Horse Silly and Spooky When Hacking

[Olivia&Archie]

Bit of a brain dump here but just looking for some advice.
I have a rising 7 year old warmblood gelding who is in work 5-6 days a week. This is a combination of hacking, schooling, jumping (once a week) and lunging (once a week). He is not on any hard feed.

We hack alone as where I keep him, there is no one able to join me. Generally speaking I enjoy hacking, but not when riding him which makes me sad.

Once he has a spook on a hack, that’s pretty much game over for the rest of the ride. He will jog, toss his head, spook at anything and everything and completely ignore me. Everything is going to kill him! Spooks either involve spinning, rushing past in what feels like a blind panic with minimum breaks or launching himself in the opposite direction.

I try to keep his attention with transitions and leg yielding but once he’s spooked, there is no getting through to him. I’ve tried a relaxed loose rein and also working in a contact. Any leg means “go” and we then end up in a battle as he will not stop. This only happens out hacking. He does not exhibit this behaviour schooling (at home) and is responsive to my aids. I am conscious I still need to stay relaxed but this does become challenging with his behaviour and unpredictability.

I have taken him to arena hires to expose him to different environments and we get the same silly behaviour. If we go to an arena hire with another sensible horse, this doesn’t seem to help, in fact it makes things worse as he thinks it’s a pony party and is very excitable.

My goal is to compete him but at the moment this just doesn’t seem possible with how dramatic he responds to things. I can’t even imagine taking him into a warm up.

Any advice or other’s experiences would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Spiritedly]

My boy is similar...I think he has a horse version of tourettes because it's like a tic and once he starts spooking he just can't stop himself...he has improved as he's got older but at 17 next month hasn't outgrown it altogether.

I've found that I need to keep my leg on constantly even when he is spooking or playing up as once it's come off then it's a struggle for me to put it back on. I know you said you leg yield but I also do shoulder in, Travers and half pass and also move his head around to stop him bracing against the contact. If there's something I'm pretty sure will set him off then I try to distract him before we get that far which helps.

 

[Olivia&Archie]

My boy is similar...I think he has a horse version of tourettes because it's like a tic and once he starts spooking he just can't stop himself...he has improved as he's got older but at 17 next month hasn't outgrown it altogether.

I've found that I need to keep my leg on constantly even when he is spooking or playing up as once it's come off then it's a struggle for me to put it back on. I know you said you leg yield but I also do shoulder in, Travers and half pass and also move his head around to stop him bracing against the contact. If there's something I'm pretty sure will set him off then I try to distract him before we get that far which helps.

Thank you for replying. It’s nice to know there are other people who also have these funny, quirky horses!

 

[Spiritedly]

It's always fun looking at my tracking app after a hack because we have long stretches where we have moved but it doesn't recognise the gait because he's jogged and spooked for that entire stretch

We moved yards last summer and the hacking we have now is amazing but I don't have people to hack with so I've had to brave it alone and he has improved...although things have gone downhill a bit now the grass is obviously starting to come through!...I'm now at the stage where I laugh at most of his antics though.

In regards to competing I've found he seems to thrive on the atmosphere and even the tannoys don't bother him, he has a job to do and he just gets on with it. I put a red ribbon in his tail just to warn others away qhwn we're in the warm up but it's more to stop him spinning if they come close than that he'll actually kick.

 

[scats]

I have one who winds herself up when she spooks.
I spent the first 2 years with her in safety seat, hating every second of it

Things that work for mine- not letting her ‘look’ around because if she starts looking over into the distance, she’ll suddenly latch onto something and freak herself out. So if I feel her trying to ‘sight-see’, it’s leg yield/shoulder-in/whatever I need to do to get her attention back onto me.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Whack him on some valerian to take the edge off and get him in the school with something spooky like an umbrella or toy car or similar. Stay far enough away that he is willing to look at it and as soon as he stops moving his feet and spooking and looks at it, treat him and give him a scratch, then walk off and try again but get a bit closer, as soon as he looks at the thing and moves his feet towards the thing he gets a treat and a scratch. When you're next to it and if you can get him to sniff it then make a big fuss. Rinse and repeat. The motive of this is to change his reaction to unwanted pressure to being to face that thing, and get him to understand that the desired behaviour from him is to actually think before reacting and be inquisitive. What the answer is not, is to move his feet and turn away from it, so if he does that then we do not halt the effort to approach the scary thing.

