Is he just testing me or is it something else?

[MissTamara]

Hi all - im new to this but have been reading all your posts for a while now which I find very helpful. I am 38 and only riding about a year myself, I have my own horse about four months now and everything is going brill. I have overcome all my fears with him - jumping, going out in large groups, cantering - all the things I was scared of - he is young only four but absolutely brill, really quite and easy to handle ---- that is until yesterday. Tacked up as usual, thought he was a bit jittery but got up anyway, he tore off back to his field stopping at the wire and throwing me out over it. A more experienced friend then came up to me we calmed him down he held him, i got up and he reared up so my friend just shouted at me to jump off. We brought him down to my friends arena and lunged him for a few minutes and let a more experienced rider up, he wasnt a bit happy but he rode him through it and he eventually settled enough for me to ride him. I'm devastated, I cant believe he did this, he literally seemed to change overnight, my 11 year old rode him the day before and he was fine. Needless to say by confidence is gone, all my fears are back and I'm sick at the thoughts of getting back up and I know I have to soon. We checked tack shoes girth everything - everybody is baffled. does anybody have any ideas, up to this he was brill its as if he changed overnight but I want to be able to trust him again but im afraid now, its gonna take a while to get the trust back. sorry about the long post, all advice gratefully accepted.

[beating_hooves]

Assuming he isn't in pain at all, it sounds as if is starting to hit his adolescent years. It is very risky buying a youngster for your first horse as they can be extremely unpredictable, nice one minute then an absolute nightmare the next.

But just in case it might be an idea to get his back and teeth checked :)

[x.Moomoo.x]

Sorry to hear that your confidence has been knocked again :( it's never good.

But first of all, you have to remember he is still only 4 years old, so will be more prone to having bouts of different behaviour.

He may have been having an off day? I know it sounds really simple but I have ridden a horse before who is a little star most days but got on him one day and he went loopy!! and just thought they'd try their luck with everything and everyone.

Have you changed his feed or added anything to it? This can REALLY affect some horses, especially if they have been fed a bit more than their normal amount (seen it happen)

Try getting his back and teeth checked too - as a youngster he is constantly changing.

You have to take each day as a completely different day and not blame yourself because all of a sudden one day he decides to be silly - and think it's something you've done just because every other day he has been fine.

I'm not sure what else to suggest, other than try him again, be strong and confident with him (if you're too nervous at the minute, get someone else to get on him for starters) and just see how he goes. If it's a re-occurring problem then you'll just have to look a lot further into it.

Hope all goes well :) x

[jsr]

I'd certainly be getting his back checked (I get my horses done every 6 months as a rule anyway) and his teeth. But I do suspect it's a 4 year old being..well a 4 year old!!! It's quiet a big deal a novice rider taking on such a young horse, but it's certainly not impossible for you to both learn together. I personally would invest some money in a good instructor and get some ground rules sorted before this becomes a habit (this is assuming it's not a physical reaction to pain). I took on a just backed 3 year old after returning to riding at 30 (after a 10 year break) and without the help of some experienced friends and a good instructor I'd have been lost.

I totally understand why your nerve will have gone now, but you do need to get back in the saddle (excuse the pun) and get the trust back. The worse time I had with my boy was from 5 to 7 when I did have days I thought we'd part company, but being a stubborn old mule I wasn't going to let him beat me and now at 8 he's a dream.

[MissTamara]

Hi all - thanks for all your advice - I am coming to the conclusion that he is just acting his age! Just cant face him tonight but am gonna have another go tomorrow night. I am lucky in that I have a support group of experienced riders around me so I've been told if I'm not up to it somebody else will ride him for me for a while but I'm thinking I have to do it myself - mind you I might feel different tomorrow when actually faced with it. I know he is young but dont want to give up on him either considering he has been a dream up to this - suppose I may take the good with the bad - so heres hoping all goes well tomorrow. Actually just realised he was in my friends yard the day before and she fed him so maybe your right - could have been change in food. O if only its that easy!!!!