Confidence - also in CL - long!

[Mac1999]

A horse on my yard is a lovely boy - I've been riding him about 18 months and he's easy going and willing, always been a little nervy (sudden movements and just a little wary of people and other horses rather than spooky). he came from a dealers so we don't know his history but he did seem to relax over time.

In September last year he had two bucking bronco fits (with me riding!!) which we later was discovered was due to severe back pain. That has now been treated and is being managed but he is now very very nervous and jumpy - I'm guessing he is associating people / being ridden with pain so I can understand it, but where do we go from here??

He was sent to a trainers yard to get back into work (a lot of lunging and light schooling) which may have upset his routine, and he is now about to come home. We have told he is better to be in work. His temprement didn't change until after the bronco episodes (maybe he scared himself too?) and doesn't seem to be getting any better yet. It's almost like he thinks he is about to be hit, all the time (he never has been)

I have lost my confidence in him and he has lost his confidence in people - how do we address this? I will be taking it very slow, lots of lunging, ground work and lessons but any other ideas or tips? At the moment I am not even confident in getting on him (not something I have experienced before, have always been really confident) because his nerves and panicing makes him unpredictable (/dangerous???)

He's a lovely boy and I think we just need to go back to basics, but any suggestions / ideas would really be appreciated.

Very long, sorry!

 

[kerilli]

it may be that in the past he had a broncing fit and then got a beating, and is still expecting your treatment of him to change because of what happened.
if i were you i'd do everything you can to make sure he isn't in pain, then take it slowly, lots of praise, rebuild his confidence in you and vice versa.
i found a brilliant line by William Micklem yesterday on Barnmice, here:
http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/reflections-part-2-getting

the bit about "i'm okay and you're okay" is soooooo true. excellent stuff.

good luck with this lad.

 

[Tickles]

If he thinks he is about to be hit he probably has been. Not necessarily at his current home but before.

If you can work out how it happened (is he head shy? more nervous tied up? at certain places in the school?) you can then avoid asking for anything difficult in the same place e.g. I know of one horse who has clearly been hit when tied up and also in the middle of the school but is very confident on the track, so, I didn't ask him to cross the school after getting anything wrong, only after doing well when he was being praised anyway until he calmed down a bit. We're work in progress but he is getting better at realising we're nice with him.

Talking can help with your nerves becasue it makes you breath regularly and as long as he is being good (even if nervy) just constantly telling him what a good boy he is should help both of you.

Good luck!

 

[zandp]

I had the same experience with my first horse only replace broncing with bolting. After we worked out what was wrong with her she had some time off to recover and then I spent 3 months walking her in hand and then on board around the place slowly. I then got a Bowen therapist out and it was only after about 4 sessions of this she stopped panicking at everything and began to relax. Because she'd been in pain she'd been holding herself differently causing more pain.

Then I had to start work on me, Rescue Remedy, friends who don't mind you chatting inanely or singing really do help. I had to visualise the ride ending positively which helped get my mind in the right frame. But the main thing that helped me was a really good friend who gently forced me to do more each time and put up with me whittering away.

 

[Mac1999]

Thank you - as I said he's a nice boy and worth the effort...I think I will do plenty on the ground and I'm sure when I've been round him a while I will be happy to get back on - it's built in to a bigger deal than it needed to be as he's been off / away since the broncing so I haven't had a chance just to get back on and be OK/

I'll take it really slow - not worth rushing and going backwards not forward.

Will keep you informed.....!