Help my horse has started napping :-(

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1Lucie

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My horse has started to nap both alone and in company :-(. Have owned him two yrs and he's always been fab hacker! He is good until he gets almost half way round the hack and he wants to go home. He'll happily leave his hacking pal to go home which seems wierd!! He backs up and when i won't let him turn home, he rears (literally about 2inches off ground). Last time I sat it out but refused to let him turn(which took a lot coz I'm nervy rider). When he finished messing about, I kicked him on positively and off we went again fine. He does this about 3times. Obviously never on way home! He's had his back etc done v recently. Can anyone give me any suggestions on curing this? I'm going to try again with a trusted hacking partner tomorrow.
 
Mine did this - she was a fab hacker both alone and in company. She wasn't lame. She was eventually diagnosed with navicular, spavin and PSLD when she finally went very slightly lame.
Mine was also quite happy to leave her hacking buddies to come home - in fact the first time she ever did it, I was out with two friends and we were on a narrow lane. I was at the front and for no apparent reason, she did mini rears and turned for home. There was a car behind us and as it was a single track lane, the driver had to reverse rapidly. I was really scared as she had never shown any inkling at doing anything like this. She then started doing it regularly but it was a while before she actually went lame.
 
Argh that's worrying! He's never been lame and he's fine to ride in manage. He doesn't do it on the road, only on bridle way!
 
Kind of . Normally our route is a loop around a bridleway network. This does mean that we go home down the same stretch we came from. Hope that makes sense. We r not turning round on spot, but track takes us round a field and back again. Would I be better trying one that involves not going back along same piece of track?
 
You might be. We do what you do though, there is only one road home, no matter where we've been. It would be worth a try to see if it makes any difference. Do you increase your speed on the way home?
 
I'm quite lucky and can go another route. I'm going to try that tomorrow! Thanks! Na we tend to plod round, if we go for blast it's normally on way out. Although he's faster generally on way home, but again only of recent time.
 
Could he be bored of the route you are taking?
Any changes in his size recently which could make his saddle uncomfortable?

Or perhaps riding him in a different bit? :confused:

I took my mare out on the fields above the yard today (about 40acres) on her own and she was a bitch to say the least. I havent had to sit a nap like that since i was fourteen :eek: and it was the WHOLE hack :mad:

But i do obviously have a velcro arss and she didnt get away with it. Funnily enough though it took longer to get home because she was prancing and jogging on the spot so much and i had completley given her her head so had she actually listened to me she could have strode out and got home quicker :rolleyes:
Madam and I went straight into the school for twenty minutes after so we could work out that frustration :p
 
He had shiny new saddle for Xmas due to him muscling up! Had his teeth, back etc all checked and fine! Same bridle and bit. Could be bored...He hasn't hacked much over winter due to weather and we have been doing same route when we do. I think tomorrow ill try a different route to 'spice it up' lol and I'm going with his stable pal which I'm hoping might help. To be honest, Im absolutely heart broken coz I had become so confident with him. If all else fails, I do have experienced friend to hop on for me. Would like to overcome it myself if possible tho!
 
Don't be too upset about things, my mare is being difficult at the moment. I think it's the time of year and they are all getting a bit impatient for spring! My mare was nappy when I first got her last year, we had planting and rearing, but we worked through it with persistence and now she knows that she WILL go on, so she doesn't nap anymore. However, she yesterday she used a van as an excuse to play up on the road away from our yard, and started backing away from it, she's not scared, even though we had a close call a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I wasn't having any of that, so she got three smart smacks behind the leg and was made to trot on!!
She didn't repeat it today!
I think you just need to be very firm, a good strong leg and get in there before he does. I would be careful with the stick though, mine can rebel against it and although I knew that yesterday it was needed because I won't tolerate messing in the traffic, I rarely used my stick when she napped.
 
1Lucie said:
He had shiny new saddle for Xmas due to him muscling up! Had his teeth, back etc all checked and fine! Same bridle and bit. Could be bored...He hasn't hacked much over winter due to weather and we have been doing same route when we do. I think tomorrow ill try a different route to 'spice it up' lol and I'm going with his stable pal which I'm hoping might help. To be honest, Im absolutely heart broken coz I had become so confident with him. If all else fails, I do have experienced friend to hop on for me. Would like to overcome it myself if possible tho!
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There is no pressure, you will both overcome this so chill out and relax :) I think we have all had to suffer over the horrid weather and spring is in the air. I dont think i've heard of one horse behaving today to be honest! :confused:

Dont be heartbroken .. be confident and calm ... oh and determind to get this under control ;) x
 
Ahh thanks, nice to know its not just me! Takes me ages to build up confidence and so annoying when u have bit of knock. I don't tend to use my whip often. Hopefully it's just a phase! Hopefully ill be :-) tomorrow!
 
Has your "shiny new saddle" been checked since you got it? if it was new the flocking may need checking as it will have settled now.
 
Na not since purchasing it. But he goes lovely in it in manage. I'm having fitter back out soon tho to check anyway.
 
Keep a note of where he does it. My normally very good boy started napping on hack - alqats when going downhill. Vet check showed palmer heel and hock pain.
 
My friend and I accompanied a known napper on our very good horses. When nappy horse stopped going forward, my friend (who is BHS AI and has a lifetime's experience backing youngsters) led him forward, while I followed behind, lightly tapping with a schooling whip. The fact that nappy horse had no real option but to go forward, meant that at least the rearing he had been threatening previously couldn't materialise. His rider used lots of leg and praise.

Seemed to work well enough for us. He was never Speedy Gonzales when out hacking. But became safe at least.
 
UPDATE!!!!!! Thank u to everyone for their help and reassurance!!! Took on board all the advice. Hacked out today with my brave pants on lol!! Went a different route, which doesn't come back on its self. Took a calm, trusted hacking buddy with calm rider. (Allowed him to lead to reassure my boy, then I took lead later on) We chatted all way round to stop my nerves. Absolutely no problems what so ever, not even a spook!!! But did have a meeting with a runaway angry dog, all dealt with in our stride (and still no napping)! Thanks to everyone again, solved with the simplest on ideas!!
 
Great news. And my young mare trotted on the lunge today without bronking and breaking into canter. Think the sun on their backs makes a nice change from the wind up their bums! : )
 
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