Advice needed quirky connemara

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nel509

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I am having real issues with my 5yo Connemara. I have owned him 2 years. He had been lightly backed when I first got him.
He has been absolutely fine with his flatwork, has beautiful paces and could be a pure dressage contender.
As a 4yo I sent him away to a trusted source to introduce him to jumping. I am 40 something and somewhat rusty and wanted him to have a good start. After 2 weeks he was jumping a small course. I went back to the same yard for a lesson a week later and he was spooky / put in a few stops / rsulting in me falling off. I lost a bit of confidence in jumping after this, so conenctrated on flatwork. Later that year he went again for 2 weeks. After which he was confidently jumping decent source of around 80cm with fillers. I rode him at my trainers over a course of fences with no issues. After this I vowed to get him out and about to some different venues. this is where I get a problem, He is very spooky with anything new. A new pole on the floor can be the spookiest thing going, A fence is a nightmare. just getting him to go anywhere near a jump he has not seem before is a big problem. I did attend some hunts - where he built up confidence jumping in a group, but still has absolutely no confidence in a sj arena situation. towards the end of last year he got a splint so I rested him for the winter and brought him back into work in Feb. Since then once again I have been concentrating on dressage, but have recently started up weekly jump lessons. My (new) trainer is confident he will get over his spookiness - but I am not so sure. L ast night I fell off him at home as he spooked horrendsly when asked to walk over a pole. He is so dramatic - I am tough on him and gave him a smack / kick to get him over - which resulted in a huge buck / leap over the 2nd pole and me eating dirt.

Im feeling at the end of my tether at moment and and considering selling him to get something that is already up and running that will give me confidence. Or sticking to flatwork only. I had thought of giving one last bash at sending him away for schooling again - but based on past experience I feel its a waste of money as when he comes back to me the confidence isn't there.

Does anyone have any experience with a horse so quirky. my friends at the yard are all perplexed how he can be so dramatic over a simple pole on the floor or x pole. They have seen him out hunting and on farm rides jumping reasonable height solid fences. its very frustrating as when he does jump he is so athletic and a real performance bred Connie.
 
It sounds like you need to build confidence together and in each other. Sending him away again isn't really going to help that. He can obviously jump - he just needs to be more confident with coloured poles in the school.

Like teaching anything new this is going to take a bit of time and work every day. It doesn't have to be ridden. Are you able to put coloured poles around his environment so he has to step over them? In the field, on the usual walkways etc? You could lunge him over poles or scatter poles around your normal school so that he becomes accustomed to them. Slowly over time when both you and he relax about it you can progress to raising them etc. It just takes time.

Putting in a massive leap over things they are not sure about is quite common so perhaps a neck strap or something to help you sit them a bit more confidently?
 
Thanks Shay. I have been working on this for every day for a month now - schooling over random poles / sets of 2 / 3 trotting poles between wing / schooling round jumps. sometimes he will have gone over a pole numerouse times, but the 6th / 7th time he takes exception and is reluctant to go over. He used to drop his shoulder and dump me at these points - but i seem to got him out of this habit, by being a bit more forcefull with leg / whip. I also lunge once a week over poles and fences, Even on a day when I am practicing flatwork I mate sure I put some pole work into the session. i cant put poles into his turnout field, but maybe i can put some about the yard / where he is tied up etc. I did feel like there had been some (very slow) progress, however last night really upset me. I am trying to be over the top and praising him every time he goes over a fence to help with his confidence. Its hard as unless my instructor is with me (once a week), i am on my own. I think i need to go away for schooling lol.
 
It sounds as if the person you sent him to cut corners in the basics and pushed on too quickly without getting him properly established in polework and gridwork, fine as they obviously had enough confidence to make up for any he lacked but it has not helped you or him in the longer term, I would do little and often as already suggested until poles on the ground are part of his daily routine and he is confidently walking over them wherever they are, hitting him to get him over will not help him learn they are safe, I would start off in hand then progress to lunging and long reining before riding.
It will take time to gain his confidence and he needs to be 100% happy with each stage before being moved on to the next, if done with a good instructor who understands how to work with this type then it is possible to overcome and for you to both move on, once he has gained the confidence he lacks the steps forward will happen more quickly as long as he is always taken back to within his comfort zone if there is any sense he is having a wobble.

I have had many like him through my yard, we always go right back to basics and continue to consolidate them every day until they show they are totally happy, even once they start jumping the more nervous ones will always start with poles on the ground especially if they have not done any jumping/ polework for a few days, I love working with these ponies as they are so rewarding once they get through the barriers they have built up and start to really look at what they are doing with a smile on their face and their ears forward.
 
