Taming the firebreathing dragon..ups & downs!

catembi

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I have now owned Cody (6 yo QHxTB) since April this year. He came to me as v green & quite weedy, & we've had a summer of clinics, lessons, hacking, competing, a few placings sj & dr our first win sj...and then the wheels came off! I think the catalyst was a hack when the bridleway had been ploughed up & he decided to have a roll. I didn't realise he was rolling until he was nearly down as I just thought he was sinking into the heavy plough. I rolled out of the way just in the nick of time not to get flattened, then held the reins intending to get back on when he got up...but then he pulled them out of my hands, went for a gallop around the field & then ran home. I think that flicked a switch in his head...wahey, I am fit and strong, & I can run about & misbehave! After that, we hacked out with a companion a few times. He was a bit spooky, & was also being a handful at competitions. Then the clocks changed...I now finally have planning permission for school & stable block, but there is a lot of faffing with archeological mitigation survey, so no school yet, can't ride on the fields at home as we are on sloping clay & it's always dark. Then we had a hack when he was a complete t*t all the way, culminating in him really throwing some shapes walking across a stubble field, so I had to get off & continue on foot, then he was also being 'interesting' to lead, resulting in sprained finger from being bent back & torn nail.

I was v dismayed as the whole point of buying him was to get something safe & non-spooky, to replace my v spooky ISH. I have also never been that brave...I am reasonably competent but not v confident. I do know that it's all my fault for not being able to work him properly, but all I can do at home is walk up & down a wide concrete drive behind the house, & maybe get half a dozen trot strides. I was dithering over whether to turn him away til I get my arena or get him clipped & try to work him more. Also wondering if I ought to sell him & buy a hacking plod or a rocking horse. Anyway, I decided to get him trace clipped, & off we went on Saturday to a jumping clinic/private lesson with an eventer that I hadn't been to before.

I warned him that I would probably need to lunge first, so I lunged him & OMG! Flying a horse-shaped kite! He went bananas & I was so glad not to be on him! Then the same the other way round, but by the time we went back to the first way round, he was winding his neck in. Then to get on...eeeppp...!! It's funny - when lungeing I know that if he's going off on one, it's best to chase him forward, but when riding I want to shut down & back off because it feels as if the more forward momentum we have, the more energy we'd put into having a spook! Eventually managed to get him forward & organised in all 3 paces, which was more than I thought we'd achieve, & then started jumping. Got to grips with all sorts of position & riding faults & it all made so much sense. Cody hadn't given up on being a t*t & was jumping athletically, then bucking just as athletically on landing. I had just sat a few big bucks & was feeling pleased with myself. Was just in walk & he shot sideway at nothing & I ended up on the floor...whoops. Got back on & we carried on, & we got a good hour's work out of him, although he still didn't feel completely safe.

I was going to to an arena hire today with a v local eventer...easy hacking distance, but I boxed because I don't trust him to hack yet, and I decided to upgrade from arena hire to doing a lesson because otherwise I knew I would creep about in walk up one end & not actually DO anything! Lunged first - only one air above the ground - then got on. He felt unsafe, but he didn't actually do anything, beyond being a bit looky. We worked him hard in all 3 paces, doing some interesting exercises with poles & without. Luckily I am fairly fit as I also do running, weight training etc, so he got tired before I did! We worked him and worked him, & he did actually produce some decent work! So I was feeling better about myself and about riding in general.

We have an evening session booked at a local EC tomorrow night...I am not sure how he's going to be! Hopefully tired and not too full of himself! I need to remember that he WILL wind his neck in if I am brave enough to ride him forward, but it's one thing to 'know' it and quite another to DO it!

Anyway, no point to any of the above, but it might give hope to anyone else who is struggling with the winter blues?
 

catembi

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He has had a properly qualified back person out & been seen by the vet and his saddles have been checked. He was just fit & in full work, & now fit & not in much work, plus it's cold, dark & horrible.

Oh well, I was hoping that this would show that we had weathered a difficult patch and were coming out the other side. I am on my own, which always makes it harder, so I was intending to inspire others who might be in a similar position. Never mind.
 

Marigold4

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He has had a properly qualified back person out & been seen by the vet and his saddles have been checked. He was just fit & in full work, & now fit & not in much work, plus it's cold, dark & horrible.

Oh well, I was hoping that this would show that we had weathered a difficult patch and were coming out the other side. I am on my own, which always makes it harder, so I was intending to inspire others who might be in a similar position. Never mind.

