was this an odd thing to have done?

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inthehills

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advance apologies that this is a bit of a storm in a teacup but I would like to know if this was a silly thing to have done!

My pony (6 year old, backed last year) has been off for seven months due to my work, the rubbish weather and illness and I've just started riding again a few weeks ago. It's being going really well but we had a wobble on Tuesday where we had a bad start to the ride (to start with I accidently banged his nose, he's a bit head shy at the best of times and then I couldn't get his bridle on and then something else upset him (the silly thing is, I can't even remember what it was) and I couldn't make him stand to get on. I eventually did and he then had a tantrum (purely, I think because he didn't get his way with not wanting to stand still). He was fine once we got going but I was tense (constantly battling my stupid nerves) and we didn't have the best ride (just spooking and being silly, totally feeding of my tenseness which is understandable)

anyway, I took the morning off work this morning and thought I'd aim for a better start. we did lots of relaxing grooming including his head and we were all nice and chilled and off I went to get his saddle and get my riding gear on. While I was in the house my partner turned up and decided to move some cows through the yard, where pony was tied up. I heard some noise and came out to find him looking terrified with cows going everywhere. He's generally good with cows- we've done quite a lot of work getting used to them- but I think it's probably too much for him to be tied up on his own while cows are flying about round him. Eventually the cows were put where my OH wanted them and pony settled down, but he was still on edge and trembling slightly.

I decided to call it a day and turned him back in his field. I could visualise a start like the other day, which I wanted to avoid and I really wanted to try and have a good, relaxed ride rather than another tense one. My OH thought I was completely overreacting and thought I was being very odd to do this.

Question is- was I? should I have just got on with it and risked having a few issues?

Big thanks if you have read this far x
 
It wasn't odd if you felt worried but being brutally honest it doesn't sound like a youngster is the right type of thing for you at the moment.
 
Was he tied up alone in the yard? I know it's easily done but it can be pretty risky to do that - horse spooks, gets loose or worse doesn't and injures itself trying. Tying a horse takes away it's natural ability to run when threatened. Mine, whilst sensible with cows would have been fairly excitable if a herd went through their yard. I think you were lucky not to have a loose pony on your hands.

As for riding - if you're struggling with confidence (my sympathies as I do to) then putting him away given his reaction was probably sensible. Could you have lunged him or done done ground work to settle him first.
 
No. I think you did the right thing. No point in starting off on a bad note.
Quite dangerous to have moved cows through yard with him tied up on his own I'd have thought.
While youngsters do need to get used to stuff it's not sensible to over face them.
 
No - you did the right thing. You want to continue to build his and your confidence after a break, especially if you have been ill.
Although I'm not sure I'd leave a horse tied up alone anywhere with no-one keeping an eye on him. i would just about leave mine on our very quiet yard long enough to go to the loo at the other end of the yard, and he's very sensible.
And even if he's used to the cattle, i would expect my OH to check it was ok to move them with him on his own. we're also on a farm, and the contractor's workshop joins onto our stable yard - the horses are used to big tractors moving around, but the manager's husband will always check we are ok before starting up a big tractor next to the stables etc. However, he does roll his eyes if they spook at his massive tractor and low loader :D
 
For what it's worth, I would probably have done the same as you. Given your last experience I think you would have been setting yourself up for another tense and difficult ride, especially since you were a bit nervous.

The other thing you could have done was a something familiar and safe like lunging in a confined area.
 
You did the right thing, its difficult to end on a good note if you started on a bad one
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with bringing them in for a groom and then putting them back out again. i think i would have done the same or maybe a bit of ground work. Don't beat yourself up about it, we have horses for fun and relaxation.
 
