Whits end - re hacking and new horse

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minerva

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i bought my new horse as a very safe sound horse and repeatedly asked if he was ok and if there had been any issues with him i am exhausted by his behavior out hacking, he has tantrums there is no other way to describe it and i am beginning to wonder if his previous owner knew this and that's why he was sent off to a yard to be sold, am i being paranoid about this, should i continue to try and work through this with my instructor. My OH is worried i am going to come a cropper on the roads when he bucks and leaps about, and isnt helping me feel any happier.
i have had his back and teeth and saddle checked and re-checked and i did go out of my way when looking to find a safe sort, regardless to cost - he is generally a lovely chilled lad and very affectionate, i do love him already after 2 months and wouldn want to loose him.
secondly i have been advised to whollop him to sort it out as he is taking the piss, yay or nay?
 
he is fairly random about it unfortunately, but basically when he thinks its Trot time or time to head home, it didn't happen at first but since he has more of an idea of where he is, he has started pre-empting what he thinks we are doing - now at first its the feet stamping head throwing so i ride him strong from my seat and ignore the strop so he escalates it into leaping and jogging when still he doesn't get the attention he starts brokoing and today he actually went straight into huge leaps and bucks when he thought it was trot time, he isn't trying to take off just the tantrum
 
Blimey - sounds like fun!

TBH, I know you've had him for 2 months but you need to speak to the dealer you brought him from. I know that I personally couldn't deal with that and it's dangerous more than anything else.

Have you tried circling every time he tries to have a tantrum? If you have the balls to do it then a sharp smack may be a good option, but you have to do it and hold on which I appreciate isn't always easy!
 
you took the words out of my OH's mouth about the dealer!!! do you think it would be any good getting someone else to try hacking him or will he just revert back to this everytime he knows i am on board and also if i think there is a good chance someone else may well end up on the tarmac should i be allowing them to do it in the first place - ethically?
 
It's a tough one. What's he like in the school?

Can you take him somewhere that's a bit safer (ie not a road) and then when he starts give him a crack? Oscar was a bad napper when he got fit and I only had to have one fight with him!

Make sure you're not gripping with your knees (easier said than done I know) and I would circle him hard when he starts kicking off.

TBH, I'd ring the dealer and say he's unsuitable. Don't get stuck with him if he's not what you want - they're too expensive not to enjoy.
 
You have my sympathy, the same thing happened to me. I bought a very safe, sensible horse to hack out, but he started to rear when he felt like it. I had all the usual checks done, and even sent him to an experienced friend to see what she made of him, she could just about manage him, but it was still a major battle and in her opinion it was something he had done before - I ended up having to send him back to the dealer and lost a lot of money.

Good luck, sounds like you need to have a "chat" with the dealer.
 
God, it's awful what some people get duped with. I've been there but with Ty it was more that he was blind and 8 rather than an allseeing, 12 year old school master!
 
He probably wouldnt have done it at the yard he was sent to to be sold as he wouldnt have 'known' the hacks.

I had a mare a little bit like that who was PERFECT to hack out, but the second we turned for home YEEHA - even a slight bend in the road that might indicate that it was turning towards home was enough to get her going
crazy.gif
. She didnt do anything as mad as yours but it was still frustrating! I never really got her out of it, but she got better with age. I dont think whacking him would work, I suspect that he would just be more manic next time - I know this mare would have been. But of course they are all different so I might be wrong!
 
i'd ask an experienced rider to take him out, if pos. i wouldn't be strong with my seat when he starts, i'd be much softer and more passive but very definite about him going forward. i'd also trot for a bit to take the wind out of his sails, forward is better than upwards!
if he is worrying you though, NOW is the time to bring it up with the dealer... the horse is not as he was described at all, by the sounds of it.
very best of luck.
 
well i did go for a quick hack and a burn in the field and i rode him a few times before i bought him, he was perfect - the dealer was a very strong rider and i know he was only at that yard a few weeks so i dont know if he would have had time to start messing around - the owner did say he was turned away a few times while she had him so he probably hasnt done that much in his 7 years, but he is not a spooky horse at all and it is definatly bad behaviour for some reason - one thing is i must have mentioned 20 times on the three days i was at the yard and on the phone to the owner that he had to be calm, as i had had an ex-racer before and i did not wan to go sideways along roads anymore - and they said yes everytime.
as for smacking, it sets him off even worse which is why i am reluctant to try it out on the roads.
he will go in the school quite well, he will scoot off from under me when the trees rustle but they all do that to start with
 
My horse used to be a right idiot when it came to hacking, and would nap which ever way you went but since i had his back sorted and I have ridden him everyday he has calmed down and has now gotten over it!
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but i know where you are coming from, it is so frustrating, but once you have won with him once he will learn quickly that your the boss! and whacking just made mine rear higher!
crazy.gif
 
am going to get my instructor to take him out with me on a friends cob, to see what he thinks, if he doesnt think its something i can deal with i will then i have a professional opinion on it to back me up with the dealer, if he thinks we can go forward and past it, then i will keep going, but i will not put my self in danger on the roads - not going to happen! i would rather be out of pocket!!

Kerilli - i had be all calm and no contact with Jack the ex racer and i have tried it with Ken but if i loose to much contact his head is straight between his knees and whooopppeeeeeee i Can fly!!!!!!!!!!
 
I went through similar with mine ,my safe sensible hack would just explode for no reason at trot time or if horse in front got 1" further ahead than he thought acceptable or if another horse was behind him. stupid cantering on the spot enormous fly bucks/leaps. no reason ever found with all the usual checks . safe as houses at other times. it was like he kept everything controlled untill it exploded out . strangely its got better since we moved yards, although I dont completely trust him any more and just walk round the lanes now, I do enjoy him again. but he was never dangerous and I think in your case its definately worth speaking to the dealer, but if you do keep him it can get better.
 
I haven't read all the replies so apols if I am repeating what anyone else said. I would get a more experienced rider to take him out and asess him for you, preferably someone that knows you and your riding ability. If he is trying it on they may be able to square him up for you. If they think his behaviour is too established then I would cut my losses now before getting more attached, he may just need a more confident rider, and it sounds asif you need a less challenging ride.
 
ok, thanks for all your feedback its helped, I have also heard back from someone on here who knows him from past and I am now happier that I may be able to work through it so I will keep you posted on how we go, he is a lovely boy and I really, really want it to work out- let's hope I am up to it x x x
 
Personally i would not bother smacking him at all, I think ti will just wind the pair of you up. It sounds like excitement and bad behaviour to me. You say he's not spooky and good in all other ways so it'd be a shame to throw the towel in. i think it may be worthwhile just walking him everywhere so he cannot pre-empt what you are going to do. Yes it may be v v boring for while but it could get the message through. Also try relax in yourself, ignopre his mucking about as much as possible.

I think, until you know your horse you do not want to be heavy handed with either your aids or whip to be honest, i believe you start as you mean to go on. Go with calm thoughts and yes go for a 'plod' with someone else. i think he more than likely will calm down eventually when he gets used to you and you to him. You will then learn when he's being a prat and when you can take a firmer approach.

I would try discuss it with who you bought him from though but, just cos they may have ridden him 'strongly' doesn't mean this approach will work for you.
 
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