Placid boy not so placid anymore???

dopeyqh

What should I do?
My horse- a 5 year old QHXAppy gelding - was the quietest horse I'd ever known when I bought him (I knew him for quite a while before purchase), and was for about the first month.

We've moved him twice since we bought him, and he's been on my property for about 4 months. I can ride him in his paddock, but I'll take him out into a different paddock with a chicken coop in it and he shies and stands like he's ready to bolt, does the flarey nostril thing in fear. And he does this whenever I ride him anywhere else but his paddock, and he never used to get wound up by anything. Not even planes landing above him!

I know he's just a bub and I love him ridiculously, but I'm starting to get a bit antsy that my quiet horse has gone... And I'm wanting to ride him out and not have to worry about shying and bolting etc...

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~~~Love me, love my horse~~~

Heifer

how is he if you lead him near the chicken yard?

dopeyqh

He still carries on like a pork chop and we've done lots of groundwork and brought him up to it to sniff (not forcefullly- took loads of time) and he's still scarey at the sight of it.

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~~~Love me, love my horse~~~

IbanezGirl

have you tried lunging him in that area? keeping him moving and his mind on you might help to settle him down.

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Ali

I'd purposely turn him out in the paddock with the 'scary' chicken coop AND put his feed bucket near it for about a week. He'll soon get over it.

dirtbug

yeap id do what Ali said if possible, also get him out and about even if its just walking along on the lead rope at first...

see how that goes

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sparkie

i would simply say to continue he needs to be able to trust you rather than be faced with something scarey with someone he barely knows...try doing something that grows his trust in you.... good luck

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Floggadog

How are you reacting now that you know he will shy at the chicken coop?
If you are now getting uptight & expecting him to play up he will continue to do so.
I can't explain the in's & out's of this but hopefully someone will pick up on what I'm saying & explain better.

Sugar's Mum

what are you feeding him?

Sounds like he might have more energy going into him then he can handle.
2 possibilities there.
1. you changed the feed once you got him
2. he has slowed down his growth rate.
personally at 5 I am thinking teh later.

Also it may be that he had a herd leader where he was and is now looking to be herd leader.

My gelding is far happier when he is not the lead horse. Much less spooky adn reactive to things when he is second in command rather then the first.

He is far happier when paddocked with his mare who is boss. This happiness tranfers into calmer manners when under saddle whether or not she is riding out with us.

Deb2

I would put it down to young horse getting nervous when faced with new things.

He's calm when in an environment that he's used to, but gets upset when in new places.

Firstly, check that he is not on a rising plane in regards to his weight/body score. As he has reached five,he may need a reduction in feed to compensate for his slow down in growing rate (like what Sugars Mum said)

If this paddock is horse safe where the chooks are kept, then put him in there for a week or so and gradually move his feed bin closer to the chooks so he has the chance to gradually come to realise that they are not fire breathing dragons that are just out to eat him. As he overcomes his fear you could then start doing ground work exercises to challenge his strength of character and to confirm your leadership role, ie; if you can lunge him and drive him towards the scary chooks and then back the other way, or get him trotting over trot poles and gradually move them closer to the fiesty feathered fiercesome egg layers, then these exercises will help you when you encounter the next new thing to him and you can set about in the same method until he is listening to you and you can then ride on as normal.

Get his feet busy and his mind back on you...after all, you are the leader (aren't you???)

Hope this helps.
Deb

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