If your confidence is at a bit of a low, I think you did the right thing in this situation. I would be having a word with your OH though, perhaps he should have told you before he sent a load of cattle across the yard with a young pony tied up.
 
thanks so much for the replies and reassuring me that I did the right thing :-)

maybe it was a good lesson learnt- I guess I have got complacent with tying him up and going off to get my stuff. he's generally very chilled and stands resting one foot (and often dozing!) so it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. I keep my tack within sight and earshot but still too far away to get back to him immediately if there was a problem.
I was really mad with my OH -especially as he always tells me how he switches off his quad or tractor when he meets horses on the road. I heard him turn up but didn't expect him to start doing something like that without even waiting for me to come back. It could have gone horribly wrong couldn't it?

Unfortunately I don't have anywhere confined to ride. There are the fields but he revs up a gear once grass is under his feet! I'm hoping to get my trailer test passed so I can get to a school and get some lessons (I've tried to get an instructor to come to me, but as we live in the middle of nowhere they aren't very keen to travel)

Re if he is the right pony for me- I'm on a rollercoaster of emotions with it. He's a super pony and for a youngster, very level headed and safe and I feel if I could just get my darn nerves under control and get some more guidance from an instructor, we'll be ok. However, I have given myself a deadline by the end of this summer that if we are not making progress and my nerves aren't improving, I'll have to let him go. It'll break my heart but if I can't get my head under control things aren't going to work out right and I don't want to ruin a super pony because of my own stupid issues.
 
I don't think you did the wrong thing. As I've been told numerous times, don't set them up to fail. If you thought it likely things were going to go wrong from the start best not to go down that route. I maybe would have changed my plans though and done some lunging or groundwork in place of getting on and riding.
 
I think you did the right thing. The lunging option is a good alternative if it happens again - working on the lunge not twirling round hallucinating about cows obviously.

FWIW - even my shatterproof horse left alone in a yard when a herd of cows rocked up would be thinking 'party' and doing mini rears/squealing or broken his rope and be thundering about with them
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Totally the right thing for both you and him, no point in setting yourself and him up for a fail/bad ride. My little cob, now nine was super sensitive and behaved very similar to yours, he has now settled in to a super pony, able to be used lead rein, take a novice child and even steps it up for a competent rider.

I had issues between the ages of 6 to 7ish , I think they are called the "Kevins" In Moses' case it was pain related, a sticky stifle and the fact that he was one of those horses that would literally unhinge and grow inches overnight! Add to that he is forward thinking, intelligent and cheeky and it was a bit of a nightmare. I resolved the issues by getting a competent free lance rider to help me with him and i checked out all of his tack. Turned out his saddle wasn't helping. In your position I would get tack checked, teeth checked and get someone to help you, even if they foot soldier for you. If his basic nature is nice, he will come though this stage.
 
littleshetland said:
The best piece of horsey advice I've ever had......'never set yourself up to fail!' I think you did the right thing!
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I agree with this statement and what you did.
I have done the same. If I bring her in and sense it's not going to go well - she's come in, spooky and tail in air we call it a day as I'm not going to get anything out of either of us. Once I get mine and her confidence up, then I'll start riding her on windy days etc.
 
inthehills said:
thanks so much for the replies and reassuring me that I did the right thing :-)

maybe it was a good lesson learnt- I guess I have got complacent with tying him up and going off to get my stuff. he's generally very chilled and stands resting one foot (and often dozing!) so it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. I keep my tack within sight and earshot but still too far away to get back to him immediately if there was a problem.
I was really mad with my OH -especially as he always tells me how he switches off his quad or tractor when he meets horses on the road. I heard him turn up but didn't expect him to start doing something like that without even waiting for me to come back. It could have gone horribly wrong couldn't it?

Unfortunately I don't have anywhere confined to ride. There are the fields but he revs up a gear once grass is under his feet! I'm hoping to get my trailer test passed so I can get to a school and get some lessons (I've tried to get an instructor to come to me, but as we live in the middle of nowhere they aren't very keen to travel)

Re if he is the right pony for me- I'm on a rollercoaster of emotions with it. He's a super pony and for a youngster, very level headed and safe and I feel if I could just get my darn nerves under control and get some more guidance from an instructor, we'll be ok. However, I have given myself a deadline by the end of this summer that if we are not making progress and my nerves aren't improving, I'll have to let him go. It'll break my heart but if I can't get my head under control things aren't going to work out right and I don't want to ruin a super pony because of my own stupid issues.
Click to expand...

