Personality change??!

Question

my 4 year old gelding is just back from being broken and its like he is not as friendly as he was and he is completely different in personality.. he is usually over friendly and maybe goes a bit over board with the affections!! he was being trained near where i live and i went down to see him about ever 2nd or third day...and he was his usual self,, i was just wondering since he is only back yesterday is he just setteling back in or whats wrong?? thanks!

Answer 1

my horse used to be in a herd where i worked. i brought him home and he was quite and just stood there the first week. then he turned into himself again. i was worried like you but talk to people where i work and they told me he is just getting himself settled again.

Try ridding him and then get off for the last 10 mins and get him to do the trust training where  you give him a treat and he follows you where ever. that normally you will see that they are coming back to being themselves. Then make a fuss over him. These things should work but just expect a week or so to let them get back to themselves.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Do you know the training place that you sent him to? Some training centers use harsh methods to train their horses. Now, I'm not saying that the occasional smack is bad, but some places can really rough around the horses.

Also, if the trainers you sent him to found his affections to be a lack of respect, they may have trained him not to do such things. For example, if he nudges you when he comes up to you, that can be seen as bad manners, and the trainers may have disciplined him for that.

I hope your horse gets back to his usual self soon!

=)

Answer 3

he probably is just settling in. If hes still like this after a few days./ a week maybe you should ask teh place that broke him if anything happened that may have spooked or scared him. Maybe he just needs the lots of love imsure you give him, maybe hes conning you :P haha

Answer 4

If you weren't there every time he was trained, and learning what he was learning so that you are consistent in handling him now that he is home, you could have some problems.  How long was he gone, and what do you mean by "broken"?  He may have had experiences that have indeed changed his personality, especially if any of the methods used in his training were harsh.  Hopefully it is just a temporary readjustment, but you should be in contact with the trainer on this and discuss what is next.  The trainer may have disciplined him when he went "overboard with affections" to teach him to respect the trainer's space, which is the correct thing to teach.  Maybe nothing is wrong at all, and your horse is just behaving himself?

Answer 5

the big change of being broken is probably a shock so settle him down and lots of attention !!! he just needs some tlc and he will be as loving as ever