Dealing with nappiness

dwi

dwi

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I thought I knew how to deal with a nappy horse, got D completely sorted within a couple of months of buying her but then she was a very different horse.

Lil has now completely stopped rearing and bronking but will still nap occassionally if she sees something she doesn't like such as a scary sparrow. She'll spin or back up, she feels like she's still thinking about rearing but thankfully doesn't.

Daisy was a typical fiesty cob, a growl, hefty smack and a boot in the ribs did the trick and she gave in. Lil doesn't seem to respond to a growl or a kick and a smack just winds her up and makes her cross.

Any tips for dealing with a fiesty warmblood? I want to get her out to RC competing in the next month or so but don't to be the person who can't even get into the dressage arena because my horse doesn't fancy leaving the warm up.
 
Hi, WOW!

You have just described my mare...,.also a WB.....! I've owned her for 6 months...she was fine for 3, then started napping.....Same thing, backing up and rearing...the rears are difficult to deal with espesh when out on the roads...

So, I made sure that she was hacking with others so she didnt get the opporunity and didnt hack her alone till she had completely stopped doing it when with others....She does it in the arena...tries to spin around and run the other way....same as you, if I get after her with stick etc, she just gets worse and starts rearing....so, I literally just sat there and waited, keeping her flexed in the direction I wanted to go, not the way she wanted to go...as soon as she she softened a little, I would kick her on and as soon as she moved forward I would reeally kick her on and use the stick and she would fly forward....Once I had won the battle a few times, she gave in and now I can hack her on my own also with no issues....I think she was just testing me as she didnt do this with the previous owner..

She does still occasionally try it on...and when I hack, I never give her the benefit of the doubt or the opportunity......I keep her moving at all times...cos the will do it when she stops and I ask her to walk on again, for example stopping to let a car pass on the narrow lanes....now I trot on when I see a car coming and they have to stop and wait for me, it has worked tho....she does think about it occasionally but gives in quick...she has never done it out in the dressage arena...(I think there's too much going on, takes the attention away!)...But she did do it out showjumping the other week, refused to go into the arena...was the same thing tho...she was stood around for a few mins waiting to go in....sothat is what creates it in my mare...I got someone to lead her and kicked her into canter as soon as she was inthe ring and she didnt do it again....

I have just posted above as she literally started doing it again last night....but this time a new one!!! Refusing to canter, grinding to a halt and bucking.....This could be a seasonal thing and Im taking her for physio monday, just in case shes put her back out....but if not and its not seasonal then I guess it's her new nap!!!! And Ive gota find a way around it...That's the problem with mares, they keep trying it on!!!!

George123
 
"A kick and a smack just winds her up and makes her cross" - that's because this method doesn't deal with the problem itself. Trying to stop a horse from napping by putting up a fight and forcing it into submission is often counter-productive, especially for some personality types (as you have found) as it encourages them, to fight you: and a fight takes two! Doing this can make the naps worse and 'bigger' as your mare tries to make herself heard. This can lead to her napping earlier as she develops a stronger negative association with a particular spot, and then the yard driveway, and then you may find yourself struggling to get her out of the yard or stable, or being difficult to tack up even.
You need to try to think like your horse and put yourself in her situation. Do you think she naps out of fear, a lack of confidence, a lack of trust in you, or out of habit - or a mixture of these? Remember that horses don't do anything without good reason (even if you don't agree that it's a good reason). Your mare is not trying to take advantage of you, be deliberately difficult or making a fuss about nothing. It doesn't seem that she's learned that napping gets her out of anything, either, by your description.
Try to avoid particular places that set her off, or reactions that make her worse. If she is spooking or napping at something, then sit quietly and give her a moment to think and work it out. Try to channel her energy into something positive. Make sutre you always ride her forwards and make it as easy as possible for her to behave as you want: ignore any unwanted behaviour, be patient and calm and your horse will start to trust your judgement and look to you for guidance. Always ride circular routes if she tends to nap on the way home. Do anything you can to break the cycle and change the negative association she has with hacking. Always praise her when she tries hard and does well. Try riding with a confident horse if she feels more confident that way. And don't be afraid to get off and lead her if necessary - this isn't, as many falsely assume, an admission of faikure or 'giving in' but encourages your hrose to use her natural isntinct to follow, and also develops her confidence in you. If she plants her hooves, gently weave her neck from side to side as this can slightly unbalance her and cause her to move a hoof or two forward: praise her if she even moves her weight in the direction you want!
The moment a rider starts getting angry/frustrated, growling/shouting and smacking etc, the horse loses complete faith and suddenly feels very responsible for their safety, which only encourages them to be even more unsure of the area. Remain calm, consistent and fair, and your horse will start to cooperate with you.
Good luck! :)
 
