advice re young horse

[Flixon]

In March I bought a 3 year old, lightly broken Connemara gelding. He's a lovely 'person' gentle and respectful on the ground, affectionate and easy to do in all ways so far. loads well, farrier, feet picking up etc.

Unfortunately the first time I rode him in the school (we had been hacking out with others fine) something scared him, he went absolutely full on flight mode, bucking and twisting. I came off and broke my femur.

So, I turned him away for the Summer, in a herd with a mix of young and older horse, huge fields, just to mature a bit and because I could not do anything much with him after my femur was nailed.

I have been riding again for a few months - very gently, on quiet horses as although I'm pretty good, the leg is not healed properly yet.
So, my young pony, now 4 and after 6 months turn out is now back with me. Again he's a darling in the stable and to handle, I've been hand walking him out in a headcoller - he's very good and although a bit 'looky' he responds to voice commands and walks past with no trouble. I've taken him out with me on another horse - ride and lead, and I've just started lunging him. He accepts his tack no problem, and I'm working on exposing him to scary things - umbrellas . plastic bags etc. All in preparation for re-backing at some point.

In all honesty I'm a bit scared. Hard though I have worked at physio (and I really have) am still in pain, my Xray shows my right femur is not healed yet and whilst I have been riding (and riding my warmblood mare who is pretty sharp) I cant get out of my head that this accident came out of nowhere. I wasn't jumping, or doing anything risky at all. We were walking around the school. And he exploded. I fell and was badly hurt (although It could have been so much worse)

What else do I need to do? I'm not planning to ride him for at least another 3 weeks ( when he will have been back with me for 6 weeks) and I don't mind if it takes longer, but I need to feel I'm moving forward and I don't know how to pass the barrier ... I'm going to do some long reining and more work training him to voice commands as well as building up our bond ... He's a sweet sweet boy and I want to do the best for him

Sounds like you are doing all the right things ie groundwork. We underestimate how traumatic moves are for horses and personally I would have just done groundwork, long reining on hacks etc for a couple of months before getting on a few times and then turning away until next year.
'Lightly broken' to me just means had a saddle/bridle on and ridden a few times. It doesn't mean schooled/used to traffic etc so I think your expectations could have been too high.
Did you get him vetted prior to purchase and checked after the incident? Are you sure the saddle fits? Have you had teeth checked? Physio out?
We shouldn't be in a rush with young horses, they don't physically (or mentally) mature until around 5 years old so keep up with groundwork, building a bond and getting him out and about in hand.
Also make sure you get all the physical stuff checked frequently ie every 4 months for saddle/physio and at least twice a year for dentist.

Also you have to accept that young horses ARE unpredictable and uncertainty/fear can result in outbursts like this. Have you got a good local instructor you can work with?

Sorry for the essay Op, I'd keep on with the ground work if it was me and when you've run out of things to try and check out and start thinking that there's nothing else to do but get on I'd go find an experienced jockey who has no fear and rides in a way that matches what you want to do. Id work with them, and get them to put some miles on for you. Confidence is such a fragile thing, you don't want to loose it completely or for your doubt/worry to become an issue for your horse... I've been there and persevered but am still reluctant to push forward when I should and it's taken a lot of the pleasure out. I should've bitten the bullet years ago and asked my TB loving friend to take over for a while and ride the bugs out for me. She would have ridden through without noticing the things that were scaring me as she'd never been bolted with the way I had (on a "safe" loan pony).
Good luck with whatever you decide.

I'd also think about getting the groundwork done yourself then getting in a pro to ride away. Then you can see how he goes before deciding if you want to get on yourself.

I can totally understand why you would be nervous.

Get a good pro to do the riding. It is likely that there are gaps in the horse's education that need to be addressed, and you don't want to be the one who goes looking for them. The horse has had a fright too and needs to be started again by someone quiet, confident and competent.

I’d firstly just get him MOTd, then get someone else to do the first few rides. Gets his and your confidence up. Nerves (understandably!!) and greenness aren’t a great combo.

Carry on with what you're doing, pay a pro to school him twice a week so he's going well and seriously consider selling him and getting an older quieter horse that it's a pleasure to ride and build your confidence with. Connie's can be sharp anyway. Tidings meant to be fun not a worry every time you get on.

