Dealing with a horse who "switches off"

[BethanT]

Took my boy XC schooling, and despite finishing off last season strong, being quite happy over ditches, down banks etc, last weekend he decided he was not playing ball.

The instructor of the clinic (who I have used a number of times) came to the conclusion I cannot hassle this horse when he won't go over or down something. He simply goes backwards then turns his attention elsewhere. He just shuts down and locks me out. We resorted to taking away all pressure, let him chill then calmly follow the instructor over the obstacle. Now clearly I can't do this in competition, and I am not sure how long I would have to let him "chill".

So what methods have other people found useful when dealing with this sort of horse? It is only XC, with the type of fences that you don't see everyday - so ditches and drops. He doesn't really do it over ditches when out competing (though I may be saying differently next week!) as his adrenaline is running. But at the same time I don't want to go through the expense etc to have the stops and possible elimination XC at an event, especially as I want to do BE. But I know for a fact that if I enter a BE80 there will be drops and trakehners.

I know the best thing is to keep going schooling but there are only so many places to go, and it is more the issue of it being new and different.

 

[wkiwi]

Sounds like a lack of confidence (his not yours). Some horses get really wound up and visibly stressed when they can't cope with a situation, while others switch off like yours

Firstly, if this was the first time over cross country fences since last year then it might have just been a one-off while he gets going again. This can happen even with quite experienced horses that haven't jumped cross country for a while. It's a bit like being thrown into a maths exam when you haven't done any study for months (ie. panic!!). Find smaller jumps/ditches until he is happy again.
If it did happen at an event then i would just withdraw and write-off the day, maybe just retiring then going and having a pop over the practice fend. (don't go BE until you know he has his confidence back). Otherwise it could just give him bad memories and make the situation worse.

Secondly, you can give him some more coping mechanisms. Ideally of course this would involve practising over actual ditches - are there any around you on hacks, friendly farmers etc? (i used to know every ditch in the neighbourhood when i lived in one area, including mini culverts on grass verges). I've also known people dig their own ditches but depends on if you own your own paddock.
Also get various things you can use as a fake ditch - e.g. black tarpaulin, blue tarpaulin, etc. (with poles etc. to hold the ends) Make sure the horse is happy jumping it where you normally jump (e.g. arena) then put it in odd places. You would be amazed how often a horse will stop at something familiar if it suddenly apppears in a corner of the paddock or in the gateway to the yard etc. If he stops in surprise and won't go forward, then just get off and lead him over (make it small enough to do this to start with). If you can, get someone to take the fake ditch out and put it down somewhere where you hack too (e.g. they could carry it to a bridle way, put it down when you are coming and then take it up afterward). They can also give you a lead on foot over it if needed so you don't have to get off. Basically you are trying to build up his trust in you so that wehn you say 'it's all right, trust me' he goes 'ummm, not sure but ok'.
Be inventive with where you place it. At home in the paddock you could then start adding poles above, changing the material you use etc. It's harder to do poles over out on bridleways but depends on how dedicated family or friends are in helping you! If you have woods they might be able to find a branch to put over it.
Do it with lots of other jumps too and use as much material as possible (one thing at a time so you don't blow his brain) - coming round the corner to a small jump with a rug over it, having a row of coloured buckets under a pole, getting someone to drop a coat over a pole when you are a few strides away, etc. etc. Put water in the tarpaulin at home (a bucket full would be enough if you have to carry it across a large paddock) so you get the light reflection etc.
Use anything that looks different (but is safe to jump) in as many odd places as possible. Make sure you keep them small to start with (well within his comfort zone e.g. imagine going for a maths exam with a strange teacher answering questions - if they started with 2+2 then you would relax, but if they started with 863057 divided by 520844 then you would go 'OH MY GOD!!!').
Lots of this should soon build up his confidence again and also his partnership with you so that he trusts you on a strange course.
Good luck

 

[be positive]

Plenty of good advice above, I will add a few suggestions from my experience with this type of horse, if you think they are switching off in training stop asking before they do completely shut down and go away to jump a few easy fences to get them back in the mood, if drops are an issue always jump up them a few times before coming back down, I have had a few that didn't like to drop down but having gone up have got the confidence to then go down, no idea why as the two are very different but if it works why not use it, obviously you cannot do any of that competing but you need to get him going schooling first and gain his trust.

