Horse confidence - hacking and shows

[Lorian]

Hi everyone

I just wondered what everyone does to build their horses confidence. I know it takes time and repetition but I wondered if anyone had handy hints and tips.
My horse is spooky and when he's unsure he plants himself, runs backwards or rears. At the moment if he spooks out hacking I get off an lead him past. As soon as I'm on the floor he just follows me. Does everything think it's a good idea to get off? Or should I stay on and battle through it? He's really telly spooky at stuff on the floor so trotting along and shys at plants etc. Then at shows he's scared of banners etc. I was going I hang up some feed bags on his field fence to desensitise him but I don't wana freak him out.
I've only had him 5 weeks so I know it's going to take a while but I want to do the right things to build his trust.
Has anyone else had these problems and got any tips / ideas?

 

[misskk88]

I do lots of little things and build upon them, but then it is me that doesn't have the nerves of steel, not my horse!

Personally, I think it is far more sensible to do what works for you and your horse, than to do what everyone THINKS is right. If your horse gets his confidence from you leading, then fine, BUT I know that with some horses they would soon suss, that spooking and acting scared meant you jump off and they get to have a leisurely stroll, rathern than to work past it. So just be careful!

I do not see any harm in tying some bags to the field fences etc, or using these types of methods to desentise him. He may be spooky at first, but he will soon get use to them.

My friend long reins her horse a lot to build up confidence and trust, including out on hacks- however I have never done this as my mare is a 'been there, done that' type. Some other users on here might vouch for it though!

 

[Sophstar]

Your chap sounds very similar to my new nervous guy who i've had about 6 weeks, except his spooking involves very quick spinning or bronking!repetition and recognising nerves vs attitude is giving us baby steps of progress as the more i handle him and being firm when he's clearly taking the p, the more confident he is in himself. Ridiculously he's the new tough herd leader who turns into a quivering wreck when seperated.

I've always felt safer sitting on the backs if they were going to play up but wouldn't hesitate to get off if i could see an accident happening. My boy has been given a month off by the vet with a tight back and he's being walked out in hand on his own so he starts to trust me and whilst a friend is riding, just to build up some bravery. The more he hears/sees the less scary it is! I just give him time to look at stuff and if he overreacts and spooks we go past again and again until he doesn't care!

 

[Flibble]

The Hacking thing if your horse trusts you and follows you Yes,Yes,Yes if he panics if you get off no.

My horse was dreadful so I built what I called hack and hike I would ride part way hop off and lead and then hop back on even if I dud it several times. However what has helped us Zillions is hacking with a good confident hacking buddy.
Initially stay at the back so he gets confidence going out with a friend two if possible. Never go for rides where you feel out of control.
Then if he volunteers to go in front don't let him stay in front long enough to worry slow him or halt and then let his buddy lead.

It has worked brilliantly with my anxious horse who now goes out enthusiastically and takes the lead 90% of the ride.

Don't hack with other horses who play up when you are doing this.

If you don't have a confident hacking buddy do loads of groundwork and in hand work to build up your partnership and lots of practice on mounting up from any inanimate object you can find.
Never use anything iffy to get on from it this will spoil the game plan.

Also while I think on it what do you do when he plays up. I was a twit and would hold my breathe and tense. Now thanks to Jenny Rolfe I breathe and relax as much of me as I can start with your face neck jaw arms legs and how tense is your bottom? There is no point of sitting on a horse whose brain is saying "dragons Run!" If he can feel his riders bottom joining him as he will think he has to save you both

 

[Lorian]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think he's the type that when he's nervous or sees something he is genuinely scared but also could start taking the p***. He's not listening to me as much as I would like yet but it's early days. I've tried a variety of things so far, the sitting quietly and waiting giving him time to look at it, riding strongly and firmly past it and the getting off and leading method. If I sit and let him look he just reverses and plants himself so that didn't work, I tried being firm and pushing him past it with schooling whip flicking his bum and after a few rears and me spinning him and shouting we ended up cantering past the scary object but he went past. Then the get off and lead. It's hard to know what's best to do. In company he walks quickly so normally ends up infront. If I slow his walk he is impatient and gets fizzy lol so at moment we sty infront until he starts to look and then I let someone else lead past but I think I'll try more ground work and put some spooky things around his field. Anyone have any good groundwork ideas? I'm not an Unconfident rider but I'm lacking in self belief at the moment and worry I'm doing things wrong with him and I'll make situations worse if that makes sense.

 

[L&M]

I have been through exactly the same with my youngster so know how you feel.

Again, he would plant, then reverse back and sometimes spin and run if really spooked.

I took him back to long reining for a couple of weeks which really helped, then hacked out in company - each route we did, I then did with him on his own the next day.

Like you I have also got off and lead him past 'scary' things - at the end of the day as long as you are getting the horse to go forward and face his/her fears, you are winning the battle whether mounted or leading.

It has taken about 3 mnths for me to be confident hacking him out on his own - he still had occasional moments, but now he may plant for a few seconds, but more often than not chooses to go past when he feels ready and without much encouragement from me.

I am proud of us both for this achievement as I am not the bravest of riders, but touch wood, his hacking is now going from strength to strength.

We haven't tackled any shows yet, but have braved some fun rides and he has been fine as usually in company of other horses. Re the banners, I think the plastic bag idea is a good one, and anything else you can think of to simulate a show ring.

Good luck and keep persevering!

 

[Attie]

Hi Lorian how old is your horse? Not sure whether he is a youngster or one with years of spooking under his belt?! I'm no expert but what has worked for me with my sensitive and tense youngster is to act like the leader ....you mention your horse follows you when you're on the ground so he does like to follow a leader- that's a great start- so you really need to recreate that leader/ follower dynamic up in the saddle. So don't get off, but do lower your voice ( like you are a heavy smoker!), Remember to breathe like one of the other posts said...I sort of do lots of slow long exhales through my mouth and it really works...you're less tense and the horse is too. Ride forward and ride firmly and actively. My mistake was being too quiet and passive...I read somewhere that ' forward is your friend' when riding a young or spooky horse and it definitely works! My other tip is to try short and successful rides- build your confidence with incremental steps it also means that your horse won't become too tired with the whizzy brain and have one of those meltdowns we all love so much!

I've used carrier bags, haylage wrappers and ropes...all in the stable, I just take them in with me and get on with a 'job' while rustling them and ignoring the horse. Eventually he comes for a good look and then I leave them in with him. He is not bothered by them now. And cheap party poppers from the supermarkets - not in the box but in the field- I pretend I'm mending the fences and pop about 6 , one every few minutes... I do these outside so he can run off but he soon just ignores it!

Good luck...keep going, sure you'll get there...its so familiar territory
Sigh!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I think it depends why your horse is napping - is he just being naughty or is he genuinely afraid/unsure of what is being asked of him. My boy naps out of naughtiness and will throw all his toys out of the pram, but will then just get on with it so in that circumstance I wouldn't ever get off as I'd feel he was then getting his own way. That said, if what you're doing works why change it?

 

[Lorian]

I thought to start with he was doing it as he was being nappy and rude but he often stops and won't go past something when were on the way home and in site of the yard. I got stuck at the bottom of my yard track the other day which makes me think it's genuine fear and he's unsure. He's spooky in the field too and with things in the distance so I deffo like the party popper idea and will find what I can to put in the field. He's 7 just about to turn 8 but only done dressage shows and schooling with last owner so I don't think he's seen much. I try to stay on when I can and trot him positively past anything and so far I've only had to get off twice. One was an angle grinder and all the other horses were spooking in fairness to him. I just want him to trust me more really. Ground work I think and I'll try long reining. Thanks guys