Any support, advice or critism on what I'm doing with my nappy horse?

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myrtle1982

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Hi All,
I'd really appreciate some advise and ideas with regards to my 4 year old Welsh Section D.
He is a lovely chap, loving, affectionate but he can be cheeky and a bit grumpy at times.
He is fantastic in so many areas, catching, handling on ground, jumping, in the school, hacking in company, traffic...however, hacking alone is a struggle, thankfully one that isn't getting worse but doesn't seem to be massively improving dispite my best efforts although perhaps slightly.
When hacking along, he used to nap when leaving my gate, after some long reining he now doesn't, then he started napping at the end of the road, after lots of leading a few weeks ago he recently seems to have stopped this, now he naps at the end of the next road! When I say napped, for me that is....he stops, he stops and absolutely refuses to move, if I kick, use voice or make any sort of fuss he'll walk backwards, he will occasionally put in little bucks but more ofter he'll put in little rears. Sometimes I can get him past these points by getting him into trot before hand but thats only a momentary fix. We have this fuss about 3 times on an average hourly hack. I never ever let him win and go back, however we can often be stuck for 30 minutes until either I get off and lead him whilst waving the schooling whip furiously behind him or by being rescued by a passing walker who is happy to stand behind and clap like a nutter!
I'm 100% that when he is doing this it is not because he is scared, he is being stubbon and lazy because its often quite hilly. There are occasions, although less frequently where he does it due to being scared but as soon as I get off and lead he is okay. If he does it due to fear then I'm happy to work with him on that because he's young and wants reasurrance of me in front but 99% of time he's just being damn naughty.
Aside from waiting, getting off and leading (literally almost dragging him and turning him to get him to put one foot in front of other) or someone rescuing me, its very difficult. I have had him 3 months and only once (apart from the first week) have we managed a ride from start to finish with no issues! He rides like a dream when we're half around around the ride (eg: homeward bound).
Anyway, if anyone has any advise then I'd love to hear it.
He's had his teeth, back, saddle all done recently so no issues there.
He rides in company at least 1-2 times a week and alone the other 1-2 times a week.
I took him to cross country a few weeks ago and he refused to go first or away from horses but otherwise was a dream.
He has lived with other horses and doesn't especailly have a strong pair bond. He's been riding alone and in company since he started hacking, about 4-5 months ago.
He was broken young but put out for a year until June this year so really he only really started everything this June...
Anyway, sorry for length of this, just wanted to give all the information!
Thank you so much.
Olivia x
 
Have you smacked him HARD on the arse when he stops? My new mare does it and she got a wallop yesterday as it was just pure stubborness......
 
Yes I have tried but he doesn't feel it, too thick skinned! He just doesn't seem to give a damn and if anything it makes him dig his heels in more. It certaily makes him buck or rear and then I get nervous etc...
I just tend to stop, avoid the fight, get off, walk and get back on...
 
Read your post a couple of times to get the 'feel' of what's happening and IMO it is a confidence issue alone. He's young to be hacking alone but if you want to keep at it then don't get off, don't wollop just praise hime and wait. I know it's hard but I think it's when he first goes out he's worried and then when he realises he is half way round he knows his way and his confidence kicks in cos he knows the way home. Never get off! Welsh cobs are very sensitive (I've had a few)
grin.gif
just be patient and keep giving him confidence.
 
Oh dear, that sounds really frustrating! I can really sympathise as I am going through a similar phase with F at the moment who seems stuck through nappiness rather than fear.

I don't have any good advice I am afraid, it will be interesting to see what other people say. The only thing I would suggest is that if you think it is fear of a particular object, personally I think it is OK to get off (if safe to do so) and lead past and may well mean that the horse is more confident next time. If, however, it is nappiness, which sounds like your chap, it's best to wait it out. I would not ask passers by to help, just in case he kicks out, you never know. I would point him in the right direction and wait.

Yesterday it took me 35 minutes to wait F out, the day before two stops, one 10 mins and one 30!!!!! I hope it gets better for both of us!
 
Your little horse sounds just like a mare I had. She too had a nap in her, and would plant.

What worked for me was to do nothing. I sat on her once for 4 hours and waited for her to decide that as she wasn't being allowed to turn for home that going forward was the best option. I didn't ask her to do anything and didn't pick up a stick to her, as previously all this had done was result in running backwards. The next day I sat on her for 30 mins with her doing the same (this was all on the lane out of the yard by the way), and the day after that and so on, until the issue vanished. It took three days but it worked. I didn't get off her.

A lot of people would advocate getting pretty tough with a napping horse - and in lots of cases it works. But for me the solution was to do nothing, as getting tough had absolutely no affect whatsoever.

By the way, she turned in to a great little hunter - and hunting really made her think more forwards - so perhaps something for you to think about??

P.s She too was a little cob!
 
My lad did this when I first got him. He wouldn't leave the yard to start, then he wouldn't go past the end of the road etc, as you describe, you get over one hurdle, and the another is thrown up. I was very inexperienced when I first had him (I didn't think so at the time, but looking back I can see I was) so this is the approach I took, and it worked, whether right or wrong;

I picked a route - we were lucky as had a brilliant off road circuit right outside the yard that took about half an hour to complete. I stuck to that hack religiously (unless going out with others). His response was exactly the same as your horses - no nastiness, just stop dead, walk backwards and occasionally the odd buck. I would get off, lead him about a hundred yards and get back on. We would get perhaps another hundred yards and this would start again. However, after about three months, I would only be getting off once on the route, and after six months I had him hacking the route perfectly.

