Questions and Answers
My Horse Stops and Rolls Whenever I Ride in the Arena
Q: My 16-year-old thoroughbred has recently started to drop and roll every time I ride him in the arena. He is sound and as far as I can tell, in good health. What on earth could be causing this and what can I do about it? The only other time I’ve heard of this is … Read more
My Horse Has a Cow Phobia
Hi Neil. My mare has a cow phobia, and apparently has for all of her 15 years. Now, the issue is that she has to live right next door to them. The arena backs right onto a cow paddock on one long side and the farmer has a race which he moves his cows up and down daily on … Read more
My Horse Rushes at The Gate
Q: I recently bought an 11-year-old TB gelding with a potentially dangerous habit. This horse is a bit high energy, but he generally behaves well both on the ground and under saddle. The problem comes when I turn him out after riding him. As we approach the gate to his paddock, he rushes up to … Read more
My Horse Doesn’t Like Other Horses Coming Towards Him
Q: The horse I lease has a serious aversion to horses coming toward him when riding in the arena. He’s an off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) and, his current owner doesn’t know what sort of incident he might have had in his past that made him this way. It doesn’t matter if we’re walking or trotting, he tends … Read more
My Horse Has ‘Separation Anxiety’
Here’s a question from a reader: I am needing some help with separation anxiety in my horses. I have a five-year-old mare who I bred, and she has lived her whole life with two geldings, very happily. She’s always been independent and confident when I have taken her away from them to handle and (over … Read more
Charley Chews The Fence
Q: My 5 year old pony, Charlie, is starting to pluck the top wire on fences. It is becoming more and more of a habit. He use to just do it when he was waiting for his feed, but now he is doing it to gain attention and even when being groomed. I’m worried about … Read more
What’s This Densensitising All About?
Q: Hello there. I am fairly new to horses, and I’d like to know your trainers’ opinions about the practice I’ve seen of people ‘desensitising’ horses by doing what looks to me like chasing them around a big yard with a plastic bag on a stick. What are they trying to achieve? Dan, via email Good … Read more
I Can’t Touch My Horse’s Ears
Q: “I have a former racehorse who is very unhappy about having his ears touched around the base especially, which makes it quite hard to bridle him. For example, to arrange his forelock and mane around his headpiece, and also to get rid of sweat from the area. Can you please give me some advice … Read more
My Ex Racehorse Won’t Settle Down
Q: We were given a thoroughbred former racehorse who is quiet and gentle on the ground, to lead and work on a lunge. But he is a horror to ride – gets extremely wound up and scuttles around sideways, throws his head around, gets into a foaming sweat… all this just trying to walk him … Read more