I would try and avoid clinics because having others around can contribute to them losing confidence, the stopping and starting is not conducive to getting them switched on and focused and may limit what you can do to change their mindset if they do have a moment, the only benefit is having something to follow which may be really useful but long term may not help solve the issue if he then gets worse going alone.

 

[BethanT]

Thank you both!

I like the clinics as the course I do them at is lovely, and it is the only chance I can get to get up there! (Though may try and get up there on my own). The instructor is also very good, and actually suggested similar to you wkiwi in creating different situations for him to deal with.

We are "fingers crossed" having a ditch made at the yard, but I will try the tarpaulin thing, though in the school he has no issue with it!

It is definitely a lack of confidence from him. As a foal and all his life he has been kept on managed pasture, and so never had to deal with questions on where he needs to put his feet! Whereas my mare lived in a huge unmanaged herd as a foal and was left to roam between fields over banks through hedges etc, and she never worries about ditches or drops or water etc!

I am hoping that it is just because it is the start of the season. But now I am torn between two things on Sunday. A ODE training day (mock up ODE that can pick and choose XC jumps as I go round) or a proper ODE which I know he should cruise round. I wanted to do the mock up, but at the moment not confirmed it is on, and the entries for real ODE close today! Ahhhhh decisions!

 

[SOS]

Great advice here from some experienced forum members so little to add but I notice you said it’s only with things he doesn’t see “everyday”. I would get out hacking, up and down verges, over the small drainage cut outs at the side of a quiet road (can even chuck a dark jumper/coat temporarily in the bottom to make it look deeper), over proper ditches, cantering up and down hills. If water is a problem always hack through puddles (provided you know the ground underneath). Turn unusual into everyday.

I think building his confidence over varying terrain and asking small questions in an environment he knows well should help him be bolder tackling a XC course.

My horse lacked confidence over man made ditches and would plant to look at them before cat leaping. Even out hunting over natural ditches he lacked confidence and would rush them. After including them when hacking, towards home at first for extra encouragement, he is happily popping them out schooling and at our first BE this weekend he popped the ditch very calmly.

 

[MagicMelon]

We are "fingers crossed" having a ditch made at the yard, but I will try the tarpaulin thing, though in the school he has no issue with it!

Im probably wrong but personally if it were me then Id make sure not to do too much as he'll then have the excuse that he's bored of it. I rarely jump my horses at home, only ever in monthly training and competitions - it seems to keep them really fresh and none of them have ever been "stoppers" as a result. Id keep it fun when it did do it, even popping one of your bogey fences in training then stopping after it to lean forward and give him a polo - not every time but just nown and again with loads of praise so he starts to get keen. You say he's fine in the school with tarpolin but try putting it in a field somewhere, then moving it about nown and again so its "new". You may find he's fine at an event, I had one horse who used to hate XC clinics as they were too stop / start for him, used to wind him right up and he'd get in an irritated state over it but let him shoot out of a start box and off he went happy as larry.

 

[BethanT]

Im probably wrong but personally if it were me then Id make sure not to do too much as he'll then have the excuse that he's bored of it. I rarely jump my horses at home, only ever in monthly training and competitions - it seems to keep them really fresh and none of them have ever been "stoppers" as a result. Id keep it fun when it did do it, even popping one of your bogey fences in training then stopping after it to lean forward and give him a polo - not every time but just nown and again with loads of praise so he starts to get keen. You say he's fine in the school with tarpolin but try putting it in a field somewhere, then moving it about nown and again so its "new". You may find he's fine at an event, I had one horse who used to hate XC clinics as they were too stop / start for him, used to wind him right up and he'd get in an irritated state over it but let him shoot out of a start box and off he went happy as larry.

