Anyone else's horse more spooky in the wind?

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moodymare1987

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Lunged him in the arena last night and he was spooking not that often to be fair and granted it was windy. He is a forward horse anyway.
I don't know if its the time of year and itching to get out but he is a pain at the minute. Rode the other night in the arena and I could tell he was on edge down the long side near the bushes (same place I lunged him where he was spooking). Settled straight away once passed them. I don't ride him any different down this spooky side. Will do serpentines and just generally move him around the arena doing different exercises to get him listening.

Even hacking out he will have a spook in the wind and generally be more on edge. He really does walk on already.
Does anyone have any suggestions. He isn't terrible but It is quite frustrating as will be working nice and sweet then a bit of wind changes his attention.
Any suggestions. I do realise it is more than likely the time of year.
 
Mine always used to be spooky on windy days. However, we've now moved to a very windy hill and frankly they've had to suck it up and get used to it! If I waited for a still day we'd never get anything done. :)

As with everything with horses, although their are some that will never be reliable on a windy day, repetition often brings improvements.
 
If I was showjumping or doing any cross country he wouldn't bother. But then we do not see scary bushes doing these things haha.
I still get on with it i was just wondering if it was just me. I just sit and ignore him as he is a sensitive soul anyway and just keep my legs on.
 
Mine's more spooky in the wind, yes. He sees monsters everywhere anyway and the wind seems to enhance this. Rode him last night and he was very edgy! Also the gardeners planted a tree that was different to the dead one that was there before - also spooky!
 
I have one that gets spooky and one that is fairly oblivious. I just try to keep the spooker super busy when it's windy, the harder she works the more she focusses her attention on me. I do still find myself facing the wrong way now and then though :o
 
Hugo-Boy said:
Mine's more spooky in the wind, yes. He sees monsters everywhere anyway and the wind seems to enhance this. Rode him last night and he was very edgy! Also the gardeners planted a tree that was different to the dead one that was there before - also spooky!
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Haha they are so silly, really have to laugh but when you think will just go on a hack to get them out and spook left and right I wonder why I bothered haha.
 
milliepops said:
I have one that gets spooky and one that is fairly oblivious. I just try to keep the spooker super busy when it's windy, the harder she works the more she focusses her attention on me. I do still find myself facing the wrong way now and then though :o
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This is exactly what I do. Haha Mine doesn't tend to do anything ridiculous just jumps out of his skin haha. Still when your working nicely it is annoying. Hacking he is worse I would say if he winds himself up. Have to sit pretty quiet on him. Sensitive soul.
 
Most are because the wind makes it harder to hear the lion hiding behind the wheelie bins. Nor does it help when a 2m square piece of wrapping from a construction site comes flying and wheeling straight towards you at 30mph.
 
Caol Ila said:
Most are because the wind makes it harder to hear the lion hiding behind the wheelie bins. Nor does it help when a 2m square piece of wrapping from a construction site comes flying and wheeling straight towards you at 30mph.
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haha I feel your pain. I am wondering whether some sound proof ear muffs might help so he can relax a bit.
 
Training. Riding in the wind like it's no big deal and keeping the horse busy and focused on you. My horse is pretty ridable in the wind because I keep her attention with me (incidents like the above construction wrapping of death notwithstanding -- I think the horse would have had to go through police horse training in order to not want to run the other way under those circumstances).
 
Previous loan horse was a lot more tense when it was windy, he was almost bombproof when the wind wasn’t blowing but particularly when any bags or trees were waving he’d be more alert and tense up a bit and have the odd spook x
 
Lol, I have long since referred to my IDx as 'Atmospherically Challenged'! Even at rising 17 and turned out 24/7 from Wednesday, the strong breeze today meant he was excessively twitchy about his own haynet when on the yard.

When it's windy or there's a high pressure (thunderstorm style) he's much more on high alert. Just something I've learnt to work around and it's just who he is!
 
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