Horse is terrified of other horses and bolts

[Marilyn91]

Hi all,

I recently bought a 4 year old Connemara pony from Ireland who is absolutely lovely and has a really sweet, kind character. I've done lots of groundwork with her and I've started having regular private lessons. She tries really hard and is going really nicely. She'd very curious and loves learning new things and going on trail rides.

However, she is terrified of other horses, particularly large geldings and stallions. Our yard is quite sporty and most of the horses are 16.2+ geldings. She gets on just fine with the riding school ponies and Shetlands - in fact, she is quite fixated on them and a bit "over-friendly".

The first time I rode her in the indoor school, we were just walking around to see if the new saddle fit. There were other horses in the arena and she felt very tense. Someone opened the door and 3 horses entered, and she bolted. The new saddle was slippy, my stirrups were the wrong length and I came flying out the side door. We caused such a chaos that another rider also fell off and someone's horse gallopped off while they were trying to mount.

A few weeks later (after going for lots of walks, groundwork, lunging, lessons, my trainer riding her), I took her on two little hacks in two days with my partner with us on foot. She was a real star and not afraid of cyclists, dogs or anything else we came across. Suddenly though, I spotted two horses from our yard on the path ahead. I could feel her tense up so I decided to dismount and lead her past them. I was about 3/4 of the way to the ground when she bolted, diving into the woods next to us - full of bushes and trees, so there's no way I would have been able to ride through that without getting scratched to pieces and/or knocked off.

She galloped all the way back to the yard with one of the horses that we had seen chasing her (rider still on). We realised when we got back that it was the horse who lives in the stable next to her (he sometimes acts a bit jealous when she gets attention and I had asked the yard owner if we can put her in another stable near her "friends", but I thought they got on OK for the most part).

Honestly I'm not sure what to make of this behaviour - neither the horse phobia not the uncontrollable, very sudden bolting. She is not like this around all horses, we rode past some others with no problems. My trainer is great, so I will continue to work with her on this. So far we have tried lunging her while someone else is riding in the arena, and while she was very scared of the other horse, we did manage to make good progress and get her to walk/trot/canter round normally.

Any other ideas or has anyone else experienced this?

 

[ForeverBroke_]

Is she turned out alongside/with any other horses OP? And how does she react?

 

[Marilyn91]

Is she turned out alongside/with any other horses OP? And how does she react?

She's turned out for a couple of hours a day and there are other horses in the two adjoining paddocks (one horse in each paddock and different horses each time). She seems calm and pretty much ignores them. When I hand-graze her, I always take her to say hello to the riding school ponies and Shetlands and she is very friendly, nuzzling their faces and grooming them.

I've talked to the yard owner about getting a "paddock buddy" for her because I do think she might be a bit lonely. I was wondering if switching yards to somewhere where she has more turn out, ideally in a small herd, might help. But if she's very low in the pecking order that might result in her getting bullied. She had an accident in the field at her previous place, I know nothing about it though, just that she got her leg stuck in the electric fence and hurt herself. I am wondering if she might have been attacked.

She's had four homes since June (breeder, two dealers then me), so I'm reluctant to move her any more than I have to and our current yard is so lovely and supportive with an amazing trainer. Sorry for the long and rambling reply!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would want her turned out for at least 10 hours, preferably 24/7 every day with the same settled herd until she finds her feet and develops a bit more confidence

 

[Annagain]

I think I'd try to ride her with a very steady, kind, nanny horse who would be happy to have her walking along side. Maybe start with leading them both together, then add a rider to the other horse, then you hop on. Start with just a couple of laps of the school and build it up. If you can find an equally kind and patient turnout buddy and turn her out for much longer I think that would help her too. Something like my old retired boy would be perfect. The are no strange horses to him, just friends he hasn't met yet but he's also doesn't get in the faces of horses that don't want him near.

 

[milliepops]

I have one who is a bit similar, she's not frightened of horses in the distance but finds it quite a challenge to share a school with others, and has pretty weird reactions to other horses when out and about. particularly in spring and autumn when her hormones are playing up (might that be part of it?). I think annagain's suggestion is a good one, i think you need someone patient with a kind tolerant horse who can help you work through this at your mare's pace and probably try not to over face her with shared sessions in the arena in the meantime.

