Tension/ excitability- Video- Calmer suggestions?

silvershadow81

silvershadow81

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My girl is semi retired, so was looking for something to keep my busy again...I've just started doing some work with a lovely horse at my new yard and i think we are coming on steadily....

History:
Previously she has been turned away for a while due to throwing herself on the floor whilst at a producers yard and owners were advised to shoot her. Clearly they didnt (thankfully!) and she has been turned away since.

She is about nine years old now and can be stressy, hates being around other horses, so i am looking to take things slowly, build up muscle without her boiling over. This is a little video of a couple of weeks in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4okoRtah6k&list=UUU72ZUGVxYurZtb8OBq9JJg&index=1

I have also been lunging in the passoa 2-3 times a week and can now get on down in the yard without lunging first! :-)

Ive been feeding her on a mix of grass nuts and high fibre cubes and chaff and she lives out at night, but the other night she just felt more tense (it is her nature to be so anyway!) and really lacked concentration (could have been the cows who have arrived in surrounding fields?!)

Was thinking of removing the grass nuts and sticking to plain top line cubes but also adding a calmer of some sort? (i was only feeding a mix because i had mixed the bags up in my feed bin!)

What calmers are good for just taking the edge off? Would pure magnesium help or do i need to be looking at a branded blend?

Thanks and cakes for all for reading this far! :-)
 
When she was initially sent to be backed and it went wrong, did you then get vets to check her out?

I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid about movement behind as that's where Reg's problems show first, but there's something that's not quite right. She's moving very short and a bit snatchy for a horse no outside interference...
 
OP where in Essex are you may I ask? I think she has some straightness issues and I can recommend a brilliant trainer in Colchester who I am sure could help you. I am using her for my WB who has chronic Sacro illiac dysfunction and the change in his temperament just from this groundwork is amazing.
 
She doesn't look tense to me in the sense of being a tense horse - she looks tense from not being ridden forward. In the canter you don't have your leg on her, and when she falls back in to trot you seem to immediately ask for some sort of collection (as with the canter) which prevents her from going forward and giving you this awful choppy little trot instead.

I think the straightness issues are probably rider created, and I think if you rode with a shorter stirrup and deeper seat she'd be going a lot more sweetly for you.

Smashing little horse.
 
Lolo i think the producer pushed her hard and she is just not that type of horse. Really very sensitive. I understand what horse was saying is 'not any more'. Thankfully ive not had these issues... yet! I dont plan to be hard, just make life interesting (using poles and jumps seems to be working) and see where we go. To my knowledge the vet wasnt used as she was just turned away.

The shortness behind is probably because im sat on her and she was still without much topline i think. Plus i had also just witnessed a bucking session on the lunge so trying to keep her head higher than her chest!

I also think the tension dosnt help, ive seen her happily zooming round on the lunge and has an incredible extended trot (obviously only does this when she wants too!) and i think if there were issues then she wouldnt display this amazing trot?

She is very athletic and able (displayed usually in the field) its just under saddle she is anticipating everything, im looking for something to just take the edge off really. x
 
YasandCrystal said:
OP where in Essex are you may I ask? I think she has some straightness issues and I can recommend a brilliant trainer in Colchester who I am sure could help you. I am using her for my WB who has chronic Sacro illiac dysfunction and the change in his temperament just from this groundwork is amazing.
Click to expand...

im no longer in Essex, migrated to Derbyshire! :-) Once we get going and fitter i do aim to seek some lessons, would be good to get her out and about a bit too! x
 
Thanks AmyMay! I agree with you 100%!! I have not done much 'proper' riding in ages and can feel my muscles returning again, so I know i am probably not helping the situation!

Thanks for the advice, i will focus on pushing her forwards she definatly looks better when storming around on the lunge.

She does tend to either be taking a hold on the bit and pulling me forwards, or backing right off the bit, she also either reacts suddenly to my leg, or not at all... so im still learning her buttons!

Im riding much longer to enable me to sit and bucks she may throw, but i will pop them up a few holes now. (I had forgotten they had been lowered!)

Glad you like her, think she is bit like marmite and has developed an awful reputation im determined to change! x
 
I think she's just lovely - and if you can work with her I'm sure she'll turn in to a super star.

(p.s don't ride in your Hunters. Will do nothing to help your leg;):D)
 
amymay said:
I think she's just lovely - and if you can work with her I'm sure she'll turn in to a super star.

(p.s don't ride in your Hunters. Will do nothing to help your leg;):D)
Click to expand...

Fingers crossed AmyMay!! Im desperate to get out competing again!! I LOVE my Hunters!! (you have a very good eye for spotting things!) :-) I will swap to long boots, I actually treated myself to a new pair at Chatsworth last weekend, so they need using really! xx
 
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