Guinness and I had a Hiccup

[gypsycob]

I know I am quick to talk about all of his acheivements, but we had a Hiccup yesterday and it really took me aback (he is normal horse after all).
I always ride him home on boxing day and I intended to do the same yesterday... we didn't make it.

I have barely ridden at all the past 6 weeks due to me being ill and the Xmas prep.... but he has always been a 'pick up put down' kinda horse.

He deff had an off day though - hacked through the woods fine - his field mate called to him and he called back but I sang to him (heads shoulders knees and toes ) and he was grand.... he started being nappy in the village (on the main road) trying to turn into farm gate ways, looking around for exit routes..... becoming more and more tense - had a poo-stop and then when he had finished he tried to turn for home, I was firm and insisted that he carry on..... he became more tense.... we turned off the main road (which is where we usually do) and when we got to a point where we sometimes turn for home he spun and set his neck and I thought he was going to 'go' I hopped off and talked to him.... calmed him for a few minutes then walked him in hand the way I wanted to go we walked for about a mile and I had hoped to calm him, get back on and continue... but although he didn't put a foot wrong he was genuinely scared..... flared nostrils, whites of eyes.
I realised that it would push us too far (me pyshically and him mentally) to continue the next few miles home and he had followed me like a lamb - even though he REALLY didn't want to.

So we turned for home he relaxed soooooo much within just a 100 yards - but we continued on foot all the way back (about 2 1/2 miles)

I talked to him and asked him how I had upset him? it is the same route that I hacked him when he was 3 (we were moving yards)
We were cantering on a beach in August.
He stopped for a few cuddles and I could have got back on but i didn't,

So we are going right back to basics (I am off work until 7th Jan) walking in hand, long reining, schooling, short hacks alone, long hacks in front in company.

My poor baby - I will let you know how we get on.

[Casper]

As ever Paula your horsemanship was intelligent, considerate and spot on. This will be a very temporary setback for you and Guinny Boo I am sure. And well done you for giving him the reassurance he was needing by hopping down and being by his side when he really needed you. There will always be another day for riding your gorgeous boy xx

[wozzer]

(((((((((GC))))))))))) you'll be fine hun. What a caring owner you are. xx

[jen1]

aww, paula "he isnt a baby"lol its only a blip nothing to worry about i dont think he is the type of horse to be scared for life,every horse is the sacraficail lamb to some degree if they always remained the same we just wouldnt learn anything, sounds like you did absolutly the right thing to me, you were firm but fair and got off in order to take the pressure off him,

[Lisa in Plymouth]

Sorry to hear you had an off day. I had one about a month ago with my girl and it is upsetting. Chelsea is pretty much an angel all the time but she was a brat, just didn't want to be on a hack with me. I doubt very much that there was a pain issue she really was just being a madam. She was fine to catch and tack up but when i got on she kept looking back and for about 5 mins she did the occasional half whinny noise, she was then good for 20 minutes...........and after that she thought she would try and jog so that we could get home really quickly. The thing that concerned me most was her disregard for traffic. She is really good with most traffic and as such didn't worry about trying to race past things and could not possibly consider standing to let a car pass us in the narrows!!!! She wasn't scared but she did seem unexplainably eager to get back and in doing so became a frothy sweaty monster. I did stay on board because she was not being silly/dangerous but I did make her go past her field and then round a short block before going back to her friends. As soon as we got home she was fine and has been since. I did wonder if there had been some leadership disputes with her and her 3 field mates and that she felt her position was under threat whilst she was away but I couldn't be sure she wasn't just having a chestnut mare moment (she is chestnut and white). At the time it really bothered me but I was concerned that if I allowed her to rush home it could encourage napping so she earned herself that extra trip round the block just to be sure!
Hope you get back to where you were quickly - it can be frightening when then are genuinely scared and they see things very differently to us. As a teenager my dad's idxtb got spooked by a pig and took off for home at an extended trot with his head on his chest - i couldn't do a thing to stop him. We flew across a busy 40mph road and i still had no brakes, I was talking to him but getting nothing. He was in an absolute blind panic and had cold sweat dripping off him. I managed to turn him into a garden centre and we were then doing laps of the car park for 5 mins until i managed to get someones attention. They kindly rang my dad and he drove down to meet us but we couldn't calm him down, in the end we had to lead him home with my mum driving behind us with her hazards on to warn people. It was terrifying at the time but I knew he was scared and did ride him out happily again. It was odd though - his only thought was to bolt for home.
I never rode past the pigs again though, he was a very stressy horse and was 18 when i started riding him so I was afraid of giving him a heart attack. I we got him as an 8 yo but he'd come to us as such a basket case that we allowed him a few flaws rather than upset him.

[gilly]

Aw Paula, don't be too upset. Guinness is such a sweet, sensible horse and you know he would never have reacted so strongly had he not been genuinely unhappy about something. I think you dealt with it beautifully and am sure everything will be fine again soon.
I don't think I would go too far back with his training, just carry on pretty much as normal, be aware and be sensitive (as you always are) and perhaps not take him on that ride for a while, and the first time you do, take another horse with you for confidence.

We must arrange that date for me to come over- especially now I have the new camera!!

[sara]

It sounds like you dd exactly the right thing.

As you said, he hadn't done anything like that for 6 weeks, so was probably just out of the routine

[horsey123]

think you did the right thing but its probaly just a one off dont think you need to do all the long raining and every thing like sara said hes probably just out of routine i wouldent worry about it just try again anouther day and see how he goes on

[gypsycob]

Thank you so much for your replies, it actually really upset me and I came home and cried.
But I came home smiling today... I gave him yesterday off to think about things (plus I was sales shopping and Panto with the kids ) so I went up this morning - took him in the school.... we were both singing fromt he same hymn sheet so dispite the mad winds and horizonal rain we went for a short 25mins out around the block (through the woods past his friends and a Very busy A road).... he was an angel ;D

Thank you for your support - and a big Thank you to Guinness

[jill]

Sounds as though the important thing is not to let him have such a long lay off if you can - he obviously got cosy with his friends. Well done for getting through it though, you obviously know each other very well.

[iceberg]

I agree with the others, it just sounds as though he had an 'agraphobic' moment, being away from home, after having time off.
Know what you mean about setting his neck though, they go like stone and you just know there is nothing you can do but get off or wait to be taken home - even at a walk! (tobys favourite).
Sometimes out on hacks he would 'decide' to go home, spin round and walk or trot off - but with him it was funny, my friends used to just wait for me to regain a modicum of control, and re join them!

So dont take it too much to heart, we all have off days and as long as both of you werent in any danger, cars etc, then no harm done and you dealt with it in exactly the right way imo. ;D

ps, if you you DO want to post him to me, my address is....











............! ;D

[Louise C]

Aw - they do all have there off days - we had one of those after a long lay off recently - spent the whole ride napping which is very uncharacteristic of Flynn - the next time however he was fine. We have to hack out - no school!