Once you have got that sorted with a few spooky things, then you move onto something that can be in your hand (bag on a stick, or bedding packaging or similar) as this raises the pressure somewhat due to the movement/noise. Again, he will likely try to run from you on the lunge, the thing doesn't go behind your back or stop making noise until his feet stop, and timing is everything with this, the moment he stops running put the thing down/behind your back. That removal of the pressure is what will reprogramme him and tell him he's done the right thing and if you are a second late, you aren't conveying that message.

Please dont do step 2 without being comfortable with step 1 as he will just run in a blind panic and you won't get anywhere, you need to give him the tools before upping the anti. Then once you have done that get him out hacking in hand for a month and do the same out and about. Have treats in your pocket and reward any inquisitveness, make it fun for him. He is a warmblood so he may never be fully sensible, but I did all of this with my then 3yo in the year before I backed him and whilst he has blips, as a 4yo he has been nannying out horses hacking since the day he was backed pretty much.

 

[SEL]

I have a neck strap on my spooky one but I've also found growling at him works.

 

[Olivia&Archie]

I have one who winds herself up when she spooks.
I spent the first 2 years with her in safety seat, hating every second of it

Things that work for mine- not letting her ‘look’ around because if she starts looking over into the distance, she’ll suddenly latch onto something and freak herself out. So if I feel her trying to ‘sight-see’, it’s leg yield/shoulder-in/whatever I need to do to get her attention back onto me.

Thank you! I will certainly try this from the moment we leave the yard!

 

[Olivia&Archie]

I have one who winds herself up when she spooks.
I spent the first 2 years with her in safety seat, hating every second of it

Things that work for mine- not letting her ‘look’ around because if she starts looking over into the distance, she’ll suddenly latch onto something and freak herself out. So if I feel her trying to ‘sight-see’, it’s leg yield/shoulder-in/whatever I need to do to get her attention back onto me.

Thank you! I will certainly try this from the moment we leave the yard!

Whack him on some valerian to take the edge off and get him in the school with something spooky like an umbrella or toy car or similar. Stay far enough away that he is willing to look at it and as soon as he stops moving his feet and spooking and looks at it, treat him and give him a scratch, then walk off and try again but get a bit closer, as soon as he looks at the thing and moves his feet towards the thing he gets a treat and a scratch. When you're next to it and if you can get him to sniff it then make a big fuss. Rinse and repeat. The motive of this is to change his reaction to unwanted pressure to being to face that thing, and get him to understand that the desired behaviour from him is to actually think before reacting and be inquisitive. What the answer is not, is to move his feet and turn away from it, so if he does that then we do not halt the effort to approach the scary thing.

Once you have got that sorted with a few spooky things, then you move onto something that can be in your hand (bag on a stick, or bedding packaging or similar) as this raises the pressure somewhat due to the movement/noise. Again, he will likely try to run from you on the lunge, the thing doesn't go behind your back or stop making noise until his feet stop, and timing is everything with this, the moment he stops running put the thing down/behind your back. That removal of the pressure is what will reprogramme him and tell him he's done the right thing and if you are a second late, you aren't conveying that message.

Please dont do step 2 without being comfortable with step 1 as he will just run in a blind panic and you won't get anywhere, you need to give him the tools before upping the anti. Then once you have done that get him out hacking in hand for a month and do the same out and about. Have treats in your pocket and reward any inquisitveness, make it fun for him. He is a warmblood so he may never be fully sensible, but I did all of this with my then 3yo in the year before I backed him and whilst he has blips, as a 4yo he has been nannying out horses hacking since the day he was backed pretty much.

thank you so much. This is really helpful and something I will start with him tomorrow. Really appreciate your reply!

 

[Red-1]

The thing I won't do with a horse like this is tell them off for jumping. I find that telling them off makes them jump at the thought of jumping, and it all becomes self-fulfilling prophecy. I usually laugh. If they jump, I laugh. I stay relaxed and just laugh it out, letting them stop.

I also employ the tactic of 'your job is to look at the floor' as in, I am the person looking after our safety, your job is to look at the floor. I would have them somewhat overbent and looking at where their feet are about to walk. I would flex right, left, adjust the pace. I would be in control of where their eyes and body are, and the mind usually follows. They stay soft in the rein, never quite straight, always bent a little left or right. But, if the worst happens and they jump, then I laugh.