Thank you be positive....I think you are right and corners were cut on his first experience. I think with him being well schooled on the flat it was assumed he was ready to crack on....But mentally he couldn't cope, especially with me as a less confident / forceful rider. I'm dressaging this weekrnd, but after this I'm going to go back to basics as you say and do some groundwork. I know he has a pop in him and he enjoys jumping when his blood is up in a Xc scenario. I just need to be able to give him the confidence he needs.
 
Having read your second post I would recommend doing lots of long reining with him, it can be really useful to get them going without having a person to "hold their hand" even on the lunge they will take confidence from seeing you, when you are behind they have to get their brave pants on and face up to things, I will long rein everywhere, over anything, set up some real questions once they are going well and it is often surprising a) what they will do b) how well it transfers to ridden work.
I recently did this with one of my liveries who said NO rather too often and the benefit after just 2 sessions was so obvious she still thought about saying no then decided to do as asked and her confidence has come on in leaps and bounds, literally, she managed to jump round her first sj course clear apart from a slight moment passing the entrance where she did think twice but then went forward to finish the round, I am sure the long reining made all the difference to her attitude.
 
Hi. I have a 6 year old Welsh mare who is really similar.
When we started her off everything new induced a stop or bonkers behaviour. We got her going well last year as a five year old. Still spooky at everything in the ring but we coped.
She then was off games for rest of season and we started again this year. Omg it was worse than when we started.
Take heart. I have just completed two BE 80's double clear. I went back to trotting into fences to build her confidence ( I know the experts will say this is wrong, but frankly I don't care)
I am now cantering round small courses and she is really enjoying it. I try to do most of this in the company of my trainer again for confidence.
Keep it small as us old girls need our brave pants on. Just go to venues and course hire rather than compete or just do the clear rounds before the show starts. You will get there.
Where in country are you?
 
Madali said:
Hi. I have a 6 year old Welsh mare who is really similar.
When we started her off everything new induced a stop or bonkers behaviour. We got her going well last year as a five year old. Still spooky at everything in the ring but we coped.
She then was off games for rest of season and we started again this year. Omg it was worse than when we started.
Take heart. I have just completed two BE 80's double clear. I went back to trotting into fences to build her confidence ( I know the experts will say this is wrong, but frankly I don't care)
I am now cantering round small courses and she is really enjoying it. I try to do most of this in the company of my trainer again for confidence.
Keep it small as us old girls need our brave pants on. Just go to venues and course hire rather than compete or just do the clear rounds before the show starts. You will get there.
Where in country are you?
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Why would the "experts" say trotting into fences is wrong? I don't consider myself an expert but I am very experienced with young and green horses and always trot into fences until the horse is confident enough to pop into canter itself, once they learn to lock on they will be ready to canter but until then if there is any doubt mine stay in trot, they can jump anything they are put at out of trot, or even walk, and can certainly manage 80cm from a decent trot, cantering into fences before they are ready is the reason many horses learn to stop.

Just to add the experts I have trained with have all allowed horses to jump out of trot, they include an Olympic medal winning 4* eventer which I would certainly call an expert you only have to watch top level competitors in the warm up to see they will often trot into fences to ensure their horse is switched on.
 
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be positive said:
Having read your second post I would recommend doing lots of long reining with him, it can be really useful to get them going without having a person to "hold their hand" even on the lunge they will take confidence from seeing you, when you are behind they have to get their brave pants on and face up to things, I will long rein everywhere, over anything, set up some real questions once they are going well and it is often surprising a) what they will do b) how well it transfers to ridden work.
I recently did this with one of my liveries who said NO rather too often and the benefit after just 2 sessions was so obvious she still thought about saying no then decided to do as asked and her confidence has come on in leaps and bounds, literally, she managed to jump round her first sj course clear apart from a slight moment passing the entrance where she did think twice but then went forward to finish the round, I am sure the long reining made all the difference to her attitude.
Click to expand...
Hi ....I'm deffo going to try the long reining. bit of advice needed, how do I get him to move forward over scary poles when I am behind. Will I need someone to lead him at first.
 
