De-Spooking the Ex-Racehorse - any ideas?

[EMC]

Yesterday we went out for a hack with a friend on her spanish horse, and ended up having to go up a road which passes a dairy farm. This is a regular occurrance and whilst wary, both horses have been past it countless times and nothing has yet eaten them.

Until yesterday....cue spanish horse doing lovely pirouettes, rearing etc. and Fred trying his best to impersonate. We must have had twenty spins in the space of five meters, even ending up halfway up a near verticle bank. The poor farmer (who stopped his tractor), the bird scarer, bright sun and landrover behind us were probably all contributing factors but the simple fact is Fred was dangerous. Not one to give up, I got him past and Spanish Horse followed but I did have to keep kicking and giving him taps whilst growling like a madwoman. Honestly when we were both in racing, he was much better behaved!

The poor local farmers must think we are lunatics and given they aren't very keen on the yard (it has just been built) anyway, I don't want to give them anymore ammunition.

How can I de-sensitise him to this? He settled down perfectly well once we'd gone past and he went past it all again on the way back with a few small spooks but no spinning. Today I'm taking him, armed with a headcollar and long line, a big packet of polo's and the OH to show him that there is nothing scary up there but if this fails what do I do?

Fred has so many good points, but when he is bad, he is very bad! I'm never sure if it's genuine fear or just naughtiness? Can a horse really be 'naughty'?

 

[mandwhy]

It was probably the other horse telling him there was something scary! Do you hack out alone or with anyone else or is he the same then? I am sure walking up there will help and another person on foot is always handy

 

[EMC]

Thanks for the reply...

He is better when out with other horses (back with the 'string' i guess), I don't hack him completely solo but go with my OH on a pushbike, initially he was great but slowly he has just got worse. My shiftwork means I can't always be at the yard when everyone else rides out so have to make do.

 

[Luci07]

We have had a couple of racehorses off the track at the yard and it does seem to take a while for them to come down from planet Zog!. I would apply the same approach to your racer that YO does for her youngsters. Hack out with a truly laid back horse. One spooky horse will simply upset the other, so if the Spanish horse was playing up, yours would think there was something wrong as well. My youngster was horribly sharp and spooky at the beginning of the year but I have persevered with lots and lots of hacking with grown up horses. Then we graduated to hacking out with one of my dogs at which point he really threw the towel in. However, he is now one of the easiest and most chilled out horses to hack and is the partner of choice for the TB event horse (ex racehorse!) I did not graduate to hacking out solo till he could hack out in company in a relaxed manner and then it was just short hops to cool off after a lesson or schooling then built up. Can't say I really enjoyed my first solo long hack but he was pretty good and now I have no problems. So summary, only hack with a bombproof partner, and build it up..oh and while it was somewhat stressful getting him used to my middle stafford coming with us, the upside is that he no longer gives a monkey if anything appears in front or crashes in the woods as he is so used to Honey doing it. Worth the aggravation of getting him used to it as we are in a relatively busy area and people/bikes/dogs do appear from out of nowhere with alarming regularity!

 

[ZoeF]

Maybe try walking out in hand past this farm several times before riding past again so that he doesnt have the worry of having you onboard as well? I have found this works as I am teaching my loan tb to walk out alone, I find she is more calmed with me beside her (with her favourite extra strong mints as well!) Also would the farm let you walk in the yard round and out again so he can see there is nothing to be afraid of? Maybe then when you next ride past you take the lead to show your friends horses there's nothing scary so they dont upset you horse? Good luck