I also allow a lot of time for riding as I won't proceed after a spook until they are floor watching again, long on the topline, bending slightly left or right. It is not about punishing, it is about breathing, taking as much time (I'm talking an hour initially) for them to regain the composure. This may be repeated many times in a ride so, with one who comes in like this, I would only hack out when I have time to take the time to be patient and prescriptive. It has not feel of resentment, or speed, or hardness. It feels like helping them regain their composure. It can look like standing still, slight flexes, slight gives etc until they are ready to proceed.

Initially, it cam feel like a mammoth, or even impossible, task. But, standing until they no longer want to stand and stare, then helping them find their softer place before proceeding, then finding you have to do the same thing not 10m ahead, so standing again, breathing etc...

I'm always sad when horses are more nervous when someone is riding than when leading. They are as worried about the reaction of the rider to their fear, as they are to the fearsome thing itself. It is hard, as a rider, to unattach from the frustration.

To be taken unawares is normal. The bird in the tree, a crisp packet. Sometimes it makes me jump too. Laughing is a good medicine to relieve tension. It is funny, after all, for a crisp bag to cause consternation where there is no real external danger. Then breathing, return to normal before moving on.

 

[Marigold4]

deleted

 

[scats]

The thing I won't do with a horse like this is tell them off for jumping. I find that telling them off makes them jump at the thought of jumping, and it all becomes self-fulfilling prophecy. I usually laugh. If they jump, I laugh. I stay relaxed and just laugh it out, letting them stop.

I also employ the tactic of 'your job is to look at the floor' as in, I am the person looking after our safety, your job is to look at the floor. I would have them somewhat overbent and looking at where their feet are about to walk. I would flex right, left, adjust the pace. I would be in control of where their eyes and body are, and the mind usually follows. They stay soft in the rein, never quite straight, always bent a little left or right. But, if the worst happens and they jump, then I laugh.

I also allow a lot of time for riding as I won't proceed after a spook until they are floor watching again, long on the topline, bending slightly left or right. It is not about punishing, it is about breathing, taking as much time (I'm talking an hour initially) for them to regain the composure. This may be repeated many times in a ride so, with one who comes in like this, I would only hack out when I have time to take the time to be patient and prescriptive. It has not feel of resentment, or speed, or hardness. It feels like helping them regain their composure. It can look like standing still, slight flexes, slight gives etc until they are ready to proceed.

Initially, it cam feel like a mammoth, or even impossible, task. But, standing until they no longer want to stand and stare, then helping them find their softer place before proceeding, then finding you have to do the same thing not 10m ahead, so standing again, breathing etc...

I'm always sad when horses are more nervous when someone is riding than when leading. They are as worried about the reaction of the rider to their fear, as they are to the fearsome thing itself. It is hard, as a rider, to unattach from the frustration.

To be taken unawares is normal. The bird in the tree, a crisp packet. Sometimes it makes me jump too. Laughing is a good medicine to relieve tension. It is funny, after all, for a crisp bag to cause consternation where there is no real external danger. Then breathing, return to normal before moving on.

Laughing is great when they jump… slightly harder to do when they’ve done a 180 and are bogging off with you hanging out the side door

 

[maya2008]

Wishing you luck!

I had one years ago who, despite every effort under the sun, 2 years of desensitising and comprehensive vet checks to be absolutely sure there was nothing underlying it…was so spooky she was dangerous to hack because the likelihood of ending up under a vehicle because she saw a purple flower was high. Sold her on to a non hacking home (therapy pony/mounted games). She was very happy there!

Currently have one and as you say, being relaxed and not reacting does…nothing. Best I have is the overbent suggestion from up thread. Pop on bit from the word go, overbend a bit if total silliness ensues. This one does calm if we work her enough (over an hour hacking she begins to chill) - she wants to jump but I cannot see that fillers will be successful if we are spooking at invisible leaves and shadows.

 

[Spiritedly]

I also employ the tactic of 'your job is to look at the floor' as in, I am the person looking after our safety, your job is to look at the floor. I would have them somewhat overbent and looking at where their feet are about to walk. I would flex right, left, adjust the pace. I would be in control of where their eyes and body are, and the mind usually follows. They stay soft in the rein, never quite straight, always bent a little left or right. But, if the worst happens and they jump, then I laugh.

