|
Post by sumitra on Oct 8, 2007 7:58:34 GMT
Will try and be brief.Bought about 14 months ago what I thought was a quiet little Highland cob aged 8 years. I am a nervous rider and wanted something quiet and safe. He has shown to a high standard so I thought he must have seen plenty of life and be used to traveling and he came complete with pics of last owners daughter sitting in her wheel chair holding his lead rope. Moved him to a small trecking yard which I liked but is really too far away so we could get to know one another. He settled there and apart from being a LITTLE spooky (not just with me) he was no real problem. I had several problems though. An instructor who dismantled any confidence I had (yes it was deliberate) and the yard owners daughter selling me a saddle that didn't fit him.I got a lot of flack alround when I insisted on getting a proper saddler down (who confirmed my judgement but then he did have raw patched and deep marks from the original).I also got a good physio down to treat his back. We moved to a yard a lot nearer run by a BHSI(T).Young girl pleasant and he is at present out 24 hours a day on strip grazing.Spooking is getting worse. Spinning and shooting off (not just with me) and on one occasion napping very badly (with YO/instructor). She is giving him a bit of hard feed (very small). Came in a couple of times screaming and spinning.Decided neededmore work Got sharer, competent adult. confident adult. Instructors cousin. He seemed to settle (incidently all this behaviour is new to him) then he started all over again. Instructor wouldn't let cousin ride him, very badly behaved (I wasn't there) and he ended up bouncing on sharers foot and breaking bone! Now it seems he is being difficult to clip BUT I saw him being clipped last year. Not a murmer.I wasn't there this time. He may actually be better with me but I guess that might hurt peoples feelings!!!But I don't know. The man I was planning to send him to for breaking is very good with animals. He has come highly recommended and I have been to see him, had a lesson and watched him work. He is very experienced as well.Don't know whether its worth sending him for assessment generally, selling him or moving him. Can't understand any of this.
|
|
|
Post by bedrockshetlands on Oct 8, 2007 8:22:26 GMT
I think you basically need to get to the bottom of why he is doing what he does, firstly ruling out pain (although it could be pain association - remembered pain) I'd have his back, teeth and tack checked before doing any more with him. It would hurt to ask your vets advice on the matter also, who may suggest having his ears/vision etc checked out too. All being well there my course of action would be to bring him right back to basics starting with ground work, then leaning over him and riding off etc. If your confidence has been shattered by previous instructor then yu may not be the best combination at this time, it may be worth getting someone else to put in this work whilst you work on regaining your confidence. You can never completely bombproof an animal but they can be taught to act in a sane and sensible manner whilst you are in the vicinity, lots of groundwork will help this. What hard feed is he getting? I know up here we have just had a second flush on the grass which might be contributing to his behaviour somewhat. My ponies who are in restricted grazing are only fed a small handful of safe and sound chaff and top spec anti lam (1/2 ration in summer) and they are also supplimented with cal-mag, uk soils are notoriously low in magnesium and this suppliments this, it helps prevent laminitus by breaking down sugary fats and it can also work as a calmer, something like this may be worth considering. Hope that made sense and is of some help
|
|
|
Post by sumitra on Oct 8, 2007 8:51:33 GMT
Thanks.I have started him on a calmer. His behaviour is intermittent.For instance I was trying to work out how to put a hood on him (for a small tack and turnout) and and did all but shove it up his bum before working it out and he stood there as good as gold! Another time a large piece of plastic rattled very sharply and he barely flinched but then out of the blue this behaviour comes. I would put it down to my whimpishness except that its with other people too. Am long reining at the moment and he is as good as gold!I don't know what hard feed he is getting but it is VERY little with a bit of molassed chaff.Incidently I can handle him fine on the ground and have never had a lack of confidence or problems personally there.
|
|
|
Post by sumitra on Oct 8, 2007 8:53:25 GMT
When I said breaking I meant breaking to drive, he is broken to ride.
|
|
|
Post by bedrockshetlands on Oct 8, 2007 8:58:52 GMT
If his grazing is restricted I would have thought that unmolassed chaff and no mix would be the way to go. Whatever hard feed he is getting could be counteracting the effects of the calmer you are using.
I realised you meant he was to be broken to drive, but I still think it is worht almost restarting him under saddle. It will help iron out some of the unpredictable behaviour and perhaps help you pinpoint the trigger. Unpredictable behaviour doesn't bode well for a driven career.
|
|
|
Post by sumitra on Oct 8, 2007 13:53:31 GMT
Well I am having him professionally broken and I think John will tell me if he is unsuitable.I hope anyway. Went down today and he was as calm andd co operative as anything and I learned more about Saturday. Apparently he wasn't that bad (so other people tell me) just not quite as quiet as expected and YO helper (her sister) was trying to hold him and keep away as she is allergic to hair! Am going to do lots of ground work with him and see where we go from there as I feel I need more driving lessons anyway. Thanks for your advice.
|
|
|
Post by gonewiththewind on Oct 11, 2007 8:13:28 GMT
It sounds to me like you have people handling him who are not that confident and are making a big thing out of any bad behaviour. It might be worth sending him to a good schooling yard for ridden and ground work assessment before getting him broken for driving. And make sure its to someone that will check for physical causes to bad behaviour or at least consider that could be a cause. I dont recommend getting in every one under the sun to check a horse over every time it behaves badly but if there is a behaviour change for no good reason then its worth looking into it.
|
|
|
Post by sumitra on Oct 11, 2007 14:06:31 GMT
Think you may have assessed things right.At moment he is fine again and I long reined again (my own practice really) and he was a dream come true especially for a fumbling novice at it like me.John should be able to assess for ridden as well as they break them for ridden work as well as driving.I will get him thoroughly assessed and MAY get vet down to check eyesight as well.
|
|
|
Post by jackmelad on Nov 2, 2007 16:58:00 GMT
good luck with it all hun!! been there myself a long time ago do hope you get it sorted nothing worse than things you cant explain
best of luck to you both
|
|
|
Post by zola2000 on Nov 4, 2007 16:43:05 GMT
good luck with him hope it works out for both of you
|
|
|
Post by estherr on Nov 5, 2007 11:18:55 GMT
Good luck. I'd agree with what has been said - I would say a big issue is being made out of any bad behaviour and if I were you I would immediately stop the hard feed and see if that makes a difference. A highland at this time of year shouldn't need hard feed if not in hard work, I'd go to ad-lib hay if needed but no hard feed, if he needs a feed because others are being fed then go with the suggestion above of unmolassed chaff.
|
|