Argh! Nappy horse :(

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jessykai

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Rosie has started napping terribly! She's bonded too well with the other horse in the field as its only those two in there at the moment due to the third having laminitis.

She plants her feet and then turns to home. And I can not turn her for love nor money! She is a strong cob and she knows it!

I've not had her long and she is very dead to all aids normally, she was absolutely fine up to a couple of days ago and now this! I dont have a school do she had to hack!

She is amazing in every way but this has got to be sorted, as I can't turn her while riding I have to get off but I can't get back on or she will either spin as soon as weight is in the stirrup or as soon as I am in she will turn and again I can't get her going!

I've started to being her to yard for a few hours aday to get her away from the horse but when she's in the yard she doesn't seem to care that she's not with her. What else can I do?
 
Napping is very fustrusting! but don't worry it CAN be sorted. There are so many ways to cure a nappy Horse, you just have to find out which your Horse listens to the best :p

You could try leading in hand, once you are away from the yard. Mount and start riding. Carry a whip with you and if your Horse tries to plant, give your boot a tap and give a growl. If that doesn't work then give him a tap. If he walks on, praise him and carry on. I would stick to circular routes too.

2nd you could try the waiting game (although I have never had any sucess with this) when he plants and spins, simply stand him there. Do not take him home. Just wait and he will get bored eventually. When he steps forward (away from home) lots and lots of praise.

3rd, tight circles. If he spins, just turn him tightly in a circle and ask him to walk on. If he doesn't walk on, turn in a circle again and so on. Again when he does walk on. Lots of praise for him!
 
LaurenBay said:
Napping is very fustrusting! but don't worry it CAN be sorted. There are so many ways to cure a nappy Horse, you just have to find out which your Horse listens to the best :p

You could try leading in hand, once you are away from the yard. Mount and start riding. Carry a whip with you and if your Horse tries to plant, give your boot a tap and give a growl. If that doesn't work then give him a tap. If he walks on, praise him and carry on. I would stick to circular routes too.

2nd you could try the waiting game (although I have never had any sucess with this) when he plants and spins, simply stand him there. Do not take him home. Just wait and he will get bored eventually. When he steps forward (away from home) lots and lots of praise.

3rd, tight circles. If he spins, just turn him tightly in a circle and ask him to walk on. If he doesn't walk on, turn in a circle again and so on. Again when he does walk on. Lots of praise for him!
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I have tried all three! if I lead her out I cant get on or she'll spin for home soon as she feels my weight in the saddle/stirrup.

I stand her she is such a lazy horse she thinks thats a reward lol! and I have tried circling her, which worked to start with, but now I litteraly can not turn her, she seems to have gotten wise to that and I am not strogn enough to force her.
 
In that case I would ask someone to come out on foot with me and lead! I would also practice dismounting and mounting, whilst someone holds on to her.
 
Hi, I feel for you my cob is like this too! What I found helped was literally waiting for however long it took (one day took me 6 hours to get round a 30 min route!!!) But eventually he realised it wasn't worth it and now if he decides to stop it is a few seconds rather than hours!
About the spinning, I got a bought a full cheek snaffle and found that really helped me block his spin along with my leg. I also got someone to walk out in front for a while. :)
 
I ride with a schooling whip and when my horse feels like she is going to turn I hold it out to the side, it fools her into thinking that the whip is in her way and she can't turn.
 
Hi I was in exactly the same position with my native mare, 1 & 2 didn't work, number 3 did to begin with! then she became quicker than me and when I tried to spin her she would set her neck (big neck) and i couldn't move her any way! I spoke to my instructor who advised me that when I went to spin her I had to almost drop my left rein (she spins to the right) and lift my right rein up, it could take both hands, and then spin her. Also if she carried on napping to make her spin more than once. I tried it next time out and it worked :D I had a new trick that up to now still works. Might be worth a try x
 
thank you for the replies! I'm going to go out tomorrow and try the suggestions :D Unfortunately I dont normally have a person to walk out with me, and she stands lovely for me to mount at they yard.

I must admit this makes her sound like a horrid little pony but she is brilliant really lol. Today we had two hellicopters flying extreamly low and landing in a field next to use, then take off again. She didn't bat an eyelid!
 
Nappy horses are a nightmare but you can get them going, sounds like your mare has your measure and knows your not strong enough to get her going. I had a mare recently who was sold as a broodmare as she was very nappy, as in would take you over a wall drop you in a ditch and put you in a dangerous situation!!! i decided what the hell lets see what she does!!! She was keen to go the 1/4 mile in she stopped, my good she thought she was going to get the biggest hiding of her life!!! she didnt, i never carry a stick!!! it took an hour and 2 little old ladies walking by to get us going! they led her past and that was that, second day we stopped at the same place, gave her her head loads of fuss and patting and off we went again, got stuck again but had a walker in front and she followed him!!! 3 rd time went with another rider and she was brill, she stopped because she was scared but got punished for it, now she gets a fuss and knows lifes not going to hurt her!!! time and patient and a hacking buddy or a friend to walk with you will help you?!
 
I do the schooling whip trick suggested by Katherine... Mine won't spin towards a whip either, if he sees it he knows it's there. Also raising your right hand if she spins to the right gives you more control than just pulling, even if you have to whip it up so it jabs her in the mouth, it blocks the neck too. A flash helps with this, never tried a full cheek.
Also when she turns if you can keep her going she will end up facing the right direction. The trick is to take control of the movement so you end up directing her not her deciding. So every time she turns you send her forward into another turn. It will befuddle her little brain into thinking spinning is a waste of energy!
Lots of praise works with mine too, as does following a pedestrian, random cyclist, car!!!
 
I do try and keep the turn going, but i can't manage it, I've not got a noseband on her at the moment but I'll try and find a flash noseband nad she if that helps.
 
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