I don't slop along on a loose rein i ride into a contact but with mine being over bent is no help, partly because he has a naturally very high carriage so being over bent only makes him more tense and secondly because whatever is going to cause the spook will still come into his eyeline at some point... he spooks at shadows, leaves, twigs, potholes, puddles etc so already spends a lot of time 'looking at the ground' ....and the spook will then be more dramatic as whatever is 'scary' is a lot closer and as I haven't had chance to feel him start to look I haven't been able to employ any lateral work to divert his attention.

 

[Spiritedly]

I have kept my horses in the small village they're in since August and I've had local residents/dogwalkers ask if his name is 'for cryin out loud Will' , 'William!' Or just 'Will' as they hear me saying all 3 to him regularly It is an improvement though as I used to say if he didn't already have a registered name I was going to enter him as 'FFS Will' as the full version of the name slipped out so many times during a ride

One of the other things I've found seems to help is talking to him as I'm riding, I don't know if it's just that it relaxes me and that feeds through to him or if it keeps his attention on me more so he's not looking for monsters but whichever it is he's less spooky when I chat away.

 

[Hallo2012]

caveat that i (personally) don't think this level of high adrenalin/fear/mistrust is normal and would be looking for pain issues (every one we've had like this ended up having a pain issue somewhere) but if you are confident its not then look up TRT

 

[smolmaus]

Once he has a spook on a hack, that’s pretty much game over for the rest of the ride.

We have this problem too. To be fair, my mare isn't really that spooky but when she does get tense she finds it very difficult to come back down. And I am an anxious rider too so we wind eachother up.

Whack him on some valerian to take the edge off and get him in the school with something spooky like an umbrella or toy car or similar. Stay far enough away that he is willing to look at it and as soon as he stops moving his feet and spooking and looks at it, treat him and give him a scratch, then walk off and try again but get a bit closer, as soon as he looks at the thing and moves his feet towards the thing he gets a treat and a scratch. When you're next to it and if you can get him to sniff it then make a big fuss. Rinse and repeat. The motive of this is to change his reaction to unwanted pressure to being to face that thing, and get him to understand that the desired behaviour from him is to actually think before reacting and be inquisitive. What the answer is not, is to move his feet and turn away from it, so if he does that then we do not halt the effort to approach the scary thing.

[snip for length]

This is basically my tactic too and it definitely helps with a lot of things. Road signs, cones, prams etc, like man-made things. It doesn't necessarily help with the weird shadows and the holes in the hedge and killer sheep with terror-lambs but it does build a really great base of trust on the ground! It's a work in progress but when this doesn't cut it, I am asking for a hand target (ideally with a lowered head) to break any fixation and hopping off and leading past anything that is really freaking her out. If she will walk calmly past she gets a reward, if she looks at it then back to me she gets a reward. Honestly, the sooner I get off and it turns back into groundwork, the better it goes and the sooner she relaxes and I can hop back on to a happier pony. If I stay on and push her through it, we both just carry more tension and the next thing is going to be twice as hard.

Chatting and singing both work well for us as well. I will verbally talk myself through "I am relaxing my legs! I am sitting on my seat bones! I am projecting confidence and being a mentor, not a mother!" in the cheeriest tone I can muster I sound like an absolute loon but it definitely helps! We have been having issues with sheep so now I see a sheep and go "LOOK AT THAT LOVELY LITTLE SHEEP, DO YOU SEE THEM, HELLO SHEEP" like it's the best, most wonderful thing in the world and then she looks at the sheep and gets a couple of grass nuts.

 

[AppyLover1996]

Has he always been the spooky sort? If it's a recent development, I'd be inclined to check tack, teeth and have a chat with your vet as there could be something going on that you aren't aware of. Some horses are naturally spookier/ more nervous than others and go through their entire lives like this, so whilst you can help him with his fears, be aware that they might not completely go away. I used to ride a wonderful TB gelding who no matter how much de-spooking groundwork I did, he never was 100% to hack - he got a hell of a lot better than he used to be, but he was prone to loosing his brain over something on the odd ride x I got him to the stage where he'd look at the scary object and snort a little bit before he would decide whether it was worth legging it home or if it were safe to pass.

