HELP my napping ex racehorse

[Heathy82]

Hi All. Hope someone can offer some advice. I have had my 8yo ex racer for a year. Got him straight from the trainer 2 weeks after his last race. He's fab. I love him to bits. He does everything I want to do, and in the past 12 months we have come on so much. I have just one issue with him that I want to nip in the bud. He's always had a habit of running backwards on a hack. He's fine if you keep him going forwards but if I ask him to stand to wait for a friend to catch up or to let a dog walker past in the woods, he will immediately take the opportunity to run backwards and if Im not quick enough he spins and then its a kicking and whipping battle to get him pointed in the right direction before eventually moving on. At a hunt recently I asked him to wait by a narrow gateway as everyone filed on through, eventually the way was clear for us to move onwards and he didn't want to know. Even though the rest of the field was cantering off into the distance, he rooted himself to the spot and whenever I put my leg on he just ran backwards. I eventually got him moving. This happened several more times, much to everyone's amusement because they couldn't understand why he didn't want to follow the 'herd'? Yesterday I took him on a 10 mile funride. He was brilliant until we had to go steady down steep hills. He decided that was the perfect place to spin and leap until I eventually hit the deck and he stood over the top of me wondering what I was doing. Not fun! Again on that same ride, for no apparent reason, he slammed on the brakes and even with my friends continuing away from us, decided running backwards into a barbed wire fence was the best option. Eventually leapt 6ft in the air, cantered forward 2 strides and slammed the brakes on again, before happily walking on with the others and eventually having some lovely canters. Seems hit and miss with him. Most of the time there is no 'spook'. He isn't looking at anything that scares him and makes him want to run away. That I could understand. This is like his brain gets overloaded and he has to have a little 'moment' before taking a deep breath and saying 'Ok mum,I'm ready now, on we go!' Please can someone reassure me that this is cureable. I want to enjoy my rides without having to keep him moving all the time and worrying that if we have to stop I need to take a deep seat and hold on tight!

 

[Imogen_]

First of all, just make sure there are no potential and slight signs for azoturia. Secondly if they're not, make sure teeth and back up to day along with saddle checked.

Assuming all above is fine, with regards to the napping, it definitely is curable! Took one year with my Arabian mare and literally just 2 hacks out with my ex racer. She still does the typical slowing down and questioning me now and then, but she never actually dares to stop anymore or contemplate the fast reversing.

I'd maybe try dropping the whip/kicking wars and play them at their own game. Try going on hacks and doing LOTS of stopping, to the point they get tired of it, but still insist that they remain responsive and can't stop till you say, nor go. The only time I use the whip if I remember to take one, is when I can sense the napping well in advance and to take them by surprise with a tap on the hind, before they’ve thought it all through properly.

When you DO stop and ask to move on again, try to turn them any direction to pull off balance, as this sometimes works. If the walking back still carries on with no acknowledgment or attempt of moving forwards in any direction, stop them dead and wait till they want to walk... When that time comes... Make them wait! It's all trickery and learning respect/patience. Make sure you do it on safe hacks when you've got plenty of time. Also, don’t expect a nappy horse, think forwards yourself and pretend you really couldn’t care less if you have to wait 1 minute or the entire day because either way, they’re going to get bored at some point or another.

 

[horseandshoes77]

prob wont help but when my boy naps and reverts backwards ..i back him...and back him and back him...then turn round to face the opposite way and back him...and back him..then turn to walk on..so basically if he wants to back then we will back but ill make him back and i do it for at least 10 strides where permissable then ill face him to where i want to go and f i get hesitation i repeat...my boy soon learned that i was just as happy to travel backwards past everything and it was much harder work for him...he stopped!!