The joys of a TB in winter

[twistyizzy]

So temperature has dropped to 1 degree the last 2 nights. Decided to go for a hack this morning and my idiot 20 yr old horse has reverted back to his winter hacking behaviour which means breastplate, martingale, neck strap, bridged reins and a stiff whisky before setting off.
Why is it that TBs get worse the older they get 🙄?! 5 years ago he was buckle end all year round!

Well mine's a connie not a TB but he's also just as much of a hooligan as ever, he's mellowed a little with age in that at the grand old age of 18 you can finally potter around a baby/old lady's SJ course in a snaffle without taking your life into your hands (protocol used to be a waterford, a neck strap and a healthy emotional stability regarding your own mortality ). However out hacking his behaviour still leaves something to be desired, today he was bouncing the whole way (at a stretch it could be called 'jig-jogging') and as soon as his hooves hit turf and an open space he was determined he was off, perhaps he was a TB in a past life? I'd like to make excuses, just been clipped for the first time this year, windy/cold day today but sadly he tests my arms and my patience pretty much year round , the only thing I can say in mitigation for my failure to get him to behave himself is that there are limits to his madness, he'll bounce and hop and piss off a bit but he does retain a sense of self-preservation lacking in the truly insane horse?

@maxelly Mine hasn't even been clipped yet, I fear for my life when I finally get round to it!
Best pony I had as a child was a Connie, they have got so much personality.

Intending to clip ours today as getting quite woolly and sweaty, wish me luck!
He's usually pretty good, but a couple of weekends ago totally lost the plot, and looking back to last year, was a knob for a week or two this time last year. Thankfully pretty good hacking, just open spaces being hairy, so will mostly stick to the roads until he gets over himself.
I tend to cut hard feed as much as I dare when he's like this, lots of hay etc, not sure how much it helps, but feels like it's the right thing to do!
Wish me luck!

@Biddie191 good luck 😆. Yep mine is on zero feed until he calms his little self down although based on last year that won't be until March!

Hoping this will be a relatively brief period of silliness