need some advice

Freckles93

Hey my horse had recently been really bold for example bucking people and trying to get them off which she had never done before however I do think it's cos she was off work for awhile! I'm only a novice and she's a green horse but we're trying our best. She has gotton a lot better this week but everytime I sit up on her I get really nervous and then I loose all my balance and seat and i'm pretty sure she can sense that too! What should I do?? xx

byhookorbycrook

Have you had her back checked?Is the saddle comfy-do you use a numnah?Has she a "cold" back?

She may just be full of beans, would you lunge her first to get the fizz out of her before you sit up?

Freckles93

Hi yep I do lunge her before I ride and I use 2 numnahs with her now. We got her back checked when she was lame(thats why she was out of work) and she seemed to be okay. Sorry i'm unfamiliar with the term "cold back" could u explain it plz


I think it is that she is full of beans but is there anyway I can try to relax her somehow cos she seems very tense and then I get nervous and can't work on my balance xx

Borderfox

Its that time of year too, took my guy out today and he was like lightning. He wouldnt shift me though (we have a special arrangement )

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Borderfox wrote: »

Its that time of year too, took my guy out today and he was like lightning. He wouldnt shift me though (we have a special arrangement )

Must be the improvement in the weather - my fella is like that too for the last 2 days, despite being taken for a nice long hack around the roads!

Freckles93

Haha this is very true:) haha good good if only my brat listened to me more haha!


But I am a very nervous rider and she is off putting like just today I was bringing her over jst a coloured pole on the ground and she spooked backwards from it She will get there it's jst hard for me cos I'm a novie and trying to get my seat/balance right whilst trying to prevent her from doing something silly, you know? I'm never relaxed and I hate that!

Anything I can do to calm her a bit? I mean she is fine on the lunge!

xx

byhookorbycrook

some horses have a "cold"back, it means they are a bit "hunchy" when you first sit up. Does she buck on the lunge?Might be time to look at her diet too, does she get much hard feed? Spring def in the air and they're all a bit on their toes at the moment. The wind last week drove my normally sane and safe boy half mad too.

Freckles93

oh! no she never bucks on the lunge! She hasn't bucked in the last few days but she puts her ears back when I sit on her first and she seems tense cud that jst be because I am nervous?

Nah she only gets a half a scoop of cubes. It's defo not the feed!

xx

Ave Sodalis

That may be part of it. The horse might tense if it feels you tensing. Also, as you are a nervous rider, the horse may take a 'hand' at you. I ride a horse who sticks her ears back everytime you ask her to do something and tosses her head out of boldness but a qiuck tap with the whip to remind her not to works ( I wouldn't do this unless your sure it's boldness) but more than likely it's an underlying problem. I would go get it checked again by a vet.

Freckles93

Thanks a million everyone for your help I will get the vet to check her out again, better safe than sorry! In the mean time I will try to calm myself and relax Thanks again everyone!

xx

Freckles93

Also though she has been out of work for a bit so she is only getting back into work and today she spooked at a pole I asked her to walk over. Has anyone any tips of how I should get her use to this again. Do you think I should try and lunge her over poles and jumpsto get her use to it again before riding?

xx

shanagarry

It's mostly time and patience with a young horse really... If her spooking makes you nervous though, it's probably best to do it on the lunge. If she's spooking at thing she didn't spook at before, it might just be naughtiness though. It's important that you learn the difference between her being genuinely nervous about something and being bold - if she's scared, take the time to introduce her slowly, if she's being bold, you need to be firm with her. Do you know any experienced riders that might be able to pop up on her the odd time for you if there are big stumbling blocks. I know you probably want to do most stuff yourself, but if it's making you very nervous it's not worth it.

But as said above, the first thing when a horse's behaviour changes is rule out pain - check her back and her teeth (if she's young, she could be getting wolf teeth) and that she's definitely properly sound again.

Also be careful that if you loose your balance a bit that you don't end up using the reins for support and pulling her.

Freckles93

shanagarry wrote: »

It's mostly time and patience with a young horse really... If her spooking makes you nervous though, it's probably best to do it on the lunge. If she's spooking at thing she didn't spook at before, it might just be naughtiness though. It's important that you learn the difference between her being genuinely nervous about something and being bold - if she's scared, take the time to introduce her slowly, if she's being bold, you need to be firm with her. Do you know any experienced riders that might be able to pop up on her the odd time for you if there are big stumbling blocks. I know you probably want to do most stuff yourself, but if it's making you very nervous it's not worth it.

But as said above, the first thing when a horse's behaviour changes is rule out pain - check her back and her teeth (if she's young, she could be getting wolf teeth) and that she's definitely properly sound again.

Also be careful that if you loose your balance a bit that you don't end up using the reins for support and pulling her.

hey thanks for the advice She isn't young she just hasn't got any experience really all she did before i got her was hunting! Yeh I'm gonna try get someone else to get her goin for me and see where I go from there. I have a lesson tomorrow so should be fun :P

xx