Im doing this in a bit of a rush cos I should be getting ready for work but want to get it down while its fresh in my mind.
Today Jo rode Polo and YO came out with her pony and I was riding AliG.All started well Ali striding off infront happy and ears forward,so far out YO pony trotted to catch up and got close to Ali,Ali's ears went back but I just put my leg on and he kept going no problem.We'd been out 20mins or so ,going around the brickworks as I dont want to go too far for either of them at the minute(its about a 50min ride all told) anyway Polo came alongside Ali and the pony was about a horse length behind.Ali clamped his ears back,was tense and doing his head down 'snaking' type of posture,I completely ignored him and just kept my leg on asking him to go forward but he continued to be very tense with the ears back.
We got to the end of the lane and there was a short discussion about taking them over the fly-over road which I said I wasnt happy about as it very busy,Polo isnt great in traffic and AliG wasnt behaving (hate it when people think you dont know your horses!).So we were about to turn when Ali reared up onto Polo front legs paddling,Polo backed up to get out the way and Ali was basically vertical for what felt like ages!He was literally a couple of degree's from going over backwards,I let the reins loose cos I felt if I'd touched them he'd have gone completely over and took my feet out the stirrups.He turned while still up and I slid off to the side,totally fine landing on my feet.I was so mad and he got a couple of really hard wallops with the whip as I felt a huge reprimand was in order here as ive given him the benefit of the doubt on the previous times its happened.
Jo and YO were convinced he was going over.I got back on and put him between Polo and YO pone and he got a sharp smack whenever he looked like he was going to go again.
So Im sure its a dominance issue now but cant figure out why he went at Polo cos he adores him and they get on fantastically well in the field.Ali is a very dominant type, self assured and confident he doesnt look to other horse's for help or confidence.Ive never had these problems when he's out by himself YO was wondering if it was a protect me/jealousy thing but im not convinced to be honest.
He's not been ridden a great deal in company,even less since he had the time off with the splint,but im not happy that he's now done it twice in the last 4times he's been in company(the doc's riding up behind him I consider seperate and understandable).
So Im toying with longreining him out a couple of times in company to a) see how he's reacting when im on the ground ie to see if im missing something and b) to avoid the risk of him going over on top of me and finally c) if he does it I can drive him on and push him through it so he learns up is not and option.
What are you thought folks....
5 comments:
Oh Yes, Girl! It is dominance issue BIG TIME. The head snaking DOWN is STALLION behavior, if he does it in the field to you, RUN!
It is VERY agressive behavior.
Well done for the wallop, he really deserved it.
Looking back ( always easy eh?), you should have walloped him for the head-snaking thingy. This is a BIG offense.
Next time, don't let him go there.
Well done for your courage and determination!
With Polo you have to deal with fear-based issue and with AliG with dominance-based issue.
Two very different horses ^-^ Cool
If he does it in the field take a big stick out and beat him round the head with it!!
C.
Yep if you are quick enough ^-^
Anyho that behavior is not acceptable. I would do lots of ground-work with this young man, until he knows who is the alpha mare of the herd ^-^
He's never shown anything but good manner's on the ground certainly not dominance with me.The ground work has continues perfectly well no challenges to me or what im asking infact I could ask for an easier horse to work with!
Its like he hasnt figured out he's the rules are different when your out on a hack and he cant react how he would in the field.
oh scary. i thnk i'd go with your last thought and your first - longline him out and he hasn't worked the rules out. agree that you should have hit him when he first started the snakey thing.. but then you didn't know what was coming. you will next time!
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