Can a spooky horse ever be, well not bombproof, but despooked?

Cheshire Chestnut said:
Ha yup, thought that was just me and my Welsh D!
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SNAP my D is the same had him17 years and he is brilliant with lorrys busy roads tractors all truly scary stuff but a few years ago some new snowdrops that appeared overnight at the entrance to one of our fields were definatly gonna eat him! took ages to get him past them....with him sweating and snorting...THEY ARE JUST FLOWERS...about 6 of them! Thats Section Ds for you!
 
Do we get pics?! :P

I sold a D last year who was very sweet and gentle but spooky. Wouldn't hack alone etc very clingy to my other horses.To ride, she didn't mind big lorries etc but little things especially anything plastic that flapped would spook her! Also she had one little 'issue' in that she was hacking and jumping but if you worked her properly in the school she'd freak and not stop broncing or bucking/charging until you were off..the minute your butt left the saddle she stopped and went to sleep. I spent so much money on her looking for pain etc and found nothing...sold her to a pony club type home and she hasn't put a hoof wrong so I guess we just didn't gel. (And I'm not a novice rider either!)
 
Another Sec D rider.

I find he's much better when i'm relaxed (easier said than done) and when we're in company. Took him out on my own for the first time in 3 months last week, and everything from a tractor to a leaf was apparently trying to kill him. He doesn't rear, will occasionally throw in the odd little buck schooling when he's being cheeky but nothing bad. His biggest issue is spinning and bolting off without paying attention to anything around him. He nearly took us into a ditch once before I managed to stop him.

On the other hand, we were going over some poles for the first time last week. He got so excited, he ended up galloping off round the school and I was in the dirt before I had time blink. That was a new experience! Ha.

I've been riding him for about 8 months now but still learning.
I think i've accepted he's always going to be the same!

EDIT: Just to add, I'm a novice rider. Love him to bits.
 
Aww it's good to hear that there is hope. And that many of you persevered relentlessly with your horses to help the pair of you. I shall too :) with the help of a suede seat saver, neck strap & glue on my thighs I'll get there :)
 
tanyajade said:
Aww it's good to hear that there is hope. And that many of you persevered relentlessly with your horses to help the pair of you. I shall too :) with the help of a suede seat saver, neck strap & glue on my thighs I'll get there :)
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You will I'm sure!

I have the above and also a trekker saddle which looks odd but is kind of an English x western saddle, I feel secure in it and it's very comfortable.
 
My anglo/arab is 23 and still spooky, I don't think she will ever change!

She also spins incredibly fast, so much so, that I ride her in a western saddle if hacking :-)
 
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Luckily whenever I've hacked her out, she's just jumped & side stepped. She doesn't bolt etc. Sounds like she isn't as bad as some of the horses you guys have mentioned. Kinda makes me feel a little better haha :)
 
Charmel said:
SNAP my D is the same had him17 years and he is brilliant with lorrys busy roads tractors all truly scary stuff but a few years ago some new snowdrops that appeared overnight at the entrance to one of our fields were definatly gonna eat him! took ages to get him past them....with him sweating and snorting...THEY ARE JUST FLOWERS...about 6 of them! Thats Section Ds for you!
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I get the same with mine... huge lorries, tractors, combines, rattly trailers. No problem.
Exercise sheet, random stuff in hedge, sheep, cyclists = total meltdown!
Seems like it's a Welshy thing then.
 
That sounds like my horse! Just out of interest, did you gel on the ground? My girl is also spooky and shy but sweet (although terrified of everyone but me) and has an unfortunate broncing habit when ridden, she does it until you come off. I am still hoping we can work through it though (with the help of a decent trainer) as I adore her and we're great on the ground!
 
squidsin said:
That sounds like my horse! Just out of interest, did you gel on the ground? My girl is also spooky and shy but sweet (although terrified of everyone but me) and has an unfortunate broncing habit when ridden, she does it until you come off. I am still hoping we can work through it though (with the help of a decent trainer) as I adore her and we're great on the ground!
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Aww she does sound sweet, and similar to my mare.
I've actually gone back to solidifying our relationship on the ground. With the help of my fantastic trainer, we've come so far in only the 4 sessions we've had.
We've got her ...
-over tarpaulin (calmly)
- managed to stroke her with a long whip with a plastic bag attached
- following us with umbrellas, walking closely past umbrellas
- getting closer to a blowing flag/windmills etc

That was all on the ground. I rode her over the tarpaulin sheet on Sunday & she was so good.

