Do you have a spooky/quirky horse?

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Megibo

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I'm just wondering as you must be pretty confident and I lack confidence sometimes..e.g my pony use to be a little moo but the worst she does nowadays is hot up fly buck or spook and I'm used to that so I ignore her. But what does your horse do and do you just ignore it?
When I ride someone elses horse and it messes about i get tense or nervous-i was riding my friends pony the other day and asked it for trot and it took off (but had lovely movement) and i got nervous for a few seconds but she told me how to stop him and he came back really shortly so that was fine.

I think my main fear is of coming off. Is your horse naughty plus any advice on not getting nervous on other horses? I'm no way near as bad as I used to be and my mum (who doesnt mince her words) say's I'm good I just lack confidence in myself...
Any thoughts appreciated :D
 
It's fairly easy to ride your own horse confidently even when they do silly things - you know their quirks and you know how to deal with them, but like you, I am less confident on someone's else's horse. If I ride another horse and it shies or spooks, I tend to tense up, shorten reins and grip with my legs, rather than riding forwards and past the situation.

My daughter's old SJ pony was quite spooky and quirky, but I always felt very safe on him whereas out of the blue our kick along cob bucked me off (a once only occasion) and I refused to ride him for about 2 weeks, preferring the spooky pony!

Daughter's instructor always told her to turn her pony's head towards the scary 'thing' and use strong legs to ride on past. Instinct tells you to turn away from the 'thing', but turning him towards it did seem to work.
 
I feel as safe as houses on my gelding. He spooked at most things and has been known to nap. As above I know his quirks and ride accordingly.

I've recently fallen off my new mare and broke my back. I'm expecting to be nervous when I eventually start riding again. I've asked someone to school her for me so I can watch which will install some positive thoughts for when its my turn.

My confidence has been like a rollercoaster though and I used to shake head to toe over the thought of getting on the gelding. I've just persevered and it comes back eventually.
 
Having spooky, quirky horse certainly knocked my confidence but learning how to overcome things together is a huge confidence boost!

I now have a horse that although is difficult to school and jump is very sensible out hacking and you feel 100% safe on her even when she is being silly.

Sometimes I'd love to have a simple, straightforward push button horse but then life would be boring!

Fear of falling off is tricky. I'm strange in that I have fallen off lots and done a fair amount of damage but do not fear falling off in the slightest.

I think the only way to overcome riding different horses is to ride as many as you can (although do try and ride sensible ones!)

Good Luck and I'm sure soon you will be brave enough to get on lots of different horses :)
 
I think all horses have their own little quirks just like people, they aren't robots and anybody who says their horse never even twitches an ear at something is lying :p.

We have all sorts at my yard from hairy cobs to fat ponies to young warmbloods to tb's and every single one of them has their own little ways and days when they are less then perfect! None of them are truely pushbutton, even the lead rein pony refused to go the way their little jocket wanted too in the school and kept trying to turn away :p.

Im very comfortable on my own horse as I know his ways but I also get a bit nervous riding stange horses as I don't know their limits or what they might do. I'll happily ride my young TB when he's fresh but was nervous about riding a friends cob because i've seen it be really strong! Its just natural I think unless you ride lots of horses every day, then you would naturally become more immune to riding different horses :). Its just what we get used to.
 
I have a spooky quirky horse who thinks her reason for living is to flirt with cows :D
I have to ride through a farm to get any decent hacking, and being a dairy farm it has quite a few cows, cue the side step canter, the spinning, a bit of piaffe a bit of half pass then lots of tail lifting and hey moo moo look at me...she is odd :D
She also jumps things that arent there.....
She is quite highly strung but I feel 100% safe on her and shes the quietest horse in traffic, doesnt bat an eye lid :)
 
My mare sounds like Ayla84's, sideways canter, pirouettes, leaps and head swishing that would give a loreal model a run for her money! Usually because she has to go 2nd, or is fed up with me, or...wants to go back to her boyfriend and eat grass all day.
I think its natural to be nervous of riding a strange horse, I'm ok on horses I've seen being ridden but on something entirely new...I am nervous.
Its the fear of the unknown, I should imagine the majority of people get it because you just dont know what is going to happen :)
 
Yes my horse is spooky and quirky. However after nearly 3 years with him, losing all confidence and having to build myself back up, I am pretty confident with him. I know his foibles and how to deal with him. His behaviour is so much better now that we have learned to trust each other.
However I am nervous to ride other bigger horses (he is 15.2) such as my friend's tb x. I have seen his naughty moments and I would not like to ride him at all!!!
 