Thanks MagicMelon.

I don't jump very often at home, once a fortnight in my lessons, or 4 days or so before an event just to make sure he feels good. He has such a varied work routine I don't have enough days in the week to do it all!

Little ODE booked for the weekend over a shortened XC with a little ditch. So will see how he goes. Will definitely be making some random things up for him to jump at home, especially in the jump field when it is dry enough!

 

[Denbob]

Sounds like a lack of confidence (his not yours). Some horses get really wound up and visibly stressed when they can't cope with a situation, while others switch off like yours

Firstly, if this was the first time over cross country fences since last year then it might have just been a one-off while he gets going again. This can happen even with quite experienced horses that haven't jumped cross country for a while. It's a bit like being thrown into a maths exam when you haven't done any study for months (ie. panic!!). Find smaller jumps/ditches until he is happy again.
If it did happen at an event then i would just withdraw and write-off the day, maybe just retiring then going and having a pop over the practice fend. (don't go BE until you know he has his confidence back). Otherwise it could just give him bad memories and make the situation worse.

Secondly, you can give him some more coping mechanisms. Ideally of course this would involve practising over actual ditches - are there any around you on hacks, friendly farmers etc? (i used to know every ditch in the neighbourhood when i lived in one area, including mini culverts on grass verges). I've also known people dig their own ditches but depends on if you own your own paddock.
Also get various things you can use as a fake ditch - e.g. black tarpaulin, blue tarpaulin, etc. (with poles etc. to hold the ends) Make sure the horse is happy jumping it where you normally jump (e.g. arena) then put it in odd places. You would be amazed how often a horse will stop at something familiar if it suddenly apppears in a corner of the paddock or in the gateway to the yard etc. If he stops in surprise and won't go forward, then just get off and lead him over (make it small enough to do this to start with). If you can, get someone to take the fake ditch out and put it down somewhere where you hack too (e.g. they could carry it to a bridle way, put it down when you are coming and then take it up afterward). They can also give you a lead on foot over it if needed so you don't have to get off. Basically you are trying to build up his trust in you so that wehn you say 'it's all right, trust me' he goes 'ummm, not sure but ok'.
Be inventive with where you place it. At home in the paddock you could then start adding poles above, changing the material you use etc. It's harder to do poles over out on bridleways but depends on how dedicated family or friends are in helping you! If you have woods they might be able to find a branch to put over it.
Do it with lots of other jumps too and use as much material as possible (one thing at a time so you don't blow his brain) - coming round the corner to a small jump with a rug over it, having a row of coloured buckets under a pole, getting someone to drop a coat over a pole when you are a few strides away, etc. etc. Put water in the tarpaulin at home (a bucket full would be enough if you have to carry it across a large paddock) so you get the light reflection etc.
Use anything that looks different (but is safe to jump) in as many odd places as possible. Make sure you keep them small to start with (well within his comfort zone e.g. imagine going for a maths exam with a strange teacher answering questions - if they started with 2+2 then you would relax, but if they started with 863057 divided by 520844 then you would go 'OH MY GOD!!!').
Lots of this should soon build up his confidence again and also his partnership with you so that he trusts you on a strange course.
Good luck

Don't mind me just copying this down for my boy when we eventually get round to jumping. He's very much like yours OP in that when he's stressed he'll back off, and the more you ask the more he'll fight you. I suspect his last owner attempted to beat it out of him though... poor lad. Thanks Wkiwi some really interesting ideas!

 

[Red-1]

I would be inclined to go XC schooling alone on a hire-course.

IME horses shut down like this as they don't believe they will have sufficient time unpressured to sort out the problem that they face. Obviously in a group situation you only have a certain amount of time. Usually the closer to the fence the horse is, or the more he thinks about trying it, the more the rider uses leg to 'encourage' but a horse prone to shutting down sees it as the more he tries the more he is pressured.

