little she just wasnt listening to any thing i was asking as she was more distracted by the people shooting and it really spooked her and after riding out a few spooks i decided to call it a day but as i was closing the arena gate a loud shot went off and she bolted and i lost my grip on her and she galloped off up the yard she was safe and went back into her stall and its knocked me a bit really as i dont want her doing that with me on her back.

Like i said iv been riding for 14 years and have never been so nervous about riding a horse before iv always had a bring it on attitude but now i have my own that seems to have changed, has any one else had this or is it just me?

 

[GirlFriday]

Come on... young horse, new yard, shooting. She doesn't need an excuse to spook and nor do you.

Relax - and, until horse is really settled, make sure you know shooting schedule and avoid.

Have a lesson or two on her and enjoy
xx

 

[Sukistokes2]

Your voicing a fear that even competent horsey people think. When you love something you really don't want to hurt it. If your thinking it, you are very unlikely to do anything to harm her. The best thing you can do is have some lessons. I currently have a lesson a week, on my new horse and I have been riding for 40 years. I think that having a good lesson with the correct instructor just about cures any problem, even before they start! Even if you just do a couple a month you will find that you get further and make more progress. You can also voice your doubts and problems to the right instructor and that will nip any confidence issues in the bud!! Also if you get the correct instructor they can also ride as well, which can be helpful. Worth every penny in my book.

 

[applecart14]

Hey i brought my first horse just under a month ago now and ..... iv ridden her 3 times now
QUOTE]

These two sentences may well be the reason why you are having issues. Why have you only ridden her three times in a month may I ask? Surely at your age, a new horse, most young people would be riding every day.

It sounds like a classic case of young inexperienced horse, young rider, horse having moved to a new home, a lack of exercise, routine and good food.

 

[Bernster]

Agree with AC. Have you been handling horses for 14 years inc younger or sharper ones? I've got a similar amount of experience through owning and riding, so the handling experience is also important.

I got my boy as a 4 just turning 5yo. I'm confident with horses and have a reasonable level of knowledge but he was the youngest I'd had. I was very cautious at the start and had a lot of help. Good yard, knowledgeable grooms, had my instructor in the school the first few times I rode, had him hacked out in company first, gave him lots of time to settle but got on with the work plan fairly quickly. Never rode on my own the first couple of weeks until I'd gotten to know him.

I may have been lucky that he's generally a very good horse but we did have our moments and with the wrong handling I think he could be quite different. I do think my being so cautious at the beginning helped that initial period. Possibly overkill but he was young and I was more nervous than I realised I would be.

I'd suggest you look at his routine, turnout, feed and exercise. Make sure his tack fits, check he's comfortable e.g. Physio and dentist and back checks if not done. Youngsters can grow and change shape quickly.

But it could well be a new horse, new environment and perhaps picking up on your nerves. Get experience help if you're not sure as this could go wrong quickly.

 

[EdithSparrow]

Hey i brought my first horse just under a month ago now and ..... iv ridden her 3 times now
QUOTE]

These two sentences may well be the reason why you are having issues. Why have you only ridden her three times in a month may I ask? Surely at your age, a new horse, most young people would be riding every day.

It sounds like a classic case of young inexperienced horse, young rider, horse having moved to a new home, a lack of exercise, routine and good food.

With work and the short hours of day light with no arena lights i can only ride her on my days off which iv started having lessons on, as soon as its light enough in the mornings i will be riding her every day, shes perfectly happy in her self though i turn her out almost every day, her last owners rode her way less than me at the moment just sucks to be winter atm and our arena is really not the best

 

[Drzoidberg2]

My advice is lessons lessons lessons. A young horse spooking with a rider losing confidence is a recipe for disaster.

I'm saying this from experience, if you ignore it and just keep going as is the behaviour will get worse and worse, and your confidence will get lower and lower until it all comes to a head suddenly, and someone gets hurt. The trouble is you won't see it getting worse as you are dealing with her every day and it's a gradual thing.

Find a good coach, who will work with you and the horse, giving you tools to get her listening when she is distracted, and will coach you to get past the fear reaction to the spook when it does happen. Find someone who is willing to give you both a fair chance but also willing to step in and say something if in their objective opinion the situation is getting dangerous.

This situation is one close to my heart, so I'm really really urging you to find a good instructor who will take you on as a pair before anything happens. It's much harder to build trust after something has gone badly wrong.

 

[Ferdinase514]

Get yourself a really good coach and some support. It's natural to feel this way (even professionals do the same ) With help you will do a great job, im sure

 

[ycbm]

You sound American? (We call them stables, not stalls. Stalls in the UK are tiny slots where horses are permanently tied up.) Are you stabled in Britain? If in the US, you might have to get her more used to the sound of shooting, as it is far less controlled for you than it is for us.

This horse is five and sounds like it has been ridden very little since it was backed. It is effectively a newly broken horse. I was taught, and have always followed, the rule that newly broken horses should be ridden every day for at least six weeks when they first start, otherwise they can become unpredictable and fail to understand what a working life is all about. I suggest you turn her away until such time as you are able to commit to daily riding. Then get on her every day, even if it's only for ten minutes.