I would go back to basics and do lots of in hand work before getting back in the saddle. What is he like when you walk him out in hand? That is where I would start after you've done the standard tack, teeth and chat with your vet checks. Pop some boots on him to protect his legs in case he catches himself when he goes to spook, wear a riding hat, suitable boots for walking, a bridle for on your horse for a bit more control and a long line/lunge line so that you can still keep a hold of him when he spooks.

You could start in the school if you don't feel confident enough to take him out on foot yet, by placing some "scary/spooky" objects casually dotted around the school and leading him around. When he freezes at something he isn't sure of - the goal is to get him to remain calm and still look at the scary thing without buggering off, which you can then use to move onto other things when you are leading him out, riding him etc. If he is a treat motivated horse, grab some of his absolute faves and really make a massive fuss of him when he approaches the scary thing, or reacts calmer, or goes to investigate - really lavish the praise on and reward him with some treats so that he knows he's done a great job.

Over time you can use scarier things to help him realise that the world isn't going to eat him and this will translate to when you go to lead him out in hand and ride him. Another thing that might be worth considering is popping him on a calmer to take the edge off his spookiness and to help him focus. Over time you can always wean him down to a smaller amount of calmer/ no calmer at all - but having it there seems like it would help you both x

 

[Olivia&Archie]

Has he always been the spooky sort? If it's a recent development, I'd be inclined to check tack, teeth and have a chat with your vet as there could be something going on that you aren't aware of. Some horses are naturally spookier/ more nervous than others and go through their entire lives like this, so whilst you can help him with his fears, be aware that they might not completely go away. I used to ride a wonderful TB gelding who no matter how much de-spooking groundwork I did, he never was 100% to hack - he got a hell of a lot better than he used to be, but he was prone to loosing his brain over something on the odd ride x I got him to the stage where he'd look at the scary object and snort a little bit before he would decide whether it was worth legging it home or if it were safe to pass.

I would go back to basics and do lots of in hand work before getting back in the saddle. What is he like when you walk him out in hand? That is where I would start after you've done the standard tack, teeth and chat with your vet checks. Pop some boots on him to protect his legs in case he catches himself when he goes to spook, wear a riding hat, suitable boots for walking, a bridle for on your horse for a bit more control and a long line/lunge line so that you can still keep a hold of him when he spooks.

You could start in the school if you don't feel confident enough to take him out on foot yet, by placing some "scary/spooky" objects casually dotted around the school and leading him around. When he freezes at something he isn't sure of - the goal is to get him to remain calm and still look at the scary thing without buggering off, which you can then use to move onto other things when you are leading him out, riding him etc. If he is a treat motivated horse, grab some of his absolute faves and really make a massive fuss of him when he approaches the scary thing, or reacts calmer, or goes to investigate - really lavish the praise on and reward him with some treats so that he knows he's done a great job.

Over time you can use scarier things to help him realise that the world isn't going to eat him and this will translate to when you go to lead him out in hand and ride him. Another thing that might be worth considering is popping him on a calmer to take the edge off his spookiness and to help him focus. Over time you can always wean him down to a smaller amount of calmer/ no calmer at all - but having it there seems like it would help you both x

Thank you so much. Yes he has always been the spooky type. I have had him since he was a foal which is good as I know his full history!
I guess I’m just disappointed that he isn’t getting “better” with age and exposure but it sounds like we do need to go back to groundwork as you said.
He is still spooky in hand but isn’t as explosive and seems less inclined to run for home.
He had his tack checked about 4 weeks ago with no issues identified. He has a chiropractor every 4 weeks for maintenance work and no concerns have been raised. Teeth are due in October. He was shod 1.5 weeks ago again, no issues. So I guess the next port of call would be vet.

Thank you very much. Do you recommend any specific calmers? Conscious magnesium free may be more suitable as he doesn’t have a confirmed deficiency!

 

[AppyLover1996]

Thank you so much. Yes he has always been the spooky type. I have had him since he was a foal which is good as I know his full history!
I guess I’m just disappointed that he isn’t getting “better” with age and exposure but it sounds like we do need to go back to groundwork as you said.
He is still spooky in hand but isn’t as explosive and seems less inclined to run for home.
He had his tack checked about 4 weeks ago with no issues identified. He has a chiropractor every 4 weeks for maintenance work and no concerns have been raised. Teeth are due in October. He was shod 1.5 weeks ago again, no issues. So I guess the next port of call would be vet.