Mine is very very big on personal space in a shared arena, and even when I think I've given her loads of space she still sometimes surprises me with her reactions. I try to plan where I'm going to make sure she doesn't feel crowded, as that's her issue.

continue working on your groundwork so that even if you have to hop off in a difficult situation you can remain in control and giving her confidence. I sympathise, these kinds of problems are difficult and sometimes feel a bit overwhelming, but I think with calm and progressive work you will improve it.

 

[ihatework]

This is going to take a bit of time and effort.

Firstly she needs someone super calm on her. Someone who isn’t going to transmit nervous vibes and who will be able to stay on and reassure her if she has a wobble. If this isn’t you there is no shame in admitting it and paying a trainer to ride her for the short term.

Then you need to layer on good experiences every ride. You need to micromanage every situation. Gradually introducing sensible non reactive horses into her space, starting with one in the arena not too close and over time building up to more and in closer proximity.

 

[ester]

That is decidedly weird. Are you able to set up that sort of situation with your instructor riding?
We do have one who has always been wary of horses larger than her, both schooling and hacking- warm ups were particularly difficult for a while but she was much better over time - but she would baulk at them not run (and she is prone to being over dramatic about life).

I wonder if the school incident was partly the door opening as much as the additional horses.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

She sounds like she is just really unsettled it could just be that she is turned out alone and needs to be out with other horses, sometimes it is just a management change that can make all the difference.

 

[milliepops]

Have you asked the person you bought her from if there's anything that might explain this?
I don't know what is at the root of my weird one, except that she was kept alone for a few years and that seems to have sent her generally screwy about things. She then got crashed into by a big black horse in a warm up and that set her back a bit further. i doubt they'd have anything useful that they would disclose but it's worth asking just in case because it might give you some ideas.

Mine naps away from the other horse occasionally if we're riding in company, it makes no sense. sometimes they really do have unexpected reactions and I agree with IHW that if you can't kinda go with the flow calmly then you might need to pay someone to help you.

 

[Marilyn91]

I think I'd try to ride her with a very steady, kind, nanny horse who would be happy to have her walking along side. Maybe start with leading them both together, then add a rider to the other horse, then you hop on. Start with just a couple of laps of the school and build it up. If you can find an equally kind and patient turnout buddy and turn her out for much longer I think that would help her too. Something like my old retired boy would be perfect. The are no strange horses to him, just friends he hasn't met yet but he's also doesn't get in the faces of horses that don't want him near.

That sounds like a great idea, I'll discuss it with my trainer so we can set something up at a time when the indoor school isn't busy. Shame we can't borrow you and your horse, sounds like you would be ideal!

This is going to take a bit of time and effort.

Firstly she needs someone super calm on her. Someone who isn’t going to transmit nervous vibes and who will be able to stay on and reassure her if she has a wobble. If this isn’t you there is no shame in admitting it and paying a trainer to ride her for the short term.

Then you need to layer on good experiences every ride. You need to micromanage every situation. Gradually introducing sensible non reactive horses into her space, starting with one in the arena not too close and over time building up to more and in closer proximity.

That sounds like a sensible plan of action. I do try to make every ride a positive experience and my trainer is already riding her and giving me lessons. She hasn't ridden her with other horses around yet though.

That is decidedly weird. Are you able to set up that sort of situation with your instructor riding?
We do have one who has always been wary of horses larger than her, both schooling and hacking- warm ups were particularly difficult for a while but she was much better over time - but she would baulk at them not run (and she is prone to being over dramatic about life).

I wonder if the school incident was partly the door opening as much as the additional horses.

Yes, I think that will be the best way to expose her to other horses in a safe environment. Until the incident out hacking at the weekend, I didn't realise quite how severe the problem was but I will talk to my trainer today.

Have you asked the person you bought her from if there's anything that might explain this?
I don't know what is at the root of my weird one, except that she was kept alone for a few years and that seems to have sent her generally screwy about things. She then got crashed into by a big black horse in a warm up and that set her back a bit further. i doubt they'd have anything useful that they would disclose but it's worth asking just in case because it might give you some ideas.

