What to do?

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

I have a 14.2 cob. He’s a lovely boy and is always happy to see me (lives out and trots straight over as soon as I come to get him). He’s my first horse (was always a dream, I got him last Feb aged 45). The problem is as he’s got fitter he’s got bolshier and more highly strung. He was bolshy anyway, doesn’t like being in a stable and is quirky. He sometimes spooks when ridden or led and is always led in a bridle. He looks for confidence in his rider and I feel like I need a confidence giver. I feel like an accident could happen as he’s always a bit on edge and he could spook and injure me. In all honesty if I could guarantee a good home I would sell him. I was naive and although I’ve had him schooled and have had lessons he’s a bit much for me. I have teen daughters and life can be stressful. I want my horsey time to be relaxing. On the other hand we have a strong bond and I usually enjoy riding him. I just want to be able to hack out and do more (he’s very nervy at times). I think it would be difficult to find a good home and he’d get passed on which I can’t bear the thought of. Any advice?

 

[poiuytrewq]

A sparky cob is many peoples dream. He doesn’t sound dangerous or like he has issues. He sounds like maybe your just not matched.
In your situ i would maybe try a sales livery type place where a pro can show him off to his best potential and find yourself something you can enjoy and have chilled out fun with.

 

[Arzada]

What companions does he have in the field?

 

[AmyMay]

Do you have lessons?

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

Yes, I have 1-2 lessons a week. He shares a large field with two geldings and a mare. They all get on well.

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

I mostly enjoy riding him…he is fun. I’m just more chilled than he is!

 

[SantaVera]

If he has any hard feed cut it out.take him for a very long hack around 4 hours,that should settle him then ride mostly at walk every day for a week around one and a half hours then another 4 hour hack. See if he's less spooky then.

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

Maybe I shall kid just have more lessons…he is a love! Just forwards!!

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

Should just have more lessons (predictive text!)

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

He has no hard feed (apart from a handful of chaff, some carrots/parsnips and a balancer). There is no real hacking…you can hack around the farm (takes about 30mins) or ride in a field or school. Am thinking about potentially moving him to somewhere with amazing hacking but they don’t do 24 hour turn out in the winter (Dec to start of April). It’s almost impossible to find anywhere that does field livery. He doesn’t like the stable although the stables at the potential yard are large and horses can snuffle through bars. Not sure if he’d get used to it?! Also have great instructor here who schools him too…lots to weigh up… help!!

 

[shortstuff99]

What balancer is it? Most commercial balancers send mine loopy.

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

It’s forageplus for grass kept ponies…

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

The winter plus one…

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Try giving him a calming cookie before you set off, works for some but not others but I often found the placebo effect on my brain was helpful enough.
I would also take him off the balancer and chaff, and the carrots (I know they're small but they're high sugar and he probably doesn't need them) - see what you have then

What chaff is it? Sometimes they're deceptive in ingredients.

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

It’s thunderbrook healthy herby chaff. Will stop giving the carrots and balancer. Any suggestions for veg horses like that are low sugar? Thanks for the advice. What do u think about moving yards?

 

[bonny]

It’s thunderbrook healthy herby chaff. Will stop giving the carrots and balancer. Any suggestions for veg horses like that are low sugar? Thanks for the advice. What do u think about moving yards?

If you want a horse to go hacking then move to a better hard and hopefully you can ride more and both of you will be happier.

 

[[153312]]

Most fruits/vegetables are fairly high sugar unfortunately. Thunderbrook are also a fairly unethical company and as your cob shouldn't need hard feed - especially at this time of year - it would be worth stopping his feed and seeing how he reacts. Could you get a sharer to up his exercise?

Nerviness and spookiness can also be a sign of a magnesium deficiency though, and most UK grazing is low in it especially at this time of year in comparison to amounts of nitrogen and potassium in the grass, so you could trial putting him on some Magnesium oxide and seeing if that changes anything. (Although that would mean giving him a token feed of something low sugar to get it into him).

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

He gets a Magnesium supplement already, sorry forgot to mention. Can you recommend a better chaff? Thanks

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

Could get a sharer…he is ridden 6 days a week at the moment though…

 

[milliepops]

tbh it sounds like you're doing all the right things OP. If you ultimately prefer a horse that's more woah than go, and your horse has turned into a rather more go-ey type horse, then I think you could consider selling him and looking for something steadier. as mentioned above lots of people like a pocket rocket type so with a bit of care i think you could find him a great home.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I think the new yard sounds good but if your horse isn't out 24/7 then you may find he has even more go! Perhaps bringing his work load down might help you if you don't need him that fit as fitter horses generally perk up.
Topspec Zero is a good one, or simple chopped oat straw - althought not everything will eat it so you might need to chuck some dried mint on it to make it a little palateable.