Honestly if you can afford it get a professional to ride him for a while. We have a youngster and we're currently doing this. I don't ride atm as I've lost my nerve but my husband does. I'm very aware that a nervous rider however experienced can cause a problem with a young green horse. You had a pretty bad fall and it's no surprise you're a bit nervous. Maybe stick to the groundwork with him building a bond etc and ride your mare for a while

He sounds like a lovely type. 3 weeks riding at a professionals will probably have him exactly where you want him so you can take over. Spend the money and go for the best you can and I promise it will be worth it. It doesn’t have to be long term, the time from lightly backed to hacking in company to then riding/schooling in the arena varies for every horse and depends completely on how they were started.
We start horses as complete individuals. Some go first day in the arena. Some spend months hacking and feeling secure in their surroundings learning to go forwards outside before they go into arena and taking them in would be an easy way to go backwards a few steps so we stay out till they are more focused and forwards.
Some trot 20m circles happily on their own in the arena the first few days of being ridden! All different none wrong.
Enjoy your pony, I hope your leg heals up and you have many years together having fun. Invest in his future now and you will have great times ahead. X

There's risks with every horse though. I'm a total beginner and have been on 4 horses in my life. One belonging to a friend who is sweet natured but a retired racehorse who has no concept of slowing down.

Another friends young horse who is hilariously naughty and has thrown almost everyone who has ever ridden him because he is just so sharp and unpredictable

The other 2 belonging to the riding school. One who is enormous, beautifully schooled and great to ride but a serious attitude problem on the ground, we're talking over 18 hands of pure arsehole, no one is allowed in with him without a member of staff.

The other is a older horse, real schoolmaster, bombproof, total sweetheart, doesn't flinch at traffic when hacking, the leaf blower doesn't phase him. I'd happily allow my 6 year old niece in with him alone, he's a big boy nearly 17hh but I've seen him ridden by little children and he listens and behaves beautifully for them. He even let one little girl hang a friendship bracelet round his hock. Picked his foot up for her and everything it was adorable. Safest horse I've ever met.

He is the only one of them who has had me off. He spooked, flipped his shit at a sudden noise, spun and threw me. You could be on the safest, tiniest push button pony and have them spook and throw you. I lost my confidence massively afterwards but realistically any fall could be bad. I think you just might need to bite the bullet and get back on him.

I agree with those saying to find a professional, experienced rider to ride your pony for a good while before getting back on him yourself.

Your nerves and his greenness won't be a good combination - he'll know you're scared and it means you won't ride as confidently which means it's more likely he'll spook or not listen to your aids.

Look at featherlight horsemanship to see what you can work on with him.

Thank you all. I'm seriously considering getting a professional to help me. The only issue with that is that it would probably mean moving him to their yard for a few weeks, which not ideally what I want.

I accept, in the end all horses are animals, and riding is inherently dangerous. My first horse is a warmblood mare who is sharp, spooky, very forward and a bit unpredictable. She spins, plants suddenly, bucks and shies on occasion. But I have never had the feeling that her safety is of no importance to her. Its hard to explain what I mean: but she can be tricky but I feel she always has her own safety at the front of her mind so she wont do anything totally bonkers. And I have a fairly good seat so I rarely fall.

With the young horse, when he lost it - he really lost it. He was terrified and had no thought for anything other than getting rid of his rider and he would have done anything at all to do it. And it came from nowhere.

But I accept that my anxieties about it are not going to help him one bit and the best option therefore is to get some help!

@twistyizzy thank you. Yes, I had him stage 5 vetted before purchase and looked over afterwards. I think, in retrospect I should have been more aware that he had not been in such a large outdoor school ridden before - I had lunged him in there, and like I said, he had been fine out hacking in the days before the accident.

I think the losing it is terrifying. I have a mare that can be really spooky and will spin, drop a shoulder, shoot forwards and flybuck, etc and would get any unbalanced folk off no bother. But I have had her 3 years, she’s never had me off, and I feel very much like while she’s a spooky sort that is very athletic so can throw some shapes with it she’s also nothing I can’t handle, and she takes a lot of confidence from her rider, so once she’s had one dramatic episode, leg on, “it’s ok filly” (I worked in racing for years….) and calmly act like nothing happened she comes straight back to earth. I just don’t hack her on the roads.

My other is far more dependable in the main but as a 5 year old once went up and over with me. I paid to have her ridden for an age after that and she’s never done anything like that before or since, and really is so quiet she’s slightly boring, but it’s unnerving to know they have that in their locker
Id far rather a consistently quirky horse than something that is an angel one day and the next would scare AP McCoy

I would strongly recommend having professional help, and moving to a new yard for a while would probably be beneficial to the horse too. It would do the both of you the world of good. With my youngster I sent her away for a month to further her education and then had lessons with the same professional so that he could work on both of us as a pair, I went over every couple of days. I found it very informative to see someone else school her, and encouraging to see what she could do. Likewise it gave the horse confidence being ridden by someone who was much better balanced and a better rider than me so that when I got on she wasn't all over the place. Once she'd come back to me I went for a lesson monthly so that any issues could be resolved before they took root. I went from having a very wobbly and unpredictable youngster to having a horse who would look after both of us. Sadly she's now a field ornament at only 7 having done the same tendon twice in less than 12 months and I'm heartbroken as she had so much to offer - she however is quite happy of course!