Thank you very much. Do you recommend any specific calmers? Conscious magnesium free may be more suitable as he doesn’t have a confirmed deficiency!

You are more than welcome

Ah right - in that case I would deffo say he is one of those horses who are naturally more wary of the world and need a little more hoof holding in general x

Having from a foal is fab as like you said you know his entire history - it's the exact reason I went for a yearling when buying my second horse - I would have the benefit of having him from a baby so would be able to do everything my way and know his entire history.

Sometimes these guys just take longer to realise that the world isn't going to eat them and hacking/ whatever they're frightened of isn't that bad. I'm a massive fan of groundwork, especially with my now rising 2 year old Rabbit. I gave him a good month and a half to adjust to his new surroundings (before coming to me he hadn't left the stud where he was born, bar to be gelded) so I was aware that it would be a massive change for him.

I do a lot of Natural Horsemanship type things from various trainers and so far we've just been working on getting him to back up, yield his hind end away from me, getting used to me being above him (by standing on the mounting block), deliberately leaving ropes etc trailing for him to stand on and figure out to stay still until someone comes to help (of course only ever done in a safe environment!), rustling various bags, making general yard noise and going out for in hand walks. So far he has been absolutely foot perfect and the things that have made him a bit worried, he has stopped and looked to me for support before proceeding.

It's interesting that you say he isn't as bad in hand as he is ridden - my retired lad Baggs was like your lad in the sense that he was much better in hand than ridden, but after a good few months, he turned it around to be confident when hacking. I don't often have someone to ride with, as despite being on a livery yard, we all have different working schedules, so unless we organise a group ride, we often end up hacking alone.

In hand hacking is deffo the way to go for sure! I was lucky that I was able to recruit my Mum to help me, so when I started hacking alone with me riding, she'd walk out with me and slowly we worked up to her staying behind for bits of the hack and getting Baggs to lead like he was on his "own". Eventually we got it to the stage where she'd hold my stirrup, I'd mount up, we'd randomly meet up on the hack and then she would disappear back to the car/ back to the yard, and sometimes when I'd go riding she wouldn't come at all. We spent several summers exploring all the hacking and not needing my Mum to be our foot soldier - although I did ask her to come along for the first time on new routes just so that we didn't go backwards.

With calmers it truly is a minefield - valerian is banned from competition which means that is obviously must be effective, however I wouldn't jump straight for that. Some horses do great on things like NAF Magic, others don't find it works - it truly is horses for courses when it comes to calmers and supplements in general I find. I personally had a lot of success with NAF Magic - but my friend borrowed some and found it made her mare worse and her mare does better on straight Magnesium Oxide x

It is do-able, it'll just take time, but it'll be so worth it in the end. As I said - he may still have the odd moment where he reverts back to his prior ways, but overall hacking should become a lot nicer for both of you x

 

[lialls]

I have the same with my mare, usually at this time of year, she's not so bad once she's full of summer grass. I find feeding a gut supplement (currently using Premier Performance Gut Ease) helps but doesn't cure it. Getting off to hand graze is also useful or just taking them for a walk and letting them graze somewhere they might find spooky is enough to break the cycle and they usually 'come down' enough to carry on the ride. It takes some breaking the habit but i think taking a step back and the pressure off once they've got 'high' holds some weight.

I would keep trying with the arena hire and other horses, time it well so there is only 1 other horse in there with you and build up slowly. Sally will be 9 this year and finds busy warm up arenas very exciting! but is manageable and we do a lot of standing in the corner just watching others until it's a bit quieter.

At rising 7 he's still young, take your time and go slow, you've still got loads of time to iron these bits out.

 

[Mrs G]

Hi Op, this sentence struck a chord with me: "I am conscious I still need to stay relaxed but this does become challenging with his behaviour and unpredictability". My lad, once wound up, could put a rodeo horse to shame with his acrobatics. My life has been saved so many times by a saddle/balance strap. It cost about £10, buckles on to my saddle d rings and I can hang on to it for dear life without him having any clue because he cant feel me gripping it (unlike with a neck strap or the reins)! Then I can anchor myself in the saddle, make soothing/calming noises, and usually (!) sit to his nonsense (all the while secretly fearing for my life). I have spent entire hacks, whole rounds of showjumping and full clinic lessons with a couple of fingers to my whole hand gripped round it. It has done wonders for my confidence - which then feeds on to the horse too - which often diffuses situations and stops them escalating in itself - not to mention saved me from falls/injuries! As an aside, I've also got quite adept at riding/steering with one hand...