Mine naps away from the other horse occasionally if we're riding in company, it makes no sense. sometimes they really do have unexpected reactions and I agree with IHW that if you can't kinda go with the flow calmly then you might need to pay someone to help you.

That's a good idea, I will try asking the previous owner.

Interesting that you have experienced something similar with your mare!

 

[milliepops]

Interesting that you have experienced something similar with your mare!

yeah mine's a real odd-bod because she also has really bad separation anxiety which i can only really manage by having a second horse on the yard that is also mine so I can control when she's alone (i.e. rarely). Hopefully yours will come right with some time and effort. Good luck, it's difficult when they are genuinely worried about stuff.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I know not everyone has the set up but is there any way you can increase her turn out time? A few hours a day for such a young horse sounds like a sure fire way to add loopiness!

My connemara was 9 when I got her so not a baby and the part livery yard we were on she was turned out only 4 hours in winter and I didn't think much of it as I couldn't change it. Then I moved to DIY and she is out 10-12 hours in winter and 14+ hours in summer and she is so much better for it.

Agree with whoever above said maybe the gate opening also triggered her response rather than the horses coming in. Also think having someone calm and confident on would help as you might unknowingly be getting yourself into a bit of a circle where she now reacts because you tense up thinking she is going to react and that in turn worries her.

 

[honetpot]

There are lots of different ways of breeding ponies, and some just turn stallions out with mares with foals at foot and the foal gets caught in the rounding up and herding that stallions do, mares end up covered in bite marks. Some get injured, so experience makes them wary, and that makes them a smart pony, and that's probably why she OK with smaller ponies. So she needs controlled socialisation, she is still young and an older larger placid gelding in the field, and as a hacking nanny would help her become desensitised.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I’ve had two mares that didn’t cope with individual turnout, both too anxious all the time. Settled with a field buddy/herd.

One of my mares would ditch me and tank off when worried (I didn’t help as I am jumpy myself), it took a lot of work to get her confident and I found having hubby on the ground (he’s horsey) with her on a lunge line (think lead rein!) worked really well, as if something scary happened, I didn’t tense up expecting her to tank off as hubby was my ground anchor and it worked when she realised once she couldn’t go anywhere and she stopped it.

I would definitely get her field company and as much turnout as possible.

 

[Fransurrey]

She had an accident in the field at her previous place, I know nothing about it though, just that she got her leg stuck in the electric fence and hurt herself. I am wondering if she might have been attacked.

My mare is scared of other horses. Not as extreme as your mare, but I couldn't take her in a school with other horses and she would panic if one was too close on a hack. She's always had pelvic issues. I always wondered if she felt particularly vulnerable when it was playing up, as her behaviour was always improved after time off. She's retired now, but could your mare's accident have left discomfort somewhere?

 

[Maryann]

I had a home bred that was frightened of other horses coming close in a show jumping warm up situation. I was really careful for a while and basically trotted round the lorry park to warm up if the designated area was busy. He was enormous and, as far as I know, never bullied by other horses. Fortunately he got used to it before I got to the level where I really needed a practise jump before I went in.

 

[asmp]

She's turned out for a couple of hours a day and there are other horses in the two adjoining paddocks (one horse in each paddock and different horses each time). She seems calm and pretty much ignores them. When I hand-graze her, I always take her to say hello to the riding school ponies and Shetlands and she is very friendly, nuzzling their faces and grooming them.

I've talked to the yard owner about getting a "paddock buddy" for her because I do think she might be a bit lonely. I was wondering if switching yards to somewhere where she has more turn out, ideally in a small herd, might help. But if she's very low in the pecking order that might result in her getting bullied. She had an accident in the field at her previous place, I know nothing about it though, just that she got her leg stuck in the electric fence and hurt herself. I am wondering if she might have been attacked.

She's had four homes since June (breeder, two dealers then me), so I'm reluctant to move her any more than I have to and our current yard is so lovely and supportive with an amazing trainer. Sorry for the long and rambling reply!

She might well have been attacked. At one yard my horse was found in the road by a member of the public with his rug in shreds. He would have gone over three fences too. At the time I thought something must have scared him but now I realise that one of the other horses attacked him. He was always at the bottom of the pecking order and is happier on individual turnout. (Although he does live with our other horse now).