I would go alone to the course (with support on the ground) and have a nice warm up, making sure the horse is infront of the leg. Then some easy fences to have him thinking this is fun, including going up the step. Then go down the step, but ride it very casually. If he stops then let him have all the time in the world. The closer he is to the fence the more relaxed and still you are. If he backs away then I would do some very difficult (trot/canter) circles at the top, also making sure he is back in front of the leg, then represent casually.

If he starts to sum it up ready to leap then sit as still as you can, it is hi choice to go or not, no 'encouragement'. If he reverts to backing off then you go back to the circles in trot or canter that are comparatively difficult.

Let him take all day if need be (no3pm XC hire!).

Eventually it will feel like the area behind him is a lot more unwelcoming (hard work) then the SMALL step that you have put him at, and he will pop down. I would not unduly praise him, as shut down horses can view 'praise' as pressure when they are having a shut down. I would just quietly ride away. If he is tired from all the circling I would even think about dismounting and having a graze.

I would aim to do this at least 3 times. 20 times if he has not taken 3 hours to do the first!

So, starting with anther warmup to put him in front of the leg, a few easy fences to enjoy and represent the step. Pressure off. Wait while he is still and paying attention to the problem. Work if he backs away. A side step if he does not pay attention to the issue. Pressure off when he tries. Ride quietly away when he does it.

Warm up to check he is infront of the leg. A couple of easy fences, Step - no pressure. Lack of attention - side step. Backwards- work hard. Try- no pressure or encouragement. Do the step - ride quietly away.

Your attitude is one of nonchalance. I would not be invested in any outcome. His choice as to weather he pops down the step and is ridden quietly away or steps back and works hard. It is really hard to stay unattached to an outcome at the top of the step, but no pressure means also no emotion.

 

[Auslander]

Here's an outside the box thought! Have you thought about hopping off and doing the bogey fences with him? May sound a bit odd, but it can work! One of my liveries has a ditchy horse, and she is regularly seen leaping ditches on foot with him, before she gets back on and jumps them.

 

[milliepops]

Your attitude is one of nonchalance. I would not be invested in any outcome. His choice as to weather he pops down the step and is ridden quietly away or steps back and works hard. It is really hard to stay unattached to an outcome at the top of the step, but no pressure means also no emotion.

altogether a great post here but this bit ^^ was really the key to my horse that shuts down. She'll never be an xc horse - has found a niche elsewhere - but this was the approach I had to take to get her hacking. Also echo the bit about not adding ever increasing pressure when the horse is trying - it's so, so hard to teach yourself not to ask that he tries harder, but you have to think about it from the horse's POV

 

[BethanT]

Great advice here! I may well try and get XC schooling soon on my own.

I do hope off and lead him over, as that is what got us going down drops last summer. I am hoping that once the season *eventually* gets going he will too.

 

[ihatework]

Great advice here! I may well try and get XC schooling soon on my own.

I do hope off and lead him over, as that is what got us going down drops last summer. I am hoping that once the season *eventually* gets going he will too.

If the horse has previously had issues and is still showing them I’m not sure that getting our competing is necessarily the wisest thing to do?

Why not invest your time and money in schooling. Go to multiple different xc venues and only when he is really happy and accepting of ditches/drops etc then consider competing.

Problem is, if you hit a problem competing you can’t always deal with it there and then which might further compound the issue.

 

[BethanT]

If the horse has previously had issues and is still showing them I’m not sure that getting our competing is necessarily the wisest thing to do?

Why not invest your time and money in schooling. Go to multiple different xc venues and only when he is really happy and accepting of ditches/drops etc then consider competing.

Problem is, if you hit a problem competing you can’t always deal with it there and then which might further compound the issue.

