Any clever ideas how to solve this?

martlin

martlin

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www.martlinequestrian.co.uk
Hello everybody,
Peabrain attacks again:D
One of my lovely dumbloods has a bit of a problem - he's agoraphobic:D:D:D
It's not actually that funny...
He schools nicely on the flat, is generally soft mouthed and hacks alone/company no trouble at all - forward striding, not particularly spooky, the brakes work. All this until open spaces ie 20 acre field on the fen, you can see for miles and as the field is mine and cows are still indoors, I like to take my nags for a bit of a blast, except he won't.
What I mean is he stops being forward going, when pushed lurches onto your hand, hits the bit and stops or starts going backwards... If I manage to contain the backwards run into nowhere in particular, he just steps on the spot :o
If I drop the contact nothing changes, if I stop and stand there for couple of minutes he manages to gather his thoughts and walk on, with a bit of luck I can trot on, but as soon as he looks around he looses the plot and there we go again.
He doesn't nap towards home or anything like it, just looses his marbles:o
He got his knickers in such a twist today that he refused to go through our own gateway on the way home, as in down the drive.
I can cope with this all, it's not like I can't, but am a bit fed up of feeling seasick and pratting about...
So, any ideas?
Alternatively, could somebody lend me a shotgun?

Disclaimer:
the horse in question is in excellent health, feet, teeth, back, saddle and the lot are fine - tis in his head:D
 
Might be daft idea but would blinkers help.He will have different vsion to us (perifial i think sorry about spelling) and just thought they could help.:D
 
This may help? Don't hack out as such, just use the area immediately outside your menage to 'school' and gradually increase the distance over a period of days/weeks.

I guess that while he is working in the menage he doesn't have time to think about anything else, as you are either asking him do things, so create that same sort of mind set when out.

Alternatively, I do remember Pippa Funnel (or someone quite good!) saying that when they had this problem they just went through backwards.

Or you could just longrein him out a couple of times and see if that does the trick!!
 
Can you not walk him around the 20 acres for few weeks until he feels confident so he'll be more comfortable enough to up the speed? sounds like he's unsure of unfamiliar territory, maybe he's wondering where all the cows have gone and why he's all alone in this vast space?
 
canteron, yes I do travel backwards over any distance really:D
It's no that he wont hack out, he does really nicely, honest... and I can do fast work for example on river banks etc, where there is a precise route for him do follow, it's just when the space opens he looses the plot!
I think it might be a tad tricky to longrein him in canter/gallop though... anybody a pair of skates to lend?:D
 
Kenzo said:
Can you not walk him around the 20 acres for few weeks until he feels confident so he'll be more comfortable enough to up the speed? sounds like he's unsure of unfamiliar territory, maybe he's wondering where all the cows have gone and why he's all alone in this vast space?
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He'll walk around half of it, until he realises it's a vast space and that's that then:o

ETS: It's pretty much impossible to avoid vast open spaces when one lives on a fen, so that's not an option either:)
 
I don't think he is alone, ours were very much like this down the beach to start as often there is also no real horizon.... I remember the first time cantering up the last dune getting to the top and stopping dead!

no real ideas I'm afraid though the blinkers are prob def worth trying.
 
Thanks Ester, I think if I took him to the beach he would have a heart attack...
I know he has only one braincell and it's busy breathing, but FGS there is no other way to get home than to walk there:D
 
So stop pushing him, if he's not happy in wide open spaces, leave him be or if you want to compete on him start building fences close together that go for a certain length, and slowly build up from there. I have a friend with the condition, not nice and very fustrating for the person and their friends,but don't give up.:):):)
 
ester said:
ooh only other thing, could you ride and lead him do you think?
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Hmmm, not sure about that... I have to admit that in over 20 years of horsing around I have never ridden and led:o
Johnrobert, unfortunately this one is a seller not a keeper, so unless I sell him to somewhere with hedged lanes to hack out on, I have to conquer his fears.
Incidentally he is fine at shows, I suppose a course of jumps is a set route to follow...:confused:
 
He's not a warmblood from Germany or Holland is he, as one of my friends bought a horse that someone had imported over for a lot of money, but when she took it out of it's comfort zone (hacking) it kept bolting and she lost her nerve. Friend bought it cheap, put it back into it's comfort zone, stabled, on horse walker, competed, happy horse!!
 
