I had an email from Isha's owner earlier in the week and it deserved a blog post of its own. She is saying something that I wholeheartedly believe and which I have seen time and time again with horses here.
"Took Isha out for an hour yesterday and today, mostly roads with a little bit of lane work, she's picking her way around the rocky areas and tucking into the hedge to get onto softer ground when its rough underfoot but is stomping along beautifully on the roads. Very calm, very happy with a long swinging stride, and stretching out really well on the way home
She is a totally different horse to the Isha of last couple of years, I think she has been very uncomfortable in her feet for a long time as her attitude today and yesterday was that of the happy go lucky 5 year old I remember from the past. I don't actually think she's been right for the past 3 years but has been putting on a brave face, I am still on a massive learning curve but the most important thing I have learnt this year is, above everything else, listen to your horse. Tense, spooky and explosive behavior is saying 'help me, something is wrong!' Seems so blooming obvious looking back, its hard when experienced horse people and professionals give so many reasons for bad behavior and usually not one the 'solutions' actually address the cause of the problem."
So often horses come here having developed "bad habits"- or are described as being "sharp". Others, like Isha, have reacted to long periods of box rest by becoming explosive. What I see repeatedly is that once these horses are more comfortable, of course their behaviour improves. It IS obvious, with hindsight, but sometimes harder to recognise while it is going on, especially if its crept up on horse and owner gradually over time.
ETA: Some brilliant insights in the comments below - well worth a read...
8 comments:
wonderful that Isha's owner has sought and found such a great way to help her horse. good job done!!
So nice to hear that Isha’s doing well and with a calmer approach... it all makes so much sense.
I wish I’d listened to Patsy years ago.. You think you’re going mad when people (especially professionals) tell you ‘she is just naughty... get after her’.. and you know deep down there’s something not quite right! :(
I hope Patsy is now the happy and confident 4 year old she once was... I will never listen to anyone else but her :)
I agree, Hannah, and its something I've been guilty as well, particularly with Ghost, whose whole way of going changed once he was out of shoes and out of pain from a badly fitting saddle :-(
The horses never seem to hold a grudge though - they just happily get on with feeling better :-)
I have come to believe that sore feet is possibly one of the most overlooked causes of irritable (difficult) horses.
It's something I've been guilty of in the past too.
I'm sure it isn't the only cause but is often not even considered.
Blogs like this are helping to put this possibility nto peoples consciousness.
Way to go Nic and all you brave owners who have learned to 'listen' you're all such an inspiration to me.
I can tell you, there is no one more cranky than me with sore feet.
Frankie went a little crazy after months of box rest. When I first got back on him , it took ACP, me on top, and a helper with a leadrein attached to the bit on each side. And this was just in an indoor school - taking him out was unthinkable. The first time I tried to ride him without drugs I got bucked off! In the stable, no one was allowed to handle him except me or the yard manager.
One of the reasons I was looking for a different approach was I determined he would not go through that again.
I think people didn't believe me that there was a really nice horse under all that but these days he's a joy to hack and even gets borrowed as a confidence giver.
Frankie and Isha are very similar to ride - both have absolutely perfect manners and lovely attitudes - in fact you could hardly think of horses less likely to be "difficult" - sweethearts, the pair of them.
Amanda - thanks :-) Sore backs, sore feet - there is a lot of it about, for sure...
"Listen to your horse" is some of the best advice a person can give/get.
Dom, you are SO right - above every "expert", every "guru", every "professional" - if the horse doesn't agree, don't listen...
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