Need A Little Help

[Bel]

Hi all,

Need a little help
Jack seams to have gone backwards in his training in the last few months. He works well in the round yard, does everything asked of him, and most days behaves like a gem. I don't mind the bad day now and then, they don't bother me that much.

What's bothering me is that once I take him out of the round yard he acts like a twit, won't pay attention at all and it's a bit of a worry at times. I want to do endurance with him, I don't mean now, I was thinking in a few years when he's over his racing instinct and has calmed down a lot. I've tried everything I could think of and he still arcs up.

I've given him a rest, probably will start again in a few weeks, kinda hoping the rest makes him work better once we get to the riding stage again.

Any Ideas would be great.

I've attached a pickie of Jack so you can see what he looks like.

Thank Bel

 

[IrisSilverMoon]

is it just outside of the round yard that he starts acting silly?

if so he could be scared. You could try leading him around places instead of riding and working him. Maybe he just doesn't want to go away from the barn. Try just leading him, witha halter and lead rope and take some treats with you. walking him around, talk to him, feed him treats or let him graze so he sees that there is nothing to worry about and learns that when he is a good boy he gets a big reward!

 

[Bel]

Thanks for your reply IrisSilverMoon

Its only under saddle that he acts silly out of the round yard. Its not a Barn problem either since his stable opens out into the paddock and i don't lock him into his stable, since up until last weekend the dividing wall was not the safest, has been fixed now, I'm a firm deliver in treats for good work and he always gets a few carrots after a good work out.

Since i've moved him to the lower paddock he's acting a bit better not a lot but he can no longer see Romeo, my neibours horse, I have noticed with the last place i agisted him at that being with other horses made him hard to handle. We acount it to the fact that since he was not a good racer he spent a lot of time in a paddock playing with other horse and i think he has an association that other horses means play time not work time. I'm trying to change the association but its hard since i've only got jack and lack the funds to get a second horse. Which i will hopefully be able to do just after christmas time when we move to a better place. I'm thinking a pony of shetland would work well and then i can also teach my neice to ride.

Hope that this bit of more info helps.

Bel

 

[Shiny McShine]

He looks in very good condition in your picture, and from what you would say I would suggest that perhaps he just has some excess energy. Especially around this time of year the horses get a bit fresh and that can make them act silly when out in open spaces, and when around other horses. I have recently been having problems with the horse I ride in regard to this, because he doesn't get ridden often enough... after a couple of long rides however he is fine.

I don't know if this is the problem you are having but it is something to consider.

 

[stephydoo]

ok i hope ive got this right but from your thread i think he was a racehorse?
i used to work and train racehorses and have helped with a few people who have bought ex racehorses.
the problem with raceghorses is that they live a completely different life to normal horses.
they dont get schooled, they dont go out on hacks. they go into the school and have a bit of a walk trot and canter around, then they go into the gallops and have a good long gallop around.
they dont get to sociolise(sp) the stables even have partissions up to the roof so they cant injure each other, and they are in a stable 24/7 apart from training.
i dont have an immediate answer for your problem as i dont know the full ins and outs of it but it might help to consider these points when you are riding him and if you recently got him it will take a long time for him to adjust to his new way of life

 

[LisaS]

I agree with IrisSM. Take him around the yard leading him and maybe try and do some ground work, honestly it can be reallly fun and he'll get more familiar with voice aids. Have you tried long reining? This way he is out in front on his own plus it keeps you fit as well lol

 

[Bel]

Thnks for the replys,

stephydoo, yes he's a raceer and i'm quite fimiluar with all the post racing quirks that they have. (was a straper until a few years ago, and last three horse where ex racers)I've had him for over a year now and he has progress past most of those quirks, he's just recently taken a step back. Up until a few weeks ago he was doing wonderfully, everything had clicked for us and now its gone again.

Shiny McShine, I'm not sure that its an excess energy thing either, he's not hyper he's just unresponcive and flat.

and LisaS, Its also not ground work related we spent mort time doning ground work then anything eles, he's fluent in voice aids from our free lunging section which we where having three times a week up until i put him out to spell. He's a saint on the ground. When i bought him that was his only good point.

Bel