A little advice/tips - fresh and spooky

handbagsandhay

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Exercising my friends gorgeous ex racer. he is an absolute sweetheart - on the ground :)

He hasn't been worked much in a while and is a little fresh! He is also very spooky. I only started riding him less than a month ago so we are still getting to know each other but lo and behold I am besotted with him! However in the field at one end of the school there are a couple of cows and the field at the other end donkeys/other horses.....this gives him the perfect excuse to spook at each end! He doesn't do anything too drastic - a little spin and a few fast steps. But then it's a challenge to get him walking by again!

It isn't helped by the fact that just now we can only ride at night - the floodlit school must create some very scary coo shaped moving shadows - and the one day I managed to get there during the day - it was mega windy so everything was heightened.

I have been trying to do a fair bit of groundwork in the school - when I am beside him he barely bats an eyelid at any of the monsters - as soon as I am on his back its a different story.

I have been working in walk and trot only and plan to continue this for now until we get the fundamentals right with each other and have been doing plenty of circling, movements etc past all the scary things - they are not going away so he really needs to be getting some confidence around him.

It doesn't feel to me like he is taking the pe - he seems to really need to get his confidence from his rider (walks out the stable with eyes on stalks just looking for scary stuff)

Does anyone have any other tips? I do get regular lessons on another yard and am thinking of booking my (fabulous) instructor to come to the yard and give us some lessons together - but I really would like to get the spooking in hand first?
 

sportsmansB

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Keep him as quiet as possible with as much turnout and as little hard feed as you can get away with, so that you're not fighting an uphill battle.
Sometimes physical issues manifest themselves as spookiness (K/S, ulcers, etc)- has he always been like this or does he have any vet history?
Can you lunge him in the school before you get on?
You might need to go into the school and straight into a forward trot with plenty of positive encouragement so that he really believes you mean that everything is OK and its work time, its much harder to do that in walk if they are a bit backwards. Always have a plan and be two or three movements ahead in your mind so that you are never dithering about.
Get your instructor sooner rather than later, even if you do 'waste' a lesson not getting much done, she can give you hints / tips to manage it, and its sometimes easier to see the issue from the ground.
 

Arzada

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How many hours per day is he turned out? Do you have an opportunity to have him loose in the school so he can explore in his own time?
 

DabDab

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If there is a very spooky area in a school for a horse I take them into the school in hand and walk them round to the scary place and just chill there for a minute eating an Apple or something. Then when I get on I do the same. Then go do some work. It doesn't stop them spooking, but it stops spooky corners becoming a bit of a habit.
 

handbagsandhay

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Thanks for your replies. he is turned out at about 6.30-7am until about 6pm at night (depending on owners work situation. I usually ride at night so that is after a days turnout though when I can get on during the day I bring him in - the windy day in question he had only had about 3 hours turnout beforehand which wouldn't have helped.

He is given feed twice a day (owners choice - not much I can do/say about that)

lungeing beforehand is an option. i know his owner had been lunging more than riding.

Vetting is fine. he has always been "spirited" and I am told has improved greatly and I really have confidence we can work at this.

Yurning loose in the school is definitely and option - never even thought of that
 

madamebonnie

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We have a scary end of the arena with trailers, lorries and pigs in the distance. Every day before I get on I lead him up in hand, walk past 3 times each way, let him have a little look, lots of pats and a polo before I get on. Routine is key for him.

If he starts messing around and spooking we do a fairly sharp turn back and keep going past in 10m circles until he either relaxes or is going on the track I need him to. Usually only one circle these days and we can continue with normal schooling.

Consistency is key. I don't tell him off, no reaction other than swearing under my breath, and we will repeat until I get what I want, quick pat and off we go. If there is a genuine spook and something makes him jump elsewhere in the arena, just don't react. Keep going. George will always be a reactive type but I have to separate a genuine jump and him making up monsters in the corner.
 

Ouch05

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I have a ex racer tb that is the same. Turned out 24/7 since boxing day but normally on the same routine you have. He gets two bucket feeds a day as he struggles with weight and he also competes and trailer at lot.

He hates out two outdoor school with a passion so much so that I can't ride in them. The flood light are not great and just provide a pool of light in areas and this is a no go for him. I can't lunge or free school either at the yard. So I have given up riding in them during the winter but I am luckly enough to have an indoor as well.

He still spooks in this one if someone walks etc. I just really try and refocus him and the answer is to send them forward which I know can be a scary thought but if you send them forward then do loads of moves lateral, change in pace etc it really does work.

Also circle near the area and let the circle get bigger until you are circling in the the corner of the spooky area.
 

LegOn

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I can only say what I did with my spooky horse but it really worked!

So when he goes full eyes on stalks, I pat him really hard & shout quite loudly 'good boy' repeatedly, the first few times be careful cause it gives them an extra little fright but it really distracts them from what they are looking at or trying to figure out, it draws their attention back to you and literally disarms them. Dont be quiet or gentle - and they might flinch or tense a bit so keep doing it until they nearly get bored & relax & then stop immediately & continue on. Every time they go to spook or have spooked, do the same thing. I found he recovered from each spook quicker & quicker each time & then eventually gave up because he wanted to avoid the fuss - he knew I was going to keep distracting him from what he wanted to do, so just started to tune into me more and less to what was going on around him.

It works well for some horses! But of course they are all different!
 

handbagsandhay

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Thanks so much for all your replies which I have taken into account! We have been working on this since the last post and last night we had a completely spook free schooling session!!! Even the scary end of the school - he looked but no spookies! I can't tell you how elated I am at this simple bit of progress! We only rode for 20 minutes as it was 20 great minutes so I figured end it on acomplete high instead of pushing for too much more (plus I am still building his fitness up anyway and he was ready for his tea!

It's amazing how little bits of progress can really lift your spirits!
 

Junebug44

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Thanks so much for all your replies which I have taken into account! We have been working on this since the last post and last night we had a completely spook free schooling session!!! Even the scary end of the school - he looked but no spookies! I can't tell you how elated I am at this simple bit of progress! We only rode for 20 minutes as it was 20 great minutes so I figured end it on acomplete high instead of pushing for too much more (plus I am still building his fitness up anyway and he was ready for his tea!

It's amazing how little bits of progress can really lift your spirits!

Wow, that's great! What strategies have you been using that have worked so well?
 

handbagsandhay

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Wow, that's great! What strategies have you been using that have worked so well?

Working on the groud first, particularly at the spooky end. A good bit of in hand before jumping on. Doing a lot of movements/work down the "spooky" end...circles etc to keep him focussing on me. Basically perservering and reassuring. I was so proud of him. Only problem is I have now hurt my hand so can't ride him!!! Just as he was doing so well! Hopefully be back on board towards the end of the week!
 

Junebug44

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Well done you - that's inspiring! I have a tendency to avoid the "scary end!" :) I like the lots of movements and work and persevering - just need to get my own head around it! Hope you're better and back on board soon! x
 

handbagsandhay

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Well done you - that's inspiring! I have a tendency to avoid the "scary end!" :) I like the lots of movements and work and persevering - just need to get my own head around it! Hope you're better and back on board soon! x

It does seem easier to avoid the scary end and I can't lie sometimes I jump on and am tempted for an easy ride but that won't solve the problem so I just battled through and I am glad. It does help that when he spooks he doesn't do anything particularly scary! Just a little spin and a few fast steps. Loads of inside leg and hand up to push him past. Hoping to get back on board tonight fingers crossed
 
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