Agreed, its easy to be confident on your own quirky, spooky horse because you know the limits of what they are likely to do.

Its new horses that are the problem because you just don't know what might be coming next! Old Mare was v spooky (spin and run was her motto) but she has such a light mouth stopping was never the issue. Also I KNOW she won't deliberately try to get me off. With her its true cowardise :D rather than malice!

When unknown horses play up I tend to be fine, I get stubborn and think I am not going to get off this animal until it behaves and if that means broncing round the school so be it. Rode a horse for a friend who was too scared to canter it as it bucked every time. (I thought it was something she was doing as she was quite a novice rider) It really did buck! I had to get off 3 times to put the saddle back off its neck but I wasn't going to give up. It cantered a very passable figure of 8 by the end of the session, but the funny thing is I wouldn't get back on that horse again for love n money - its entirely different in cold blood!

So basically I'm a once bitten, twice shy rider
 
I am strange. I either click with a horse or don't.
I can sit on someone else's horse and click, be confident and relaxed. Or sit on it and think.. I don't trust this horse at all!
I find the trick is to relax your muscles to keep your nerves down, almost feel them going like jelly, and either chat to the horse, the person watching you ride (if there is one) or have a sing song. It keeps your breating going at a steady rate which helps because I don't know about you but when I get nervous I forget to breathe :D
My mare is spooky, quirky, and sharp. No Bucking napping or rearing but she will get very strong. First hack I took her on when I bought her she galloped home (with me still on board with NO breaks!). Its just learning to deal with things that new horses may throw at you. The only way to overcome it is to do alot of it! Learn HOW to ride other horses and it gives you alot more confidence. I will generally get on anything as I now know I can sit to a buck, bronk, rear, spook, bolt. :D
 
my daughters horse is both spooky and quirky , doesnt bother her at all but i am nervous about riding her as shes so sharp and im used to a brilliant sensible and non spooky mare. i have recently started lessons to improve my confidence and seat and get me used to riding different horses, then i plan to ride in the school with private lessons before i venture out. i used to have a horse that was very sharp and spooky but bizarrley always felt completely safe ,not sure why. i think you just have to plan small steps.
 
I ride the "nutter" at the yard, but I very rarely feel scared on him. He rears if you ask him to lead a ride, open a gate, go in a show ring or turn a way he doesn't want to go. He'll gallop around the school and try to jump the fence (Not yet succeded) if I take him in there alone. He's only just learning to go in a trailer after skinning his back the first time he went in one. Only one other likes to ride him and that's because he's as nutty as the horse is!
However, he's the perfect pony if you just let him walk in the middle, or the back of the ride and he's so friendly to those who show him love. Everyone wonders why I love this horse, but he's got such personality and he's such a funny boy.

I think like others have said, once your used to it, it doesn't faze you anymore! And I'm well used to galloping sidewards now XD haha
 
noblesteed said:
Yes my horse is spooky and quirky. However after nearly 3 years with him, losing all confidence and having to build myself back up, I am pretty confident with him
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How did you manage to build yourself back up and how long did it take? Do you have any tips?
My confidence is at rock bottom with my horse who I've had for just over a year and I am determined to get things back on track so any tips or advice would be very handy and helpful :)
Thanks
 
All three of mine are quirky but only one is spooky.

The small ginger one may buck, nap and rear but has never really scared me other than on a couple of occassions. But when I first had her I was a teenager and much, much more confident. However I wouldn't dream of getting on something that behaved as badly these days.

Merlin is fantastic to ride but can be an absolute git to handle and yes, there have been times when his agressive/threatening behaviour has frightened me, but I have to not back off and let his behaviour control me otherwise it will get worse and at the same time remember that his abusive past is why he behaves badly.

Fudge, the spooky one, think runs backwards and spins because you've asked him to walk on a shadow used to frighten me and after a nasty fall which was completely my fault I lost any remaining confidence and used to have to force myself to ride and would shake and feel sick the whole time even though he is mostly angelic.