 

[southerncomfort]

Sorry if this has been suggested already, but have you tried taking him to some TREC obstacle clinics?

I took my boy to a few when he was younger, and they most definitely helped him become incredibly brave and bold out hacking.

 

[emilylou]

Have you tried getting off? I appreciate it may not be completely practical in all situations but if you can, I'd try getting off and just walking along with him on the hack for a while until he calms down and then getting back on again. It sounds like he struggles to return to 'chill mode' after fight/flight kicks in and this 'might' help him switch off.
The science explanation is switching from the sympathetic nervous system back to the parasympathetic nervous system, which sounds like its a tricky transition for him to make. So maybe getting off, a bit of a head scratch, eat some grass (or walk beside him until he's calm enough to eat) and let him mooch about for a bit then get back on and carry on.
The theory being that over time you'll be able achieve a calm state in less and less time and eventually be able to do it while staying on.

 

[fredflop]

Hard work and lots of it

 

[Olivia&Archie]

Hard work and lots of it

As in the process is hard work or working the horse harder?

 

[Olivia&Archie]

We have this problem too. To be fair, my mare isn't really that spooky but when she does get tense she finds it very difficult to come back down. And I am an anxious rider too so we wind eachother up.


This is basically my tactic too and it definitely helps with a lot of things. Road signs, cones, prams etc, like man-made things. It doesn't necessarily help with the weird shadows and the holes in the hedge and killer sheep with terror-lambs but it does build a really great base of trust on the ground! It's a work in progress but when this doesn't cut it, I am asking for a hand target (ideally with a lowered head) to break any fixation and hopping off and leading past anything that is really freaking her out. If she will walk calmly past she gets a reward, if she looks at it then back to me she gets a reward. Honestly, the sooner I get off and it turns back into groundwork, the better it goes and the sooner she relaxes and I can hop back on to a happier pony. If I stay on and push her through it, we both just carry more tension and the next thing is going to be twice as hard.

Chatting and singing both work well for us as well. I will verbally talk myself through "I am relaxing my legs! I am sitting on my seat bones! I am projecting confidence and being a mentor, not a mother!" in the cheeriest tone I can muster I sound like an absolute loon but it definitely helps! We have been having issues with sheep so now I see a sheep and go "LOOK AT THAT LOVELY LITTLE SHEEP, DO YOU SEE THEM, HELLO SHEEP" like it's the best, most wonderful thing in the world and then she looks at the sheep and gets a couple of grass nuts.

Just wanted to update you after our hack yesterday!
Happy to say it was much much better. If he found something scary, I allowed him time to stop, look at it, even move closer to it with lots of reassurance. Then spent the entire hack singing my favourite songs. If there was something scary (cows) I made a song up about cows haha! Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[McGrools]

My 4 year old Connie is tense and spooky. I put acoustic ears on him as he seems noise sensitive. Especially with noises behind him, and draw reins so I can put his head and neck low if he gets tense. I’m hopeful he will improve with confidence and practice. Getting there xx

 

[Spiritedly]

Just wanted to update you after our hack yesterday!
Happy to say it was much much better. If he found something scary, I allowed him time to stop, look at it, even move closer to it with lots of reassurance. Then spent the entire hack singing my favourite songs. If there was something scary (cows) I made a song up about cows haha! Thank you so much for your advice!

I make up songs too. One of my favourite things to sing to Will is to the tune of ' Jesus Christ Superstar'

It goes....

' Jesus Christ!
It's just a car!
You hacking like a tw@t is why we never go far!'

He spooks at his reflection in cars a lot

 

[Red-1]

Just wanted to update you after our hack yesterday!
Happy to say it was much much better. If he found something scary, I allowed him time to stop, look at it, even move closer to it with lots of reassurance. Then spent the entire hack singing my favourite songs. If there was something scary (cows) I made a song up about cows haha! Thank you so much for your advice!

Yes! As well as laughing, I sing a LOT. The words get all involved about whatever we see.