Very honest opinions wanted

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maxapple

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Sorry for the essay .....

I have had my 4yr old for just 2 months. In that time he has been a star and I have got him out hacking alone, done our first show (in hand) and started doing a bit of schooling.

We've had a few 'moments' of course - but he is so good natured and tries so hard. I took everything slowly and worked up from a 5 min hack up the raod to going out for 45 mins in open spaces alone.

Last week I tried a lesson in the field which was good until towards the end when he did a few small bucks and then one very big one. I think he was getting tired and frustrated and perhaps we did a bit too much / the field idea wasn't the best one. I don't want to push him too much as he is so young.

On the weekend we moved yards to be near home (he lives out) Yesterday I took him for a walk (hack) around the fields that border the yard. He had been out on new grass during the day so it was silly on my part. Sometimes I forget he is such a baby as he is just so good. I should have gone in the school instead or walked in hand - but he is normally most relaxed when hacking and after our lesson last week thought a short walk out would be the best plan.

All was going well (apart from a few moments of feeling like he might try and buck) but we kept walking. Then he saw some sheep. When he is scared he tends to just plant his feet but I can normally get him to walk forward by letting him have a look and coax him forward. He tried to spin round which I stopped him from doing - then ran backwards. we got a few steps forward and he planted his feet again. I wasn't hassling him / kicking etc - just letting him look. I should have got off and walked him past and was thinking about jumping off - but before I knew what was happening he had rearer vertical and spun in the other direction and started to trot for home.

I managed to get my stirrups back, stop him and walk a few paces then jumped off. I led him in hand back onto the track (towards the sheep) and led him for a few minutes. Then about 2 mins from home I got back on and we walked back.

So ....

- Taking him out alone was stupid and a wake up call on my part that he is just a baby. I obviously over faced him yesterday and pushed him into a situation where he felt the only way out was up. Today I'm going to take him in the school for 20 mins or so just to walk around and practice our turns then take him for a short walk in hand up the hill towards where we were yesterday.

- This is my first youngster. He is also much bigger that I am used to (16hh which for me is big!) I have been riding for over 20 years

But ... now I feel worried about several things
- My ability to bring on a youngster. He is a cracking horse and looking back I was an idiot yesterday. I am now worried that I don't have the ability / knowledge / for what I am doing. I didn't pick up on the signs he was so scared yesterday and have never sat on a horse that has reared so had no warning on what he was about to do) Do I put yesterday down as a blip on my part and just go back a few steps or am I the wrong person for him? I felt like crying yesterday. Him rearing scared the hell out of me. last night I was all for never riding him again. I am too old to be ending up in a wheelchair. (arent we all!)

- I have always been a 'gentle' rider. When he has been worried out hacking I can usually calm him down with my seat. My instructor felt he was taking advantage of me in my lesson last week (he was only a horror for 5 mins). I felt we were pushing him too much. I know he has got to learn but is my way of not wanting to push him going to create a horse that bucks / rears to evade something he doesn't want to do. My plan after last week was to ditch the lessons for a while and just do some basic schooling myself and get him hacking out in his new home and let him enjoy the summer. He is only just 4.

I guess I am just having a confidence crisis and want some unbiased opinions. I have taken him from a horse who won't even walk properly in the school (he napped quite a bit when I tried him out - I think because he had been doing too much in the school) to a chilled boy who I have taken out alone in my trailer and gone for a 45 min solo hack. I want to feel that yesterday was a blip due to the change of yards / grass and silliness on my part..... other people might think it is the start of him asserting his authority over me and I'm not equipped to deal with it.

If you got his far - wow.
 
It is understandable that you feel concerned. Weighing up everything though you are an experienced rider and your horse had moved to a new environment. It might help you to regain confidence if you hack out with a sensible horse with you for the next few times. It does sound as if your horse is generally very sane for a youngster so hopefully this was just a blip! Even mature horses can freak out when they meet sheep. I hope everything settles down back to normal soon.
 
I think it sounds like you're doing well with him! and well done for 'finishing' your hack. It doesn't matter that you got off, you went where you wanted to i.e. past the sheep, and gave your horse confidence.

You're not crazy for focusing on hacking out, which IMHO is the very best education for a young horse. I would prehaps suggest having someone walking with you on the ground on new rides though, just in case you run into any trouble- make sure your horse is in front though. Tactfull riding is best on a baby, to avoid arguments and give confidence... if he plants, try asking him for a step to the side with an open rein, then back the other way, so he's going in a bit of a zig zag- you'll get forward motion without lots of kicking, and switching him off to your leg.

I wouldn't be having lessons on a youngster, and certainly not for an hour, it's too much for them IMO The last thing you want is a horse who's sour in the school for the future.

