Grumpy old man!!

[hdonna]

Dan is my grumpy old man in the form of a 18yr old coloured cob owned for 18months.

I was sold him as a safe cob type. This is true once ridden but he does have issues from the ground. Once i hunted down a previous owner I found the extent of his issues. She had to sell him in the winter of 2007 when he was thrown off a livery yard due to his unruly behaviour. He was always lled in a chifney.
Since we have had him we have had issues. He can be difficult to catch and after some IH sessions and join up with him he still did not improve so he is very food orientated and so we successfully catch him with a feedbowl and nuts without fail every time ( please dont shoot me down in flames) I works for us. Anyway have never had to lead hhim in a chifney and dont think i would ever want to but this week his behaviour got particularly dangerous when we attemtped to saddle him up the other day he didnt even let me near him with the saddle (he was tied up in yard area as have no stable) so i asked hubby to hold him whilst i put saddle on NO CHANCE he just kept trying to run off ( in norm headcoller with long rope as have not needed the dually since last winter. So safest option was to turn him out and assess situation as i do!!! Dawned on me his behaviour gets worse in the winter occassionally also in summer when he is on restricted grazing. So is is just food obsessive or is there an issue. It is extremly cold at the mo and we have had snow recently and now hard frosts all day and night. I have three horses living out on a non muddy paddock with ok grazzing but of course due to weather I have been putting hay out but not sure if enough. Only one small bale a day as they are also overweight!!! he has chaff and high fiber nuts and cortaflex in his feed in the evening.

what I am really looking for are ideas as to why he gets bulshy when it is winter time I am leaning to not feeding enough but maybe other unforseen issues going on as I am always paranoid

Advice please

Just to jog your memories this is Dan the Man

[sandy]

Sorry, the only advice I could give is to get the help of an RA but I think from your post you've done that. However, he is one very attractive Dan the Man. What a lovely horse.

[hdonna]

Cheers Sandy

[lisap]

Oh, how I sympathise! Frankly, I think it is coloured cobs! We have two coloured horses at our yard of 17 neddies, and the two coloured cobs are by far and away the worst behaved, bargy, annoying of the lot. And worse in winter.

I could cheerfully strangle my piebald boy who has to be tied up in the stable when he comes in, will not stand still for a second when I am trying to do anything with him, like change rugs, tack up, groom etc etc. Fortunately, when I finally get on his back he is as good as gold, so I put up with it, otherwise I would have had a nice piebald ponyskin hearthrug by now!

I do think they get bored at this time of the year, a bit cold, they are *always* hungry no matter how much you feed them and how fat they are.

[mollymoo]

Jan 5, 2010 0:07:32 GMT 1 lisap said:

Oh, how I sympathise! Frankly, I think it is coloured cobs! We have two coloured horses at our yard of 17 neddies, and the two coloured cobs are by far and away the worst behaved, bargy, annoying of the lot. And worse in winter.

I could cheerfully strangle my piebald boy who has to be tied up in the stable when he comes in, will not stand still for a second when I am trying to do anything with him, like change rugs, tack up, groom etc etc. Fortunately, when I finally get on his back he is as good as gold, so I put up with it, otherwise I would have had a nice piebald ponyskin hearthrug by now!

I do think they get bored at this time of the year, a bit cold, they are *always* hungry no matter how much you feed them and how fat they are.

I cam promise you it is not just cobs! ;D

My Thoroughbred is the epitome of a grumpy old man and is 100 times worse in winter.

I have found giving him as much adlib fibre as possible has helped alot and I have done endless groundwork sessions which has made a huge difference.

[penny70]

Ulcers due to less fibre going through the system?
Change of shape in winter causing saddle to fit less well than it does in the summer?

Just the 2 things that popped into my head reading your post.

[Lady Equine]

He is a very pretty boy...

Speaking from exp of an impatient horse, i would deffinately go back to groundwork... Had it the same with Aps could do everything BUT stand still..!! mounting would take 30 mins, tacking up 20 mins and a couple of head butts...! She got very agressive, at one point striking with her fronts, then i was introduced to IH, my local RA and my amazing yard mate (training to be an RA) - What a different girl, still has *moments* but that's all they are and when she goes back in the dually for a while. I have also looked at her feed type & quantity and she has nothing but Alfa A and a joint supplement, which seems to have calmed her a great deal, but she is still keaner in the winter.

Good Luck with your pretty boy..

LE
x

[jes]

It is possible he is hungry. My lad is impossible to deal with if he's hungry, but give him a haynet to munch on and he'll happily let you do most things.

He doesn't look overweight in that photo, but I don't know how recent that is.

Maybe try giving a bit more hay, giving him a haynet when tied up and you're trying to do something with him, etc.

Also, reinforcing the IH groundwork is always a good idea.

[melissa1787]

Not being rude! but have you had back checked and teeth done?

Other than that try and RA to help with ground work again.
Long lining and maybe try and stimulate him with games like knocking a ball around or leading him over obsticles.

Also feed ad lib hay in field and feed fibre cubes scattered around in piles maybe to encourage foraging.
Tie some apples and carrots to trees if you have any trees over hanging field.
Or just pop some carrots and apples around field randomly.
Give a treat ball with some pony nuts in (make sure that all horses have one tho to stop fighting)

Hope any of my ideas help a bit and i have not bored you.

Where are you based by the way?

[zack&buffysmum]

I would agree that it's not just cobs and that the winter may have something to do with it.
My Zack (TB) is a dope on a rope in the summer - in the winter he turns into a monster.
This year it was when the weather turned and the snow started - it's like he blames me for the weather!!
Now he's had a bit of time to get used to it, he's improved quite a lot, but I'm making sure that he ALWAYS has plenty of hay available and he's warmly rugged as I've noticed in the past that that makes a difference to his behaviour.

[hdonna]

thanks everyone. Hes teeth are checked regularly and no not had back checked but that is something I am defo considering anyway. He was a lot better tonight!!!

I am based in herts, beds, bucks boarders

[Diane D]

He is a really handsome grumpy old man hdonna.

[jennyg]

Hi hdonna,

I also can entirely sympathise! I too have recently had issues with my horse appearing as though she wants to eat me alive at the mere sight of the saddle and have tried to tack her up with other half holding/me putting saddle on and vice versa. This resulted in OH having to leap over the water trough as he nearly got squashed against it as my mare Stella attempted to kick him! All pain related issues have been eliminated & I've had the help of an RA whose method of tacking up my mare has worked a treat! If you want to know more, pm me, although it's possible that the advice I've had won't be applicable to your boy, but it may help.

She's also been more tetchy than usual and also much more forward going on rides, which I'm not at all keen on as I bought her as a safe steady cob. I've done some groundwork with her over the last few days and she's being much more resistant & generally annoying than usual!! No wonder our rides out are less than relaxing!

sorry, I've not really provided any advice, but I would say get an RA and explain that certain techniques have not worked so far and you are still experiencing issues. I'm sure there will be a way to get there with him. For now, at least you know it's not just you with a bolshy horse!

[melissa1787]

Get back done and tack checked then get an RA out and see how it goes.
We are here for help and an eye at any time.

[hdonna]

once this snow goes then it is back checking time. Have upped to hay and he seems happier at the mo. But have not presured him into anything.