Mid teens gelding (gelded late, still can get studly). Great horse in every single respect but one. He goes completely off the rails when his paddock neighbor gets taken out; when taken off the property for shows/clinics; when other horses are in the arena. I sedated him for the last clinic I rode in and the BNT clinician was very amused that he could still scream and whinny and snort, while staying on the aids. :rolleyes: (And that was with a dose of Ace.) When his brain takes a vacation, he can get very belligerent and can buck with the best of them. Now, that sort of stuff doesn’t bother me, I can handle it. But WTH am I supposed to do to cure this behavior? When I bought him, I thought it odd that a horse of his quality and training (schooling most of the work above PSG) had never been shown in the US, even though he was imported 10 years ago. Now I think I know. Any suggestions are most appreciated. This is a new one on me and that doesn’t happen very often. TIA
Ever hack him out alone, for a really really long time?
I’ve had a lot of success with my extremely herdbound mare using both TRT methods (Tristan Tucker) and following Warwich Schiller’s approach. WS offers a free 7 day trial for his video subscription, and even paid it’s less than the price of an extra lesson per month. Well worth it in my books.
Thanks, both. 
Also, tying for a really long time too, if he’s mentally able. Basically it needs to be “The road is long, dear, better settle down”. It may work, it may not. He may be physically on the aids, but clearly he isn’t mentally. It’s a super aggravating habit, that’s for sure.
How often do you work him?
It is the attention not on you being worked that is worrying.They say these horses have been weaned wrong. As he is behaving and on the aides it will be hard to correct.
I love both of these guys! Their methods work for anyone and every discipline.
Mondo, I have this horse. I mentioned him in another thread. He is a warmblood cross, the same age, gelded late, and gets very attached to other horses, especially mares. He goes nuts at new places and can be very difficult to ride. He also always had a hard time settling whenever I moved him to a new barn.
He showed with a trainer for a year and we tried two things. First, we put a plexiglass mirror in his stall so he would have a “buddy” when his friends left. That was a suggestion from a friend who bought a fancy show horse that had the same problem. It did help. Second, he was fine if he could see everything. Being locked in a stall was a disaster. Tying him outside the stall or to the trailer was fine. She also hauled him all over to new places. The only difference in my horse was that at a show he was good once you got him, although tense and prone to spook.
I know you may be told he is not on the aids, but from experience I can say that isn’t always the case. It’s very hard to change a horse that is wired as yours may be. I think you are correct to suspect his lack of show record is because of his behavior. I have seen plenty of beautiful imports that ended up here because of temperament issues. I would definitely try some of the methods suggested and hope you have success.
Any chance that you could haul him off property for a few days back to back. Maybe just to a neighboring farm, unload, do something TRT/Warick until he’s less of a cow, load back up, and drive home. I don’t think that alone will cure it but 4-7 consecutive days of leaving and having to look to you as a leader and the world not caving in may do him some good.
could you get him to bond with your dog? and always have your dog outside the ring when you work him?
I am going to implement all of the above suggestions. I really like the mirror idea. eightpondfarm - my dogs are very small and would not stay outside the ring. They would leave. I am not willing to tie them up for my horse’s benefit, either. I should have mentioned in my OP that his “herd bound” behavior/separation anxiety is with ANY HORSE IN VIEW. It’s not just his paddock neighbor, or the mares, it is literally any horse he’s near. If he can’t see them (i.e., he’s in the arena, no one else is), he whinnies constantly. If there is another horse in the arena, he wants to go to it and can get extremely belligerent if you say no.
endlessclimb - I’m in my 60s, not much of a trail rider. I would be nervous about hacking him out alone, but I like the idea, so may have my younger trainer give it a shot. She’s up for anything!
I had one so similar that we just called him Lonesome. He got over it when he was his teens, but up until that point it was literally just taking him out by himself all.the.time. Still would flare up occasionally, but he gave up on the spinning around and running home after several days where we basically just stayed out until he stopped. I was much younger then.
I sold him to be a child’s horse and heard that he’d reverted to his old behavior which they tried to manage by having someone stand by the arena with his barnmate. I got him back, long story, and he behaved with me.
Have you had his hormone levels checked?
Good Luck.
I was watching a sale video one time, and noticed that there was someone sitting on a horse outside the arena near a rock outcropping next to the woods. I knew something about the horse so knew why the other horse was likely there.
“Have you had his hormone levels checked?” No. What would I learn from that? I certainly could.
Yesterday I took him up the driveway and he was pretty good. Then, I taught a lesson from his back to teach him that he does have to behave when another horse is working in the arena. He was very good about that. Then, I had her put her horse away and he got very angry. Threatened to buck, tried to rip the reins out of my hands, etc. So I just rode him in very tight circles for a minute until his focus was back on me. After that he was very good and I got in some good work.
What’s funny is that I can pull him out of his paddock and take him for a ride and he’s just fine. Every time. But if one of the other horses gets taken out, or if we are in a new place, that’s when he loses his sh*t. I am going to keep hauling him out and working him in new places until he starts to accept that we always come home and I’m always there no matter where he is asked to work. I’ve been doing some liberty work and ground work with him too, in an effort to improve his trust and focus on me. Thanks for all the suggestions!
ETA: he is new to me as of last summer. He is not the horse in my avatar.
We all know that horse at a show - the one who will not shut up. You’re annoying, but you’re not alone, haha.
I bet the hacking (or just take him out for a walk - rope halter and long lead to start so he can pull some shenanigans if he sees fit) might improve it some. However, I’d hazard a guess that he then will be ok all alone, but not ok if there are other horses around. It’s a tough one, especially when it’s as ingrained as it is.
“We all know that horse at a show - the one who will not shut up. You’re annoying, but you’re not alone, haha.” Groan. This is what I dread. I’m kind of relieved the show season is on hold at the moment. Gives me more time to work with him before I have to be embarrassed that mine is the horse that won’t shut up! LOL
It could tell you if he was actually a ridgling. I have a friend who had a horse that was gelded 3 times :eek:
Yep!
I’m leasing one of those right now. So attached to a mare in his pasture. Tense and hollow and screaming - forget going on the trail: spinning, half rears, jigging and screaming. Exhausting.
Just moved him to an individual paddock at a new barn and he’s back to being an angel.
