HELP - ADVICE NEEDED!!

[louise17]

Help someone! I bought my 14 year old arab 3 years ago. When I bought him I was told he was grumpy when being groomed in and out of the stable. This was a complete understatement. He was bordering on dangerous. He charged at me in the field and reared up and struck out, he cornered me in the stable, he bit me on the back taking off the top layer of skin through a t-shirt, jumper and coat, he tried to pin me against a wall and at the same time was kicking out etc.. I am sure that at some point in the past he has been mistreated and just didn't trust anyone. He has had (I found out since) numerous homes since he left the breeder (approx 7-8 in a couple of years) - why should he trust anyone? I had his back checked (he had physio treatment), his teeth checked etc. Each year since I have had to get the physio out to work on his back - I have been told his problems are saddle related but I have tried numerous saddles and had one made to measure, tried treeless etc etc. When I ride him he really doesn't seem to enjoy it at all, he is really hard work and he trails his front feet to such an extent that he wore the toe clips off and his hooves were almost square! I had someone come to help me with his 'grumpiness' and we really achieved so much that we have quite a good relationship now, although I understand where he is coming from and I'm sure his grumpiness now is just his character - I wouldn't call him dangerous now in his attitude. All through his bad habits I have always said how good he was on the road and in traffic - he has never ever been a problem until 18 August. I was out for a ride with 2 friends and was about 100 yards from home when a tractor with a trailer full of straw was approaching us from in front. The next thing I remember was that he was backing up across the road and it became dark - I knew we were underneath the tractor or trailer and I thought I was going to be run over any minute. We were then back on our feet. I was fine apart from bruised and sore but my horse was not. He had about a 12 inch open wound that had gone through the muscle as well. The vet came and he has now healed up excellently, but he seems to be more nervous when I take him in the paddock next to the road and although I am trying not to be I am still nervous on him. I went on my friends horse this morning on the road and felt absolutely fine. I have had the physio out again who said that he didn't have any back problems related to the accident but did have stiffness in his back around the saddle area. I wonder now whether he has had back problems in the past, become sore and grumpy and has been reprimanded for it.
Does anyone have any suggestions what I should do?? I feel as though I should retire him, as he is not grumpy at all when not being ridden, although others at the yard feel like it is such a waste. Please could anyone help??

[Louise C]

First of all welcome to the board! Sounds like he has good reason to behave like he does, and I can imagine that traffic will be a big issue with him from now on, not good in this day and age. Can you think of any reason why he would react on 18 August and not other times, I know my boy would have reversed me away from it fast:-)?

What do you do with him normally, does he do mostly hacking or school work? Or jumping, maybe you need to think of fun activities for him to do to encoursage him to enjoy his ridden work.

Or does he longline etc?

[louise17]

Hi Louise - thanks for replying. I don't know why he reacted on that day and not on others and I cannot understand why he reversed into it?? Nothing is making sense to me at all.

I usually hack out mainly although I have taken him jumping before although he then goes like a bat out of hell. If I was 20 years younger and in my teens I would probably have liked to do more jumping but after having a family my nerve for this seems to have gone slightly. No matter what he does he seems to be very lazy which is the best way to describe him, although saying that when he canters he is like a different horse and never knows when to stop, he then gets really strong. I let him go into a gallop once in a place where we have been numerous times and once he got into gallop I just couldn't stop him at all and he bolted and took off across a field! This was when he used to have a bit in - I have since gone bitless and he has never taken off in this.

[Louise C]

How about jumping in a school? How is he then? I don't have a problem with laziness with my horse, he's rather hyperactive most of the time!

I guess if you schooled a bit more then you could maybe take him for more faster hacks which he seems to enjoy more. Where are you based - maybe someone could reccomend someone for lessons - do you have those?

[lindaj]

It would be a shame to retire him. The trouble with a 14 year old is that he has quite a backlog of past experience, lots of it bad. I have a mare the same age who I got on loan 6 months ago. She has some of the same problems as your gelding though perhaps not as severe. Her grumpiness and confidence issues are tied up with poor treatment in a previous home I guess but her owner has not given me any information to explain. I had a number of very dangerous experiences with her on the road where she suddenly backed up into traffic or simply froze and refused to move even though she was in the way of traffic. She has a couple of awful scars and no explanation has been forthcoming.

She also is sensitive in the saddle area and its clear she has had poorly fitted saddles slapped onto her and the girth yanked tight.

I am trying to replace some of the unhelpful memories with positive ones, handling her quietly but firmly when necessary and thinking of all contact time as lesson time so that I am completely consistent in my requests etc. This is important. She now respects me too.

I have used the Kelly Marks books to help me build a course of study for us to follow. By writing down a loose framework of progressive tasks, I have been able to keep us both on track and motivated. We started with lots of groundwork. The mare has shown willingness and given me quite a boost by learning so quickly and trying so hard. Most of the nasty handling habits have all but disappeared. It is touching to see her trying to work out how to give me what I am asking for on long lines. Its new to her obviously and she is enjoying the challenge. I keep the sessions short and vary the tasks. This is easy as I find drilling boring too.

