Help me with spooking!

[soloequestrian]

My mare occasionally goes in the school without worrying about what's outside it but more often than not she has sections where she constantly spooks. On a good day this will be just one short side but on a bad day we can get stuck in a small section in the middle of the school. I think it's something about her or me rather than the school - there isn't actually anything spooky going on around it and if I have another person there she tends to be much better, also my other horse doesn't spook in the school. I try to engage her brain but it can be quite difficult to do that in a restricted space - she's big and ideally needs to do big, straightforward school movements at different paces so if she won't go near the edge in several places we end up mainly in walk... I think she then gets bored which means the spooking carries on rather than her getting interested and concentrating. She rarely does anything big or sudden, it's just that her attention is outside the school and she bananas away from or refuses to go near certain areas. I'm confident that she's comfortable - she will happily trot around with her nose on the floor (as long as she doesn't have to go near the spooky bits). Suggestions gratefully received!

 

[NikkiQ]

My boy can be spooky and the only thing that works is to get him concentrating more on me (easier said than done, I know)! So lots of transitions, circles, serpentines, loops until he’s listening. Comforting shoulder scritches and patience/knowing when not to push *too* hard also help.

That said, on occasion my best efforts aren’t enough and I have had to quit while I’m ahead (i.e. still on top of the saddle). But that was around the time of storm Eunice, one time I called it before I’d even tacked up. ?

Hope you find something that works for you both!

 

[Barton Bounty]

My boy can be spooky and the only thing that works is to get him concentrating more on me (easier said than done, I know)! So lots of transitions, circles, serpentines, loops until he’s listening. Comforting shoulder scritches and patience/knowing when not to push *too* hard also help.

That said, on occasion my best efforts aren’t enough and I have had to quit while I’m ahead (i.e. still on top of the saddle). But that was around the time of storm Eunice, one time I called it before I’d even tacked up. ?

Hope you find something that works for you both!

They are so sensitive, my tb is the same, just got to be patient if he takes a freaky

 

[soloequestrian]

Thanks, I just get so frustrated! It was a beautiful day today - good temperature, no flies, light breeze, perfect for schooling but she went in and decided there were monsters at C and E.... I try to do stuff away from the letters but it gets really difficult because she tenses whenever we go near a spooky bit so we end up working on the spooking rather than working on nice interesting stuff and I'm really sick of it aarrrgghhhh!! She can be so lovely when she's not spooking - she's really good at trying new stuff and she's got lovely paces but it's so rare that she doesn't spook that I tend not to look forward to riding :-(

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of mine does this on one side of the school for some reason they thought planting trees along the side where the track is was a good idea! So often a bike or a person will suddenly appear on the corner and the trees make visibility difficult.

I try to stay away from the worst bits in the start and I try and get him settled and do lots of lateral work and transitions, then I start to edge towards the scary bits and I often will throw a bit of leg yield in just before it and find it takes his mind of it a bit and he will often forget about it.

If something suddenly appears on the track its back to square one I can't wait to get my own menage put in at home, I won't be building it near any trees or bushes like the one I currently use next door.

 

[soloequestrian]

I don't have that kind of excuse - I did build the school in a stupid place but it's open on all sides and actually in the field they spend most time in. Nothing can creep up on her! She does have favourite places to spook but sometimes she will change and spook in places that are normally safe.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Could you literally get in the school and immediately straight to work.. into trot, transitions every 3 strides of whatever pace keeping it forward, direct transitions, leg yield, rein back etc rather than give her time to think for herself. Turn off the track half way between markers rather than wait, then turn back before you hit the middle so she can't anticipate what's next.. It doesn't have to be super hard work until she's warm, just keep changing things up - lots of showjumpers go straight into trot in the school so it won't damage her if she's healthy and fit (Joe Stockdale is one of them).

ETA: once you have a good chunk of non spooky work then you can have a walk and a cool off but one bit of tension or evading and it's back up to trot and working again until you have some nice work (if it's not genuine fear).. rinse and repeat. Make sure that you keep your sessions short and sweet though, it doesn't matter much what you get done in the session or don't, it's about the note on which you end. So even if it's 10 mins, if she's settled and working nicely, end it there. I would also perhaps go straght out the school at that point and walk round the field or up the lane to cool off so you don't risk having to start work again if she takes to spooking.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I don't have that kind of excuse - I did build the school in a stupid place but it's open on all sides and actually in the field they spend most time in. Nothing can creep up on her! She does have favourite places to spook but sometimes she will change and spook in places that are normally safe.

