What are you talking about? I think you have me confused with someone who went searching through your history - that wasn’t me. I was commenting only on your post from this thread where you said:
“We’ve figures out his teeth grinding, he does it when he’s relaxed. Being groomed before and after a ride.”
I’ve just never heard of teeth grinding as a sign of relaxation. That’s all I said/all I’m saying.
It is, but I’m about 99.99% positive now that it’s his feed. Long story short, for most of his life he’s been completely grain-free, and in the last 7 months he’s been switched onto a grain-filled feed with a high NSC. Then, because he was dropping weight at the beginning of the spring when the grass was coming up and the barn stopped feeding hay a bit prematurely, he had that grain increased, which has taken a toll on his digestive health and mental health. I’m mad at myself for not realizing it sooner (trying to trust the BO and not be a PITA), but I’m glad that we’re fixing it now. He’s coming off the grain so he can find his brain, LOL.
@J-Lu does your guy get MSM? I’ve been reading a lot of posts about people’s horses who go nuts on it. It’s an ingredient in the feed I’m taking mine off of, and I wonder if it’s contributing. Either way, mine doesn’t need to eat an oat-filled ration with 22% NSC. Whether it’s responsible for the spookiness or not, he’s well rid of that stuff.
@J-Lu Could you give us an update on how your guy is doing? If you have more video of him working under saddle that would give us a lot more information that might be hard for you to put into words! So much of riding is feel.
Thank you!!
I’m glad you figured out your horse’s feed!
My guy has eaten a TON since he was a yearling, only now tapering off as he’s matured. He gets only balancer now as my vet who advised me how to put weight on him now says “don’t let him get fatter!”. His NSC is pretty managed.
I don’t feed MSM, because I don’t see a mechanistic need for it. In humans, people take it for arthritis, soft tissue inflammation, and a variety of other issues. The evidence to support taking it is lacking, in humans and horses.
Sure! He’s still spooky by the Gate of Doom but produces excellent work in the proximal end of the arena. I’m hoping to have the cowboy trainer video me for a “virtual clinic” with the GP/young horse trainer I mentioned. I have previously sent her a powerpoint with the various views from the Gate of Doom, and mentioned her response in this thread. Given certain responses, videos of me and/or my trainers riding will be certainly counter-productive here. This thread has turned so much more negative than I ever thought. I’ll stick with people I know and trust with records that say I can trust them. COTH used to be more amenable to real feedback, but that has changed. I have been slow to pick it up.
Glass house much?
OP
if your method of getting your horse to lower his head and use his back is to pull his nose in and apply spurs I can see why this would evoke a lack of merriment in your horse.
Especially if he has a neck problem.
Just because a trainer has gone up to GP means nothing. There are plenty of riders and trainers who ride front to back. Who use short cuts and are completely oblivious when the horse gives signs of being uncomfortable or in pain.
I understand your reluctance to post videos as some people take it as an opportunity to eviscerate the rider.
In this case, i think it would be helpful but I respect why you wouldnt want to.
I’m not sure what kind of response you are looking for. You’ve had experts ride and watch you ride so what are they missing?
If you keep getting unseated when he spooks and he bolts to the point where he refuses to slow down or stop , then I respectfully suggest that your horse is behind the leg to begin with.
You may want to work on the relaxation and submission process.
This is a suggestion from me because I rode without any kind of connection for years and was completely oblivious to whether my horse was in front of the leg or not.
Sometimes trainers dont talk about this because as you move up the levels they take it for granted that you already know , or because they cant tell themselves.
It is something that you have to learn how to feel and pay attention to what the horse is actually telling you as opposed to what you assume the horse is doing.
One last question for you: Based on info you’ve posted ,
What would have happened to this horse if you hadn’t taken him?
@J-Lu if it makes you feel any better, my guy seems to go from total calm to total out of his mind at the blink of an eye lately. Today he was absolutely fine until something happened (no idea what) that made him suddenly decide he had to get the hell out of the barn (he was in the cross-ties in the aisleway where we always groom and tack up). I couldn’t see anything, but he completely flipped his lid. I untied him and took him out and he acted like monsters were chasing him out of the barn.
There was nothing. Nothing had changed that I could see. Thankfully I managed to get him back in there and tacked up and we had a good ride. He was anxious the minute we got back in the barn again, but kept his sh*t together…just looked worried. I expected him to be chill today because it was warmer and no wind. Quiet day at the barn. But nope. He was seeing ghosties!
My BO said he did something similar out in the pasture at feeding time last night. Went from perfectly fine to “Oh hell what is that!” Froze, “grew to 18 hands” (my BO’s words), eyes wide, snorting and then took off running in the direction that he was staring. BO says she saw nothing.
I’ve actually started getting on his case a little bit about it when I’m handling him, and it does seem to work. He’ll lick and chew and try to behave and eventually give a big sigh. I’ve realized that he’s top man in the herd now, and doesn’t have anyone keeping him in line. He grew up with two older gelding: one was the “look-out” and one was the “boss hoss” and my guy was the goober they tolerated but also dominated and took care of. Now he’s had to grow up and doesn’t have anyone in his herd telling him what to do, and it’s a big change for him. He actually acted relieved when I got after him a little bit today when he was just being ridiculous. Like, “Oh, thank god someone else is taking charge.”
They’re such puzzles. And who knows if what we think is “wrong” is ever really the problem. All we can do is keep trying.
Hope your guy is doing good.
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