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Thanks madall, it's nice to know I'm not alone and you have been able to get through this stage. I'm in Cheshire
 
nel509 said:
Hi ....I'm deffo going to try the long reining. bit of advice needed, how do I get him to move forward over scary poles when I am behind. Will I need someone to lead him at first.
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I just wait it out, leading over defeats the purpose as he will probably go then and stop the next time, if you set up 3 sides of a square he has only one option but to walk over one pole to get out, be careful to allow enough rein if he jumps so as to not catch him in the mouth, if you set up various routes with poles at the sides as well as in front of where you plan to go so he can only get through by going over them it doesn't matter if he does the "wrong" ones the aim is to get him thinking forward and taking them confidently however long it takes, it will get better.
I also use various other things such as a rubber mat, a sheet of haylage wrap, an old rug anything that is spooky but safe so they don't get frightened when they do walk onto it, he needs to feel safe in order to become confident.
 
Thanks again, I'm trying the long reining today, I had an emergency lesson on Saturday that was a complete fail on my part. My bottle has gone. He was very reluctant to go over trotting poles, any change / new pole added etc it's like we have to start again. I gave up on lesson as I was not able to give him confidence as I'm scared of falling off again.....sounds pathetic that someone can fall off walking over a pole.
My instructor rode him and made him do it....but he even gave her a good run for her money.
I rode yesterday and tried to build up confidence and still managed to have a fall. I'm cursed. today i will start the long reining. I'm just worried about how he will react, as he can spin 360 at drop of a hat when he's faced with a problem...I'll update you later if I'm still alive
 
I didn't read all the comments but I'm from Ireland and grown up riding and breaking Connies so I got a Lil eager to post!!

I would recommend you find someone who's really confident teenager that has a lot of patience. Connemaras are stubborn and won't react well to a stick. Maybe get your confidence up on a schoolmaster and let someone else jump him for a bit until he's a bit more experienced.

Try getting someone to hunt and xc him as generally they love it and it really brings him on braveness wise.

Good luck but I wouldn't recommend you do it on your own as it sounds like your both scarying each other.
 
Thanks clueless blonde

I've done hunt rides / clinics and hunts on him. He enjoys it and jumps natural / solid fences. He is much braver when his blood is up and following others. It is poles in arenas that are the issue. I agree whilst my confidence is down I'm not the right person to be riding him. I'm usually a tough old bird. I did long rein over poles today making him do it on his own. He was reluctant, but did do it. At this point I think I'm actually traumatising him as in the course of a few weeks doing pole work he as actually gone backwards
 
Ah right well I would just do poles on the ground start with one that's it and then two in a row in walk first then do trot pole and cavelli and just relax you sound more than capable. If it takes two weeks walking over poles so be it and then do some jumping lessons on a schoolmaster to get your confidence up
 
I'll keep on trying. We had worked up on lessons to a number of poles, then x poles and small course but seem to have taken a step back. Maybe a pole overload....I know I'm fed up of them. Hopefully all the hard work will be worth it in the end. He was supposed to be my horse of a lifetime. He's such a sweetheart in other respects. I said if he had to be a dressage / hunt pony so be it...but I'm hoping he will come through this stage
 
Yeah like I'd just keep a random few poles around the arena and just loop around them over them just random :) in walk i love doing that with youngsters makes it less pressurised. You can make a cross and circle around them and go in and circle smaller in the middle or put three straight across and do a three loop serpentine hitting the middle in the middle of the arena in the change. It doesn't have to be formal he just needs to get used to it like it's the most normal thing in the world. I've no doubt you'll be grand it's only poles at the end of the day they fall so what ;)
 
just an update - fingers crossed things are slowly improving. I have been doing a lot of long reining, and making him walk over some weird stuff. he is making his own choices and realising that poles are not out to kill him. its still early days but I am feeling more positive about it. we even managed 3 poles in a row in trot without having to build up from 1 pole in walk. he is still spooky with new things, but I can see a small light (I think)
 
This seems like it may be a confidence thing. He's looking to you for confidence and you're perhaps not 100% committed. If you want to keep him, I would be inclined to work on the confidence. Stick to what you're happy with. And then one day, when you're having a really good session, it's warm, no wind, no distractions, and you're working really well together, just push your boundary just a teeny bit, be it a small x pole or a single trotting pole. Only do it once or twice. Always finish on a good note. Then don't do it again unless the conditions are right again. You'll find over a few months your confidence in each other will slowly get better. ALWAYS set yourself up to succeed. If it's windy, he's in the wrong frame of mind, you're in the wrong frame of mind etc etc then stay safe and work in your comfort zone. There's no law saying you have to jump.
I'm on exactly the same journey as you and it's working for me.
 
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