johnrobert said:
He's not a warmblood from Germany or Holland is he, as one of my friends bought a horse that someone had imported over for a lot of money, but when she took it out of it's comfort zone (hacking) it kept bolting and she lost her nerve. Friend bought it cheap, put it back into it's comfort zone, stabled, on horse walker, competed, happy horse!!
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No, he isn't, he is Polish:D
It's not particularly unnerving IYKWIM, strangely he is very good in crisis situations and generally very easy going.
I do admit he isn't very much outdoorsy - he'll go out in the field for few hours, but would rather come in later, loves his walker and travels really well.
He pretty much never spooks, worst you get is slight shy away and a weary look:)
 
Ok, now you have me worried! The whole, not outdoorsy likes to come in description is my hackney mare exactly, she doesn't do 'outdoors' if she can avoid it. She spends most of the day with her head in the stable door pretending she is in! We are moving next month to a house on the edge of the fens and I had not even considered what she will think of all the space! Here we are all woods and leafy lanes, perfect for your guy actually! This could be interesting!
 
LOL, don't worry yet Peabrain's 2 best friends - Dimwit and Grumpy aren't outdoorsy either, but cope with the fens just fine:D
On the whole, all of them are more relaxed here then they have ever been whilst living in Staffordshire:)
 
No idea how long you have, but how about going to the open space, getting off and having a picnic/fag/beer/cup of tea delete as applicable. Let him mooch about and chill. Maybe take your lunge line down there and do some work? Or, and here's another one lol, just work as though you're in a 20x40 school - keep the wee bit of his brain cell that he doesn't need for breathing locked onto something else.

There y'go. That's all my useful ideas :D Do we get chocolate or biscuits??? :D
 
OH, MrsM, choccy and biscuits as you wish:D
I'm just gonna have to persevere I suppose, but I do get frustrated - if he was just naughty it wouldn't be so bad, I can do naughty any day LOL, but he completely looses his marbles:(
Funny enough though, the only way I managed to actually get across said field was finding some mud tyretracks my OH left with his tractor when he got stuck there in winter... he would just about walk in between them - mind boggles...
 
Can I diagnose slight confidence loss with a tinge of nappiness??

...and prescribe sponsored rides and drag hunting?? :D

Blinkers might work but you will have a lot more fun trying my method :D
 
soloequestrian said:
Could you set up an electric fenced strip across the field, and then increase it's width by a foot or so each day?
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Hmm, I see where you are going with that - kind of create set route for him... not electric but I could do a hazard tape run...
The neighbours will think I lost the plot:D they probably won't be much mistaken:D:D:D
It's a possibility anyway. Thanks
 
MuckyMeech said:
Can I diagnose slight confidence loss with a tinge of nappiness??

...and prescribe sponsored rides and drag hunting?? :D

Blinkers might work but you will have a lot more fun trying my method :D
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Your diagnosis might be right, although strange to only loose confidence when there is no horizon (well, there is, but you know what I mean)

Sponsored rides are a possibility, hunting is out - I ain't going, he can go by himself if he wants to:D
 
How about taking him just inside the field and working him in a 20m circle until he starts to relax and take him back again. Next day repeat and enlarge circle, gradually moving him further from the gate but returning to it before he has a complete meltdown.
 
Rhandir said:
How about taking him just inside the field and working him in a 20m circle until he starts to relax and take him back again. Next day repeat and enlarge circle, gradually moving him further from the gate but returning to it before he has a complete meltdown.
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Unfortunately, he doesn't give me the chance...
Imagine just going through a gate, you get 3 steps past it, the dumblood looks up and plants himself, you put your leg on, he lurches onto your hand and starts running backwards... now, you don't really want to get onto road backwards as there is rather large ditch on the other side, so you turn him around and the Peabrain starts running backwards into the field:mad:
 
almorton said:
sit on him the wrong way round?? :-)
(sorry, couldnt resist!)
ive known a couple with similar habits but more turnout issues in the field, no sure about riding but ill ask said people!
funnily enough, all warmbloods!
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Now, where do I get a bridle that would fit horse's arse? Any bitting advice to go with that?:D
 
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