He wont cross the bridge

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charlie900

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I have had my horse for 5 months and we are doing ok together . we just have one huge problem, if I hack out we have to go over a bridge. Nothing has ever happened at the bridge but he wont go over it. I have tried everything leading him over it back and forth till hes bored rigid riding him with another horse, getting someone to lead him while i am still on him. With all of these he is happy to cross it but if I try to ride him on his own he just point blank refuses to go over. I cant go another way as that takes me on to a very busy main road and a blind junction. I cant keep getting off and leading him and he stops firther and further back from it each time we go out and just will not budge. Any ideas anybody gatefully recieved
 
What sort of bridge is it (wood/metal/tarmac), and what does it go over (road/stream etc)?
Is it the noise going over that he doesn't like, or the visibility on the side?
 
Its a road bridge going over a stream but when he first saw it the stream was dry and only flows after pond up the road floods so not the noise. It has got a two foot white post and rail fence eaither side but apart from that its just a bit of road!
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LOL!

We have one of these to.o....which Trike flatly refuses to cross on his own
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He will follow another horse over it, and he will allow you to lead him over it. He'll even allow you to ride over it on your own on the way home....but he WILL NOT go over it alone on the way out
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I've got used to mounting from the floor now
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Nothing too scary then!

Does he nap at anything else?
Will he cross it ahead of another horse if you're returning home?

I'm just wondering whether he is genuinely scared, or being naughty and napping... what happens if you give a carry a whip and give him a slap on the bum when you're on your own?
 
Actually he naps at sheep! and there were sheep in a field by the scary bridge so that might be it, I did wonder if there were trolls under the bridge but maybe hes taking the p#ss if i smack him he bucks and still womt go over
 
reminds me of a horse i used to ride only it was a small stream with a narrow foot bridge. she would flatly refuse to go through the stream, instead i would have to get off, let her walk over the little foot bridge and me wade through the stream instead.
only thing i can suggest is long reining him, so he gets used to being in front with no horse or pedestrian near his head. teaches them to be braver and independant. and u have greater control and can be scary behind him than whatever it is that he's scared of in front.
 
Ooh, those sheep can be scary!
Mine used to be very nappy and she'd start as soon as we were level to the field boundaries... So if you take the bridge out of the equation, and treat it as nappiness then I would suggest:

Using a companion horse to build up confidence. Start by following, then going alongside (if there's room!) and then insist your horse takes the lead.
Then when he's taking the lead with another horse start increasing the distance so he's almost on his own.
Once he's happy doing this then think about tackling it on your own.
If he stops at a distance, then insist on him walking forward a few steps (he'll probably strop, but keep on asking for the forward movement) then YOU stop him, get off and lead him over it and get on again.
When you lead him over make sure he's at your shoulder, and use your whip behind you to keep him walking along smartly.
Another thing that worked on mine was I could feel her start to slow down and think about stopping, at which point I gave her a big kick and trotted as far as I could - it's easier to keep up the momentum in trot.

I'm afraid there isn't an easy solution, but if your persistent and consistent he should start to realise there is nothing scary there, and go over it. It will take time though - it's took me at least a year to get to a point where mine will happily hack out without at least one stop.

Good luck!
 
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