Horse prefers reversing? advice please

annsGG

annsGG

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Hi all

I have just started to ride again after many years and recently took 2 hard falls which knocked my confidence somewhat.

My (very experienced) friend is riding him for me at the moment to bring him back into work whilst I am building my confidence and taking refresher lessons, I am not being a 'wus' but fast approaching my three score and ten and suffer with osteoperosis so I have to be a bit careful about taking another hard knock

Murphy is a 14.2h 7yo cob (although the passport says Shire-x-Irish draft???) and is very, very lazy, in actual fact when I bought him, the last owner was fed up with not being able to make him do anything at all.

Recently he has started reversing into hedges, ditches and other immovable objects , he takes a few paces forward then loads backwards, we have tried turning him but he throws his head about, if I go for the sitting-still-until-he-gets-bored approach he starts to paw at the ground and starts the viscious circle again. If I am lucky enough to get him to turn he just backs up more. Also very relutantly tried someone elses suggestion to tap him with a crop but this just seemed to put up another barrier. When he does go forward he's perfect but he doesn't seem to be able to concentrate for more than a minute or so, he's not very confident in traffic but does this even when there's no traffic around, the scariest recent event was he backed right into a cyclist who turned a very funny colour at the sight of Murphey's butt fast approaching :eek:

The first horse I bought threw me off, the second is a doll but suffers from really bad head-shaking and I am fast loosing faith and starting to think that someone is trying to get me to give up but I have just started to enjoy it again and really don't want to give up (riding school horse had a little buck this week and I stayed on so confidence is definately on the up)

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated, thanks

Ann
 
Can you pre-empt him at all?
If so, the SECOND you know he is about to misbehave, get your heels in and crop out and use both. Landing in a ditch with a horse on top of you is to be avoided at all costs!
 
You don't explain when he starts reversing. My New Forest gelding does this when he gets very excited, especially on fun rides at the prospect of a decent jump or a gallop. If I try all the normal aids to get him moving forward, he just sits back on his hocks and shuffles backwards.

In his case, the cure is to sit right back on the saddle, as far back as possible and then just ask him to walk on, which he always does, after that I slide forward and just ride him normally.

Another alternative is to hop off and walk him forward in hand, but if it's excitement, rather than fear, then I would not advise this course of action...believe me, I know it does not work (I was fine and so was H, but the reins were wrecked!)
 
joeanne said:
Can you pre-empt him at all?
If so, the SECOND you know he is about to misbehave, get your heels in and crop out and use both. Landing in a ditch with a horse on top of you is to be avoided at all costs!
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Thanks, not really able to pre-empt except that you know he's going to do it every few minutes? have tried the heels and crop but now he winces when he sees the crop, I wonder if we have just added another problem?
 
have someone forceful walk out with you...

when he even thinks about reversing, they need to say "gerron" in a deep loud growl...with a school whip in hand...and tap the bugger if needed.

he is taking the pee
 
NeilM said:
You don't explain when he starts reversing. My New Forest gelding does this when he gets very excited, especially on fun rides at the prospect of a decent jump or a gallop. If I try all the normal aids to get him moving forward, he just sits back on his hocks and shuffles backwards.

In his case, the cure is to sit right back on the saddle, as far back as possible and then just ask him to walk on, which he always does, after that I slide forward and just ride him normally.

Another alternative is to hop off and walk him forward in hand, but if it's excitement, rather than fear, then I would not advise this course of action...believe me, I know it does not work (I was fine and so was H, but the reins were wrecked!)
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No real hint as to 'when' Murphy seems to never get 'excited' about anything, I'm not an expert but imho I think he is just being lazy, got him running about on the moors today and he seemed a little more focused - until my friend's mobile rang and gave him something else to be afraid of? (she normally puts it on vibrate but forgot today)
Will try this next time though, thanks
 
Any chance you can take your horse to the riding school for a lesson?
just to check to make sure your both doing what you should be doing? ;)
You mentioned you didnt mind the riding school pony having a buck? but if you were to smack your horse with a stick and he bucked would you be so forgiving? or as confident?
I had a mare once who was an angel in the school and out hacking would jump in front of oncoming traffic-not bad when she stopped a lorry full of soldiers but a bit dodgy when she caused me to come face to face with the driver of the bin wagon? :eek: my riding certainly changed depending on where I rode her and the company I was with!
 
Millyard Rejects said:
Any chance you can take your horse to the riding school for a lesson?
just to check to make sure your both doing what you should be doing? ;)
You mentioned you didnt mind the riding school pony having a buck? but if you were to smack your horse with a stick and he bucked would you be so forgiving? or as confident?
I had a mare once who was an angel in the school and out hacking would jump in front of oncoming traffic-not bad when she stopped a lorry full of soldiers but a bit dodgy when she caused me to come face to face with the driver of the bin wagon? :eek: my riding certainly changed depending on where I rode her and the company I was with!
Click to expand...

