Anyone tried blinkers on a napper?

[mulberrymill]

I have a youngster who is proving a challenge to hack out alone and most of the time I dont have a choice. He is fine in company but on his own he spends a lot of time refusing to go where I want to go. It is improving , slowly and tonight it was stop start stop start the whole ride. Only one serious argument and I won that battle as well.

Anyway, as posted, was wondering if stopping his peripheral vision would maybe help, If he can only see in front of him then maybe he will concentrate more on what I am asking him to do and less on everything else that he can see (or thinks he can).

Has anyone tried it. I have a driving harness I could borrow bits from but it will be a bit of faffing around.

 

[dreamcometrue]

No, but the thought has crossed my mind.

 

[MileAMinute]

Once, with an extremely nappy horse. It worked, but I wouldn't rate them as a training tool and was very reluctant to do it.
If he's starting to improve then it's just patience on your part, he'll get there!

 

[YorksG]

Having had a very nappy horse in the past, I would say no to using blinkers. If you see the napping as a fear response, then reducing what it can see is likely to make it more anxious, rather than less.

 

[Sparkles]

I've tried it twice and it has worked both times, but again, don't really see it as a 'tool'.

 

[ihatework]

A middle ground would be to try wool cheek pieces first

 

[Goldenstar]

I drive and therefore I am used to working around horses with blinkers.
I have never ridden in them but I would say they would help to cut down spooking but I really don't think they would help with napping.
If you go down the blinkers route be cautious introduce them carefully.
You do not say how young your horse is but I would be going back to long riening and the basics before trying the blinkers.

 

[Rose Folly]

Interested in this as I asked roughly the same question on here a few weeks ago - but in relation to a lifelong shyer (about which the dealer was quite open when I bought her).

Several of the replies were from people who had used, or knew people who used, blinkers or half-blinkers. One person said they knew a breeder/dealer who broke in riding Clydesdales using them. I've recently spoken to a friend who is an experienced carriage-driver. She suggested starting with wool cheek-pieces and then working up to half-blinkers if that failed. I just haven't got round to doing anything about it yet. Would be very interested to hear how you get on.

 

[millitiger]

A middle ground would be to try wool cheek pieces first

Agree with this- I would try cheeks first.

 

[merlin12]

I started to break our 16h hw cob to harness 4 years ago and was told to ride him in the driving bridle with blinkers to get him used to it. He had a tendancy to shy and try to turn for home. What a difference the blinkers made, it cut right down on the shying ,he was more focused on going forward and more relaxed especialy out on his own. It made riding him, on his own, a pleasure.

It may well help with napping. You can get the hoods complete with either half blinkers ,or full blinkers from several places on the internet ,try White rose Saddlery in Yorkshire.These are the hood used on race horses. Bit like a fly mask ,cost about £20.00. The hood may be an option if you don't want to dismantle the driving bridle.

 

[mulberrymill]

Update on the nappy one. The wool cheek pieces arrived and tried them tonight, firstly with 20 minutes in the school, definate improvement in concentration and no complaints about them being on. Then the true test, a walk up the road to the terribly scarey village hall, which on a bad day can take 20+ minutes to get past.

My gob was totally smacked when he sauntered amiably past it, didnt stop, try to nap or even look at it, just went. Then on past the dragon phone box, and the driveway with the scarey car that has a long aerial and even past the field that occasionally has a horse in it that once threatened to beat him up.

I declare the cheek pieces an unmitigated success.....for now. Of course it could also be the the brewers yeast has now kicked in, been on it 5 days now. Dont care, we can go out alone.......whoopey wee.!!!!!!

 

[Sparkles]

Wooot happy times!

 

[Twinkley Lights]

Update on the nappy one. The wool cheek pieces arrived and tried them tonight, firstly with 20 minutes in the school, definate improvement in concentration and no complaints about them being on. Then the true test, a walk up the road to the terribly scarey village hall, which on a bad day can take 20+ minutes to get past.

My gob was totally smacked when he sauntered amiably past it, didnt stop, try to nap or even look at it, just went. Then on past the dragon phone box, and the driveway with the scarey car that has a long aerial and even past the field that occasionally has a horse in it that once threatened to beat him up.

I declare the cheek pieces an unmitigated success.....for now. Of course it could also be the the brewers yeast has now kicked in, been on it 5 days now. Dont care, we can go out alone.......whoopey wee.!!!!!!

Well done where did you get the cheek pieces from if you don't mind me asking?

 

[madmav]

A very interesting post. Makes perfect sense, given a horse's superior periphery vision. It's just never occurred to me. Doh!

 

[mulberrymill]

Nor me initially, but was worth a try. I got them on e bay. Lovely real sheepskin ones for about a tenner. Very soft and comfy and he didnt make a fuss about them at all.

 

[Penny Less]

Ooh might get some for my nappy cob, also need some ear muffs too as he plants himself when he hears any noise like someone mowing a lawn, or phone ringing etc!We will look a picture out on a hack !

 

[Archiepoo]

i had a horse that napped and was literally afraid of his shadow on the ground in front of him so i tried wool cheek pieces and a big fluffy wool nose band cover, and it made a massive difference!!

 

[mulberrymill]

Cannot believe the improvement, Im delighted, wish Id tried it sooner, my heels and throat (from swearing) may have stayed in better shape. Seriously though, anything that helps is worth it in my book, hopefully after a while we can dispense with them and I can use them as hand warmers instead, lol

 

[mulberrymill]

Further update. Long hack tonight, taking in all his usual nappy places, village hall, allotments with scarecrows and chickens, the salt box on the corner of the lane, the really scarey stone mushrooms on someones front lawn, the monkey puzzle tree and the lane that houses that enormous dragon.

NOT ONE STOP......not even a hint of one. Practiced lots of transitions , and got some very active halt to trot ...in a straight line as well.

I declare the nap problem over, now to work on rodeo canters, and onwards and (not) upwards. The nicest most enjoyable solo hack we have had to date.
There is life out there.

Thank you sheepskin blinkers, probably the best ten quid Ive spent for a long time