What the hell has happened to Ginger

OwnedbyChanter

OwnedbyChanter

With out my boys life would be bland
Apr 16, 2009
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Raininghamshire
OK was camp was amazing. Most of you have seen the photos he was actually breath taking. Get home I get the same results Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday then I came off. Got back in he was still amazing.

I have great friends that have offered to ride him for me. I came off on Thursday he had Fri, Sat and Sun off

Monday - OH ride him, yes badly, very badly nit contact and boucing I told him to just walk him around. Ginger was great but head in the air not listening

Tuesday - A mate rode him he was good in walk and trot on the bit ad listening, In canter his head came up but he was still good

Wednesday - I went to to watch he good for 15 minutes than just refused point blank to go on the bit or move well.

Thursday - OH rode again not nice and asked him to just hack instead.

Saturday - Mate rode again, Oh he was having none of it.

Really worried now. The saddler was here today fitting his dressage saddle so not that. he went in for a full dental work less than a month ago. His back was checked 2 1/2 months ago and due the first Sat if Sept.

Now I don't understand how a horse can go from amazing to f&*king awful in 8 days. My mate is not the best of riders but still good but I know she had problem with contact on her own horse and her mothers as I gave her lessons to deal with it.

I have a very experienced friend riding him first thing tomorrow. I know I am the only person that has schooled and worked him in the year U have owned him.

So is it a pain related thing that has happened in the last 4 days, or is he taking the piss and believe me for those that think horses don't so this they need to ride Chanter who is the king of playing people.

After friend rides tomorrow, if he goes well for her he will just be lunged on the pessoa until I am well enough to ride if he does not that I will bring the back lady forward a week or two.

Know one on the yard will give me a leg up so I can feel what he is doing myself. I know that horse inside out and would be able to tell in a stride or two of there was a pain issue.

Sorry long winded with no really point. I just feel so helpless.
 
Get your OH to give you a leg up tomorrow, couple of strides won't hurt if your ankle is strapped up well. Personally just think its probably due to change in riders
 
That's not fair! Guess you will have to go with your gut, do you think its pain or riders? Sorry I'm no help, sure someone on here will have something more to say
 
Gah how frustrating :(

I have to say though he could be taking the piss or perhaps just not getting the same message from you as he is from other riders. You were the only one at that clinic with him:wink: Rubic was always odd with other riders on board - think about it you have been riding Ginger for a year, he'll be used to you and you will be used to him. I have to say that when I get on another horse it takes me time to get used to tgem - sometimes 5min, sometimes a few rides, if he is a little tricky then maybe he'll take time ti get used to someone ekse and maybe they'll take time to find his buttons. He could just be feeling a little confused and insecure! Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow, I'll keep my fingers crossed he's not sore and is just a bit confused :wink:

Eta - excuse typos I'm using my phone!
 
I will be honest, my first thought is that it sounds like he's gone a bit sour. Too much schooling and "proper" work maybe. Maybe he just needs a little less intensity for a while? It can be tempting when a horse is making good progress to keep going but sometimes they just need to stop "thinking" so much and chill out a bit. A break can do all horses the world of good but youngsters especially.
 
Joosie I would agree but he has hardly been in the school the last two months we have been out having a ball x county, boxed up and hacking, jumping hence the fall. he started back in the school the first day of camp.

When I got back from camp he has a day off, one day flat work, one hack and jumping and he was still amazing

So no not school scour at all. I never do the same thing two days in a row.
 
TBs can often be 'one person horses'.

They will let others ride but not give of their best. Also worth considering basic things like weight and height of rider, you alone have been schooling him other people will feel different and give aids in different places.

One of ours 'grumps' if stirrups are odd, the other throws a wobbly if the rider sits deeply in the canter transition. They can be very sensitive in both a good and bad way, that's why ride judges in ROR classes sit quietly and non confrontationally!!

I wouldn't worry too much just get someone hacking him out on a long rein to keep him exercised until you can ride again.
 
i am no expert in schooling but used to ride point to pointers and agree with elm about some been one person horses,4 out of 10 were only rode by one person everyday,I rode a filly who was lovely but could not cope with different riders we just clicked,i could not however get anything good out of one of the geldings who a man rode all the time,my gut feeling would be the change in rider and agree with elm in get him hacked out and exercised and come back to schooling when your fit and well x
 
I agree with eml - but then I am a RS rider. yes, for 9 years now I have ridden mainly just two horses. Both those horses (I now know) behave differently with other riders - by which I mean members of staff. I always knew my share mare was an old bag whom people refused to ride or blamed for failing them an exam, but last week I was told by one young woman that my adored favourite was a mare she would avoid in future as completely over-excited and unmanageable!

The difference with you and Ginger is that you are part way through his formal education and are troubled that he is not going well nor paying attention. I thin you have to accept that teaching from other people is not like yours. And put his education on hold for a few weeks till you are better. I wouldnt even lunge him in side reins uless you are desperate to do that. As eml says (and you said to start with) all you wanted was someone able to ride him in walk and keep him mobile.

