how do i unspook un nap a tb mare????

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showley1

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Hi is it possible for us to bombproof a tb mare? (i cant believe i am asking this).
We have a 14 yr old on loan which i have after 5 months told the owner ( who bought her to move on) she is not suitable for my girls, the problem, i feel a sense of responsibilty for her well being, and before my girls had her on loan she was advertised as a first horse, she really is not she naps badly and is v v spooky, guess i am concerned about her future if she is again advertised as a first horse would hate to think of her passed around as she is the type of horse who needs to gain your trust, whilst my girls safety is my first thing can anyone tell me if professional schooling/help, from the ground she is a lovely creature just scared of everything out of the usual on board :(:(:(
 
14 is getting older with ingrained habits. A few things to check:

Discomfit anywhere?
Balanced diet
No physical issues

Other than that its a patience thing. Have a look at connected riding it taught my guy to relax, he was nappy when I got him now he is a quiet lovely gentleman.

His issues were imbalances in diet, he had learnt he could take advantage of his old owner and thought he was the boss, had sat in a paddock for 2+ years, pretty sure he had ulcers as he was in poor condition when I got him which exacerberated the imbalances and caused the nappy insecure behaviour.

I used a mixture of magnesium as needed, 70g salt in his feed and loose salt in the paddock, access to fibre all year round even tho he had grass, diet changed to lucerne and oats and a balanced supplement and yeast, ground work / round pen. He did a weeks groundwork with connected riding as well.

When he tried to nap I quikly learnt that if I made a big deal out of it (told him off etc) it got worse basically if I ignored the behaviou kept calm and repointing him in the right direction with a loose rein (no contact to fight) he eventually backed down, he hasn't done this in ages now.

Really depends on the horse and how much time and money you want to invest. I learnt a lot with this horse and I have an darling boy who looks after me and I have fun on.
 
Ime there is no such thing as a spooky/nappy horse.... Just a bored one!
this may offend but that is not the intention, every spooky horse I have ridden has become 'un-spooky' by being ridden forward, by this I dont mean faster but with more purrpose and lots of changes of rein, transitions and things to make them concentrate.
I will use two horses as examples e & m
e steeplechaser ex racer, a big nervous and neurotic lad. Wouldnt hack out especially not alone but slightly better in company. In a school he would look, shy and back off. And when really bad would plant, try and spin, and hop. Before someone asks he had been out of racing for 2+ years
and with a different more forward and 'interesting' was of riding he is noow a horse who gets on with his job happy and content with no shies, spooks or naps
m ex racer mare but flat so slightly more neurotic. 9+ years off the track and owner had given up on competing.
would avoid, nap, spook, 'bananna out' and out hacking would stop at things. Now she hacks out confidently, schools like a dream and will be back out competing.

these are just some of my experiences and I havent met a horse it has not worked for. Some it may not help but I havent found one yet
:-D
 
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