Help with nappy 4 year old

C

cpendle

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 May 2007
Messages
353
Visit site
I've had my new 4 year old for about a month. For the first few weeks he was exceptionally quiet - in fact I kept thinking its too good to be true - well it was!

Yesterday he was very naughty in the school, refusing to go past stacked showjumps that have always been there. After about an hour I finally got him trotting past them normally - but it wasn't fun!

Anyway, I thought that would be the end of it. But today, lunged him before getting on, he went past the jumps no problem. I get onboard and he won't go anywhere near them, spooking, spinning, mini-rears and generally being a nightmare. And then I had to get off before getting things totally sorted, as the school was booked for someone else's lesson.

Any advice on what to do tomorrow? I know I need to get on top of this, but he's really, really digging his heels in and I don't particularly want to come off. But I know I have to win the battle or he'll be a nightmare going forwards.
 
How about trying to work him away from them and once he is listening and working well gradually make your way closer to them.

He might not think about them as much after he has had a good work and his mind on other things
 
your doing the right thing already! Put a neck strap or stirup leather around his neck to give you a bit of confidence you just need to work at it - this is easier said than done but when I finally learned it helps - dont take what he does personally and get upset/angry just be firm and say to yourself "the little git is going to do this! "
just to reiterate - your already doing the right thing, there is no quick fix you just have to let him get bored before you give in !
 
i had a problem with my youngster doing the same. i got someone to lead her past the things as i sat on her. she would not go near them by her self but with someone infront of her she pass them fine. i just kept taking her past them a couple of times this way then i had my friend gradually drop to the side of her then to behind her and i just kept repeating the process until she felt confident to go it alone. hope this makes sense to you.
 
He could just be bored, do you hack out? if not why don't you hack out for a bit?, take a friend on a quiet horse along if your horse is green. A nice relaxed ride out with a companion might just cheer him up if he's wondering what the point of all the schooling is. Also when your riding let your horse and your companions take turns leading the ride, this way your horse won't fall into the habit of wanting to follow all the time, but should he get concerned your pals horse will be there to take the lead.


www.lastchanceequine.com
 
My horse is always 'scared' of things in schools, I've had him since he's 4 and he's 17 now! He never has reared or really refused to go past and I know it's just his 'personality'. Once he's had his fun he then gets on with it!

Took my sisters horse to a lady for a lesson. I am not sure if it's parelli she teaches but it is some alternative type of riding and I took a few things away with me. Anyway, the point was he was scared of some fillers etc in the side of the school and didn't want to go near. Now her advice was to not use legs and hands together (confuses the horse apparently). If the frightening object is on say the left (when you're going on the right rein) then use your left hand to make the horse move its front legs towards the object but do not kick at the same time (it is really tricky but once you get the hang of it it does have some benefits), if the horse tries to rush past do not haul but instead use short 'jabs' to ask "slow down" and to halt. When the horse reacts positively relax the rein so it learns that behaving well has it's rewards.

Sorry, is really hard to explain in writing but I found it did work for my horse and I still use the short jabs to halt my sisters horse or to steady him if he rushes (he's only young also and tends to run)

You just need to keep persisting until the horse realises it cannot get away with the behaviour and be sure to reward for good beahviour rather than punish for bad, this just worries the horse and does not get you anywhere.
 
All he's doing is testing you out to see who's the boss!
Lunge him tomorrow preferably until he is slightly tired then get a mate to lunge him again with you on, gradually allowing you to take over the control until they are just holding a loose lunge rein. remove the rein, trot past them once or twice, stop, pat him and put him away. Do not be tempted to carry on, you've proved your point, he knows he has to go forward past them and that's enough.
repeat for a few days making the lessons easy and do some transitions on the lunge etc , anything really to make him think about what's being asked rather than an outright battle.
Use a neckstrap and try not to allow any worries down through your body into him.
I think all he is doing is demonstrating life is pretty boring in the school, so try and hack out with a quiet older horse whenever you can. We do loads of hacking with the babies, and don't even go in the school for more than ten mins for quite a few weeks.
Please don't think of this as a battle, it's not, it's you at some point allowing him to ever so slightly test you out and discover he could take advantage, now you have to trick him into forgetting all about it, and a battle isn't the right way!
 
Can't really add anything to HH's post.

Ditto the hacking - youngsters at my place rarely go in the school after being backed. They hack, are lightly hunted and then quite often turned away again until the end of their fourth year or beginning of their fifth.

Your horse is just 'being four'.....
wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top