very unimpressed,angry,shaken

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Bex7

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Bert, who is normally a very mild mannered well behaved individual on the ground has really over stepped the mark today!

we had some quality time, bath groom etc I thought I would take him for a walk in hand and let him graze in the sun whilst he dried off. Met another lady taking her 28yrd old out for the same and decided to join them. Going up the long drive Bert was very forward and a little joggy, not normally like this in hand but obviously keen. We decided it was not the best idea to join the other lady as her oldie was lagging behind so decided to go to the end of the long drive and then come back. On parting company with the other and returning down the drive Bert went ape
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Having a paddy and then rearing up at me!
This has never happened before, he is always as good as gold and tbh it scared the crap out of me. I stayed firm and kept him going forward in the direction I wanted but we had snorting and jogging and a couple more rears. I have honestly never been so scared in my life.

I am going to be doing some inhand work and longreigning to see if this helps.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
ooer! Spring grass? Mine is like this, but its in his nature. I find wrapping lead-ropes around heads works nicely. Alternatively a chifney is guarenteed to work!
 
Thanks Jemayni, not so cute when he does that!

I know all animals are capable of such things but he is normally so good and has never shown signs of such behaviour.
I am also thinking of changing his feed *again*

Was told he was dropping weight and that he needed more than happy hoof so put him on all in one and hi fi senior......I think we are going back to happy hoof
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Could also be the spring grass, although there is precious little of that in his paddock. The horse we were going to go out with is not even a field buddy or one he knows tht well so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.

Makes you realise how sodding big they are when they are on two legs above you!
 
Oh I am sorry. I'm not suprised you were scared. Have you had him long, seems a bit OTT for spring grass, but maybe. I'd suggest getting a control headcoller e.g. rope headcoller or duelly.

Glad you are both in one piece anyway
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Naughty Bert!!!!

I don't know what to advise, but it certainly does catch you off guard when they act so out of character.

Pleased to hear you're not physically hurt and only shaken.
 
Stella: I have had him over a year and although he can be a bit cheeky a quick check with the headcollar and he is fine....he is so gentle (normally)

He has been getting fizzier under sadle but not rearing or anything. I am definately thinking the feed is an issue.

Normally he backs out of your space on command, walks nicely and placidly showed all signs of "respesct" but maybe twas all an act LOL I am hoping this is a one off and as Patches says it is so frightening when it is completely out of character. (guess it is either way really)

If he does it again what is the "protocol?"

Do you keep them moving, square up to them, smack them, circle them.....run for your life????????
 
pmsl at the run for your life!!!!!
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Patches used to rear in hand. I made damn sure never to walk ahead of her shoulder so as not to be under her front feet should she go up. I also had a longish lead rope so she didn't rear and snatch shorter rope from my hand. I lead her in a bridle too for a bit more control/respect from her.

Patches was just a testing thing when I first had her. I had to lead her over a grass area to get to the paddocks. She just saw the grass and thought she should be free. Routine changed her and she's fine now.

When she went up, I would pull down with a sharp snatch on the lead rope whilst shouting a firm "NO!" to her. I'd then praise her for walking on calmly.

If he's getting fizzy under saddle, maybe food is an issue. I keep meaning to post about feeding. I did a farm ride yesterday and still didn't feed Patches anything. Not sure if that's cruel. She is out 24/7 though.
 
Its scary when they do this type of thing isnt it.

My old lad is usualy very calm and sedate, could let a child deal with him, Then there will be the odd occasion where he gets so excited its like he doesnt know how to deal with it so he just rears, and theres a little me on the floor on the end of the lead rope trying to get him down!

Very scary stuff, know how you feel! Possibly it was just that he didnt want to leave the other horse, got a bit excited like my old lad does!
 
LOL I did contemplate running screaming off into the distance but there were people watching
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I have no idea why he is being an arse though and this was on grass which doesn't help funnily enough he was fine on the drive but we had to move to let the YO's sister past in her car. (just what I needed her helpfully getting out of the car to ask if i needed help) I could have cried!

I will definately be using a bridle or control head collar. I think somewhere i have a lead rope with chain that i could shove over his nose.....

I am definately going back to happy hoof, clearly he does not need any thing more...he already is a bit wako from the haylage
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That will teach me to listen to people saying he is dropping weight....wouldn't want him any thinner........

He has not had tea and he can make do with what little grass is out because I am beggard if I am putting haylage out for him tonight!
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That is exactly what he is like...previously under saddle though....

When he gets frightened or excited it is like he is going to burst with it! take ages to calm him down, he snorts and squeals does mini bucks and joggs. I tend to circle him until he chills or turn him the other way and make him stand until he is breathing normally again.
it is like all the adrenilin (sp) is going round him without and outlet. Either that or someone is putting speed in his feeds!
 
I would suspect that it's definitely the spring feeling and will pass in time.

I'm afraid thati'm a bit old school and would square up to him, give him a smack bottom and tell him what a naughty lad he's being then walk quietly back to the stable before papping myself.

My usually quiet hoss jumped on my sister in laws ankle and broke it.......... it was just a moment of temporary madness. I didn't half feel guilty though.
 
Yeah you got the idea, plenty of in hand work, something must've got him a bit wound-up though. could be the grass - if you have the time and he lunges maybe do a bit just to get the edge off of him. Then bath him and use the bridle and take him for a plod.

Kat xx
 
Ty does that occasionally - I've tried different ways of dealing it but the only way I've found is a very sharp jab on the headcollar and a very stern 'tyrone BEHAVE' and he chills - guess it's just finding what works for him. Probably won't do it again though....!
 
