advice pls. Spooky mare dumped me in road :-(

lynseylou1

lynseylou1

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Im hoping some of you can help with some advice. I have a mare who I have owned for 3 months she is ID x 8 yrs old. She is quite reactionary and spooky at a lot of things and was very bad for the first 6 weeks. Even on the ground everything frightened her. Electric fencing, gateways, imaginary monsters. This stuff has improved and she is getting there when ridden in company (for instance we pased a stationary tractor and she eventually went past but rushed forwards and spun around once we were just past.) My main issue is hacking alone. Seems like everything is a reason to spook. Yesterday we got 10 minutes down the road and she had spooked at someone gently closing a car door which she had lots of time to see and it was quite far away, a chicken grooming itself at the roadside, a parked car was the final one. Her technique is to plant her feet in an exaggerated way so you alomost get ahead of the movement the spin around. when i keep my leg on leg on she will toss her head and back up she feels like she might go up but hasnt so far. Usually we can get past after a dance around and me keep asking but yesterday she did it twice and the 2nd one was so severe she unseated me and span around so quickly I ended up on the road on my back. Thankfully i had a protector on and am just bruised and a bit achy today. But can anyone suggets ways to convince this mare not too do this.Incidently she didnt run home when a fell off just stood looking at me! She does seem to calm down quickly after having a panic and is quite reasonable afterwards. I would be very grateful to here from any of you experienced guys out there!
Her old owner says she was very frightened when she bough her fromn ireland 3 years ago. She did get better so the seller didnt think to tell me this priour to sale. I have been riding for 20 years so I am not a novice but im not the strongest rider in the world.
 
All I can suggest is lots and lots and lots of quiet, confidence building hacking with company. You can't rush building confidence and is well worth all the ground work if you want to hack alone.

Good luck, anyway. I have a very spooky Sec.D who will lose confidence quickly in new situations. We have spent years building his confidence and he is an absolute star now as long as he knows the route but is also getting braver on new routes - just a lot of snorting and walking like a tense giraffe, but much, much better than before.

I know what you are going through.
 
I have an 8 yr old welsh D X Norfolk Roadster who was (still is at times) like this. I think you are doing everything right, by insisting she goes forward. Perhaps, though, she may benefit from stopping and being allowed to look at the scary thing (for a few seconds) and then be asked to move forwards? Obviously not too long a time stationary, but sometimes my boy feels reassured by a few seconds of 'looking' time and feels more confident to then go forward.
Also, just a thought, do you use your voice to reassure her? I am sure you do but it is worth considering if you don';t normally talk to your mare. Finally, praise loads when she does go past without too much fuss (I bet you already do this too!)
I cannot offer much more help, but she may well settle with more time, my boy was HORRID for 1st few weeks here (bucking, rearing, dumping me) but he is now (6 months down the line) a lot better, although he still has his moments.
Keep on being firm with her but gentle. I really hope you can get through this and then you will start to enjoy hacking alone. All the best and hoping you find something that works to keep her confident.
 
Oh I feel your pain as having this same problem with our new horse. We've had him since september and apparantly he hacked out fine on his own in last home. We're coming to realise that they were probably a little economical with the truth!!

He isn't a nasty horse but is big and strong (16.3hh - shirexcob - 13yrs old) he is very sensitive but likes to test you out. His favourite trick is to plant his feet and/or try to nap. He'll get to a point on hack when he'll give in and go forward reasonably well but it's a battle of wills to get him to that point!!

It's hard with a new horse to know how far you can push them but I do feel with him sometimes that he is testing me out to see how I'll react. I'd just rather he didn't do it on the road! We don't have a school but I can ride in a portion of field but need to wait for it to dry out a little more before I use it regularly.

My plan now is LOTS of rescue remedy for me to keep me calm and hacking out only with another horse or a experienced person on foot (my instructor is great and i've introduced myself to people hacking past so I now have people to ride with). I'm happy to ride him in field on our own but not out on roads, it makes such a difference having someone there to give you support.

I won't be leading him out with me on foot as I'm worried he'll get away from me as he's so strong so is safer to ride!

All the best to you and your girl xxx
 
Three months is still quite early days, so she could still be settling.

How do you feel riding this horse? Does she make you nervous? If yes, she could be picking up on you. It sounds like you're doing the right thing in calmly pushing her on. I have a rule - they can look, but they can't stop or turn. Try turning her head away from the scary things and almost leg yielding past.

It does sound as though she is not totally nervous, and taking the mick a little bit. One of my horses will do that if he can - shies at things with my OH because he can, but wouldn't try with me... I also rode a DIYs horse that was really naughty with her - bucked and spooked a lot, with me it got a good tap and decided life was easier if it behaved.. I'd be inclined to give one strong tap with the whip when she spooks, and see if she backs down then. If she does go past calmly and obediently, she should then get a fuss, so she learns life is much easier and nicer if she does..

Is she getting lots of turnout to run off her excess energy?

Finally, I'd perhaps hack her out with others, to avoid putting yourself in situations. Get a few lessons perhaps to help determine if she really is a nervous type, or using you niceness to her advantage.. Good luck.
 
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Just to say also that we have found out since homing him that he was kept obese in last home so he behaved better!!!!! May be why he was so quiet for them. Needless to say he is feeling alot livlier since loosing weight!!
 