Funny you should suggest that, I did consider that as they have this facility at the school, rather than stress him out with constant loading etc I thought about boarding him there for a week and having a couple of hours each day on him, what do you think? I had been thinking of this as a last resort due to the cost.
Ps, can you tell me where you found the lorry full of soldiers please :p
 
I agree with Native ponies he needs to be forced forwards. The other thing I have down with a horse that goes backwards is to keep forcing it back, ie take ownership of back and if he starts to back you force him back fast. Make it bloody uncomfortable for him. And don't let him stop until you want to. I would then routinely - when I wanted to make him back up at random points, again making it really uncomfortable for him. Hard back - at speed, and with gusto. Using a loud growl at the same time. As soon as he walks forwards, a light hand and a gentle pat. make it comfortable going forwards and seriously uncomfortable going back. You need to start this in a safe environment so in a school or large field. Eventually you will be incharge of going backwards, you will choose when to do so as he will understand that it is not pleasant for him when he does it. Shock tactics, but they work.
 
OK so if he want to go arse first then let him fo arse first!!! BUT make sure you keep his head pointing in the direction you wanna go. I had to go arse first back up the road with mine for nearly half a mile once.

I had this problem with mine: so I made him reverse back until he was totally sick of it. The other thing you can do is to pull him around in a very tight circle so that's its uncomfortable and then ask him to go on, he'll be so fed up with going round in tight circles that it might just bring him out of it - it worked for mine.

Good luck.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
OK so if he want to go arse first then let him fo arse first!!! BUT make sure you keep his head pointing in the direction you wanna go. I had to go arse first back up the road with mine for nearly half a mile once.

I had this problem with mine: so I made him reverse back until he was totally sick of it. The other thing you can do is to pull him around in a very tight circle so that's its uncomfortable and then ask him to go on, he'll be so fed up with going round in tight circles that it might just bring him out of it - it worked for mine.

Good luck.
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Totally agree with this.....my previous horse was a sod for running backwards....but his was due to napping and often followed a broncing fit....but like MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said.....if he wants to go backwards.....let him....but make sure its in the direction you were intending to go.
Several times people looked out their windows to see me going backwards past thier houses...you get some odd looks....but it does work! make them go for as long as it takes so that when you do turn round.....they are keen to go forwards.
The circles thing works well too.
 
Thanks to you all for your help, we will try everything suggested.

Only problem I can see with the 'making him go backwards' idea is trying to get his butt out of the Cornish hedge as this seems to be where he aims for every time, doesn't go straight he goes sideways/back until his back end is right in the bushes, if we do manage to get him out he spins round and backs into the hedge again.
 
Get someone to hide in the hedge ;) :p

Kidding, but agree with all of the above. Think he's just taking the pee. The lessons idea sounds great though. Could you get an instructor also to come out on rides (if its happening out hacking?) and give you instruction along the way?
 
Bosworth said:
take ownership of back and if he starts to back you force him back fast..
Click to expand...
This is what I would do too. If he wants to go back, keep him going for longer than he is comfortable with. You need to remain in 'control' no matter what direction he is moving in.

I also use this approach for nappers and speedsters. If a horse wants to nap I will make him stand square and not move until I am ready. If a horse wants to run on in the trot or canter off on a hack I will keep them going past when they want to slow down themselves (provided it is safe of course). You should be the one dictating pace and direction - even if it is in a round about way ;)
 
A great many years ago, a young lady had a similar problem with her new horse. Her mother followed her down the road with a lunge whip brandished out of their old Landy. Horse very soon got the message.
The rider - Lucinda Prior Palmer, The horse - Be Fair. And we all know where they ended up! ;)
 
just wanted to say that my new horse does this too. When she doesn't want to go every leg aid or smack just makes her shuffle either backwards or sideways until we are jammed up against a wall, hedge, parked car(!), barbed wire fence or, like today, a five bar gate which then makes smacking her rather difficult in case she boots the car, gate etc and damages it or her. She then refuses to move at all so reversing more isn't really an option. Any more ideas anyone?
 
if she has jsmmed herself up against something then spin her, grab the bridle right down by the bit and pull the head round, spin her in a circle until you get her backside away from the object then reverse hard. Make it uncomfortable for her, make her realise that going back will result in discomfort and hard work, then give her the option to go forwards, making that the easy optiion. loads of praise and a giving rein when she decides to go on.
 
Sounds like you are lacking a little confidence and your has picked up on this. I'd go with what Nativepony says, a sharp slap on backside will work wonders or just growl and swear at him (you'd be surprised how many swear words I know and how fluent I use them) Or I can send my friend Theresa round, she sorts anything out just by looking at them.:D:D:D
 
OK so another thing you can try if horse has "frozen" and has backed up as much as it can and just won't shift. What you do is be chilled, take a deep breath in and then breathe out again, like I say be chilled, so horse picks this up. Stay this way for say 10 - 30 seconds, so horse thinks you've gone to sleep up in the plate, THEN give an almighty whooping noise like a Red Indian, at the SAME TIME giving it all you've got with alternate legs, Pony Club kick style! PLUS whip on arse. Horse will leap forward coz it won't be expecting it - and it will just bring them out of it PDQ. Short sharp shock thing. I've used this successfully if the horse has planted after backing up and won't shift - mine used to have a nasty habit of starting to back up very close to say a deep ditch; the toad would know that I was apprehensive of being backed with into a deep ravine, and would play on that fear that he knew I had.

