honest opinion can a napping mare every be cured?

[EJ87]

Im sending my now 12 yr old mare away for a weeks training to try and resolve her napping problem. she naps everywhere in the arena wont go by gate etc at jumps runs out or stops and seriously bad out hacking twisting, turning, reversing and eventually rearing. just wondered if anyone else has experienced problems like this and had they cured? im a novice rider so i wont be able to fix her myself and at min dont
know if can be fixed that i can ride her comfortably. only plus side is the trainer only lives 2 houses away so will be using same arena roads etc that i use.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes, but you will need lessons too, as you will need to learn how to ride her alot more forwards, how to give her confidence, how to feel when she is hesitant and how to prevent the napping from actually happening.

 

[Gracie21]

My forester was the same-and still can be.

I just have to think one step ahead, zigzag forwards, circles, lots of growling! Anything to stop him rearing.

He was on rigcalm which helped loads, some of it was anxiety. Had him a new saddle fitted which has helped. He also lives out 24/7 which suits him more, and is exercised every day, which seems to keep him ticking over and stops the napping.

I also had a coloured who used to nap all the time. She did eventually stop, and hasn't done it since.

Hopefully they will be able to get through to her a bit for you. It can honestly be really horrible and I used to cry ALOT but we got there in the end!

x

 

[Littlelegs]

Yes, as faracat says.

 

[AmyMay]

Yes. But it takes time and perseverance.

 

[EJ87]

Well the idea is he has her for a week and after a week he will introduce me back to riding her and will give me weekly lessons after that if it works but if not my husband will be selling her for me as he cant cope with the constaint pain and igony she causes me all he wants is for me to have fun with the right horse not fear for my life everytime i say im going for a ride. i was also thinking of trying her on agnus castus do u think that would help too?

 

[Elsbells]

Yes. You must give her confidence though and a positive leader who will keep her safe and she believes in.

Also, try Magnesium in her feed, it's an essential mineral for a horses nervous system and brain which is often lacking.

Good luck with her.

 

[AmyMay]

How long have you had this horse for?

 

[Flame_]

Sometimes yes, sometimes yes but only with a different rider, sometimes yes to a point but with a tendency to revert in certain situations and sometimes no, not at all. It completely depends on each individual horse.

 

[EJ87]

I will have a year now and she always was a bit nappy but has got progressively worse prob due to me losing my confidence too with me being a novice and her my first horse. although i do believe she is alot worse when shes in season.

 

[AmyMay]

I will have a year now and she always was a bit nappy but has got progressively worse prob due to me losing my confidence too with me being a novice and her my first horse. although i do believe she is alot worse when shes in season.

Do you do stuff in company - hacking out etc. Fun rides. Ever thought about hunting? All great stuff for getting them thinking forward.

Never got my nappy little mare jumping well with me - but then that was more my issue than hers....

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Yes she can be completely cured.

The coloured cob in my signature could nap for Britain, he was so bad he took me up and over muck heaps, through potato fields to avoid a farm track, would use his strength to storm out of the school and back into the barn, and try and scrape me off against the walls!
He was a complete arse with ano attitude problem.
It went on for months until I got angry, one day I threw a right tantrum up top and we had a stand off, I won and his napping decreased from there, for a while he sill half heartedly tried but he knew he was beat.
My daughter also went through it and kicked him into touch quite quickly.

He's now wonderful, will go anywhere with her and she gets a lot of compliments on what a willing honest boy he is, if only they knew!

You have to let her know who's boss, help on the ground will give you the edge and get bloody cross, growl and tell her to get on. I know it's easier said than done, but maybe seeing someone eles do it and see how she reacts will help by you realising you can handle her reaction.

It's horrible at the time, I almost sold our boy but I'm so glad now I didn't as he's a fantastic little horse now

 

[EJ87]

Anymay, yes i do do stuff in company with her hacks, riding club and went to a local show ahe is alot better in company to be fair but i need to be able to ride her alone to.

 

[noblesteed]

It can be done but as others have said as it's a confidence issue with you then you will need to deal with that first and foremost.
My horse napped very badly when I first got him and he wouldn't go off the yard. Looking back it was lack of trust and confidence in each other that was the problem - I was a novice owner and he, although experienced, is sensitive and needs to trust his rider.
A lot of it is a case of mind over matter with you, and also determination. There are lots of tricks that work to counteract napping which people on here will tell you. I found the members of forum very helpful in giving me ideas to try - eventually through trial and error I found out what worked for me and my horse.
But you need to build your own confidence first. Hopefully your lessons will give you chance to do this. Also you won't necessarily 'cure' the napping because the horse will capable of doing it again, but it will be less likely. And if horse does it again for whatever reason (something new and scary out hacking, for example) it won't seem a problem and you be able to deal with it and continue with your ride.
Good luck!

 

[BeckyMason97]

Yes. My mare did the same when she came onto our yard to be re-schooled and sold. Now she's mine and perfectly fine!

 

[CathySirett]

some great tips here -- I find that the confidence of the rider is the key -- and that often a confident rider and quiet persistence works well

Cathy

 

[Kallibear]

Sounds exactly like Kalli. She was horrifically nappy. We sorted it for everyday riding but it would occasionally reappear when she was stressed. She was never EVER allowed away with it, which is why is was mostly cured, it was a very ingrained habit.

It can be minimised but napping is a personality trait and something that will always potentially come back, usually under stressful conditions.

She will no doubt come back from her schooling week 'fixed' but the issue is then YOU, not her. She'll quickly revert to the napping if you don't also change. Getting lessons from the person who schooled her is an excellent plan. Having someone else sort it is a step in the right direction but ultimately pointless if you can't continue it.

 

[AmyMay]

Anymay, yes i do do stuff in company with her hacks, riding club and went to a local show and he is a lot better in company to be fair but i need to be able to ride her alone to.

I absolutely agree you need to be able to ride her on your own.

But quite often the key to a nappy horse is finding things that they do enjoy, and using that to your advantage.

Hunting and fun rides really, really changed my nappy little mare's attitude and got her thinking 'forward'.

 

[wench]

May take more than a week to fix her