Also - it may help to try to look out for the warning signs (in temrs of body language mainly) and try to diffuse the situation before it unnecessarily escalates. Often, a horse might pause at something their not sure of, or hesitate, and either the rider inadvertantly encourages the hrose to fight by giving a strong reaction (i.e. strong kicking etc) or the rider doesn't notice this signs early enough to deal with them before they worsen and turn into napping: such as a lack of forwardness, spooking or the horse being lazy off the leg, or otherwise 'backwards' thinking.
Praise your horse the moment she moves forward and relieve her of the pressure to go forwards (be careful not to use too much as, as already described above, you may push her to panic and react more strongly) so she knows it's the 'right' thing to do: don't carry on getting after her or she will not learn that this is what you want. How can your horse do as you ask if you are a) not asking clearly, b) putting her under too much pressure, or c) not helping her out of a sticky situation.
 
you need to get to the point where she will nap by standing still before sorting it totally.

lots of mares will have an issue with you instantly kicking and jostling them the instant they think backwards.

also you have to be careful with this type not to let the nap develop into a fight as this makes the situation 1000% worse.

Millie is the same and if i can catch her the fraction BEFORE the nap, i can get her forwards with my leg.

if i don't catch it and she is already napping then i need to be totally passive until she is stationary and then work at it.

i have found Millie responds much better to a smack with a leadrope than a stick which she just resents, but again i have to be careful when i use the leadrope as it can make the situation worse.

you need to have very good timing and know when to kick and flap and jostle and when to pause- i have found with Millie that the being really pro-active only works when she is thinking about napping, not when she is actually napping.

instead of avoiding places i think she will nap, i actively seek them out so we can solve the issue!
i will only do it off road though so we aren't an issue to traffic and don't have to worry about being run over! then i can sit it out for as long as needed and not get pressured into being hurried.

it is working for us- i recently moved to a new yard and took Millie out alone on the 3rd day of being there for her first hack from the new place and she left the yard, walked past all of the horses in the fields and passed some pretty scary stuff on a route she didn't know.
 
Puzzles said:
Do you think she naps out of fear, a lack of confidence, a lack of trust in you, or out of habit - or a mixture of these? Remember that horses don't do anything without good reason (even if you don't agree that it's a good reason). Your mare is not trying to take advantage of you, be deliberately difficult or making a fuss about nothing.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about napping on hacks. I can accept that she's genuinely scared of some things as she hasn't been out much and seen the big wide world. We've started her hacking by some very gentle hacks around the farm and she's been fine. The odd snort but then I know that will come with time

What I don't accept as fear is a sudden aversion to the "A" end of the school or to a scary looking bit of the arena hedge. I'm told that her last owner did give in if she threw a strop so i think its a habit rather than a genuine problem. She has had all the checks done, there is no pain reason for her to do this and she doesn't do it all the time. I know horses aren't deliberately annoying but I do think that if they have a rider who gets off, untacks and gives the horse their tea when the horse is difficult then they learn that naughty behaviour gets them what they want. It probably was fear then first time she napped but now its just naughty.
 
Puzzles
I totally agree......I had to go through all this with my Mare.....If I hassled her when she was napping, it made the situation worse....
The best way for me is to sit quiet, wait for her to stop, flex her back in the direction I wanted to go and then kick her on again....she then goes quite happily forward in a settled manner and doesnt usually bother trying again.....
She was doing it everytime I rode, but now it's only very oocasional and doesnt bother me becuase I can deal with it...

I almost wonder whether its a time of year thing too.....I know a few people who's horses are napping at the mo, and they're not all mares!

George123
 
I used to find talking to my mare helped, and rubbing and patting her neck to try and calm and reasure her. Try watching for when she tenses up and when you think shes going to try and stop walk some circles to keep her moving instead of just letting her stop.

If she dos stop totally i used to just wait untill my mare relaxed and then ask her quitely to walk on again. You sound like you've come along way, well done, don't give up now.
 
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