Poor you, and this behaviour sounds dangerous and very scary. Do you have no option other than to hack out? Your horse sounds as if she is really lacking in confidence, and the last thing I would want to do with a nervous horse is to hack out on my own! If you have access to an arena, I would concentrate on working her in there and get to know her, with groundwork and on board. Getting some lessons from a sympathetic instructor would be brilliant to build your confidence too.
If you have no option but to hack, then find yourself a really reliable friend to ride out with who can ride up beside you and give your horse the reassurance she needs.
Has she had a lot of time off with the weather? This may have made her much sharper.
I moved my TB to a new yard 6 weeks ago. Prior to that, he was schooling really well and hacking out calmly on his own and in company. Since moving him, his flatwork in school is great but he is absolutely full of it out hacking and there is no way on this earth I will be hacking him out alone until he calms down again!
Best of luck, but your main priority is to keep yourself safe x
 
I would say from your description of the things that made her spook, you now dont trust her so are looking for things she'll spook at too!
Best thing with a spooky horse is to give them confidence by looking up ahead, keeping them forwards and ignoring it as best as possible. I'd only hack in company for a couple of weeks whilst you get thisw sort of routine going
 
Does she do the same on the way home?
I had a horse would do it on the way out hacking but would be ok when he realised he was on the way home!
Used to attach a lead rope to his bit just in case i had to jump off quick to lead him past the ghosts!!
 
I can really empathise with you as my mum's horse is exactly the same. He's a 16hh 7year old dumb-blood and is quite a lot of horse for little old 5'2" me!

I would advise going out with company to help you keep your confidence but also doing as much as you can by yourself, even if you just go 1/2 mile down the road.

My dumb-blood likes to plant his feet and then put in a few rears just to see if it gets him anywhere. I've found the best thing to do with him is just sit quietly, let him realise it hasn't made any effect to me and then make him move on. It's taken us about 6 months to go from 10 minute tantrums to about 10 second ones now...hard work and very frustrating!

I think he is a bit spooky and a wimp but also tries to use his size to his advantage. One thing that does seem to help him is to get moving, even if it means trotting straight out of the yard for the first mile.

Best of luck as I know how really really very annoying and frustrating it can be, but you CAN make progress, even if it is very slow! :D
 
My boy is EXACTLY the same, ID x TB x Shire, who says ID crosses are so reliable :D. Ive had him 8 yrs and its been a constant battle. I think Im finally realising battle is what weve made it. He drives me mad, upsets me at times and I gave up competing 2 yrs ago because of the way he is. He spooks at people, bikes, pretty much anything 'normal'. Will happily pass a flapping bag though???
My friend who is a very good rider says we bounce off each other, she thinks hes very talented and is bored and short of hard work. She also says hes not truely going forward which I think is key to this problem.
I often dont feel safe riding him as he has no self preservation at all, yet he is a total plod at times. His spooks are dirty, just like you describe and I fell off last month, suprisingly the first time since Ive owned him. He sees the monster and is fixated and I try to get him back by changing the flexion, leg yield etc but hes totally gone by this point.
My friend says Ive not got to rise to it, just to continue as normal despite his spooking. Its hard but Im trying, I nearly always know he is going to do it as he 'comes back at me' and its that violent when he spooks I feel Im going to fall off.
He doesnt scare me but I wish we could overcome it, so Im interested to see your replies.
Ive just got another horsebox and am determined this year to get out there, so fingers crossed. If it doesnt work out then Im giving up!! :(:)
 
thank you so much to all that have replied so far. Its very reassuring to know there are others in a simiar or previously had simialr with their horse. To the person that suggested that maybe she is taking the mick a bit I agree with you. I do feel she is scared but I do suspect she is milking it! I use my voice and praise her lts when she passes. I thgt I may use a hunting breastplate so I have a handle in a sticky situation.
I feel that those who suggested more time probably are right. The thing is I had a lovely horse before for 14 years before she passed away suddenly. I waited 18 months before getting another. I very carefully selected, tried to buy the right one for me and there is so much excitement and expectations in that kind of situations that I guess Ive taken a a bit hard now things arent going right. then again THATS HORSES!! Thanks forum its always good to have someone to chat things over .. even if it is online!:)
 
i used to have this problem with my 6 yr old and the best thing to do when they wont past something, rather than kicking them on just sit there if they try to turn round do Not let them but eventually they will realise it is nothing to worry about and go past it!!!
 
Mine has issues with noises behind him, he tries to rush off and get away from whatever it is, He's not hard to stop and hasn't shown any signs of rearing, but will somtimes put in tiny bucks. He's just turned 5, came over from ireland as a 3 year old, where we believe he was driven (some suspect scars:() Also feel he may have had either an accident and\or severe telling off >:(!! Because he is so sweet natured and really does want to please, I've decided to take him back a few steps to build up his confidence I've started to long rein him, this is giving him confidence at having things going on behind him, also confidence at going forward, I'm in no hurry and it seems to be doing the trick. Prehaps spending a little bit of time on ground work and building up her confidence in you!! Just a thought because every horse is different. Good luck!! :)
 
horsey mad matt said:
i used to have this problem with my 6 yr old and the best thing to do when they wont past something, rather than kicking them on just sit there if they try to turn round do Not let them but eventually they will realise it is nothing to worry about and go past it!!!
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This!!

I still do this with my mare as if I try to push her on, it makes her 10 times worse. If I simply sit and allow her to think it through, she goes without as murmur.

Best of luck x
 
Lynseylou - this is my first horse since I lost my cob two years ago, it's hard to build up that trust again isn't it, I feel that it's building the trust both ways aswell ie me trusting him and him trusting me. I also agree that it is still early days and also remember it's winter, the weather has been awful meaning for me I've missed alot of riding time and horses are always horrid in winter. Some of it with ours is a temper tantrum as he wants to come in and have his tea not go out for a ride!

Hopefully yours and ours will be angels come the spring :)

That's why I love this forum as there is always someone having the same struggle, it is never just you xxx
 
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