When he is competing his blood is up and he is much more forward thinking. He has always been very flat in terms of energy when I go schooling or to clinics. But I do go to plenty of clinics and schooling anyway. The ODE I am doing this weekend is tiny for him (70cm) so he can cruise round with no complicated questions as they are running over a shortened course, so I think this will be a good one to get him back into the swing of it. By the end of last season he was jumping ditches and going down drops beautifully. I think it's the fact he hasn't done anything like XC since early October he has forgotten.

But knowing how to help him cope when he shuts down with me will be extremely useful to know for any situation.

 

[Starbucks]

My mare does this a little bit. It's normally my fault if I've asked her to do something a bit hard for her level of training or if she's had a break. I think it's just the way some horses deal with feeling a bit green and scared where as others might rush / leap over etc. She's only really done it once properly and it was at a ditch. It was my fault, I was schooling and I'd not really looked at it properly before i had presented but then had to commit to getting over it!

I would also say don't bother with the clinics. My mare is also much better when she (and I) has got her blood up, I'm just not sure the stopping and starting and standing with the other horses does them much good. I've not actually done a clinic with her but I've never liked them much!

Secondly I think you need to make sure you win the battle by any means possible! With the ditch i ended up jumping over in front of her a few times and nearly getting jumped on, then eventually got her going over it nicely ridden but it did take a while!!

Had a sort of similar incident first time XC schooling last week, steps this time. Again probably a bit harder than she needs to do right now so my fault but again i was committed! I didn't make a big deal of it right at that moment and turned her around, got her going forwards off my leg again before doing the easier options a few times and then represented at the harder bit and she just did it. So no battle needed in the end. So I think sometimes its better to try and avoid them shutting down by keeping them moving and thinking forward.

 

[spacefaer]

We buy quite a few Irish horses and find that they have nearly all been started xc on long reins and lunge ropes - they are lunged up onto banks, over ditches, off banks, over logs etc and they have learnt to do it for themselves. It's easier for them to work their feet out, and learn an independence of thought without having the rider on board, and having to cope with balancing the extra, mobile, weight on top.

If your horse has the whole winter without jumping xc and becomes rusty/unconfident, have you considered taking him xc over the winter? I'm thinking hunter trials, pairs hunter trials, novice team chasing (to a bogey time, not a speed class!) and going hunting. All of those will encourage him to be braver, to think more for himself, and won't give him a chance to forget how to be bold!

Doesn't help you now, but I think the clinic sessions aren't working - some horses can get very cold blooded with the stop/start routine of them. He may be one that you have to have the adrenaline of competition to get him going. I've had some like that, and there is nothing more soul destroying than trying to get a switched off horse to enjoy himself!

 

[BethanT]

We buy quite a few Irish horses and find that they have nearly all been started xc on long reins and lunge ropes - they are lunged up onto banks, over ditches, off banks, over logs etc and they have learnt to do it for themselves. It's easier for them to work their feet out, and learn an independence of thought without having the rider on board, and having to cope with balancing the extra, mobile, weight on top.

If your horse has the whole winter without jumping xc and becomes rusty/unconfident, have you considered taking him xc over the winter? I'm thinking hunter trials, pairs hunter trials, novice team chasing (to a bogey time, not a speed class!) and going hunting. All of those will encourage him to be braver, to think more for himself, and won't give him a chance to forget how to be bold!

Doesn't help you now, but I think the clinic sessions aren't working - some horses can get very cold blooded with the stop/start routine of them. He may be one that you have to have the adrenaline of competition to get him going. I've had some like that, and there is nothing more soul destroying than trying to get a switched off horse to enjoy himself!

Love this idea. Going XC schooling at the weekend. Will take a lunge line and see if there is anything against lunging on XC course.

Sadly he does not have the brain to hunt. I did think this but I think if he hunts he needs to go proper full pelt hunting. And we don't have that kind of hunt near us. I also can't do my lorry ramp on my own at the moment so I haven't been out at all last season as no one to help me!