Terrible teens - tell me it's a phase!

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LizzieRC1313

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My horse is 7. We've had him since he was just 6 & he was an absolute angel when we bought him, loaded like a dream, no problems with him at all. Fast forward 15 months and the last month or so he's been such a git!!!! First he wouldn't load, he would just stop at the ramp then go on but it got progressively worse till we had such a temper tantrum with him that we missed a dressage competition. Did lots of loading practice in a dually head collar and seemed to have largely sorted that out again, altho feel we will have to keep on top of it or he'll go off the idea again. So now he's decided that he tried not loading, he'll try not being caught. Couldn't catch him yesterday or today! *******ing round the field looking like Valergro & totally taking this piss!!! We've never ever had a single problem bringing him in. I feel he's testing his boundaries at ever opportunity!! He is very fit & well, and has been eventing this summer, whereas he wasn't very fit when we got him, but these issues have been only very recently, so is it his age? He'll be off to pedigree chum if he doesn't behave himself again soon!
 
While Apache Warlord has a point, in my experience the extra fitness and his age could bring on a 'Kevin' phase. It could also be feeding - 7 is quite late for the teenage phase in my opinion, 5-6 is more common. Perhaps he's just a late developer?
 
Apache Warlord said:
Have you had his teeth / back / saddle checked?
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He's due his back doing but tbh I don't really see that issues with that would affect loading & catching but not affect his ridden work, cause he's going the best he's ever gone at the moment & has come on in leaps & bounds recently. Obviously always worth checking tho!

Sukistokes2 said:
I muttered the same about Moses, who is 5, yesterday, so like you I hope it is a phase he is going through!!!!!! :(
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It's so frustrating, but at least you expect it from a five year old!

Magnetic Sparrow said:
While Apache Warlord has a point, in my experience the extra fitness and his age could bring on a 'Kevin' phase. It could also be feeding - 7 is quite late for the teenage phase in my opinion, 5-6 is more common. Perhaps he's just a late developer?
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He had basically an entire year off as a 5yo as the people who had him didn't have a job for him. So I think he has been about a year behind schedule really. He's always been fed alpha a with oil &
Baileys local, we once tried him on power & performance and he turned into an absolute lunatic, rearing in his field and acting like a stallion. So I'd know if it was his diet!!
 
I feel for you, my 6 year old is currently behaving a bit like this although he did redeem himself a smidge today! Hopefully its a phase with your guy and he will get over it! Apologies i have no tips i tend to sit tight on most rides atm!!
 
He's fit, well and secure! The weather is also changing. We've got attitude galore at work atm.
Give him a few weeks, if he doesn't settle down then start to look into it but I would just go with it for the time being and try and harness the extra energy when he's working. :D
 
GlamourDol said:
He's fit, well and secure! The weather is also changing. We've got attitude galore at work atm.
Give him a few weeks, if he doesn't settle down then start to look into it but I would just go with it for the time being and try and harness the extra energy when he's working. :D
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This is a lovely reply, I think you're so right, at least I hope so!!

Arniebear said:
I feel for you, my 6 year old is currently behaving a bit like this although he did redeem himself a smidge today! Hopefully its a phase with your guy and he will get over it! Apologies i have no tips i tend to sit tight on most rides atm!!
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Haha, horses! He's an angel under saddle, no problems at all, but it's like he's seen the horse ads that read 'good to shoe/clip/load/catch' and he's working his way through it, being as naughty as possible for each one!

horsebenny said:
I hope it's a phase, my girl is going through one too, she's 7 but very immature for her she..
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It's nice to hear he not the only one going through a naughty phase!!
 
Arizahn said:
My nineteen year old has been tricky to catch recently too. Today saw a return to normality, long may it last!
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Oh dear, so I've got potentially another 12 years of it???!

honetpot said:
New grass= lots of sugar. Yeha!
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Think that definitely might have something to do with it!! Just going to ride it out for the next few weeks and hope he starts being a good boy again.
 
Perhaps he is trying to tell you something about the travelling itself? My sister is a very careful driver but after I travelled in the back a couple of times I realised how a nice steady 40mph on that road is actually pretty unsettling in the back. Yes he may be fresh and frisky but don't write it off as just him being a git if it's just the loading that's got worse.

Oops just reread properly and you said he's loading fine but being a sod to catch, maybe that is just high spirits after all!
 
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I have a 6 year old that was very immature a totle sweetheart, no malice in him at all, then like yours i couldnt catch him for 2 weeks, he was a nightmare to ride and tack up. Had the vet out, nothing, after 4 months back to normal{ish} that was his "kevin " stage.
 
My 17 year old goes through a few days of high spirits when the weather changes. Luckily it is only from the ground and not when I am on board! Once she has had her games of no catching or broncing around she usually returns to normal!
 
I bought mine as a rising 6yo. In between 6 and 7, he went through a really horrid stage. He's 8 now and this year he has really grown up and matured. Still can be sharp and still has plenty of attitude when he wants to, but the stroppy teenager phase did wear off thankfully!
 
Re the catching - my old boy was the king of playing silly catching games. 90% of the time he was fine, but when he decided to play, god help us! He trot round us in 5m circles, just out of reach and the second we took a step towards him, he was off. You could practically see him laughing at us. The more we tried, the worse he got but if we gave up without catching him it would carry on for days, until we did finally manage to get him. Once we'd caught him once, he'd be back to normal for a while before starting again!

The best way to get him was not to engage with him at all. I'd take a chair, a bucket of feed, a headcollar and a book, put the bucket under the chair and sit and read for a bit. Usually within 5 mintues (sometimes a bit longer if he was particularly bad) he'd be there sniffing around, at which point I'd ignore him for 5 minutes more, then pick everyting up and leave the field without even acknowledging him. Two or three days of this,and he'd be at the gate as soon as he saw my car arrive! He stopped doing when he got to about 23. So yes it's just a phase, but maybe quite a long one :eek:
 
You have just reminded me why I hated this time of year with my old boy - I had forgotten. Every year without fail he was a total a**e for about a month around October culminating in the clocks changing we usually had 2 really bad weeks and a Few that were simply difficult. We had the same again in March. Every single year for the 8 years I had him !! I believe he thought he was part druid and went a bit bonkers for the spring and autumn equinoxes !!
 
I felt much the same as I sat atop a jump alone with my head in my hands crying trying to work out why he wouldn't pop over a cross that we'd done a few days previous and several hundred days before that. No fear, or pain. Just stopping ...resting a hoof... looking around at the scenery... just infuriating.

Breathe and retry. Easier said than done sometimes... but good luck and know that somewhere, someone else is feeling your frustration! :)
 
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