Following on from the napping horse...update

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ChestnutConvert

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I've posted a couple of times about a badly napping horse. After some confidence giving rides things took a turn for the worst and he cantered back down a road with me when out recently, not a full out canter but enough that i couldn't pull him up.

This basically knocked all my built up confidence and as a result i haven't been out on him properly since. I'd happily pop him round a school if i had one, the field is a bit too muddy/slippery still to use, it's the roads i am too worried to go back on and all my hacking involves a road.
I've been around him, trying to bind again, grooming etc I've read about people doing this, groundwork, bonding, long lining etc Should i carry on with this and then progress back to riding once we have trust again?

He isn't mine and i have been considering giving him up and letting someone with more confidence use him as it isn't fair on either of us....but i've got attached as he is lovely otherwise, and has been nice to ride before this.....Any ideas??
 
have you tried leading him down the road? also, perhaps a more confident/experienced friend could try riding him? i dont blame you for losing confidence, thats enough to scare anyone....remember safety first tho
 
elsazzo said:
have you tried leading him down the road? also, perhaps a more confident/experienced friend could try riding him? i dont blame you for losing confidence, thats enough to scare anyone....remember safety first tho
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I've literally just been reading about that, think i might try it. Things like lead out let him graze lead more but i decide when we go back not him.
 
_CJ_ said:
If you are not confident hacking on the road, perhaps consider moving to another field/yard with facilities?
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As he isn't mine, i ride him as a favour really, i can't move him. That was my dilemma, do i leave him completely and find other places to ride. I don't want to make my confidence issues worse, or his napping problems.
 
Napping is a personality trait (lack of confidence on their own) and not something they ever really loose. It can improve dramatically once they trust their rider but it'll always be there.

It takes a long time to teach a severely nappy horse to go out confidently by themselves and takes a confident rider. And only takes one relapse to go right back to the beginning.

It can be overcome but you need to decide if it's worth the time and effort - it could well take months and it depends entirely on your confidence. He will never get better if you're nervous.

I've had a couple of nappy horses (no problems for me but it's part of their personality) and I would never have let a nervous rider try and take them out by themselves: it's a recipe for disaster.

Lots of inhand hacking will help no end (mostly because you will be confident on the ground) but it will take time.
 
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