The combination of a nervous rider (and who wouldn't be after what you've experienced) and possibly a nervous or unsure horse isn't great. It takes a lot to recognise that you can't do it all yourself and is absolutely not a sign of failure. Good luck!

Yup. That it. It was the losing it that freaks me. Your horse sounds like min mare (although she's very kind and doesn't drop her shoulder)

I agree with everyone saying get professional help. However, I would never let my horse leave my yard. The pro needs to come to you so that you can see what they do. They should also include teaching you what they are teaching your horse, and a good handover.
First you need the checks - back, teeth and tack.
Then - I know people talk about getting someone to 'school' but at 4 years old horses need to get out and about, and not be drilled in the school. Their skeletons aren't fully formed, their growth plates haven't finished closing. They don't need to work in circles, or in an 'outline', they need to work in straight lines and be allowed to go forward.
You need someone who will do a little bit of work in the school to establish that your horse is ready, and who will then hack them out. Your horse is a baby, a couple of hacks a week, maybe up to about 2 hours total per week, will be plenty until next year.
I say never send your horse away because I have spent many hours trying to help horses and their owners who have been messed up by 'professionals'. We have a pro fairly near us who is constantly recommended on FB. If these people could see how she is with the horses when she's on her own it would be a different story. There's a reason why she won't allow owners to visit for the first 5 days. When someone works with your horse you need to be in a relaxed situation where you can watch. If anything happens that you're not comfortable with don't be afraid to act immediately to intervene either. You are your horse's advocate. But if you find someone local who is recommended as kind you should be fine.

@Dilligafat you are right. I know of many horses that come back from the professional yard head shy, injured and worse off in general. When I last has a 4 year old I have lessons with a pro who rode my horse also and separately from the lesson, I am still grateful for the work put in there. I have a 3 year old being very lightly backed and a professional visits once a week or so and that is the only time they work. Bareback hacks for 10 mins max, in hand show coming up hopefully. It's going really well with proper help and a horse that is calm and confident at home. Every instructor or rider I have found to help has been one who has helped a friend or acquaintance so I know a little what to expect aiming for confident, competent and sympathetic riding.

@Dilligafat completely agree with you. I would never send a horse to a different yard to be schooled. Too many horror stories plus as you say, you need to be able to watch and learn.

I disagree about sending away in some respects and it depends on a) the horse itself and b) what you want from doing it. If you are thinking of it you obviously need to do your homework, go and see them working, ask people, get references, see what they do and visit as much as you can.

In my case the yard was 10 minutes away so it was easy for me to pop in, I'd had lessons with the rider previously on a different horse and I was always welcome. Going away to be schooled doesn't and didn't for me mean going round and round in circles - my horse was hacked (both ridden and led), and worked in hand as well as in the school and I went to watch because I wanted to learn. She did some loading and travelling practice, went out to events as a companion and for a walk around (no competing) and generally had her eyes opened to the big wide world which was all stuff that I was not in a position to do at the time.

Maybe all that is an exception, but it did my horse the world of good to be in a yard which had lots going on, as opposed to with me where there's only one other horse. Having said all that she was 4 rising 5 and whilst green and uneducated wasn't a complete baby.

I wouldn’t send away, well. There are maybe 2 or 3 people in the country I would send to. But I’d get a pro on to just get them out hacking, seeing the world and thinking forward. If they are explosive with them then I’d start thinking about what I wanted to do

Frosty, this is so refreshing to read. How nice to hear about a professional who really understands how to bring a young horse on.
Unfortunately, from my many years of experience on yard and around horse people, schooling for most just doesn't mean what you have described. It's into the arena and away they go. They seem to think they need to get strict and forceful. Get the head in, kick it on, produce what they call an outline... no proper balance or true self carriage. How many times do we see them with their hands fixed and held down on their thighs? (Snaffle bits, for example, are designed to act on the corners of the lips. Hands on thighs pull the bit down into contact with the bars, causing painful pressure).
Young horses, and horses that are coming back into work, need time to build up their strength, balance and flexibility. Nothing better to do that than hack, hack, hack, mostly in the walk.

Little update. We have been doing a lot of groundwork - long reining - walking in hand, desensitising, ride and lead from another horse and lots of fussing and grooming and generally building trust. He really is a darling horse and there have been no abreactions to anything at all. If something worries him he will stop or look but there has been nothing more. I have lunged and long reined with tack and all fine.

Last weekend I sat on him - literally sat for 5 mins and got off, and yesterday rode him, bareback the 5 minutes from yard to field. All good. I didn't feel anxious at all

I am building trust in him as much as he is in me. I'm still planning baby steps, but so far all is going well and I'm much more confident can do this now.

Well done @Flixon