Lessons with an instructor I trusted both on my own horse and a schoolmaster, positive thinking and remembering to breathe all helped me overcome my fear as well as helping me prevent/deal with any naughtiness. Being a more effective, proactive rider with a better position will has really helped my confidence although I still get nervous at times.
 
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My share Horse is very spooky and can be quirky to hack, although is 100% safe as she never actually does anything dangerous, she bucks and jogs but would never ever bolt or rear, she is very spooky though, but the most she will do is shoot sideways spin and few canter strides away. In the school she is anyones ride.

She is my confidence giver though :D as I feel very safe with her.
 
0ldmare said:
Agreed, its easy to be confident on your own quirky, spooky horse because you know the limits of what they are likely to do.

Its new horses that are the problem because you just don't know what might be coming next!
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My old horse was a total spooker....he mastered the ''canter- along-stop- dead- and -fling- yourself -sideaways- at- nothing'' manouvre...he would spin, nap,prance, jog and buck....non of this worried me at all because I knew him. In fact, it put a smile on my face......

My new horse does a lot of similar things ( they are very much alike- same breed) but actually is less spooky. However- because he is new to me ( ish- I've owned him about 8 months but spent a lot of time re-starting him) I'm not so confident. I think in my mind I'm remembering my old horse as a paragon of virtue- which he sure as hell wasnt ....and I'm actually being too hard on the new lad considering his age and level of experience and how long I've owned him.

Meh.....just on a bit of a downer at the moment....as far as youg one is concerned. So much so I took the small hairy one out for a hack at the weekend and had an ace time. Pity I can't stretch him out from 13.3 to 15.2:D
 
I think it's a case of getting to know and trust each horse. I am always a bit wary on horses I don't know as you don't know how they will react in different situations and also what's to do if they do misbehave.

My boy has always been a bit spooky and is very quirky but I know him inside out and I know what he does and doesn't like. I am also at the stage where I can stop him from spooking at some things now! He likes to look down every drain for monsters, hates water on the road and shiny cars! He also likes to buck (a lot!) when he is excited - especially before/after a fence out hunting! And if I wasn't aware, I could (and have been!) quite easily bucked off! I have learnt how to sit to the gallop to keep his head up! I think on any other horse this would be quite scary but I really do trust my boy! I can't say I would feel the same if I was told to ride a strange horse out hunting who liked to buck though!
 
One of mine is spooky sharp and quirky. He can be a dib dob then in a split second hunch up, lunge forward and then spin . I find him quite hard to sit to sometimes as he is so bouncy and usually im elevated mid air when theres a major spook going on. Nearly always a quick zig zag spook also. I have had him over 10 yrs so have got used to it now. Best bit is he is not frightened of anything in particular, its usually something lurking in hedge, rabbit or pheasants in bushes.
 
My lad can spin on a sixpence, always to the left, he is really NOT brave or bold at all, can't ride out alone, tho he will lead for short spurts of time now, he will spook at odd things like a pile of logs that wern't there before, and if the adrenaline is up will lead but will spook at a flower!! we did end up in a small oak tree the other day due to it being windy and a deer moving in the woods.
 
A good riding instructor helps.

I posted about my mare reversing.. Naughty girl. After a long session today on the ground (and RI riding her) I am really learning some stuff about myself!!

My mare is lazy and I have a 'fizzy' seat. Combine the two and we get 100 mile an hour reverse for home. She spooks, which spooks me and then we get in a mess. I go all tight and sit like a rock and then she dips her back cos she's freaked, which makes for an ouchy combo LOL!

Turns out, I have to ride with as little contact as possible, and use spurs because she's so behind the leg!! What a revelation. It's like a different horse after that!! :D

Ask around for a decent RI xx
 
I think I own the least intimidating "spooky" horse ever :p. She is always looking and snorting and things but if you ignore her that's all she does, and me and my sister are both so chilled on her that we ride with the reins on the buckle and don't even blink when she snorts at something in the hedge! In contrast, I once took a lady out on her who was considering loaning her and I've never seen her behave so badly :eek:. The lady was extremely tense, despite my mare being as sweet as pie, and this made pony go tense - she ended up spinning round in a panic in the middle of the road when a bus tried to go past her! Yet she's such a safe horse that my mother, who is an absolute beginner, has been learning to ride on her. But my mother knows that she is incredibly gentle and that she just needs to trust her :)
 
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