horse only spooky on one rein?

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tanyajade

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Hi!
I haven't been able to find the answer to this on Google yet, so I hope someone knows.

My mare spooks a lot when were riding on the left rein. In the paddock, there's one corner in particular, where some poles are stood. When they're on our right, she swerves the corner, and spooks and anything outside the paddock down that long side. But ride it the opposite way, she's doesn't seem half as bothered! Any ideas?
 
Have you had her eyes checked? It could be that something is obscuring her vision a little that makes it more scary on the rein?

It's unlikely but might be worth a check
 
Do you mean yep you've had her eyes checked? If not, I would definitely suggest that.

Horses apparently use their eyes for different things... One is "spookier" than the other (used more to distinguish threats) or something like that. Can't remember which is which haha.
 
hnmisty said:
Do you mean yep you've had her eyes checked? If not, I would definitely suggest that.

Horses apparently use their eyes for different things... One is "spookier" than the other (used more to distinguish threats) or something like that. Can't remember which is which haha.
Click to expand...

The thing I read (can't find it, will keep looking) suggested that the right eye is the one used for 'neutral' things, so that if something spooky is to the horse's right it will be more inclined to spook as it would actually prefer to assess the threat with its left eye ... if that makes sense. I'm not sure about it myself but it's an interesting thought.
 
Not as silly a question as it sounds...

Did the vet check her eyes when she had been standing at rest in the stable or after she had been running around?
 
I don't know. I bought her 5 months ago. I had her full 5 stage vetted, the vet checked her eyes then. Whether it was before or after all the other vigorous tests, I don't know.
 
Seem to remember my OH telling me about something he was reading about how horses don't see and register things with both eyes at the same time and see it as the same thing like we do. Apparently they might see something with one eye, register it and accept it but when they come accross the same thing with the other eye, they don't necessarily recognise it as the same thing if that makes sense. Apparently it was described in terms of what you teach / desensitise the 'left horse' to, you must also do to the 'right horse'.

Just an idea but perhaps your horse was spooked going past that corner once on the left rein and now associates it as a 'spooky corner' but that's maybe only a spooky corner to the right eye. When she first came accross it on the right rein, most likely nothing scary happened so perhaps the 'left horse' doesn't think it's scary.

Just an idea. Can't remember where he said he read it. Just remember having a conversation about it as it sounded an interesting idea and we could relate it to certain things our horses have done in the past.
 
Normally, they do all the eyes, teeth etc first and then move on to the running around stuff.

Is it just in the school that she does this? How is she hacking or out at a show?

Does it make any difference if the weather is sunny or cloudy?

Don't discount her just getting bored and taking the p*** but next time you have the vet there it might be worth giving her a good lunge and then checking her eyes.
 
She is generally a spooky mare. Usually she just sidesteps. On Saturday she spooked at something outside the paddock (on her right) and did a huge side jump, in canter, I got flung off.
It got me thinking, most of her spooks in the paddock are when we're going that direction!
 
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