I had one who was bargey and bolshy in hand. She didn't rear, just behaved as if there was no human on the end of the rope. It didn't matter how assertive the human was, she just dragged them all over, usually into the nearest ditch!! I once dismounted near home as she was a bit OTT and I'm a middle aged wimp. Anyway, I only had to walk her up a track to be home, given she was wearing a bridle, it seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be. Bizarrely, she was worse leading in a bridle than a headcoller. She had a very hard mouth (this and her ground manners were both established before I got her) and she dragged me all over and pushed me into a ditch. On the ground I'm very confident with horses so I was not behaving like a whimp! On one ocassion an experienced instructor took her from me saying "Shall I take her? let me show you". What she showed me was how she looked being dragged around and nearly on her knees in the mud LOL

The good news is that a Richard Maxwell rope halter had her leading reasonably within minutes. After I used that for a while, I could use a standard headcoller for a while, then she'd start to cotton on and we'd go back to the rope headcoller. Essentially this mare (16.2hh ID) knew her own strength very well and was a dominant character by nature so everyday required negotiating the boundaries (very tiresome to me, just not my kind of thing), but the rope headcoller gave me the gift of quiet leading
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RM recommends using the 12 foot lead ropes when leading a potentially difficult horse because you can keep hold and keep yourself out of harms way if it starts playing up.
 
I think by the sounds of it, spring is in the air!

My usually very very placid quiet big lad, had an episode like your Bert last week.

Id just given him a bath and was leading him through the winter field to put him out with the others in the summer field, well he was so excited and wanting to roll after his bath that he tried to roll with me leading him,I told him off, so he started prancing around and then mini rears because he was dying to get going.

I just told him off again, stood at his shoulder, dont fancy 17.3hh of horse on me, and made him walk.

He was still trying to jog for a few days after but he realised soon enough it took him a lot longer to get there if he tried to make me rush!

The joys of spring eh!
 
Hi,
Naughty boy
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It is so scarey when they feel the need to get you to smell their feet
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My boy likes to do this, normally when you are completely unaware
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I found a dually headcollar has been fantastic in keeping the opinionated bu**er's four feet on the ground. He does still attempt to do it but a short tug on the training ring of the dually brings him back to earth with an almighty thump.
 
I had a IH instructor out to D as he was getting out of hand and we had tried all methods to stop him rearing and none of them worked.
Its pretty much just common sense.
It works on pressure and release, as long as you release the pressure as soon as they start to do as you ask you cannot go far wrong.
I never had the DVD as she showed me how to use it but it had a small leaflet with it and that was quite informative.
I could'nt be without it now, it is also fantastic for teaching them to move back when you ask. I find I only have to walk towards D's chest now and he moves back, without putting any pressure on the rope. Where-as before he would just stand there saying 'I'm not moving, you can't make me'
 
I have bought one of the Richard Maxwell halters, after being taught to use one in my loading sessions, got it for the bargy mare but in fact it was the 16hh gelding who caught me out when I was leading him the other day when he stood right up and paddled. I put it down to spring grass and high spirits - he hardly ever does it.

Fortunately I have quite a long lead rope so was able to stand clear until he came down again...it took me back to when I first collected him..I had to walk him across a 30 acre paddock with him spinning and rearing around me. It turned out he had spent years turned out with the cattle because his owner was afraid to handle him
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He has only reared twice in the last couple of years so I think we have virtually cracked it.
 
Hi Bex

My normally placid gentle boy did that to me the other day as I was bringing him in from the field. He reared, fly bucked and pranced along looking about 20hh with me still attached to the lead rope. He was also very badly behaved in a group lesson I had on Thursday, calling to other horses, bucking, doing a really annoying jog whilst we were supposed to be walking. Very embarassing!!

The only thing I can attribute it to is the spring grass, he hasn't got much in his field but I think its something to do with the toxins in it make them a bit loopy!

No real advice I'm afraid but just wanted you to know you're not alone!!

M
x
 
I have a suggestion - that your idea of doing a bit in hand and long reining it exactly the right idea - I also have to say that he sounds a bit like my ned who occasionally likes to keep me on my toes just to prove he is really in charge of our relationship.

How nice to hear someone on here with such a similar view to mine on training - when Ryan does that to me he goes back in the Dually Pressure halter for a couple of days - I find it a kinder more solid pressure halter than the rope ones - works well for my boy. And this type of training has worked wonders for him as he used to be a little physcotic! (clearly can't spell that!) to say the least - spends much more time on 4 legs these days - I found the 2 leg scenario pretty scary myself too!
 
Thanks for all your comments, it is nice to know there are others trying it on at the moment.

He was back to normal today so at that is at least something to be thankful for.

A lady at the yard is going to lend be her duelly to try before I shell out for one so that is also a big help.

Also had a chat with YO sister who jumped out of her car to assist and it is nice to have her imput as she saw the whole thing. She think he definately got the a*se after the other horse left him so we will be up and down the drive with a series of other horses leaving him until he gets used to it. (obviously in the duelly)

x
 
I second, third and fourth the dually headcollar. I borrowed one for my youngster and it has worked a treat, its more gentle than using a chain, chiffney or bridle. You can change betwen the training rings or using as a conventional headcollar (if you need to tie up). They are a little pricey, unless you can get a second hand one on e-bay (other internet websites are available) but they are a very good quality product that its fully adjustable.
 
Jess used to take me up with her i used to hold herheadcollar and wedge myself into her chest to stop her running, and still didnt always help!! Although she does come down on command now!!

She is getting better with time, they are getting smaller!! maybe a mad day!!!
 
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