Bad behaviour

I

Iceblue

New Member
Jan 23, 2016
6
0
1
29
hi,

I have a 19yr old TB, who recently in the last month/6 weeks or so has started to become very strong with me and start rearing and kicking out when I am turning him out, I get past the second hate when I am turning him out and he tries to bolt, then rears when he realises that I still have hold of the lead rope :( it's starting to make me nervous around him as he's caught me a few times :( totally knocking my confidence and I dread turning him out in the morning.

I haven't changed his feed or anything, he is on unmolassed food and does not get any titbits. I just want my sweet natured horse back
 
Do you turn him out in your hat and gloves? I always wear my hat if I think either of ours might be in a daft mood. Also sometimes I have been known to wear my bp and steel toed boots. I think it goes a long way to boosting confidence if you are prepared. Have you anyone who can walk with you for moral support? I sometimes find this a big help, and if the horse knows we are feeling more confident / safe, they tend to tone it down a bit.
I think this time of year brings out some unwanted behaviour. Our pair can be down right giddy for some reason!
 
How long have you had him? Is this behaviour out of character? Does he behaves differently with other handlers?
 
What KP nut said - is he new? How long have you had him? Sudden behaviour changes do always have a reason, they don't come out of nowhere.
 
Yes he is the same with other handlers, he has become disrespectful on genral as well, started napping when I'm putting a head collar on him, but when he is coming in he is absolutely fine - like a dope on a rope!
 
Iceblue said:
Yes he is the same with other handlers, he has become disrespectful on genral as well, started napping when I'm putting a head collar on him, but when he is coming in he is absolutely fine - like a dope on a rope!
Click to expand...
I've had him for a year
 
It does sound like the behaviour of a new horse - they're often good initially, then test the boundaries after a few weeks to see what they can get away with. But if you've had him for a year, it's probably not that! I think you're just going to have to be firm with him, and make sure he doesn't get away with this - put him in a dually to lead if that's going to make you feel safer, and turn him round and back him up every time he misbehaves. Even if it takes ages to get out to the field! Once he realises you're insisting on manners, he'll realise he has to behave to get to his field quickly.

ETA - are there new horses out there? Mares maybe? Is he turned out with other horses - has the herd dynamic changed at all? Just wondering what's changed that has suddenly made his field very exciting!
 
squidsin said:
It does sound like the behaviour of a new horse - they're often good initially, then test the boundaries after a few weeks to see what they can get away with. But if you've had him for a year, it's probably not that! I think you're just going to have to be firm with him, and make sure he doesn't get away with this - put him in a dually to lead if that's going to make you feel safer, and turn him round and back him up every time he misbehaves. Even if it takes ages to get out to the field! Once he realises you're insisting on manners, he'll realise he has to behave to get to his field quickly.

ETA - are there new horses out there? Mares maybe? Is he turned out with other horses - has the herd dynamic changed at all? Just wondering what's changed that has suddenly made his field very exciting!
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm going to try a dually I think.

Every time he starts to pull ahead or misbehave I make him stop but it just seems to make him worse and becomes stronger! Him being 16'3 he isn't small and when he's bolshy it makes things very hard :(
 
Iceblue said:
Yeah I'm going to try a dually I think.

Every time he starts to pull ahead or misbehave I make him stop but it just seems to make him worse and becomes stronger! Him being 16'3 he isn't small and when he's bolshy it makes things very hard :(
Click to expand...
It's hard! I used a dually on my girl when I first got her - she played up being turned out too - and just putting it on her seemed to be enough to calm her down. Good luck!
 
How long has he been coming in at night? Is he always kept in at night or is it just recently? When Belle comes in for the night she starts off just fine but as time progresses she starts to stress and then I get the silly behaviour, I only bring in from end Oct to end of Jan and appreciate this isn't always possible for everyone.
Also how long is he in for and is he getting enough to eat overnight? It could be that he's hungry and in a rush to get out to eat?
If you can't work out why he's behaving this way then please be safe and Wear your hat and gloves and boots. As Trewsers said that in itself might give you the confidence to deal with him better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey and squidsin
I would be asking the same questions as Kite_rider, something must have changed to cause the behaviour and restricted turnout can be a trigger, even after a few months some just seem to start getting bored of it.
 
Good thinking! I can't imagine restricted turnout being a problem - I literally had to get behind my girl and push her into her field this morning, and am just going back to get her in as she'll have had enough of being out by now. All of 3 hours once I'd ridden! But I think it's my girl that's weird like that - most horses are the exact opposite!
 
Oscar is also never very keen to go out in cold or wet weather and very VERY keen to come back in again!
 
  • Like
Reactions: squidsin
I agree you definitely want a hat and gloves on, and a longer rope than a normal lead line so you are a bit safer. Best thing you could do in my opinion is get an IHRA out to do a groundwork session with you - I am obviously biased because I am one.
This would give you some good training in techniques to keep safe and to get him calmer and more under control, using a dually halter. There are some fab techniques to stopping this behaviour that I cant describe on here now, but you could get from hands on instruction.

But, some practical things to try in the mean time include making a smallish (too small is equally dangerous!) enclosure inside the gateway so that he is sort of confined when you come through the gate and has to wait calmly there to have his halter taken off.

Giving him something nice to eat before taking the headcollar off so he gets in the habit of waiting for it.

Teaching him (in the stable) to head lower and then head lowering before his adrenaline gets up to high and regularly to keep it low as you turn out.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back