Exercises for very tense nervous horse?

[Flight]

Hi, I have taken on loan a 16hh 8yr old trakhener (sp) mare. She has been a brood mare in past. I believe she was lightly broken at 3 and then not ridden again until last year. She has had all usual checks done, back, teeth, saddle etc. I have her to school and possibly sell on for the owner who has found that she just can't get to grips with her in the school. She is very tense, feels like she might explode if you move. Very sweet natured but slightly nervous in general. I have started hacking her out and she is slightly more relaxed than when in the school. So far I have done some groundwork with her which she is very responsive too but in the ridden work she doesn't seem to respond the same. I have been working on keeping her very slow as she puts head up, goes very hollow and rushes. She is getting better with this but basically does anyone know any exercises I can do which will encourage her to relax, slow down and lower head? Cup cakes for those with any magic suggestions

 

[Bluejazz]

It may be she has had a bad experience before you got her. You never know how horses have been treated in the past. Maybe a calmer might help her to be more confident?
Additionally a lot of horses right now are very OTT / explosive - the weather has been quite spring like and horses are feeling on their toes, many just don't know what to do with themselves. Is she turned out? if not then maybe she needs a chance to burn up that energy - loose school first?

 

[Flight]

Hi, yes she is turned out all day and just in at night. I know where she has been for the past 4 years and def hasn't been mistreated in that home but before that I don't know. She hasn't done anything scary or silly, she is just so tense. I am not in a rush to get her to relax, I am sure she will in her own time as she settles and realises that she is being ridden in a consistent very gentle way. I have been doing lots of walk to halt transitions which seem to help.

 

[Spotsrock]

my chappie relaxes more when he has a nice massage before being worked, it's good me and him time and he really enjoys it.

 

[ASBO Bob]

Hi, Not sure if this will help but may be worth a try... here is what I've been taught to do when my youngster feels like an unexploded bomb!
When riding concentrate on getting the horse going forward, don't worry about the head just keep a light contact. Then do lots of big flowing shapes (figure of 8 etc.) in walk trot and canter, make sure horse has lots of impulsion but not rushing. In my case if I try to slow the pace horse gets much more tense! Think of horse working through from behind and this should stop the hollowing and raised head.Once you feel like you are motoring along and horse is thinking forward you can try more complicated schooling exercises such as tight circles and lateral stuff, however if your mare finds it too difficult she will prob revert back to a hollow, tense mess so the moment you think she's having a hard time take the pressure off and send her forward again.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Even if you feel like you are racing round at first stick with it as in my case I found that we found a comfortable forward pace after a week or so xx

 

[Bluejazz]

Sometimes its just time to get her confidence up. Transitions are good and also halt and just stand for a minute on a relaxed contact, giving her lots of gently pats, rubs and praise.
I often find if mine are tense, while riding round I just rub my hand at the side of the withers, just in front of the saddle. It seems to act as a gently reminder I am there and they seem to relax more. It works very well when i'm at competitions which I know if different to your situation but if has a good calming effect.

 

[ASBO Bob]

Bluejazz has just reminded me: I usually chat away whilst I ride and find that if I go quiet horse tenses up.. not sure how it works but it does!

 

[Flight]

thanks for idea of getting her going forward, she is naturally very forward and unfortunately when she goes faster she goes more hollow, otherwise I would agree with you. I really need to be able to slow her down and teach her that slow is good so she can relax over back and lower head and neck (I'm not worried about her being in an outline just want it lower). I had a lesson on her last week and instructor gave me some really good groundwork tips to get her to relax which I have been doing before I ride but she seems to forget them as soon as I get on.

 

[Bluejazz]

Bluejazz has just reminded me: I usually chat away whilst I ride and find that if I go quiet horse tenses up.. not sure how it works but it does!

I agree! My horse is a bit nervous hacking and if i chat to her it really helps, but embarrasing when you don't notice a runner or cyclist behind has been listening!

Also - keep polos or similar in your pocket when riding and stop and give her one every 5 mins. Not all agree with me about treats...but I find mares love praise and mine expect to be given a treat when they've done well and they seem to pay more attention to get another.

 

[PolarSkye]

This was (to some degree) Kal when we bought him . . . went everywhere tense and hollow and rushing. We worked on ignoring where his head was and just improving the steps he was making . . . so loose rein (I know that's hard and pretty counterintuitive when they're rushing but it does work) and riding with your seat . . . lots of small half halts, talk to her if it works and when she does steady and relax praise both vocally and with a scratch on the withers. Riding Kal forward just made him worse . . . we had to find a way to get him to unhook from the idea that he needed to run "away" from everything . . . or do everything at 90 miles an hour.

Also, try seeing if you can get her to slow/steady on the lunge . . . if you can get her to listen to your voice while you're on the ground then you can also use that while in the saddle (worked with Kal anyway).

Good luck with her.

P

 

[wizbit]

Hi, Not sure if this will help but may be worth a try... here is what I've been taught to do when my youngster feels like an unexploded bomb!
When riding concentrate on getting the horse going forward, don't worry about the head just keep a light contact. Then do lots of big flowing shapes (figure of 8 etc.) in walk trot and canter, make sure horse has lots of impulsion but not rushing. In my case if I try to slow the pace horse gets much more tense! Think of horse working through from behind and this should stop the hollowing and raised head.Once you feel like you are motoring along and horse is thinking forward you can try more complicated schooling exercises such as tight circles and lateral stuff, however if your mare finds it too difficult she will prob revert back to a hollow, tense mess so the moment you think she's having a hard time take the pressure off and send her forward again.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Even if you feel like you are racing round at first stick with it as in my case I found that we found a comfortable forward pace after a week or so xx

Agree with this
Is the horse really forward going? or just rushing along on the forehand. Alot of people think forward going horses don't need to be ridden from the leg into a soft hand still.
It sounds as though she is running along on her forehand (hence the hollow outline). If you get her motoring along from behind (using your leg and gentle half halts), and keep her straight, she should naturally drop into a still, soft contact and start to work over her topline. This won't come over night however, especially if she has not been worked like this before/for a while. It will take a while for the muscle to develop and for her to be comfortable in carrying herself in this way. So just short amounts at a time until she gets fitter/stronger. Otherwise it will be like asking you to run a marathon with no training

 

[muff747]

No one as far as I have read, has mentioned that her back muscles may need to toughen up again. If she has been brought back into work, maybe her back under the saddle has become a little tender? Have you tried running your fingers along her back when you take the saddle off, behind her shoulder and across where the panels end at the back to see if there is any tenderness? Perhaps a gel pad would help cushion the pressure?
Also, are you absolutely certain you are not tensing your neck, shoulders, arms, fingers, back, bum and thigh muscles? When my horse used to get wound up, I would concentrate on relaxing those muscles, while still maintaining a secure seat, and this seemed to work to get him to calm down and relax.
I always think ground work helps to gain respect from the horse for handler. It will in time help her to trust you to look after her when you're on board.

 

[Bluejazz]

one other thing...your breathing.
Breathing long slow breaths deep into you rib gage and stomach actually can make the horse lower its head and def helps them relax. Typically we take shorter & sharper breaths when worried....in the wild this is a sign of fear. Not saying you personally are fearful. But a hunting animal always controls its breathing to be calm, long and slow - which shows it has control. The prey has short sharp breaths, ready for flight. Might sound a bit hocus pocus but try it as it does work and signals to the horses insticts that there is no need to run as your in control and not worried.