Someone suggested rhythm beads to me they are beads with small bells that you hang around there neck, while you ride the sound of the bells are meant to relax the horse and help stop tense spooky behaviour.

No idea if they actually work though!

I did try the acoustic ears for a while and I think they helped but they kept causing the bridle to come off if he shook his head so I stopped using them.

 

[siennamum]

I think you have to do two things. Firstly improve your relationship so that she trusts your judgement and I think hacking alone and ground work are great ways to do that. I find developing a routine to release tension and ideally lower the head is also important. With my spooky gelding he is now trained to lower his head and flex right and left which we do when he starts to get silly. The worst thing is to perpetuate any stress or really pay any attention to the behaviour.

 

[soloequestrian]

We could get working more quickly, I can give that a go. It's kind of drilled into me to start easy but she's out 24/7 and has nothing wrong with her so should be fine to get going quickly. I think it's partly me - I expect the spooky behaviour so anticipate it. Could do with a way of banishing it from my brain!

 

[Barton Bounty]

We could get working more quickly, I can give that a go. It's kind of drilled into me to start easy but she's out 24/7 and has nothing wrong with her so should be fine to get going quickly. I think it's partly me - I expect the spooky behaviour so anticipate it. Could do with a way of banishing it from my brain!

Try singing , it keeps me focused!

 

[soloequestrian]

I've tried singing in the past (when we first started hacking on our own) - I just do this ridiculous laugh-hiccup-cry thing instead of actually singing so it didn't work well!

 

[Barton Bounty]

I've tried singing in the past (when we first started hacking on our own) - I just do this ridiculous laugh-hiccup-cry thing instead of actually singing so it didn't work well!

try 10 green bottles ? i use that!
Dont sing you raise me up ???

 

[scats]

I honestly just think it takes time. I’ve been hacking out the last few weeks and realised that my once spooky and neurotic mare is now as solid as a rock over things that would have once sent her spinning and running.
The pigeons flying out of the beans right next to her and she has barely noticed, or if she does, it’s a solid on the spot jump and then carry on.
I never in a million years thought she’d get to this stage because she used to be hair-raising to hack out and I had to sit in a real defensive position if I didn’t want to end up on the floor.
It’s literally just been time and exposure though. Four years of it ?

 

[Trouper]

Have you tried leading her around the school when you first enter it and then doing 5 mins of lunging before doing riding? Might be just worth a go to make her sort out her issues herself before asking anything else of her.

 

[NikkiQ]

Someone suggested rhythm beads to me they are beads with small bells that you hang around there neck, while you ride the sound of the bells are meant to relax the horse and help stop tense spooky behaviour.

No idea if they actually work though!

I did try the acoustic ears for a while and I think they helped but they kept causing the bridle to come off if he shook his head so I stopped using them.

I’ve seen those beads and like the idea in theory but I guess it really depends on the horse! There is no way I’d get them within 6 feet of Joey. ?

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

You are supposed to be in control of your horse and not have the horse control you.As there appears to be no reason why she is spooking then she is trying it on.Lunge her in the school until she shows no signs of spooking.If she does use your voice NO and crack the lunge whip in the air - let her know she has to stop this.Get her moving and take control then ride her and see if she behaves.She has picked up on your negative expectations.

 

[soloequestrian]

She gets led around the school every time to give the tack a chance to settle before I tighten up the girth. Until recently I lunged her most days before getting on. It doesn't seem to make any difference and some days she lunges fine and then sees the monsters when I get on, other days she sees them on the lunge.
Time is my long term hope. There have been other things that she has improved massively with, sometimes slowly and sometimes quite suddenly. Scats you reassure me, it's only taken me two years to get to the less-than-hair-raising hack stage!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

You are supposed to be in control of your horse and not have the horse control you.As there appears to be no reason why she is spooking then she is trying it on.Lunge her in the school until she shows no signs of spooking.If she does use your voice NO and crack the lunge whip in the air - let her know she has to stop this.Get her moving and take control then ride her and see if she behaves.She has picked up on your negative expectations.

