I bought my lad five months ago, the first few weeks all was fine and dandy (as it always is with a new horse) then he started "trying it on" doing various things - testing to see what he could get away with. I didn't let him get away with anything, but I didn't resort to whips, spurs, harsher bits etc ... He was in a 3 ring gag which I didn't like, so I changed to a French link snaffle and things started to get better, brakes were fine and his steering and transitions improved enormously and I started to feel we were now getting somewhere.
A couple of weeks ago I started to feel ill - I was taking bad dizzy turns (still waiting to go back to the doctor) and along with the stress at home (I'm caring for my elderly/disabled parents) I was feeling really low and down. And horse has taken advantage of the fact that I'm not on the ball and 'zoning out', he's started biting me in the stable, if I tell him off he strikes at me again, instead of taking a telling he gets worse, so I started ignoring him/pushing his head away, which has reduced the 'attacks' but then he started kicking me! (or at least trying to), and if he's not trying to bite or kick he'll try to squash me against the wall, and he started acting the arse when I'm riding him, gawping at everything, spooking at the slightest noise, tossing his head, swinging his arse, and instead of nice easy transitions it's squeal, leap, buck, charge. I can stop him again no problem, but I don't need the hassle of having to deal with the 'strop' in the first place.
It seriously feels like he's noticed I'm not well and has decided "I'm the boss here" and is asserting his 'authority'.
What's worrying me is this isn't a one off (for me) I have health problems (physical and mental) and there are going to be other times when I'm in a funk and not 100% ...
I'm 99.9% certain this isn't a "pain issue", and it's a behavioural thing - I've noticed that if the YO or YM are around he doesn't put a foot wrong/butter wouldn't melt, and when they're not there, the horns come out and he starts picking on me (kinda like being back at school again!)
Anyone got any suggestions as to how to deal with him 'dominating' the situation when I'm not well?
cheers me dears...
A couple of weeks ago I started to feel ill - I was taking bad dizzy turns (still waiting to go back to the doctor) and along with the stress at home (I'm caring for my elderly/disabled parents) I was feeling really low and down. And horse has taken advantage of the fact that I'm not on the ball and 'zoning out', he's started biting me in the stable, if I tell him off he strikes at me again, instead of taking a telling he gets worse, so I started ignoring him/pushing his head away, which has reduced the 'attacks' but then he started kicking me! (or at least trying to), and if he's not trying to bite or kick he'll try to squash me against the wall, and he started acting the arse when I'm riding him, gawping at everything, spooking at the slightest noise, tossing his head, swinging his arse, and instead of nice easy transitions it's squeal, leap, buck, charge. I can stop him again no problem, but I don't need the hassle of having to deal with the 'strop' in the first place.
It seriously feels like he's noticed I'm not well and has decided "I'm the boss here" and is asserting his 'authority'.
What's worrying me is this isn't a one off (for me) I have health problems (physical and mental) and there are going to be other times when I'm in a funk and not 100% ...
I'm 99.9% certain this isn't a "pain issue", and it's a behavioural thing - I've noticed that if the YO or YM are around he doesn't put a foot wrong/butter wouldn't melt, and when they're not there, the horns come out and he starts picking on me (kinda like being back at school again!)
Anyone got any suggestions as to how to deal with him 'dominating' the situation when I'm not well?
cheers me dears...