What to do when everything falls apart?

Leading probably isn't the best idea as I worry how much control I'd have over him out on a hack.

Plan of action tomorrow:

Play a bit of join up in the school, give him a good groom then ride in the school with the standing to see how he getson with it.
Then go out on a hack, my mums going to meet me half way in the car with a carrot for Andy to see how we're getting on.

I may consider putting one headphone in on very low volume with some music playing to calm me down a bit.

Thanks for all the tips everyone.
 
firewell said:
If you can't change/drop his feed down he may need more work. If he was jogging with me on a hack I would trot him up steep hills for an hr, soon tires them out! Either that or I would canter round a field untill he settles. Sounds like the joys of spring and less hard feed and more work could be in order :).
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Whether it's right or wrong that's what I would do.
If they want to mess about then they can bloody well move forward and stop when you want them to, not when they decide to. Must admit I have found it pretty effective!
 
monkeybum13 said:
Whether it's right or wrong that's what I would do.
If they want to mess about then they can bloody well move forward and stop when you want them to, not when they decide to. Must admit I have found it pretty effective!
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You could do this all day on my horse, and she would meet you full on. With a very "up for it" type, it just gets them fitter and fitter! I ended up where I was motoring on for the whole ride, and the horse got a splint!

I would think that its a combination of spring grass, the fact that he is getting fitter and stronger, and him perhaps picking up on your mood/frame of mind.

Try lungeing him (not schooling him, but having him aimlessly going round) to take the edge off. Then keep talking to him on a hack - try alternate between soothing him and chastising - see if you get a reaction. Lots of firm half halts, then relax and give him more rein.
 
Kokopelli -my ex-racer was an angel for the first few months that I had him - and then he started getting fit, and he became a nightmare! Don't worry, he will get over it!
Spring grass has a lot to answer for, mine was an idiot for about a week, but is now ok again thank god (I don't appreciate being nearly run over by yellow vans that it doesn't 'see'! :eek:) Ok, he still has his moments, but not in the same I'm a complete dick way as before!

Good luck, but he'll be back to normal soon :)
 
Hey come on chin up.

So he's a bit fresh but so will a lot of horses be this time of year specially if they are quite fit, doesn't mean he is going to be like it all the time, carry on as normal and I'm sure you will feel better and he will settle ...even tomorrow I bet you will feel better than you do now after you have slept on it, if you have a lot on your plate its obviously having a knock on effect on situations like today so its effecting how you feel about him.

Get your self off to that comp and crack on, feeling pants doesn't get you anywhere.

:)
 
Hopefully spring grass plus does he have a bit of a reaction to pollen at all? I find when my hayfever is bad the pony is also reacting a bit more as he seems to get all snufffly and though not a headshaker I know he's inhaling it and feeling a bit out of sorts - had a lovely hack on Friday when I think pollen count was OK round where I am as I was fine and yet today I've had terrible hayfever and he was more on his toes and reacting. Hayfever leaves me stressed, reacting more quickly to things which I'm sure is down to the inflammatory response your body goes into so I do wonder (though it may just be cobblers in my mind) whether horses feel the same if they have a bit of a pollen reaction - our bridleway is beautiful with all the blackthorn in blossom but not nice if you're a sufferer!
 
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As others have said, he is probably just feeling good about himself and feeling spring in the air. Mid Feb-March every year my horse turns into a complete d**k for a while. I just lunge before I ride and put on draw reins on the road incase he starts carrying on around cars! In a few weeks he is back to normal :)
 
If it's a bit of spring fever it should pass soon. As another point of view though my TB mare was overly sensitive to spring grass as it is high in sugar and low in magnesium and this can send some of them scatty! She was a spooky hot head at this time of year. I had to bring her in during the day and out at nightonce the rest of the horses went out in may. She had a magnesium supplement too. Not saying this is what is wrong with Andy just food for thought!

She was also very sensitive to my moods and I wouldn't ride ht if I felt crap or if I did we went for a gallop which always cheered me up no end.

Hope you feel better soon :)
 
I am sure it is just a combination of spring grass and good food making him feel good.
A couple of things to try to stop the jogging I have found are, use a stirrup leather as a neckstrap and instead of pulling on his mouth pull as hard as you want/can on the neckstrap, leaving the reins well alone - it does slow them down. Also try pinching a bit of skin between your fingers on his neck/shoulder, it will give him something else to think about.

You knew him before you owned him didn't you???, was he excitable in his previous homes, he seems like a bubbly jumping pony.
 
Thanks for comments everyone, I'm hoping he'll be back to normal soon. Apart from concentration levels in the arena he is his normal self so atleast if tomorrow is awful I have somewhere quiet to go.