 

[EdithSparrow]

no im from the Uk dont know why i call it a stall though it is a stable not an actual stall aha

 

[ycbm]

I think you are going to need to consider that you may have bought the wrong horse as your first horse. Are you able to turn her away until you have time and light to ride her consistently? If not, this is a recipe for potential disaster for both of you, I'm afraid.

 

[Equi]

I know my horse is unspooked by shots, only because i was riding and some went off. If he had been spooked i would have felt the exact same way as you and ive been riding 27years (jesus!) he is however spooked by random men standing on a hill shouting, lol. As it is something thats not so usual, i would just try and remember that it was a scary situation for her, and thats not how she is.

Just make sure you get plenty of lessons and get out and about as much as possible - the worst thing in my opinion for a young horse is to never get out of the yard and become too comfortable in their routine. I loaned a 9yo who was broke but never had left her yard before, and two months down the line i had to send her back cause she was a total bag of nerves and i could not ride her without her being completely terrified of her own shadow. Literally.

 

[LaurenBay]

If you haven't ridden her much and neither did her last owners then you will probably find she is a very green 5 year old. If you want to move forward with her then please get a good instructor and have weekly lessons. If there is a shoot on and that is your only chance to do something with her, then why not lunge?

 

[Goldenstar]

You must work the horse at least five days a week I work anything I am not sure of seven days a week .
As others have said get a trainer and get regular help .
Horses improve with work and roultine not riding most days is not good for a young horse.
Just as many horses are ruined by people doing too little with them as too much .
It's important not to be precious with them it never does a horse any good .

 

[applecart14]

You must work the horse at least five days a week I work anything I am not sure of seven days a week .
As others have said get a trainer and get regular help .
Horses improve with work and roultine not riding most days is not good for a young horse.
Just as many horses are ruined by people doing too little with them as too much .
It's important not to be precious with them it never does a horse any good .

Very wise words.

 

[Micropony]

Agree with the others. You have a very inexperienced horse on your hands. She needs to be doing about 20 minutes' work 5 days a week. If you don't have experience of bringing on newly backed horses you would be well advised to get yourself a trainer who is. They will be able to help you with her training and also to think more clearly about the things you do need to consider with a youngster who's just learning whereas you could probably have taken a bit more for granted with a more experienced horse, e.g. expecting her to cope with a shoot probably wasn't very fair. If your facilities don't allow you to ride during the week, perhaps your trainer could ride then for you? Won't be cheap, but youngsters aren't, particularly when you lack experience yourself and need to pay someone else for their expertise. But it's money well spent, as things with young horses can go very wrong very quickly if you don't know what you're doing. If you can't sustain a consistent regular workload for her with proper support then I agree you may be best to turn her away until circumstances change.

I bought my now rising 6yo when he was 3, a month after he was first sat on. He is my second horse and my first youngster. Before having my own horse I had shared for a couple of years and before that I had just ridden at riding schools etc. So not much more experience to you, and it sounds as though our horses were at a similar stage of training when we got them.

For the first 3 months or so, I had two or three lessons a week and my trainer rode twice a week. Then we gradually reduced the amount of input so after about 9 months I was having one lesson a week and he was riding just once, riding the rest of the time on my own. Then my trainer got injured (on one of his own youngsters, not my chap I hasten to add) and so from about about year in to owning the horse I have been the only one riding him. He is a little cracker, and an exceptionally easy and straightforward horse, but there are a number of points along the way where it could have gone badly wrong if I hadn't had the support of my trainer to nip things in the bud and prevent issues arising.

So relatively inexperienced owner with green horse can work, but the odds are not in our favour so to even them up a bit we need lots of support and help. And consistency really is incredibly important.

 

[ClareGilby]

I felt the same as you. My very large giraffe dragged me over twice within the first week of getting her due to my lack of experience (20 years out of horses) and new yard. Mine is also 5 and is for myself and daughter to share, but I have ended up doing most of the work as expected. I found that just throwing myself into it and putting on a body protector has worked for me. I have found my yard pals have been a great source of knowledge and are only too pleased to pass on advice as and when.

Getting some lessons is what I have planned. Try to get on and enjoy it, you will pick things up as you go along. All horses may spook and not surprising if a gun goes off so don't be so hard on yourself, try and enjoy it. Making mistakes along the way is how we all learn in life.

 

[EdithSparrow]

Just an update on this, we have been having lessons once a week and as well as riding on my own we had a saddle fitter out and her saddle dosent fit right hence her bucking and bronking and now thats sorted shes a dream shes such a sweet little mare

 

[JanetGeorge]

That is good news. I sell a lot of young horses - often to riders having their first experience with a young horse - and I always sweat until I get first reports even when I KNOW they are easy-peasy. I have one going tomorrow who I would be ASTOUNDED if she mis-behaved. I'm going to miss her as for the past few weeks she's been the best I have to escort real babies out hacking for their first few times. But there can always be unpredictable problems in a new place - separation anxiety, saddle fitting, different routines etc. Sounds like you've got to the bottom of the first problem - and it's very common! Keep up the good work. And remember the value of big pats, and voice. Talking to a youngster is good for both of you - it distracts her from frightening things - and keeps YOU relaxed.

 

[LD&S]

Glad to hear things have improved