I then extended it, and although he would have the odd stop and protest, I would get off, lead him, get back on and the next time we did that route, he would be ok. After about a year of this, I ended up with a horse that I could hack anywhere. He would occasionally still stop, but I would not have to get off to persuade him to go again.

It was hard work, and perhaps not the best way to do it, but it worked for us and I have a horse that I can take on any hack with or without company.
 
I'm not sure whether getting off is an okay or bad things to do, it seems people have different views on this...quite an even split.
I have to say that I do get off to avoid a fight, I don't want to make a bigger deal out of something. That said, he does test my patience and I can be known to get off, bark at him for being so annoying,wave the whip to instantly get him moving and off we go...its not always get off and instantly calmly walk away, although some times it can be.
I have tried hitting him but as ive said, he tends to make him angry and dislike me.
I have tried sitting it out and its worked once ut he doesn't tend to just stand, he walks back, into hedges and will start getting very irritated with waiting around....
agh - its so annoying.
I have a natural horsewomen specialist coming out today to see what her advise is.
I also have a women from the local hunt yard coming to hack him once - I'm assuming their both going to have very different approaches but I'm hoping one will help me get there.
We'll see.
 
can you hack him off road at all while you get over this?

i would advocate sitting him out...

my 5yro can be a nappy little madam sometimes. she recently came home from a competition yard she was on where she hadn't really done much hacking.

when i first started taking her out alone she would nap everytime we turned into a new field, onto a different track etc.

i tried really getting after her and all she did was go backwards, then little bucks and generally it made her more tense and resistant.

i went out last week and just sat it out when she stopped.

first time i waited about 30 seconds then vocally asked her to walk on. she went a few strides then stopped again.
i just kept waiting then asking verbally and the time it took to get moving became less and less.

we had done 3 or 4 hacks like above, getting better and better each time.

last night i hacked her out and we didn't have a single nap or hesitation- she strode out on a long rein, head down and relaxed and we had a really lovely ride.

some horses respond to a smack but i find 90% of nappy horses just seem to get more resistant and you almost end up concentrating more on winning the fight than getting going again.

another thing that worked well for me was to make sure i looked really far ahead- as far as i could see. this meant i could feel as soon as she started to drop behind the leg and give her a nudge on before she had time to action the thought.
 
Have you tried turning him in a fairly tight circle and then sqeezing to go forward on the way out of it? My lad has tried napping twice since I have had him - he tends to look over his shoulder and try to turn around and head for home, so I continued the circle round and then a good hard sqeeze to move him forward and out of it.

try a few circles in each direction so that he realises that napping = more work than its worth!
 
i wouldn't get off, i'd just ask nicely and repeatedly, and praise him the moment he goes fwd. it sounds like pure lack of confidence (because of where he does it, and the fact that he only does it when alone).
but if he doesn't like you repeating the aid to walk on and rears a little, a very loud NO WALK ON can surprise them into going forward. everything positive and forward, basically.
it sounds as if you are doing well so far, gradually getting him further etc.
 
Yep I'd say the same..don't get off..he isyoung and you don't want him to figure out that when he dosen't want to do something you will get off.

I would guess that it is his age, and the pull to remain with the herd is strong. Maybe you could try not hacking out ofr so long.

I would say that a sucessful hack (no napping) is what you should be aiming for at this point. Then gradually increase the time out hacking.

if you know he naps at certain points thenshorten or cahnge your route from time to time. Maybe you could heve someone cycle the route with you for support.my horse naps a bit but is fine when have a regular route then she knows how long it will take her to get home
 
I have a Welsh D who used to be VERY nappy. They are very intelligent, stubborn, opiniated, loving and almost every other adjective you could think of. Not straightforward at all in many ways.

I'd just like to say I've found my gelding to be a very slow maturer, both physically and mentally. He didn't stop growing until 8, and it was some time later that I felt he had matured mentally.

Your horse is only 4 and is really still very young, and my advise would be to take things slowly with him and work on building his confidence. From my experience, you will then find your napping problems have disappeared.

Long reining is great, as is all types of in hand work. I'm not saying you shouldn't ride him, just take care not to over do it. You'll then have an amazing friend for life. Try and bully him out of it too much, and you'll make the problem worse.
 
I went through this last year with my then 4 year old...must be a stage lol....he would just stop dead.....and not move whatever I did....he would ignore kicks, he wouldnt turn in circles we would just end up with his nose on my boot end......using the stick did no good, it just bounced off his hairy arse.....

So...I just sat there and admired the view...was a bit embarrasing when dog-walkers went past and there we were, immobile in the lane......if he moved a foot I praised him loads and just time and patience won through....now he will hack out alone, no problems.....no stops or naps.

I never got off him though, just sat there like a lemon
grin.gif
 
Agree with the just sitting there approach - and maybe once he's moving again reward him by going a little further (say 100 metres) and then turn around and come home(as long as it's when you say he can), if he learns that by going forward he gets what he wants he'll be more inclined to give in.

My boy tried the napping thing when I first got him so I went out armed with 2 schooling whips and chose a route where he would have plenty of opportunity to nap, ready for a battle. He went round like a pussy cat and didn't even think about napping. He was just testing me out and as soon as he knew I meant business he caved in. He was much older and should have known better though!
 
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