The thing is atm I don't understand why I'm still feeling this way, all my coursework is handed in, no exams until June, my nan is getting better, Koko died almost 6 months ago my grandad almost a year but I'm still feeling krap- I think I need a good kick up the arse.

dotty1- He was a racing pony in previous home so yes very bubbly :p but only when he has racing head on, atm he seems to have racing head on all the time. I had the neck strap on today (never get on without one) which I think did help.
 
If he was mine, at this time of year I'd be giving him a good blast several times a week, either a decent gallop or proper sized jumps in a course to let him get it out of his system. Three of mine are all needing a gallop two-three times a week, and one of those has absolutely NO TB blood in her at all. With regular 'let off steam' time, they're their usual angelic selves - without, total nutters. I used to use jumping instead, but have a gallop track now and no jumps so galloping it is!
 
I haven't really got anywhere close by I can really let him out. I'm hopefully going to hire some gallops out soon though.

Took him over a good sized course before we moved but in all honesty haven't jumped since moving, was planning on doing some grids tomorrow but might take him in jumping paddock instead. Was going to go to summerhouse on weds and hire out the jumps but didn't as he was being an arse.
 
We've got massive fields across from us that we use for the cattle, but as they're not out yet we ride in them & around the edge of the wheat fields. I'm just over in Tewkesbury so if you fancy a good gallop in the fields, send me a pm - you're welcome to come by! :)
 
Thanks for the lovely offer orsolya! We have tonnes of fields but not allowed in them as there used for crops. Probably what wound him up so much today was having to walk calmly around the field not just gallop through it. Luckily we have lots of hills though.
 
This sounds oh so familiar to me! Bought ex racer, fed up ex racer, ex racer goes loopy once he starts feeling better = me being bronced and reared and danced about on tarmac very close to a fence...

Change in feed and a couple of weeks break from each other (due to illness on his part) then much lunging, new feed and new mindset from me to make it work = lovely schooling sessions. I know he'll take a lot of time to hack sanely as he's clever and predicts the route and canter/trot spots after 2 times, but I'm more able to deal with him at the moment. Part of me thinks the couple of weeks off did me more than him good as I used it as a fresh start. He isn't perfect and was a complete twit on the lunge before our schooling, but I've learnt he needs to go crazy every now and then and then I get my time to do as I want him to (if that makes sense!). I guess we've just learnt to rub along better and I've learnt what to feed and how to gauge him - I am not saying you haven't.

Are you able to lunge him and let him go a little crazy in a more controlled environment? Then try riding him? Forgive me also but I can't remember what you feed him? My TB is on outshine as the fattening part of his feed alongwith Bluechip/Sugarbeet/smidge of barley plus hay. He was on D&H Build up to fatten him but that sent him loopy/dancing on tarmac!
 
koko could he not be feeling a bit unsettled because you have recently moved too? I know that would be enough to set even Frank off. Given time I am sure he will settle you two just don't know eachother that well yet.
 
One of mine always jogs out hacking and winds himself up into a tizz; making him trot/canter doesnt help as he just gets stronger and stronger...I've found that if I make sure I am relaxed he is a million times better, and I am not anticipating his jogging moments.

This will make me sound bonkers but I sing out loud to me and horsey - think disney and musicals! Obviously anyone who hears me thinks I am mad, but normally we don't see a soul! But it takes my mind off his jogging and gives him something to listen to.....!
 
I tried singing didn't really work.

Ester- I think the move hasn't helped but he's been acting like this before the move and has been intensified since the move. He's vert settled though, more settled then when he was at old yard.
 
I bought another horse...! Still got the first one and in hindsight still can't believe I bought the second one! I've persevered for over a year with the first horse and had several professionals reschool him. Not the ideal solution I know but you need to enjoy your hobby and I didn't want to lose control over the first horse's future.

Spring grass is coming through though.
 
This post bummed me out a bit :( I have always thought, and still do think, that you and Andy are a great team. Sadly, horses are never going to be easy - and 99% of them seem to have a prolonged teenage strop!!!

I know how awful it is for everything to be great and then suddenly *pooft* nothing! My jumping pony was foot perfect until one hack he reared - went VERTICAL. And then he started napping, and proceeding to bolt and spin round. He had this horrible habit of 'hedge-diving'.....would just spin and launch into the nearest hedge, regardless of whether there was a fence or ditch as well etc etc.

I hate to say it....but if you've had all the checks, and done everything you can routine/feed/bit wise.....you have to persevere with it. The pre-mentioned pony eventually grew out his habits, but it took at least two years of on off behaviour.

That might not be the case for you guys; and I really hope it isn't.

I haven't had time to read all the posts, so sorry if I've missed something you've already talked about. But my suggestions are; lunging/schooling before you hack, keeping him forward IE in a steady trot all the way through a hack and try and ride through it, riding out in company, and forming thick skin and steel balls!!

