Would you bother?

[ThreeWBs]

Got up to the stables this morning to take my usually placid boy for a hack. Instead I walked to the field to find a spooky, fire-breathing dragon that couldn’t stand still for more than a second and had a back and neck of solid tension. Both him and his buddies were all wired. It definitely wasn’t the happy, bucky, excitability type.. more of the everything is out to kill me type.

I did bring him to his stable to help him chill, but still not much better, so I turned him out again. I just don’t feel we would have had a good ride in the school and hacking (on the road) would be dangerous and counterproductive.

I’m just wondering if I’m being soft/a wuss?! Feel quite pants as we’re running out of sunny days!

 

[Dyllymoo]

Pick your battles. Some times if you have the thought of its not worth it then it rarely is. I wouldn't have ridden but for J to be that hyped up it probably would have been something actually trying to kill him!

 

[Baywonder]

No, you are not soft - you made a safe and sensible decision based on how your horse was behaving this morning. I would have done the same in your situation.

 

[eggs]

Sounds like you made the right decision.

There was a very funny article I read this morning about how we describe the horses as being a 'bit fresh' at this time of year when in fact they are really just lunatics one step away from being 'fresh dogmeat' (it was a tongue in cheek article)

 

[saalsk]

I'm another who picks battles carefully. A couple of days ago I brought my 2 in for feeding, and halfway in the short round one threw an absolute hissy fit, and I have no idea why. I ended up having to shout for OH to come take the big one off my hands, and just about got them to the hard standing ( big one was fine ) and even at that point, I didn't dare take the headcollar off, or even detach rope, and although he snatched a few mouthfuls of his hard feed in between freak out moments, I wrestled him back to the field and was wanting a strong G+T once the headcollar was off, and I was safely out of the field. Never done it before, he is a chilled out, easy going chap who isn't spooky or silly, and he can pretty much be taken anywhere. No changes, nothing seen that could have upset them, and whatever it was did not affect the other one. You are sensible for doing what you did, not wussy !

 

[Sossigpoker]

Massive storm raging outside- wouldn't dream of trying to ride at the moment!

 

[Shilasdair]

Would I bother? Hell, no.

It sounds like an opportunity to kill yourself/untrain him. Pick your battles indeed.

 

[ThreeWBs]

Massive storm raging outside- wouldn't dream of trying to ride at the moment!

Sunny blue skies and light winds here!

 

[Sleipnir]

I brought my big lad up to the yard yesterday and, instead of being his chilled self, he was snorty, spooky and constantly on his toes! Instead of the planned hack, I just lunged him and, watching him squealing, bucking, spooking and galloping like a lunatic, certainly told me I made the right decision. Just as you did! Always listen to your gut.

 

[AUB]

You know your horse best.

Would I bother on my own horse? Yes probably. As a dressage horse she needs to be able to stay focused in all sorts of weather and with all sorts of stuff going on around the arena, so I generally stick to my plan and take it as a learning experience and use the ride as an opportunity to work on her focus and calmness.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

They could probably sense the bad weather coming in.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Sounds like a good decision to me.

Mine were in the night before last for the first time and both were fairly wired when I went to ride yesterday morning. If I hadn’t been going out with one of my sharers and we were both there very early then I would probably have just turned out. The old boy usually settles quickly and my younger one nick named yesterday as Mr Snorty McSnort Face was a bit tense for a while so we kept it low key.

 

[Green Bean]

When a horse is that wound up, it is definitely not safe. My horse exploded once when I got on her (she was chill up to that point). I literally thought that was it, that was me gone, until she stopped for the briefest of moments and I sprang off her. Turned out she reacted to a guy out looking for one of the hounds that had apparently run off - no hunt on, they were exercising them elsewhere. Not that I have ever thought of hunting, but no hunting for us based on that one incident. i just chose to lunge her after that and she was as chill as can be. Horses hey?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Whenever I try to "power through" even though I've got a really bad feeling about it, it always ends badly. If you find yourself getting to the stage of needing everything "perfect", or looking for excuses not to ride, then you need to reevaluate, but to choose not to ride when your horse is in an unusual, wired frame of mind seems very sensible to me.

 

[w1bbler]

My 3 were like that this morning. They wouldn't be dangerous, just annoying in that mood.
With the rain & wind aswell I didn't consider riding. Quickly checked /fed them & went home to light the fire ?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Sunny blue skies and light winds here!

Ooh lucky you it's totally vile here! Horizontal rain at the moment !

 

[wiglet]

In spring of this year, I brought my mare in to ride. She was in season - first one of the year and had lost all sense of reason. I tied her up on the yard and she just bucked and screamed for her field buddies only stopping to spray liquid poo over the yard. I made the correct decision in taking her straight back to the field, unbrushed and unridden!
Definitely pick you battles wisely!!

 

[Sir barnaby]

It’s not very often that Barney performs in the field but when he does I always take the soft option and don’t ride, just one look at him bucking and rearing and I say to myself nah!! Maybe tomorrow. However my granddaughter was over the other week, she doesn’t ride very often and wanted to go out for a short hack, well one of those days when he was galloping about bucking rearing you name it, I said what do you think shall we give it a miss. As she was only here a few days we decided to go ahead, well once he was tacked up he became his usual chilled self and off we went down track, she had the best ride ever, so maybe it’s me being a wuss

 

[Pedantic]

Make the decision which is right for you and the horse at the particular moment in time.

 

[oldie48]

I hacked Rose last Thursday, crossing a big open field she suddenly started head tossing and bouncing, I got her safely through a gate but just didn't feel safe so I got off. The heavens opened and rain came down in stair rods with the occasional rumble of thunder. TBH I felt like a complete wimp but she led OK, albeit sideways as it started to blow a gale. Yesterday in glorious sunshine we met a huge tractor and trailer combo and I couldn't get her past even though the driver was really helpful, she led past OK though. As I am anticoagulants ATM I'm having to be extra careful which is affecting my confidence but it's better to get off or not ride at all than end up in a heap! Well that's what I keep telling myself!

 

[tallyho!]

It's my favourite time of year - the fresher the better!

I do have to live with a donkey the rest of the year though so any amount of "fresh" will do me and yes they do think I'm mad where I am but I genuinely love it.

It never bloody lasts long enough that's the only thing... first canter and it's back to donkey land.

 

[Reacher]

The time I forced myself to not be a wuss I ended up with concussion and a gap in my memory....

 

[ThreeWBs]

He was still a little on edge today, but a lot calmer, so I decided to ride. He was on his toes, but we had an enjoyable time, despite his ears being up my nostrils.

 

[Cob Life]

Depends on the horse, blue I would have ridden as he’s horrific on the ground some days but ridden he’s not too bad even on his bad days, you just have to be confident and push him on. But no way would I have gotten on the mare like that, she’d have had me off before I even got my leg over!

ETA it’s not unusually for blue to be like that on the ground, especially in winter when he’s not getting as much turn out