postpone first trail ride indefinitely?

[rrock129]

I got a new horse 2.5 months ago who had spent a year in professional training before I got him and 2 years in an abusive home before that. Things were going great with him the first 2 months I had him and had scheduled a time to go on our first trail ride with a friend when I experienced a non-riding related back injury. A few days after my injury, my horse wigged out and for the last 2 weeks he’s been really jumpy and worried about being hit. I have no idea what’s set off this “relapse” but it certainly has me second guessing myself and him.

I’m still unable to ride but I’ve been working with him on the ground and hope to start riding again in the arena this week. I think it will be at least another week, but likely more, until my back is fully healed.

Here’s my delema…I’d love to try trail riding again once my back has healed and he’s gone back to being his “happy self”…but I can’t help but think I should put it off indefinitely, until I’m super confident he won’t have another relapse. Any thoughts or experiences with something like this?

[AmarachAcres]

No experiences with that, but whenever your first ride is, go as a sandwich .

Have at least one calm experienced horse in front, and at least one behind you. My sensitive mare aced her first trail ride that way and for now that is how I’ll do it until she is confident on her own. That I judge by how far away the lead horse can get before she starts looking for cougars.

Did anyone handle him roughly while you were laid up? Is there a way to find out?

[rrock129]

Currently, there’s only one other boarder at the barn and she’s been out there once in the several years I’ve boarded there. Neither the barn manager nor her husband would mistreat him…if anything, the barn manager babies him too much, ie, he shies away from her when she goes to pet his nose so she leaves him alone. It is possible that someone randomly pulled over and did something but there’s no way to know for sure.

[irish_horse]

If you can, to improve both your confidences, go for a hike. I loved hiking with my green horse, first I’d hike the whole time, then I’d get on for a bit, eventually we were trail riding! I still do a lot of hiking with him, it gets us both out when trails are slippery, cold, or I’m just not in the mood to saddle up.

As for the acting up: I think you can never be sure, with any horse. Even those with perfect pasts can have very bad moments. I did some scenario thinking, what would I do in X situation, and slowly gained confidence.

You can do it! Just do it safely: carry your phone on you, have ID on your horse, and then enjoy your time.

[GotMyPony]

We’re lucky to have a local “cowboy” rider who people in a situation like yours can get to take their questionable trail mounts out. I mean cowboy in the good sense: grew up riding; calm; experienced; talented, knows how to assess situation; make corrections; help build rider’s confidence. In a perfect world the unsure owner has another horse s/he can ride along to watch and learn.

Any chance you can find a person like that near you? It’s worth the investment to have a very experienced (and unflappable) person do some of the exploratory trail rides, IMO.

PS Is it possible somebody changed his feed or supplementation routine? That could certainly affect his behavior. Worth checking into…

[wendy]

A few days after my injury, my horse wigged out and for the last 2 weeks he’s been really jumpy and worried about being hit. I have no idea what’s set off this “relapse” but it certainly has me second guessing myself and him.

are you on any medication for the back pain? animals can certainly smell changes in body chemistry, and smelling pain meds on you may bring up memories of a drug addict in his abusive past.
Or alternatively the simple change in routine due to the injury may have set him to worrying.

[Appsolute]

I second the recommendation of going for “hikes”. Before my horse was old enough to be ridden we went for hikes everywhere. Nice long walks. She LOVED getting off the property and seeing new things.

Our first ride was in an open field - zero problems. We were trail riding solo within the first month under saddle - and I know that was thanks to our frequent walks and hikes.

Now I have a go anywhere solo, happy confident horse that is just a trail machine. When people ask my “secret” I tell them hand walks and hikes when she was young.

And I really like that she knows she can turn to me for leadership when things get scary. So nice not to have a herd bound horse, that needs other horsey “baby sitters” to go out.

[wendy]

A few days after my injury, my horse wigged out and for the last 2 weeks he’s been really jumpy and worried about being hit. I have no idea what’s set off this “relapse” but it certainly has me second guessing myself and him.

are you on any medication for the back pain? animals can certainly smell changes in body chemistry, and smelling pain meds on you may bring up memories of a drug addict in his abusive past.
Or alternatively the simple change in routine due to the injury may have set him to worrying.

[Lisa_Preston]

Go Irish. Yes, hiking together is good for the bond. Bring a tie rope, bring a lunch. Or go for 15 minutes if that’s all the time you can make.

[rrock129]

I actually took him for a walk off the property about 5 days ago and he enjoyed it and behaved perfectly during the walk. He was jumpy before and after the walk though.

Tonight I rode him in the arena for a bit and again he behaved perfectly. We even had an F-16 fly by really low while I was mounting and he didn’t bat an eyelash. But when I placed my hand on his withers to check for mud while I was grooming him, he acted like I had started wailing on him with a stick. He was really jumpy after I rode him too. But he was happy to see me when I arrived and met me at the gate. So I dunno…time and patience…and maybe as we get further past this hump, I’ll have a better idea of what to do

[Guilherme]

One technique I’ve seen used with horses that are “touch sensitive” (for whatever reason) is to beat them with a baseball bat.

Now before anybody has a cow you use a plastic bat (like a whiffle ball bat) and start with the horse in hand, no tack, and begin by gently stroking all over the body with the bat. Note where the horse is least or most sensitive and begin with the least sensitive areas. As they begin to accept the touching move to more sensitive areas. This may take anywhere from a couple of sessions to a couple of weeks of sessions, depending on the horse.

When they calmly accept the touching begin to use the bat for a very gentle, rhythmic tapping. Start where you noticed the horse was least sensitive. As the horse calmly accepts the gentle tapping then increase the intensity and the rhythm. Don’t get too enthusiastic; follow the mantra that goes “I have time” and take the time to acclimate the horse to the tapping.