I'm inspired! So thank you for your post! I owned and rode a difficult horse for 6 years and I know exactly how much guts it takes to go out and about when you don't know how your horse will behave. Several frightening things have happened with this horse and you are still getting on and doing it. Hats off to you. I used to feel like kissing the ground when we got back in one piece from a ride!
 

splashgirl45

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you sound pretty brave to me. if he was mine and i had no where to give him plenty of work i would turn him away until your arena is ready. you could use that time to give him some ground work lessons to keep on establishing the rules, and maybe a bit of long reining just to stop him from losing too much muscle....he is just feeling TOO well :)
 

catembi

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Marigold4, I used to use MapMyrun when I had my spooky mare. I knew exactly how long all the hacks were, & used to like to hear it counting off all the quarter kms... Okay, we've now done 4.5k...only 2k left til we're home...

Splashgirl, I've got my little lorry, so the plan is to get out n about 5-6 days a week if at all possible. The eventer who is 10 mins' walk/piaffe/passage away has offered me v cheap arena hire in the evenings & has suggested that I should come over one w'end, lunge, ride til he's tired & then hack out with a livery from there & see what happens. So setting everything up to succeed. He was a lot better today than yesterday...he only had one minor spook, at a chicken, which is 'allowable'...!

Also, my ex-racer came home 2 months ago, so there have been a lot of exciting herd dynamics with everyone getting rather giddy. They have just about settled now. Yesterday I thought I saw Trev & Cody having a massive fight, & I just as I thought, oh nooooooooooo, another vet bill on the way, I realised that they were playing. So he might be enjoying having another gelding to do boy stuff with.
 

Meredith

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You sound pretty fine to me.
I keep my horse at home. It is sometimes difficult to know what is best when you are on that situation.
I ask my instructors, my friends and lastly this forum.
You can only do what seems best at the time given all the information you can gather.
I cannot tell if your horse needs checking. It may be he is doing less work now and feeling stronger as he matures or possibly the grass is still good.
Whatever the reason for his antics you appear to have the confidence and ability to cope.
Best Wishes for a long partnership.
 

Marigold4

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I'm in the same situation with no facilities at home - and none coming! I hire different schools on a weekly basis, sometimes just for half an hour. As I'm on my own land, it gets me out and about and means there's someone there to help should something happen. Very time-consuming though!
 

Pinkvboots

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He just sounds full of it to me I would get him to the arena hire as much as you can, even if you lunge each time nothing wrong with that, you sound like your doing fine to me ok his been a bit of a handful but you have managed him, my confidence has taken a bashing I keep mine at home so am alone a lot so I totally know how it can make you feel, I have been lunging mine once a week just to get some silly behaviour out.
 

Michen

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Ahhh exactly what happened with Boggle. An angel early on the then got fit and well and became the devil!

Hard work did it for him and having a job to do. Plus someone finally being able to sit his catastrophic explosions and some well timed cracks on the arse when he landed. Actually he never once exploded again after that!
 

Hallo2012

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they are all bonkers atm.....in the summer i hack Raf bareback and ride in a headcollar but yesterday despite 3 days of work he passaged and piaffed and snorted and bounced and spanish walked all the way round a 1.5 hour hack lol!

if you can box up 4/5 times a week then crack on and do it, get him a routine of work and it all becomes less exciting :) you will get there.
 

DirectorFury

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As you've had everything checked I'd agree that he's feeling fit and well and the extra cold probably isn't helping!

they are all bonkers atm
Yes! Mine is a paragon of virtue 95% of the time but since mid November it's like she's been swapped with another horse. This also coincides with her most recent clip so I'm blaming that :p/
 

milliepops

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Mine are also nutters. The ones on the yard have daily but very limited turnout which doesn't help. Have to remind myself daily to keep the faith ;)

I would be taking every arena hire opportunity that came my way in your position!

ETA I also agree that it's great having a lesson because having someone telling you to crack on does work wonders for the confidence. I'm still on fortnightly lessons at the mo but considering whether i can increase that just for this difficult spell ;)
 
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Dyllymoo

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Oh thank god. I had the first hanging on to my holy *r*p strap this weekend and I'm glad i'm not the only one. I'm upping the workload as honestly its not fair on him or me, I'm just not sure how I'm going to do it if I am honest.
 

maya2008

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My three sweet, reliable souls, snorted with fear at a dog walker yesterday and deposited all their riders on the ground! They never bloody spook at anything!!!! Must be the weather!
 

dorsetladette

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We have had partially mild weather down here recently. Until fri/sat when the temperature really dropped. I thought I could see a small improvement in my nervy boys behaviour last week which i was really excited to show other half (who only sees them at the weekend). Saturday morning came, we pulled up at the field gate and Mr B was charging round the field like he had just taken first prize at the royal welsh (delusions of grandeur) . Eyes on storks spooking at ever leaf in the hedge.
Lunging was interesting - I was pretty much flying a welsh cob kite. I was so disappointed I wanted to cry. My boys are the reason I get out of bed/go to work/etc but sometimes they really have a way of making winter just a bit more crappy!

