grumpy horse!

[copper76]

Hello!I have recentley posted a tread about my horse with the lameness problem.I was wondering if there was anyone out there who could help with my grumpy horse!!This is another horse.He is a 17.2hh show hunter and is being quite difficult at the moment.
we have had him for 2 yrs now and was a bit of a handful when we first got him and was nappy with a prone to rearing but with time,patience and reschooling we have got this out of him and he is a very nice ,sensible ride both hacking and in the school(anybodies ride).
However he has become increasingly naughty to handle,when you groom him hic either kicks out with his back legs or strikes out with his fore legs.He also tries to bite you or kick when you put his rugs on and walks all over you!!He strikes out when having his rugs on.
Tacking him up is becoming a nightmare as he sticks his head right up curling his top lip and then when you do get his head down he won't open his mouth!!
He also walks off when you try to put the saddle on or when putting his boots and bandages on-he always lifts a leg in a threating manor when doing this as well.Yesterday he was tied outside his stable having been rugged up for bed and with no warning kicked out at me just missing my head.
I have tried many ways of telling him that its not acceptable from reassuring him when being rugged,tacked and groomed to giving him a smack when he kicks or bites but nothing works!
He is fine to ride and has had a vet check him twice,he has been on antihistamine in case it was a skin reaction and he has been on bute in case it was a pain problem but nothing works!He has also had his teeth,back and tack checked in the last 4 months.
Can anyone offer any advice!!
(Horses eh??!!!)

[Bebe]

How long does he get turned out for? One of the horses on the yard I'm at is a total terror in winter because of the lack of turnout. Just a change from 12 hours a day to 6 turned him into a nightmare, he bit one girl so hard she had to have stitches even though she had about 5 layers of clothes on. He also has to be led to the field and back in a chifney. In summer he's a completely different horse though.

There must be a reason for him to suddenly start behaving like this and I'd look for physical first (which it seems like you've done but it might be a good idea to get a second opinion as his behaviour is so extreme) and then environmental (turnout, new next door neighbour, different feed, etc) before anything else.

Amanda

[Speedy]

That's good advice. Also, try desensitising him from a distance eg. I do Parelli and we use a carrot stick and gently rub it over them - it's long enough that if they kick out they can't reach you, but it gets them used to being handled. This would take ages to explain in full I'm afraid.

On a slightly different subject, my mare is a bit nappy and rears - how did you get him to stop doing this?

Thanks xx

[copper76]

Thanks to both of you for your advice!
with regards to the nappiness in your mare I have stopped 3 horse from napping.One was a coloured mare that I had given to me on loan and she would fall out through her shoulder and then rear and buck,she would walk a long way on her hind legs-the way I stopped this mare was a soon as she started to back off I would stand her still and no matter which way she turned I would turn her back the way she came from,I would then stand her still in the same spot and refuse to let her move away,I would sit there for hours if nec,until she realised that the only way she was going to go was my way,gradually the length of waiting time shortened until she stopped napping altoghether.
The next horse was a young horse and he didn't rear as much as whip round and bounce up and down with a lot of force!As soon as I felt the horse start to turn I bought the rein of the way he was turning down towards his houlder and blocked him with the outside rein,this prevented him from whipping round and agin it was a case of sitting it out in the same spot until the horse realises it easier to go where I want to go.
With the big horse,he was the worst,he would drop the outside cntact (even in the school) and refuse to turn right and the more you insisted the more he would rear,he would barge into the outdoor arena gate and rear up and put his feet over it.I solved this problem by firstly using xtra leg passed the gate.
I also long reined him in and out of the yard,passed the gates,in and out of the school and round the school and at any hint of nappiness send him forward from behind,also I lunged past the outdoor school gate time and time again rather than lunging him away from the gate at the top of the school until going off by himself was second nature.
If when I was on him i felt him slip out through my outside leg I would keep a strong contact with my outside rein and send him forward with my outside leg having the stick in this hand to back it up.I found lunging and long reining out and about most helpful as most napping is due to lack of confidence from the horse which in turn causes lack of confidence from the rider and you go round in circles,lunging and long reining encourages a horse to go on its own.Also when out hacking go in front if wioth another horse and insist the horse stays in front or side by side to start with.
If you do lunge/longrien have someone their to walk out with you and wear a hat and gloves.Make sure you have a stick.
The main thing with a nappy horse is to insist that the only way to go is forward,most horses have a particular way that they turn when they nap so try to establish which way it is with your horse and as soon as you feel the napping coming on block them with that rein and use lots of leg!!
Let me know how you get on and remeber with a nappy horse forward trhinking is most important!