You can take this as far as you wish. I saw a trainer really being vigorous with a horse that was ground tied and almost asleep.

Body language is important in this. Do not assume any “aggressive” postures and keep your voice and manner quiet. This sounds kind of off kilter but if you have any experience lunging a horse on the line or in the round pen you do the same thing but with a longe whip. If you are doing it right the horse quickly learns the difference between being touched by the lash or bitten by it. They also learn that your body language warns them when the longe whip goes from being a directional aid (as an extension of the arm) to a disciplinary device.

G.

[Chall]

Maybe he is actually tuned into you, and you are emanating back pain injury defensiveness without being aware?
Like “oh oh, better watch my balance when I reach for the halter. I don’t want to hurt my back! Better stiffen up”
I’m very body defensive when I’m hurt and it effects my movements and my mood.

[rrock129]

[QUOTE=wendy;7954133]
are you on any medication for the back pain? animals can certainly smell changes in body chemistry, and smelling pain meds on you may bring up memories of a drug addict in his abusive past.
Or alternatively the simple change in routine due to the injury may have set him to worrying.[/QUOTE]

Just Advil…at prescription levels but that’s it

[rrock129]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;7954921]
One technique I’ve seen used with horses that are “touch sensitive” (for whatever reason) is to beat them with a baseball bat.[/QUOTE]

I’ve used a very similar technique with another horse I had once. Only differences were that I used a whip and as she got comfortable with me tapping her with it I started carrying it around and using it more while lunging her.

I’ve done similar things with the new guy but just been using the lead rope and reins.

[rrock129]

[QUOTE=Chall;7955020]
Maybe he is actually tuned into you, and you are emanating back pain injury defensiveness without being aware?
Like “oh oh, better watch my balance when I reach for the halter. I don’t want to hurt my back! Better stiffen up”
I’m very body defensive when I’m hurt and it effects my movements and my mood.[/QUOTE]

This possibility hasn’t escaped my mind. Since we’re new to each other and he has a known history of abuse, I’ve been doing my best to be aware of my body language and have continued to do so with this injury. I recognize that I could be failing with it but the barn manager tells me that he’s been uncharacteristically nervous all the time.

[betsyk]

I wish I had an answer, but probably only have an observation. I board at one barn and teach at another. At the teaching barn, it seems like the horses lose their marbles every winter when lessons go on hiatus. At the boarding barn, I see less of that. The actual difference in their schedules is pretty minor - a week of bad weather means nobody is riding at either place, but there must be differences in management, I guess. Maybe your horse is the type who doesn’t handle time off as well? is there something about the way they’re fed at this time of the winter?

One thought: is he cold? we had one last year who was just overall, systemically, cold – she had lived outdoors with round bales in previous years and went to stall board with more limited groceries. Her weight was fine, but her body was cold - the smaller meals weren’t stoking her internal furnace enough. She was flinchy and tight and you could tell her brain just wasn’t engaged that winter. When spring came and the days warmed up she turned into a different horse. Just a thought, and something you might not think of with a horse that’s new to you in his first winter.

[rrock129]

[QUOTE=betsyk;7955819]
I wish I had an answer, but probably only have an observation. I board at one barn and teach at another. At the teaching barn, it seems like the horses lose their marbles every winter when lessons go on hiatus. At the boarding barn, I see less of that. The actual difference in their schedules is pretty minor - a week of bad weather means nobody is riding at either place, but there must be differences in management, I guess. Maybe your horse is the type who doesn’t handle time off as well? is there something about the way they’re fed at this time of the winter?

One thought: is he cold? we had one last year who was just overall, systemically, cold – she had lived outdoors with round bales in previous years and went to stall board with more limited groceries. Her weight was fine, but her body was cold - the smaller meals weren’t stoking her internal furnace enough. She was flinchy and tight and you could tell her brain just wasn’t engaged that winter. When spring came and the days warmed up she turned into a different horse. Just a thought, and something you might not think of with a horse that’s new to you in his first winter.[/QUOTE]

Those are intereating thoughts. He’d had some rehab time when he first went to the trainer about a year ago but had been in training full time after that. We’re in SoCal and he was outside full time at the trainers in a 12x24’ corral. He’s also outside full time now but in a 1/4 acre paddock. No major changes in feed between facilities or due to changing seasons…there’s no grass to be had so its strictly hay, same type but probably a different grower.

He’s not blanketed but has a good winter coat for a CA horse but the cold be factor. Hard to say, I suppose. But I guess it goes back to do I keep pressing on, get through the current set backs and get ready to hit the trails? Or do I wait to get to know him and his moods and quirks better around the barn before trying to hit the trails?

I’ve never waited long with my previous horses and this guy is so good under saddle but maybe I’m pushing him too hard?

[Simbalism]

In hand trail hiking is what I did with my horse when she was young before she was trained under saddle. As the other poster mentioned, my mare also turned out to always look to me for guidance and never frets about what other horses in the group are doing.

[f4leggin]

your comment about the f-16 made me smile. and I thought must be southern california. years ago, we were trail riding near the el toro marine base, and over the top of a slight ridge came two military jets - flying low. Scared everyone half to death! No one got dumped thank goodness.

[rrock129]

[QUOTE=f4leggin;7962569]
your comment about the f-16 made me smile. and I thought must be southern california. years ago, we were trail riding near the el toro marine base, and over the top of a slight ridge came two military jets - flying low. Scared everyone half to death! No one got dumped thank goodness.[/QUOTE]

Yup, southern California the barn is just outside Edwards AFB so we see all sorts of aircraft doing all sorts of things