Get your trailer test sorted to get help, try rider confidence hypnotherapy to help you with your nerves, there was a program on tv recently that suggested instead of getting nervous, get excited. Same set of hormones, different mindset.
Stuff always happens around horses and the more he is exposed to the better, it is how you react that makes the difference. I spook at birds, fortunately my horse doesn't as much! You get tense, you put your leg on, tighten the reins and everyone gets stressed!
 
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The truest words I have ever heard and live by with horses:

Set them up to succeed.


You did exactly what I would do, 7 months off, a pony on edge and over stimulated - recipe for an understandable and avoidable disaster. You made the right call.
 
OP I'd have done the same thing.

I'm in a similar position to you - have a big green youngster who hasn't worked for months, a bit of a loss of nerve on my part and recently moved to a new yard which has fantastic hacking facilities but obviously has put my girl on edge a bit. I'm also giving it until the end of summer to decide if I can bring her on in the way she needs, or if I should let her go.
The other day, I planned to hack her out by herself with my OH on foot, it started okay bringing her in from the field but then she managed to escape her stable and trot back across the road to the field where the other horses are. Then, 4 different people started mowing grass on the street we'd have hacked out onto, making her even more of a snorty, spooky dinosaur. I decided to take her into the school to mount, and have a walk round, she was jogging around of her own accord and I decided it just wasn't worth the knock to both our confidences if we went out and had a bad hack.
Instead I had OH put out a row of traffic cones and 3 raised poles, and worked on trying to get her slightly more relaxed and concentrating in the school. She still wasn't perfect but I feel it was more productive than taking her on a spooky hack which could have ended badly. After the ride, we 'hacked' all by ourselves to the end of the drive and back.
IMO, nothing wrong with adjusting your expectations and working with the horse in front of you on the day.

If you're OH is of farming stock (like mine), he wouldn't have thought of the dangers of running cattle through the yard with pony tied up, and also might not appreciate at all the nuances of riding horses, especially youngsters.
 
I'd have done the same thing too. My motto, always go with your gut. And if it tells you something, then listen.
 
Me too. I think you should follow your instincts. Pony and you needed a bit of time to chill out. Must have been petrifying for him and he would have been on edge for quite a while. You were doing the sensible thing, well done.
 
I'd have done the same. No point in starting off the session with a stressed horse and a stressed owner. I would also recommend you have a word with your OH to get him to think/ask before he lets the herd swarm round a tied up youngster again. I appreciate that he is only doing his job but better communication between you would be a good idea :o
 
Yup. No point making things difficult. I'm super-paranoid about accidents with restrained horses so wouldn't be leaving alone tied up anyway (usually get all bits and bobs needed to hand before catching/bringing out) so you can always count yourself a step ahead in some pretty full-on desensitising.

Even a horse usually turned out with cattle might feel a bit different about a herd on a yard.
 
Thank you, you have all made me feel so much better about it :-)

Atropa, it's nice to know someone is in the same boat, even if it isn't always easy. Good luck, hope you have a great summer with her and we all end the summer with boosted confidences! You've hit the nail on the head re my OH, he is a farmer born and bred too and thinks I faff on with the pony! I sent pony away to be backed professionally and he didn't get that at all- he couldn't understand why I wouldn't 'just chuck a saddle on and get on with it' !!!
 
You definitely did the right thing.

I think it would really help your confidence if you can find time to "work" him every day. Not necessarily riding, but just making sure you follow a programme and feel you're moving in the right direction. Some days could be ground work, some days it might just be a five minute session in the field working on walk and halt (breaking his mental link between grass and speed!) - I think aiming for a "proper" schooling or hacking session every day can be really daunting, but little bits of work together really help to keep things moving.
 
Always set yourself up to succeed, as has been said. That soundsl ike a 'fail' waiting to happen.
Is he kept without other horses? That can make them more nervous as they feel they are responsible for every threat.
 
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