Home safe but just!!

[dannyboy]

Went for a hack with A (another livery) and her horse Flash (ex racer - TB). Right from the off Flash was spooking at everything, napping and burled around and banged into myself & Murphy. We got them walking on up the road that leads to the forest.

At the forest A wanted Flash to burn off a little energy by cantering him up the hill. Murphy took off after him and I found him very strong to get him back. Flash has a very quick, short step and Murphy was jogging to keep up with him all the way around. Murphy felt like a different horse, he was strong and not as responsive and I felt anxious on him. We trotted a little and that went fine. A wanted to canter on Flash again and suggested I go in front, so I took off in a pretty controlled canter but I could hear A in the background loosing control and they came up very close beside me and Flash kicked out at myself & Murphy. He got me on the foot of my boot and Murphy in the chest and A couldn't get him stopped, I pulled my hardest, putting my heels down and sitting back, Murphy was snorting & driving on, he tried to get me off several times and his head was uncontrollable, I eventually had to canter to catch up with A & Flash and she was still struggling to keep control. I've never felt so frightened!! A encouraged me to stay on as I just wanted to get off and thankfully I did as we were quite a bit from home and who's to say I'd have even been able to held him anyway, he might have bolted off to catch up with Flash. He continued to kick out at Murphy until we got to the road.

I didn't have on the martingale as I didn't have any wee rubber stoppers, so decided not to have put it on. I'm not sure it would have made any difference. I didn't have on my body protector either - silly I know but I've never felt I needed it with Murphy. I don't think I should have went with A & Flash as I'd heard some of the others saying he was unpredicable but I wanted to push myself. I'm sure I've forgotten something as my head is in a tiz, so I'll probably add to this once I calm down. Toodles off to get a large glass of wine and run the bath - I'm aching.

[duckles]

Hmm that brings me back!! I have been a few hacks like that in my time!
DB - you ought to be proud of yourself as you did great and I think Murphy did as well despite Flash's best efforts.
I wouldn't think Murphy was really trying to get you off but naturally he wanted to keep up with Flash and I am impressed that you managed to hold him at all.
You were very lucky not be hurt with the kick - really lucky.
From my experience over the years - it sometimes is not a great idea to canter a very fresh spooky horse although it seems logical - sometimes doing things like walking, leg yielding, transitions etc get their mind off things rather than giving them a blast. I know that goes against everything people say and I agree that if a horse is all excited and jiggy- a good gallop clears the air but a really spooky horse can sometimes get worse if speed is added. Also - the kicking out!! Not good. A lot of horses wont' follow and have to overtake everyone (JB is like that) but they don't kick - unless its a really green horse, there is absolutely no excuse and his rider should have known about it.
Still, I think you were right to go and I think you were great - I think spookiness is in the air at the moment!! Still from your description, Flash is either a very disturbed horse or his rider is not very good!

[dannyboy]

Thanks Duckles, 'A' has Flash about 3 months and I think he's starting to show his true colours and she's finding it difficult but she never seen him behave like this before. Another livery (P) rang me tonight after hearing about today and she said that A isn't that experienced, letting him off with rude behaviour - Flash has been very good when some of the others ride him, infact I was out with another livery on Flash one day and he ws great. (P) says she'll hopefully get out with me this week to get my confidence back, her horse is very calm, so perhaps I need a steady horse for a bit ;D.

[duckles]

I hope that P will be available this week - I think a nice calm hack is a good idea but still you coped very well with a bad sceanario so that is a plus.
To be honest I did think A sounded pretty inexperienced (or plain awful) but I didn't want to sound patronising as even the best horse can have a bad day.
A friend of mine was showing me a letter that came out from her hunt - it had loads of hunt rules. One was - 'if your horse is a kicker - put a red ribbon on and stay at the back on the hunt. If you don't want to be at the back of the hunt - get another horse'. I think A should think on that!