 

[SEL]

There's nothing wrong with selling a horse who isn't the right one for you. Why do you think he'd be hard to sell?

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

He doesn’t like being stabled and needs to be led in a bridle. He’s very sensitive and doesn’t like change…also he doesn’t travel without sedation…all these things make him a bit quirky and might make him hard to sell. He’s 14.2 but not a kids pony! These are the reasons I think he’d be hard to sell. He is beautiful and lovely and fun to ride. If I were to sell I’d be 100%honest and would ask to keep in touch/buy him back if they wanted to sell. I’m very attached to him and feel a strong sense of responsibility…I want him to have a good life…

 

[bonny]

He doesn’t like being stabled and needs to be led in a bridle. He’s very sensitive and doesn’t like change…also he doesn’t travel without sedation…all these things make him a bit quirky and might make him hard to sell. He’s 14.2 but not a kids pony! These are the reasons I think he’d be hard to sell. He is beautiful and lovely and fun to ride. If I were to sell I’d be 100%honest and would ask to keep in touch/buy him back if they wanted to sell. I’m very attached to him and feel a strong sense of responsibility…I want him to have a good life…

How old is he ?

 

[Coffeeandcakeandchocolate]

He’s 11

 

[poiuytrewq]

A 14.2 not kids pony isn’t the end of the world either.
Neither is a hacking horse that won’t load.
I’d buy still if I liked it

 

[Cob Life]

If you want to sell him, do it. If someone offered you a handful of cash for him right now would you take it? That will give you your answer

I ride a cob very similar to what you’re describing, he learnt he could push people around, he body slammed me (he’s 15.2 and I’m 5”) into his stable door, and used to just pi** off when I was leading if he felt like it, he’d spook and run ridden with Bob hope of pulling up, if you asked him to canter you’d just go flying wherever he felt like Again with no hope of pulling up even in a pelham.

I got really tough with him, if he tried to leg it he got an elbow in his shoulder and spun, he only ever tried slam me into a stable door one more time because I gave him a smack on the shoulder with a whip, he wasn’t allowed to canter until we could do a really nice controlled trot and collect and extend without getting fizz, if he spooked he circled by whatever was “scary” that day until it wasn’t.

A few years on he’s a little sharp, but I can ride him in a Mullen mouth loose ring, his canter work is coming on nicel, and it’s that sharpness that’s turning him into quite a nice dressage horse. it’s hard, some days he makes me want to scream and pull my hair out But I like the challenge of it

I still have rules I stick by with him every ride:
- 1 lap of walk each rein, no jogging or silliness before we do any trot work (this sounds simple but it took 20 minutes to achieve the other day)
- 2 laps of walk each rein, without silliness before canter work
- at least one collection and extension in trot
- if he gets silly and jiggy he comes back to a walk, we walk on a long rein and once relaxed pick backup where we were

As others have said cut out all feed (he goes completely loopy on hard feed) as much turn out as possible and if you don’t need him fit, let him get unfit. Blue can be way more of a psycho when he’s fit vs when he’s unfit.

 

[SEL]

I think he's perfectly sellable. Plenty of adults riding sharp 14.2s out there (me!). Bolshy behaviour can be sorted and lots of people would trade loading for a good hack. If he isn't the right horse for you then how about speaking to a local sales livery to see if they could find him a new home?

 

[Patterdale]

Sounds like it’s just not a good fit. I’d sell him. But send him on sales livery so he can be advertised as a forward going fun cob, rather than a problem horse. Which it sounds like he is for you, but not necessarily is in general.

There’s nothing wrong with selling a horse that doesn’t suit you. Doesn’t mean there’s blame on either side, and it sounds like you’ve tried with him. I’d just sell and buy something more suitable.

 

[magicmoments]

Most fruits/vegetables are fairly high sugar unfortunately. Thunderbrook are also a fairly unethical company and as your cob shouldn't need hard feed - especially at this time of year - it would be worth stopping his feed and seeing how he reacts. Could you get a sharer to up his exercise?

Nerviness and spookiness can also be a sign of a magnesium deficiency though, and most UK grazing is low in it especially at this time of year in comparison to amounts of nitrogen and potassium in the grass, so you could trial putting him on some Magnesium oxide and seeing if that changes anything. (Although that would mean giving him a token feed of something low sugar to get it into him).

Carrots are less than 5%, mostly water. As Clare McLeod, an independent nutritionist says. As she says a handful of what the pony likes to get down necessary supplements is fine. It's what the pony is eating the rest of the 24hrs that needs to be watched, if they are metabolically compromised Obviously if the pony is allergic that is different.