My other boy was an angel so he made up for his ASBO brother. :)
 

HufflyPuffly

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It's sort of 'nice' to hear there are a few of us in the same boat! Mine are being monsters too, arms being pulled out, Topaz being told to keep her arse below head level, wondering if they have forgotten actually how to walk... Skylla freaked me out by also pulling some 'lovely' airborne shapes which she's never done before, cured her by trotting her the whole way round the forest :oops:.

Plus mine are out all day with hay, god help me if they were restricted too, think I would turn them away lol!
 

Alibear

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Possible helps from a QH points of view, cut any feed they live on fresh air, as you've discovered the more work the better and another odd one, make sure he's good and warm before you start work, it might mean throwing an extra rug on for 30 mins before tacking up or lunging with a rug on him. It can work wonders.
My youngster was apparently being "fresh" to ride, an extra rug and back to well behaved pony under saddle.
 

[118739]

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OK glad its not just me!! Bucked off for the first time in what must be... 8-10 years on the weekend... in walk... I THINK because of a duck near to the small arena? But having found footage of my mare flybucking her way around an arena a year or so ago on social media I'm starting to think she has found her aversion tack-tick and getting back into actual work in the spring is going to be a real adventure. Due to dark evenings & no transport she's going to go back to being a sensible weekend hack until the evenings get a bit longer and then I'll have to think about re-learning how to sit a buck! (So much for purchasing my first sensible horse ... doh!).

Your plan sounds perfect though OP - if I had the opportunity with my mare I'd be doing just that :)
 

Hallo2012

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It's sort of 'nice' to hear there are a few of us in the same boat! Mine are being monsters too, arms being pulled out, Topaz being told to keep her arse below head level, wondering if they have forgotten actually how to walk... Skylla freaked me out by also pulling some 'lovely' airborne shapes which she's never done before, cured her by trotting her the whole way round the forest :oops:.

Plus mine are out all day with hay, god help me if they were restricted too, think I would turn them away lol!

i never want to have to ride a Raf thats been stood in for days lol! deffo go off over his ears within seconds!!!!!
 

Bellaboo18

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I'd be giving him a full MOT. Theres being a bit sharp and then theres a complete personality transplant. It doesnt sound like even with hard work hes settling properly, and I'd want to know why before you get decked again and end up losing confidence in him. He doesnt sound fun at all at the minute!
Sorry I have to agree. I remember he failed his vetting and just wonder if something is bothering him.

Having said that well done for keep getting back on! This time of year is extremely hard work even with the best facilities in the world (I imagine).
 

milliepops

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i never want to have to ride a Raf thats been stood in for days lol! deffo go off over his ears within seconds!!!!!
I'm away for 3 days next week and I am not looking forward to riding Darcy after that! I reckon I can get back in daylight the first day which would mean only 2 days off... hopefully I can sneak out of work early when I'm back to get on just after he's been in the field :eek:o_O
 

oldie48

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Don't lose heart. It's lovely having horses at home when all is going well. When you have a bit of a set back, it can be quite tricky. My way of dealing with it is to go out where I have a bit of support. I could have hacked Rose out today at home but because she hadn't been ridden for a week, I chose to box her up to a friend's yard so I could hack out with a sensible companion. As it happens, it wasn't really needed, but I felt confident and sometimes that's all you need. Good luck.
 

catembi

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I took him to another lesson with the same eventer today. No bucking on the lunge, not too spooky to ride. He was going to pretend that he was scared of two Shetlands in the field next to the school, but then I reminded him that we've got one at home & the last thing he'd done before I caught him in was chase it up the field & bite it on the a**e...

He was being argumentative over whether or not he was going to work in an outline & I am always reluctant to get into a fight with him in case I create more 'fire' than I can handle. The eventer hopped on & had it all sorted out in minutes. I have never seen anyone ride him properly before...quite a revelation. Also it was encouraging to see that he can be ridden through a strop & will then come soft and round.

FWIW, he failed the vet on being bilaterally lame in front...lunged barefoot on concrete with stones on it, so he kept treading on stones. Fair reason for being ouchy? I am a full-on b/f person, so I thought it was probably solveable with b/f diet, good trimming & all my lotions and potions. Not a lame step with me...apart from if he treads right on a stone.

I have been trying to get his saddles checked as it's probably about due, but have so far had zero success with booking anyone.
 

Fiona

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My 7yo connie can be ridden by my tiny 8yo son in the summer when he is out 24/7, but at this time of year he is a fire breathing dragon :(

Fortunately, as an adult riding a pony, I can cope, and just laugh at him....

You're doing all the right things OP, and its now only a fortnight until the shortest day :) :)

Fiona
 
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