I have a 16 year old ex racehorse who has had 'behavioural issues' for the 6 years at least I've known/ridden him, these include bolting in hand to the field, and mainly being spooky whilst being ridden. In may last year I took him on loan and moved him yards after a few months of him not showing these behaviours anymore (apart from being a bit spooky and sharp). For the first few months at the new yard he was great, we were enjoying hacking on our own around the new bridle paths. About 3 months in we were out hacking and walking around a corner of a field, a dog walker was coming the other way and he span and I fell off. He then bolted across the fields and after a few minutes of being terrified I wouldn't find him, luckily he stopped so I could catch him.
After this he became really spooky and really unenjoyable to hack out. One day we were out hacking and he saw some riders in the distance trotting along the road. He literally flipped out, rearing, bucking, spinning, anything it felt to try and get me off. After a few minutes of this I eventually decided this was only going to end one way, with me on the floor and him bolting after the horses. I jumped off and led him back to the yard.
Since then he's been checked for all physical problems (spine, gastric ulcers, teeth, hind leg lameness) and nothing has been found. I've been working with a trainer who has been helping with groundwork and desensitising. Some of the exercises included a bit of lunging. Recently he has begun bolting on the lunge and i can't keep hold of him, he now seems to be in a habit of this, I can only describe it as a switch that goes off in his brain. He goes from being completely calm to the whites of his eyes showing, head up and looking absolutely terrified with no apparent reason. Only a flag is used for direction and speed, no lunging whips.
He has got so bad that I am now scared to lunge him, he has also started bolting when I lead him to the field. This is with a dually halter on which I did a lot of groundwork with him in the beginning.
Basically things seems to be going from bad to worse and I feel I'm running out of things to try. Join up in a round pen is a scary experience as he cuts in and bucks in at me.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
He's such a sensitive lovely horse but he has some deep rooted issues.
After this he became really spooky and really unenjoyable to hack out. One day we were out hacking and he saw some riders in the distance trotting along the road. He literally flipped out, rearing, bucking, spinning, anything it felt to try and get me off. After a few minutes of this I eventually decided this was only going to end one way, with me on the floor and him bolting after the horses. I jumped off and led him back to the yard.
Since then he's been checked for all physical problems (spine, gastric ulcers, teeth, hind leg lameness) and nothing has been found. I've been working with a trainer who has been helping with groundwork and desensitising. Some of the exercises included a bit of lunging. Recently he has begun bolting on the lunge and i can't keep hold of him, he now seems to be in a habit of this, I can only describe it as a switch that goes off in his brain. He goes from being completely calm to the whites of his eyes showing, head up and looking absolutely terrified with no apparent reason. Only a flag is used for direction and speed, no lunging whips.
He has got so bad that I am now scared to lunge him, he has also started bolting when I lead him to the field. This is with a dually halter on which I did a lot of groundwork with him in the beginning.
Basically things seems to be going from bad to worse and I feel I'm running out of things to try. Join up in a round pen is a scary experience as he cuts in and bucks in at me.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
He's such a sensitive lovely horse but he has some deep rooted issues.
I suggest that to regain your horses respect of the Dually & you, you need help. You need to two line work him from the ground & you need the help of a substantial extra human. Someone that when he acts out can use the Dually strongly but without violence. A really firm ' NO ' when he acts out - whether it's barging, bucking or whatever. I watched Monty being overwhelmed by a big horse, I think called Jack, spinning around him, yelling for Jim Goddard to come help & the horse being brought back under control, without violence by a younger, stronger handler. Monty is brilliant but age takes its toll & even when we're young we sometimes need a bit of help. The Dually needs to be used with unequivocal insistence when the horse goes into stupid mode. Your horse has taken stupid mode as normal - probably because someone else did something stupid that possibly involved a dog. How knows. What I know is the problem is temporary, with the right training. Good luck. Cheers, Jo.