Re: Riding Issues

 The head up in the air sounds to me like something is out? Maybe check his back checked over again, its vital that you get that sorted. Maybe try a very soft bit as if his head is in the air he may be trying to evade the bit. What bit have you got him in? I'd say try him without the martingale, it may be too tight and is upsetting him? Just strip tack back to basics I'd say and work from there. 

It sounds like you'll just need lots and lots of patience. You've said that you waited till an hour later before cantering, if he hasn't been regularly ridden then more than an hour will be exhausting for him. You need to start in small sessions and keep things simple, simply walking and trotting until he is nice and relaxed, then maybe put down some trotting poles as it will give him something to focus on. Try going in and out of cones to encourage him to loosen up through his neck. Sounds a bit like my horse, he needs something to think about to keep him working, else he gets too easily distracted and starts messing about with rearing and bucking. 

Also try lunging him, may be a better way of getting him back into the swing of things and also to work by voice. If he is relaxed enough on the lunge then maybe try side reins but if he's still very flighty and sensitive then they might make him upset. 


Anyway, I'm sure you will gets lots of replies! So good luck!

Re: Riding Issues

A martingale may hold his head down a little, but it's not going to help him relax.  I'm guessing you don't have access to an arena, but you could try hacking him in company to help him settle,  so long as the other horse is laid back.  Just keep him at a loose rein and usually they always decide to stay with the company rather than go off on their own.

Until he is relaxed, I wouldn't go faster than a walk ever.  In-hand work can really help you build a relationship with him (Perfect Manners, Kelly Marks is a really useful book).  Pole work is also a really good idea, as it helps them use their abdominals and lengthen their back.  With his head up all the time, his back will be shortened with all the muscles along the top contracted, and his abs loose, so it'll be very exhausting (and maybe even sore) to carry a person after a while.  When he relaxes and lowers his head, it will be much easier for him.  But until then, I would only ride for 1/2 an hr (or maybe an hour max) until he is fitter.

The more boring and chilled you can make the hacks, the faster he should calm down and the more confident he will become.  Desensitising can also help speed this up a bit (and groundwork also gives them a little mental exercise too!).  Oh, and when you say you think you should get tougher with him, with all my horses so far (not that I have heaps of experience, just a couple!) ignoring the behaviour can sometimes be a really effective way to stop it, because when you react, you only make them focus even more on whatever they were doing.  Of course it may not work for all horses, but I usually give it a go for a week or so and see what happens - with quite a lot of things is actually works!

Good luck with him!  I hope this helps at all

Re: Riding Issues

Well he's only given a handful of nuts and chaff once a day and a haynet and is in a field with grass. I used to do parelli him a year or so ago and started doing some with him yesterday, I get the feeling he is confused and there is a lack of trust. I think this may just take time, but he does confuse me with what I can do to help him! I just want to do the best by him, so any suggestions or adivice would be great and thank you for everything you guys have said so far, its enouraged me to doa more ground work with him :)

Just concerned as last year he was going fantastically but he seems to have taken 20 steps back this summer