Keep up the good work :)
 
TBH I can't see what you think you did wrong! You didn't let him get away with bad behaviour, without throwing a tantrum yourself. You got him going where YOU wanted and then you helped him past the very scary sheep before getting back on and finishing the ride - if that was me I'd be telling everyone what a wonderful team my horsey and I are becoming.
As for working in the school, I get bored after thirty minutes and I'm a damn sight older than 4.
 
Agree with the others, it sounds like you probably coped well given the situation. So you've learnt a few things along the way - isn't that always the way with horses? But given your inexperience with YOUNG horses, I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the lessons.

Number one question for me is: do you trust your instructor? How good is your relationship with them? Can you suggest that you do nice short sessions so each one is focussed on getting a little good work and then stopping before he gets tired? Could you change instructors if you don't feel that this one is right for you?
Perhaps you know someone experienced who could ride out with you and give you some pointers on a hack instead of in the school?

Re 4 year olds and doing too much with them - just to put it into perspective, there are 4yo classes at BE which go over the intro courses, so they don't have to remain babies forever. Obviously this depends very much on the horse's level of development! ;) I'm not suggesting you crack on and get him xc schooling straight away, just something to keep in mind :D

Don't forget that he has moved twice in 2 months (I'm assuming that he moved from a different home when you bought him) so may be a bit insecure anyway. But the fact that he was nappy when you tried him sounds to me like he was possibly less truly 'afraid' of the sheep than seeing a situation that he could try it on a bit. Impossible to say without riding him though!

Anyway, those are just my thoughts :) Best of luck :)
 
Thank you so much for the replies - i feel a bit better :)

My lesson was only 35 mins but i still felt he was pushed too much. My instructor is great and my last pony came on so well with her - but i don;t think that for my baby it is the right combination. A few weeks previously I tried a short lesson (20 mins) with a lady who runs clinics at the yard and we did really well. She has more of a NH approach and i feel that worked really well for us. I may try another short lesson in the school with her in a few weeks.

He has had a lot of change in the last 2 months and has coped really well. I hope i can put yesterday down to experience and learn from it. I have been riding a long time but feel totally 'green' when it comes to young horses. I have brought my last two older horses on (from projects that were hard to ride into great calm happy hackers) so hope that will help.

Thanks again. I have spent the whole of last night and this morning wanting to cry but now feel a bit more positive and think may be doing ok after all :)
 
I went through all this a couple of years ago with a very green five year old. I did have another more experienced rider / horse to hack out with, but I still needed to get out on my own.

I think you handled the sheep incident very well, you did not let him run, you got him to go back to the 'scary' spot and you finished the ride calmly and in control.

There are a lot of people who don't think working i hand is the best way, but it worked for me and it gave my boy a lot of confidence in both me and himself.

You have obviously thought hard about what you are doing, and learning from your experiences, you are also taking your horses feelings into account and understanding what he finds difficult and why. If you keep working that way then I think you will be moving forward in the best way.

To encourage you, when we bought H, I could get him about 75 yards from his field on his own before the napping started. Over the next few months we went further and further, overcoming some real boundary's on the way, within a year I could take him anywhere on his own, including XC training.
 
I think you did really well to!!!

Mine doesn't like sheep either his eyes go out on storks and stops, even walked sideways into the road once!!!!! Main B road as well.

I have spent loads of time letting him eat grass near the sheep's gate untill he now just looks and turns his head, but still walks on!! :D So if I can get my (now 5 year old) to walk on then I'm SURE YOU CAN!!!!! Don't give in you'll be fine just take your time like you said.
 
I think you are doing an amazing job, you have the right instincts. Listen to them and you will end up with a great horse.

I'm in the process of bringing on my 2nd youngster and it is not easy. Give yourself a pat on the back because it really is a lot of work and patience. We all make mistakes! I took my horse out on a long road hack on his own and it was a bit soon too, I ended up having to sit tight and be brave to get us back one piece! I now do shorter hacks on our own and practice going out in front when we are with company.
I pushed my horse into a gallop round our gallops before his transitions were properly established and then wondered why he panicked, bolted and I couldn't stop! I spent 2 weeks after just slowly trotting and cantering around practsing our transitions so he learnt the right way.
Everyone is going to make mistakes, it's how you learn! You will know next time to take him in the school for a bit and then gradually build up to going out on your own around strange fields.
You are doing everything right, well done!!! Also don't be scared, I find with youngsters it's just being sensible and knowing not to put them I'm a situation where they will react. I doubt he will do it again as next time you will know :)

sounds like the 20 min lesson with the nh lady is a good idea. I don't school my baby for longer than 30 mins and he's nearly a yr older than yours :)
 
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