Spooky horse at the end of the eventing season

[eventer10]

I'm wondering if anyone can help with my problem. Me and my horse have had quite a busy eventing season this year(up to BE100), which has been gradually winding down since the end of August. He's been eventing fit for most of the season, although I haven't had to focus on fittening work, I'm very lucky he's quite easy to get fit and keep fit.

However, recently he's been very spooky, mainly on hacks but sometimes in the manege too. There's always he spooks at, whether it be jump wings put back in a slightly different way, or a plastic bag. The problem is, out hacking he is downright refusing to go past these spooky things, and will spin and try to go back the other way. This can happen when we're nearly back at the yard, so I don't think it's napping towards home. When he gets in his head that he doesn't like something, it takes a lot of pursuading him to change his mind! I can usually calm him and eventually get him past, although have had to dismount once as there was a car and it was not safe for him to be prancing around in the narrow road. I'm really concentrating on getting him forwards every time I see something he may spook at, so he will tense up but at least still go forwards, but it's stopping us from enjoying our hacks and going as far as I would like to go (I've been focussing on the same hack since the problems began as any others involve going a fair way further).

He's better in company, and will happily follow another horse, however, I don't really have anyone to hack with. Neither have I managed to pursuade any friends to follow on foot/bike. I've tried a magnesium based calmer (Equine America) and a digestive system based one (Horse first), neither of which has had the desired effect.

I have it in my head it's because he's still eventing fit but not in full eventing fit work, which is giving him this excess energy. If anyone has any suggestions/experiences they would be much appreciated!

Wine for anyone who managed to get to the end of this essay!!

 

[be positive]

You have probably answered your question yourself.He is probably still too fit for the work he is now doing,he is missing the competitions to take the edge off and now has too much energy so is using it in a spooky way,this is also common at the beginning of the season or when getting hunters fit before they get out for a full day.
I assume you have you cut his feed right back,can he spend more time in the field or do a hunter trial or some SJ to give his brain something to think about.

 

[eventer10]

Thanks for your reply. He's only fed on Alfa A and Topspec comprehensive anyway, even through the event season. He's turned out at night, in during the day, which is our summer routine so he gets plenty of time out.

He's still ridden/lunged around 5 times a week,so it's not like I've completely stopped riding him and expecting him to still behave, it just doesn't involve the fast work/eventing. Ridden work consists of flat work or hacking, with a jump session around once a week/fortnight. He's done a SJ competition since stopping eventing for this year, so he still gets to have some fun! Unfortunately we can't really canter on hacks though with the ground being so hard (hence our season finishing slightly earlier than normal).

 

[chrisheath11]

how funny... just to say, you are not alone!!! i have just returned from little downham horse trials, and our dressage was interesting to say the least. It was our last run of the season, and up until the past 2 weeks where he has come in and been clipped he has been very lethargic. different story today! was tanked out of the dressage arena and went upwards when we should have been halting! luckily the judge and i were both laughing by theend and he redeemed himself with a double clear hope all our horses decide that life isnt actually that scary before next season