Let me know how you get on :) xoxo
 
you sound like you have had a lot on your plate recently. Often when you have grief you go into survival mode after the event, and then the full extent only kicks in a few months later, once you can start to process it. Apparently the worst part of grief kicks in on average three years later, which is a scary thought.

when i read your posts i always feel like we are in a similar scenario, i lost my beautiful horse 2 years ago, and while i was upset at the time, it really only kicks in in bits and pieces as time goes by. I also have a lot on my plate personal wise, and sometimes i just want to go to the stables to relax, but i have a project horse, and he often has a different agenda to me! I went through a weird time with my new horse where i really resented him for not acting like my old one. He came with a whole new personality was that was way more full on than my old guy and that really frustrated me at times.

it took me a bit of time to except his quirks, and it was the oddest thing that helped me! my friend did up horse horoscopes based on his passport birthday and it explained his personality down to a tee. it actually helped me accept him for who he his, and understand his faults (and his talents) for just being part of his general personality,and not just some failing of mine.

you pics on him on the cross country looked great, and you probably can't realise how far you've come on him. he sounds like a great challenge, and you have stepped up so far and transformed him. you should be really proud, and hopefully that pride can carry you across frustrating days!
 
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NM- I will never give up with Andy, but sometimes I wish he was 'easier' then I have days where I love the fact he's a bit quirky.
The plan of action tomorrow is to lunge him then wack a standing martingale on him and take him out again, hopefully without all the dramatics. I tried a steady trot and it just turned into a bloody fast flying trot down the road so brought him back to stupid jogging pony so he wouldn't slip. Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow.

paddi22- I think soemtimes I need to look back and realise how far we have actually come.

I'm sorry about your losses it isn't easy. Do you find that random little things just trigger you off? The other day I drove past Koko's field and there was kids playing in it and I burst out crying because it was the equivalent to me someone dancing on his grave.
 
Going to ride in the school with it first. We put one on him for polocrosse and he didn't seem bothered. Will also put it fairly lose at first, just in case.
 
Hello! I haven't got any helpful advice really... but thought i'd say that all the horses on our yard are a little 'exciting' at the moment-spring grass etc! It will pass-you're still getting to know him! I used to ride a chronic jogger and in the end I just said 'fine! jog if you want (with your nose in the air like a giraffe!...I'll still be here when you stop' ... and from that moment on she was a lot better.

ENJOY HIM!!! Think how lucky you are to have him and accept him with all his faults! You sound like you are a good enough rider to cope!

X
 
koko, i completely agree with you, weird random things can just kick it off. i had a bit of guilt with the way my old horse eventually died, and sometimes i'l just see something random and it completely overwhelms me.

its a weird adjustment period getting a new horse. especially if you have a lot going on in your personal life at the same time. my old horse i knew 100%, even if he acted up, it never unsettled me for some reason i never had to think about it much, or worry it reflected on my riding or my confidence. my new horse has thrown me into a whole grey area, where issues seem to be much larger, and i think i make them that way because im unsettled generally everywhere else, so i magnifed his issues because i think they might be a part of my life where i can 'control' or fix things. and i made small issues turn into big discussions in my head about our partnership or our 'bond', which is bull***** really and just me making a big deal of small things. my lad is the love of my life now, but he is brave, bold lively and sensitive and i'm only getting my head around it now!

your cross country pics were cracking, and i remember looking at them and going 'good on her!', there's a lively horse who is loving being ridden by you, and is being brave with everything you face him with. of course he comes with downsides, the same eagerness he faces fences with, is the same eagerness he jogs with.
 
I'm hoping it will get better in time. Its almost 6 months since it happened seems like so long ago. It feels less raw now but I still can't talk about it in person without getting upset.

Thansk regarding xc. I felt so confident that day, tbh I feel very confident on Andy, he isn't really frightening me its more frustrating then anything. I know he's doing it because he's having fun not because he's been nasty.
 
Koko
Think your xc videos were great, you say your nervous but that aint a nervous rider to me :) I think andy is a spicey poney, your tactics are right but don't expect 15 mins lunging to tire him (probably would take 20 miles by some of your videos) sit and try and relax, your a decent rider and it'll work, eventually :)
 
If he was mine I would take a big step back and re-start him. Go right back to basics as if he was a new horse to back and see what happens. Some of the process might be quick, but if you were thorough you would identify where his issues seem to start. If he's hard to hack out alone and physically you know he is good, then he is lacking in confidence, and so are you and that won't be helping. You've done a lot with him and it's all come on leaps and bounds, maybe it was a bit too much too soon?
I know this is completely contrary to what everyone else is saying, but, what if he isn't playing up because he's having fun? Is the answer really to lunge him before you ride to try to wear him out? (Personally I'd never lunge for 20 minutes, that's not beneficial on their bodies). And surely if you did that you'd just make him fitter and more able to give you scarey rides? I think a couple of months going back to basics and forwards from that would be a small investment in the years you are going to have together.
 
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