I think we do need to try to think like a horse for a bit. So often horses just have no idea what we want. The frustration puts them off us entirely. By taking it slowly and working out simple tasks together everything becomes clearer. Make sure your horse understands exactly what you mean and reward and praise when he gets anything right. That has been the key with my mare. She is a piglet and enjoys food rewards but will try just as hard for a praise reward. I now get much nicer looks from her, a very good sign. You can teach a middle aged horse new tricks.

[gordo]

Hi there. This horse has a lot of issues that need to be addressed before you can really move forward. I would try the Bach flower remedy and find the blends that can help you poor lad. Nicola Bebb who posts on here is a practitioner and a font of knowledge, she can advise you. I will leave you a link to her site. Very best of luck to you both xxx
www.holisticequine.co.uk

[Louise J]

:-/Thank you very much everyone for replying. Could I ask what Bach flower remedy is? Does this work??

I was having some lessons prior to the accident and doing more schooling work. Again he is usually lazy although he does like the faster paces.

I am in such a muddle about what to do for the best. Will have to think long and hard about this one I'm sure. I just want to do the best I can for him.

[Roz]

It sounds to me that your horse has some deep rooted problems and as he's an Arab they are known to be very intelligent and consequently quite opinionated (ours certainly is!). I would really recommend getting out an RA to come and assess your boy and to find the right route to take to help you both.

Good luck.

[gordo]

Louse - if you click on the link I let at bottom of last post you can access Nic's post and learn what the remedies are. They are great, natural, inexpensive and work!! You could always search via web about them.

[mellymoo]

How about a change of career, if he's really not happy being ridden? Those chariot cart things might be good fun for you and him - there's a thread somewhere on here about them. I can sympathise with the stoppiung in the road thing - my boy does this if I ride out, and he has a huge scar on his bum and a tractor phobia, so I have drawn my own conclusions form this.

[Harvey]

Your physio has said that the back problems are saddle-related. Imho, I would revisit looking at this. Which saddles did you try? There are a lot of new saddles around, including new types of treeless, which you can trial.

A horse that normally doesn't spook or misbehave in traffic, can do so if they're having saddle-fit problems. The fact that he trails his front feet and is grumpy when ridden are also big indicators of saddle and/or back problems.

I know you've already been this route, but if you want to ride him happily please keep trying til you find one that he's happy with .

[annahindley]

Arabs have a much increased rate of spinal anomalies. Perhaps he has something structurally wromg with his spine? Have you ever used an osteo or chiro? They can manipulate - which few physios can (some do use manipulation though) - this may have a different effect on your horse. if you are considering retiring him it may be worth trying everything first! Some of the other therapies such as Bowen or reiki may help him mentally too, and the flower remedies or homeopathy may help to balance him too. Some expert horsey help might also be useful. If I were in your situation, I would work through all the options until I found one that helped....or I ran out of cash!!

[pip]

Yes I think a change of "expert" can sometimes help. As someone who has gone through an awful lot the different treatments do help. I agree with the others that 14 seems rather young to retire unless there is a real physical problem and I think if I were in your shoes I WOULD get an RA out and perhaps another chiro/Bowen/ etc.

I don't blame any horse at all about being frightened of tractors - they are much bigger than horses and noisy. If you ever get "threatened" by a tractor then take the registration number and make a complaint to the Police. A good tractor driver should slow right down or even stop for horses, even when they are in a hurry in the middle or harvest or silage making.

[lisap]

Hi Louise - I'm a new poster too!
You sound like an incredibly brave and patient owner of a troubled horse. Although 14 is young to "retire" a horse, you mention several times that he seems unhappy when ridden, and it also seems like you have tried absolutely everything to ensure that nothing that you are doing or using on him is causing him pain. It could well be that your horse has a spinal injury that wouldn't show up unless x-rayed - all more cost to you, and even then not always conclusive. Have you considered turning him away for a year or so? Sometimes a really long break in the field can allow both mental and physical symptoms to settle down. You could then very slowly re-start him - with help from someone who is a sympathetic and knowledgeable person.
It would also give you a break from this endless cycle of worry.

[louise17]

Thank you everyone for replying. I am still getting the hang of this. I have put on a couple of replies but they don't seem to be appearing on this page - not sure why?? Anyway I was doing more schooling and having some lessons before the accident but still was lazy. When I went to put the saddle on earlier this week he was really lashing out with his back legs - is he saying something to me??

I have had a look at the Bach flower site and it looks interesting - I will have another read of it and probably give it a try. I am willing to try anything.

I don't think I am going to do anything though now until early next year when I may feel more like persevering when the weather gets better! Whatever I do I don't know if I will be doing the right thing - do we ever? I am going to give my Monty Roberts friend a ring (who first helped me with temperament problems) to see what she thinks.

I never knew how much help this site could be. Thanks again everyone xx