Really horses don't try it on and if you cracked the lunge whip at one of mine they would be galloping around the school and it would totally wind them up.

You can't punish a horse for spooking it doesn't work

So your advice is basically rubbish

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

She gets led around the school every time to give the tack a chance to settle before I tighten up the girth. Until recently I lunged her most days before getting on. It doesn't seem to make any difference and some days she lunges fine and then sees the monsters when I get on, other days she sees them on the lunge.
Time is my long term hope. There have been other things that she has improved massively with, sometimes slowly and sometimes quite suddenly. Scats you reassure me, it's only taken me two years to get to the less-than-hair-raising hack stage!

I find my really spooky one is much better when another horse is in the school so I often ride with my friend.

I often find as well because we often chat a bit whilst riding my mind is taken off the fact he might spook and I am calmer.

We often hack around the school so we just walk and trot around it like you would on a hack then we go off and school, I find his much better after a little hack around it ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Sounds like we are in the wild west. Why not shout yeeehaw too ??

dont listen to that advise whatsoever ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I don't know what breed your horse is mine are Arab's and they are known for spooking ridden loads over the years and they all do it in varying degrees.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

You can't punish a horse for spooking it doesn't work

I agree with your comment towards JTM's troll reply but in some instances I think you can actively discourage it as long as it's not based out of fear.. With my old horse I did as I wrote in my original post (or edited to add) and once we had been doing busy work and he was working well, we would go down into walk to have a break, if the spooking/evasion began again it was back up into trot and continue working. It definitely worked, however you have to be certain it's just evasion and not fear, as I agree that you can't 'punish' fear.

 

[siennamum]

I think you have to strip the anxiety from the situation. She may be spooking because she has worked out it gets her out of work but every thing you do which us 'punishing' or stressful just reinforces her sense there is just cause for her reaction. I do lunge but instead of getting after her in the spooky spot put the pressure on her when she is elsewhere and let her rest in the spooky spot. You need to reprogramme her and yourself.

 

[NikkiQ]

You are supposed to be in control of your horse and not have the horse control you.As there appears to be no reason why she is spooking then she is trying it on.Lunge her in the school until she shows no signs of spooking.If she does use your voice NO and crack the lunge whip in the air - let her know she has to stop this.Get her moving and take control then ride her and see if she behaves.She has picked up on your negative expectations.

OMG, so much nope. This is not the answer! ?

 

[SEL]

I use my voice a lot and I'm pretty unforgiving about silly spooking "don't be an idiot, crack on" tone of voice. I have a neck strap which I'll stick my fingers under if we're being particularly stupid, but moving forwards is non negotiable

I don't care about the quality of the walk / trot / wiggle so long as we're going in the right direction!

 

[soloequestrian]

Persuaded my OH to come and stand in the school today while I rode. He was just on his phone, not interacting with us (we've been married a while) and the mare was totally chilled. She was so nice to ride and we were able to work on stuff rather than backing off and then running away which is her usual pattern. Will try the same tomorrow, then need a plan to get her to feel like that without a safety blanket!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Persuaded my OH to come and stand in the school today while I rode. He was just on his phone, not interacting with us (we've been married a while) and the mare was totally chilled. She was so nice to ride and we were able to work on stuff rather than backing off and then running away which is her usual pattern. Will try the same tomorrow, then need a plan to get her to feel like that without a safety blanket!

Thats a positive! Well done ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Persuaded my OH to come and stand in the school today while I rode. He was just on his phone, not interacting with us (we've been married a while) and the mare was totally chilled. She was so nice to ride and we were able to work on stuff rather than backing off and then running away which is her usual pattern. Will try the same tomorrow, then need a plan to get her to feel like that without a safety blanket!

Thats good I get my oh to come with me on foot sometimes my horses are definitely calmer.

How about a life-size cardboard cut out of him ?

 

[soloequestrian]

How about a life-size cardboard cut out of him ?

That was my first thought, I suspect it would be terrifying for her though, as would the second thought of a tailor's dummy!