One of the biggest things for me, is the stick thing. She'd flinch whenever i moved a stick quick (rake/fork etc) even just getting it down from my stable wall, she's snapped herself away from the bailing twice in panic. I couldn't possible get near her with it.
Now I keep stroking her a bit more every day with my rake etc and she's actually trusting me.

If she's good for you on the ground, are you nervous when you sit on her? And have you had her back checked etc?
 
I wasn't nervous but after being bronced off many times, I am now! I got a trainer to ride her and she bronced her off too - and my cob does wince on mounting, so although back/teeth/tack checks have not shown anything, the dreaded Kissing Spines does spring to mind and I am getting her xrayed in the next couple of weeks. She is very spooky generally which could also be pain-related. She loves me though! And it's hard not to be touched by that. Our ground work is good, and I can get her to walk past anything calmly, but it doesn't seem to be the same when I am on her back - perhaps because I am nervous, you are right. She is not in work at the mo because of the suspected KS (and also the awful weather and few hours of daylight - I have two small children so it's difficult to do much at the moment) but I am hoping to restart her, all being well, in April, so fingers crossed!

I've had her a year btw and I'd say it's taken nearly all that time to get her to fully trust me. Ground work (and repetition) is good!

tanyajade said:
Aww she does sound sweet, and similar to my mare.
I've actually gone back to solidifying our relationship on the ground. With the help of my fantastic trainer, we've come so far in only the 4 sessions we've had.
We've got her ...
-over tarpaulin (calmly)
- managed to stroke her with a long whip with a plastic bag attached
- following us with umbrellas, walking closely past umbrellas
- getting closer to a blowing flag/windmills etc

That was all on the ground. I rode her over the tarpaulin sheet on Sunday & she was so good.

One of the biggest things for me, is the stick thing. She'd flinch whenever i moved a stick quick (rake/fork etc) even just getting it down from my stable wall, she's snapped herself away from the bailing twice in panic. I couldn't possible get near her with it.
Now I keep stroking her a bit more every day with my rake etc and she's actually trusting me.

If she's good for you on the ground, are you nervous when you sit on her? And have you had her back checked etc?
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Aww isn't it horrible losing your confidence with your horse? I'm nervous on her back too, expecting a spook.
I really hope that your mare's spine is okay, it sounds like you have a really lovely relationship with her.
I've had my mare 7, so it's still new I suppose. Hopefully we'll have an unbreakable trust one day :)
 
I got like that too - sitting in a sort of foetal position on her back, braced for her to bronc! The thing is though, no matter how good a rider you are, if a horse REALLY wants to get you off, it will get you off! It's one of the reasons I decided to give us both the winter off, while I ride friends' safe horses or have lessons at a local school to get my confidence back. I feel OK about my riding again now, so will hopefully be able to tackle this come Spring. You haven't had your mare long, and one instructor I had said that horses are good in a new home for 6 weeks, then in the 7th they turn into monsters - testing the boundaries I guess. You seem determined and upbeat so I am sure you can both work through it!

tanyajade said:
Aww isn't it horrible losing your confidence with your horse? I'm nervous on her back too, expecting a spook.
I really hope that your mare's spine is okay, it sounds like you have a really lovely relationship with her.
I've had my mare 7, so it's still new I suppose. Hopefully we'll have an unbreakable trust one day :)
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Oh god that's true. She was perfect at first then she got cheeky and a bit dominant. Little madame! Haha. How did you manage to lose your new found foetal position? I'm exactly like thau on her now!
 
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