One of the most striking differences I have seen is in a little cross country pony I hacked for 2 months last summer. I rode him a lot and gradually got him just as I like. he became so like my share mare, that it made me wonder how one could sort one horse from another when choosing one to buy. I worked this transformation. 5 or 6 months later, last winter I had to ride him again. he was unrecognisable. he had been ridden by other people and totally forgotten the things I had asked of him. And I didnt have the heart to go through the refinements again.
My favourite is a different matter. I have ridden her so often and for so long that she appears to have forgotten nothing. And I guess you will find that with Ginger when you get back in the saddle. Yes, you may need to build up his fitness and muscles but he wont have lost the whole lot.

If you look at nice horses from the point of view of the rider -a familiar horse becomes like a favourite pair of walking boots. My beloved fits me perfectly. She feels like what riding ought to be. Two RIs in the last fornight have remarked on how right we seem together. Now if I feel it, dont you thnk the horse feels it too? That one rider's body and tiny cues will differ from another's?
You yourself have taken pride in how well other people's horse's go for you. It stands to reason that your horse may go worse for other riders. And this is true even at the top levels where gold medal horses have been sold to another rider. And Carl Hester left Charlotte du jardin to ride his best horse in the Olympics because she was the rider he was used to.

It isnt Ginger I have worried about these last couple of days, but yourself - forced to be less active and stand back from the pressure and goals you set yourself. The fact that this worries and stresses you isnt a good sign. You need to look after yourself - stay fit, eat carefully, and hopefully find something other than Ginger to occupy your mind. I am sure if you turned Ginger away for a month, it would do him no harm. London horses often have holidays.
 
Yup, I'd go with the 'other riders' thing too. He's playing them, not you. I also think you're probably worrying more because you feel so helpless - I know that feeling too! Sounds stupid but when I am on holiday and can't see my dog and horse every day, I stress about them when I should be switching off.
 
Another vote for it being that he is a one person horse!

Also you ride very well and work hard to tweak whatever you need to in order to be even better, he has probably got used to having a sensitive and well balanced rider, so now he notices if someone is out of kilter.

I know RS horses who have previously been trained to a high level, who would really tell their riders off if a leg went to far back or if they sat too deep and squashed their back.

Puz is also similar and doesn't work particularly well for other riders!
 
Yup another one who agrees with the change in rider theory, only you have ridden him in a year and he knows you so well and you him, I'm not a good rider but Oscar always went much better for me then for anyone else who rode him including my very good RI but that was just because he and I were used to each other and knew what worked and what didn't - he was a TB too, Belle on the other hand is anyone's horse pretty much.
 
I tend to agree with the thought he's his mummy's boy!! Tbs are sensitive souls and def know when there's a change of rider, I do just think its that Hun, real worry for you and frustrating when you can't do anything about it and get on:(( just lunging him on Pessoa sounds best after your friends ridden him, and if he's used to the Pessoa it won't be too much out of his normal routine - know how worrying and frustrating it is tho Hun when they have a funny blip and they can't tell you why! Us as mums have to try and work it out for them:(( thinking of you xxx
 
I personally think it's great experience for horses more sensitive to a rider the opportunity to have different people on board - for just an occasion like this when an injury may occur and the usual rider can't do it.
 
I have been riding for over 30 years and it's over in the last few months that I have learnt how to ask my horse to work in an outline. It is really not as easy as it looks and my horse will not offer it unless I ask him correctly. I'm sure that it is the same for Ginger and I'm not really surprised that he doesn't go as well for other people as he does for you. He is probably doing exactly what he thinks the rider is asking for.
 
Evening everyone.

Firstly thank you all for your kind words about Ginger and I it really has made me feel so much better.

Well the other lady road this morning. The first 20 minutes were awful. I was getting really upset, she is the best rider on the yard, kind, soft and caring. She never raised her voice, used her whip or was forceful with her hands and he was having none of it.

She came up to me and said she had no idea what was wrong or why he was doing. She walked off to try again and wow suddenly Ginger was back:biggrin: she stopped and looked at me and said 'I have no idea what I did but it worked' She kept in walking and halting the walk off then moved in to trot he had a couple of moments but she just brought him back to walk and asked again.

The next twenty minutes were amazing, Ginger was back to his normal self tried a couple of moves but nothing different from normal. :dance: I have never been so happy. When she got off she said he was great with an amazing canter and light aids and soft in the hands.

She two said he was just use to me. She has offered to ride once a week for me. The young girl opposite at the yard has ridden Chanter and she rode he really well she will be hacking him for me from now on why she is off school. Ginger has been schooled the same way as Chanter so she should be fine.

Gimp - I agree with you it was only the day before I broke my ankle that I said to a friend he is ready now to have other riders on him.

EML you made me feel instantly better with your comments it is so true some horses are just one rider horses and I think he is one of them.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow and the specialist to see if I need surgery or a pot on put back on. then I have a time line.

Skib - Not being able to deal with my horses is awful, not being able to train or race is hell to me. I am trying to keep up beat but it is hard when I can't even leave the house with out help.

I am still doing my sit ups and press ups to keep me as fit as I can be but it is horrid seeing my hard work start to go wobbly and worse weak.
 
Nothing useful to add really - but it must be frustrating with your injury. And yeah I can see how it would upset you things going wobbly and weak! But please be careful still doing your sit ups!!
 
Sounds like it went well with your friend eventually, great news :D

Must be so frustrating to watch on !
 
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