temper tantrums - advise please (might be long!)

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Henny

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Hi, my 6 year old (broken as a five year old) seems to be really testing me out at the moment. He has has teeth ect checked. He has decided he doesnt want to go forward, or he will work well until he has decided he has had enough! He gets crosser and crosser and can rear and buck. But on a good day he can work brilliantly!

Is this just a phase? Any tips or advise to get him through this. My instructor is riding him for me a couple of times a week, to help me out.

II dont want to give up on him! Please help!
 
are you sure the saddle fits well and is very comfy for him?
if so, i'd just be very strict. i use my voice a lot on youngsters, as there's nothing for them to get angrier about. WALK ON or GO FORWARD repeated very loudly while you sit and wait, and then maybe use leg lightly, can often be enough. rubbing the quarters with a stick, not hitting, can also be enough.. just to say "i've got this, matey, remember, and if i have to, i'll use it."
sometimes they seem to decide they'd rather have a battle than do whatever you've asked, and using your voice can avoid the battle, i find, and get you both back to the training.
is it a particular movement or after a particular amount of time that he often starts? i'd maybe just do a little less, or vary it more, and see if i could find a way around the triggers for now.
 
Well I can't really help you but I can sympathise with you! My post below this one shows that I am having the same problems with my 6yr old!
One day he can work brilliantly and the next he'll set his jaw and give me the rods!!!!!!!! He'll also stop working well when he decides he's had enough!
I think if you've ruled out physical issues then he probably is testing you - my instructor says you have to think 2 steps ahead of them - something I have extreme difficulty with some days!!!!!!!!!
 
Hi, thansk, think i will try my voice, because I dont want to wind him up further! For instance I was jumping with some friends, pop over a few jumps and then was walking round to give him a breather while the others jumped, when I asked him to go back into trot he didnt want to go forward again, and was backing off my leg. I am trying to vary his work, and am going to cut down his feed. He just seems to have got his confidence and he is trying to through his weight around!
 
My youngster is being awkward at the moment (must be time of the year!). If schooling isn't helping, an alternative is hacks where we just trot everywhere, across fields, along roads, up hills etc for as long as we can. Seems to establish a nice regular rhythm and keeps the horse moving forwards. Also helps as it is a change of scene. Worth trying i should have thought.
 
Mine was like that when he came back into work after time off - he was fine till he started getting tired, then he threw a wobbler cos he was too used to his life of luxuury and didnt want to do any more work.... everything was checked - back, tack, teeth etc

I just always made sure I ended on a good note, so he didnt "win", by being allowed to stop if he threw a wobbler. If he worked nicely, that was fine, he got rewarded and I would stop working him when I chose to.... but if he threw a wobbler, he got told off with voice and a smack (but only if I was quick enough and securely seated - a few seconds afterwards is too late!) and he earnt himself extra time in the school!!!

I would keep working him until he did 2 nice circles (one after the other!!) on each rein in before he could go to bed. Even if it was just in walk and it took half an hour to achieve!!!

Now he doesnt bother to misbehave (cos he knows its not worth his while!) and really quite enjoys his schooling cos I keep it varied and reward him for being good!!!

Theres no way I could have "won" by being rough with him though - even though I did want to whack him over the head with a brick at times!

Making sure there was someone else around when I was riding really helped too, it gave me the confiidence to persevere even if he was being a monster - cos I knew there would be someone there to scrape me off the floor if needed!!!
 
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