The other thing you can do is to get off (OK so I know some of you wont' approve!) if you feel that you're in a situation where for instance the horse is going to back into someone's car bonnet or into a deep ditch or whatever - you will have to do this for not only your safety for also for other people's as well. Just get off, grab hold the bridle (I would be inclined to carry a long training rope ready for the purpose, just in case - having a longer length will be much better in case of emergency and give you more reassurance and control), and then walk the horse forward, followed immediately by close turning in a 6-foot circle or less. Keep the horse really close in to you so that its uncomfortable and have a schooling session right then and there and keep up the intensity, so you're doing tight circles on either rein, then make it go back WHEN YOU SAY and not when you don't!!!, etc etc.

Of course, this sort of groundwork is best done in a school rather than out hacking or whatever, but emergencies are emergencies and if the horse needs to learn a lesson there's no time like the present.

The other thing you can do - if available - is if the horse starts to back up then find a really nasty prickly thornbush and let it run back into that, then when it starts to want to move forward, keep making it go back and that way it might learn a blimmin lesson.

but what you need to be careful of in any sort of running back like this is that you're not doing anything to encourage the horse to rear - ultimate refusal to go forward - so if you can control the feet that's the main thing, whether mounted or on the ground it matters not, its about YOU being herd leader and dictating where the feet should go not the horse.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
OK so if he want to go arse first then let him fo arse first!!! BUT make sure you keep his head pointing in the direction you wanna go. I had to go arse first back up the road with mine for nearly half a mile once.

I had this problem with mine: so I made him reverse back until he was totally sick of it. The other thing you can do is to pull him around in a very tight circle so that's its uncomfortable and then ask him to go on, he'll be so fed up with going round in tight circles that it might just bring him out of it - it worked for mine.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

This tactic worked for me too with a serious 'napper'.... He would refuse to go forwards, only backwards, so I used to turn him around the way I wanted to go, and then we'd go backwards down the road. He soon got fed up with that, and constant turning tight circles. Gave up after a while and never did it again.

He was a new horse to me and as far as I was concerned was 'trying me out'!
 
Charlie is a serious plant hooves and will refuse to move forwards and only backwards. He has been backwards down a ditch, we both survived but he scared himself in to forwards. However, there was a medical reason as to why he was doing this. The reversing usually happened up on the mountain when I took him for a gallop. Charlie was telling me in this situation that he was in pain. Since sorting this issue out he will still plant himself and go backwards, but again there is ususally a good reason behind this again. I can tell a few strides out when this is going to happen and will apply firmer leg aids and encourage him forwards with my voice and reassuring him. If then we plant and go backwards, SMACKING is never ever done! I do not believe in smacking my horse to go forwards. We will sit quietly for a couple of minutes to try and sort out what the reason is why he wont go forwards. I then apply gentle reassuring leg, usually resulting in backward movement, at this point we start to perform pirouettes, if this again fails to work. I sit quietly again and repeat the whole process again a few more time. If all else fails I will get off and calmly lead him past the point and then remount and spend a further few minutes riding up and down past spooky point. This method has taken me a long time to devise and will generally work 90% of the time.
To OP try doing some groundwork in the school to gain both trust and respect, so that when this situation arises the horse will know who he can trust to get him past scary points on hacks. This is also useful for knowing that you can move each leg in any direction that you want your horse to go in. Also try and change your hacking route, do it backwards if you can, this will confuse your horse and he may not plant. Does he do this if he is hacking in company?
 
Ist - you have all my sympathy OP, as we get older we realise that we are quite fragile and do become more cautious.
My ID can just stand still on occasions, I always carry a schooling whip but if I hit her with it she just becomes resentful. However, if I 'swish' it noisily in her eye-line, she moves off quite nicely. If I can catch her in the slowing down phase, a gentle movement of the stick has the desired effect.
 
I had a go-back-mobile years ago - I found I was contributing to it by grabbing the reins and leaning forward when it started, which made it easier for him. Try throwing the reins at him and leaning back like a cowboy while you make loud noises and flap at him - if the stick doesn't work with him, forget it, it could make him more stubborn.
Does he do it when you're riding out with someone or just on his own?
 
Today's update:

Nothing to report, absolutely perfect gentleman today, perhaps he read my posts ???
Seriously though, thanks for all your advice, seems the favourite option is to make him go backwards, when suggesting this to my friend (who is more experienced than I and is helping me school him, she has done most of the riding to date) said that she had already tried this on several occasions (along with many other things) and she felt that he was brewing up for a rearing session, fearing that if he reared once that he might twig and think to himself "aha, this is how you get them off" giving me an even worse problem than I started with, she persevered with the turning.

In any event I am going to board him at my school for a week and get some serious schooling in too.

I am going to ride Murphy tomorrow whilst my friend rides in front to see if he's any better in company, hopefully I'll be still in one piece tomorrow to tell you if it was any different....:eek:
 
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