How I cured my nappy horse! Please add your tips :)

[sophiebailey]

After the recent influx of threads about napping, I thought I'd start one where everyone could share their success stories and others could pick up methods and tips if they are struggling with a nappy horse

*i use the word cured in a loose sense, as Bailey still does nap very occasionally, but I can now deal with it!*

BACKGROUND

I got Bailey 1yr 4months ago and he flat out refused to go anywhere alone. He would get to a certain point (usually the bottom of the yard) and spin and hurry back in the opposite direction, sometimes unseating me with the speed of his spins and leaving me behind!! He would never buck or rear though, but he also use to reverse backwards quickly before spinning so I'd feel very unsecure in the saddle!!

WHAT I DID

1) Started hacking out in company at least 4 times a week. Very gradually and not under pressure, I encouraged Bailey to walk to the side of the lead horse, and then eventually walk ahead by a nose, 1 stride, 2 strides until a few months later when we could lead part of the hack

2) When he was happy being in front by a few strides, I started hacking out alone with my mum walking with me. We'd do a small route and if he stopped and tried to spin, I'd turn him back around and mum would encourage him past whatever he was being a tit at. I hacked out with a walker for a good 8-10 months, at least twice a week, still hacking out in company another once or twice.

3) Eventually, mum started walking at Baileys shoulder, then at his tummy, then his bum and eventually totally behind him.

4) When I was feeling comfortable, I started doing small circular hacks on my own. I found it really helped if I had something to 'get to' for example; mum would wait halfway around with a treat for the horse, or I'd hack to meet a friend, go for a ride and then hack back, or hack alone to my riding lesson and hack back.

WHAT I DO WHEN HE NAPS

1) All the way around the hack I am singing and chattering to Bailey. This helps me to keep breathing and sort of makes him tune out a bit to what's going on around him.

2) I do little schooling exercises whilst hacking to engage his brain, very simple leg yielding from one side of the track to the other, shoulders in and a bit of flexing.

3) When he does stop I sit very quietly in the saddle. I keep my reins short and use them to prevent him from turning around. With Bailey I've found if I use too much leg, he'll just back off from me and start to reverse. So......

4) When he's stationary I use one hand to rub his neck and tell him he's ok and generally reassure him that its ok to go forwards. I then squeeze very gently and ask for a few steps forward. In general repeating this exercise (as he will do 2 steps forwards then 1 sideways then 1 backwards) can take the best part of 5 minutes, but I just stay calm + keep reassuring him + nudging him on until we're past whatever's causing the drama.

5) In my experience, pony club kicking and shouting and waving a crop did not help me, it just wound Bailey up and made things worse. Keeping calm and using positive reassurance is the only thing that works *i appreciate all horses are different and some may not respond to this method*


Perhaps the most important thing of all is to know when to pick your battles. If he trys to nap on the road I get straight off and lead him. Its too dangerous to battle on a road! There's no shame in getting off to lead then re-mounting when you're comfortable. I've done it many a time and it hasn't hindered our progress

I can't think of any more tips right now, perhaps other members who have overcome napping can share their tips and in the bowl there should be some techniques that can work for every one

There is no quick fix for napping, its a long + teary road but when you finally crack it there's no better feeling!!!

I hope I've been of help to someone!xxxxx

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Thats fab, will show my daughter. Her nappy horse sound very similar to your Bailey, also if something makes him jump he will jump and either fall over or spin round. She has only had him 2 1/2 months and has had a little improvement.

 

[sophiebailey]

If he trips then he sounds just like Bailey who I'm certain uses falling over as a form of avoidance wow 2.5 months and already improving is fantastic well done her xxx

 

[FreddiesGal]

My one still naps but I've also found kicking/flapping about makes the situation worse and gets him more flustered. I also think getting off and leading is good. IMO it's much better to just hop off, lead past and get back on like nothing has happened, than make a mountain out of a molehill and spend 20 minutes winding each other up!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It was by no means a cure but it certainly stopped her b*ggering about on that occasion.
Mare was refusing to go in direction I asked her, she started backing up and eventually backed herself into an oil drum, with a nice prickly hawthorn bush behind it! She jumped forwards rather rapidly then!

 

[swalk]

I bought Bob, knowing that he was very nappy, to the point that the owner had given up on trying to ride him out. When I got him home, he was fine in the indoor from what I remember, so I took him out for the first time with another horse. Within 10 mins he had spun left and done a bit of plunging. I got him going on but could tell he was just feeling his feet. The next time I took him out, I put a martingale on him which gave me much more control (he is only in snaffle and flash otherwise). I was ready for him to try spinning left so stopped him when he tried so then he tried rearing and plunging. I was carrying a fairly heavy schooling whip so that I could hit him without taking hands off reins so with combination of strong hand, smacks from whip (not hard) and lots of shouting I got him going on but it was a fight for the first 15 mins or so. I had to go through this probably 2 or 3 more times and since then I have never really had a problem. He is still a dick if I take him out alone and occasionally will put in a plunge or something when he is excited (like when he thought he was being shot at whilst we were trying to do a Novice test) but other than that he is fine. Previously with nappy horses I have employed the lunge whip up the bottom administered by someone hiding in a strategic place but Bob did not need that.

 

[swalk]

I always think, if your horse spins, say to the left, do not turn them full circle to get them facing forward but turn them back right so that they have not been allowed to turn the way they want to go.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The main thing that helped with my sometimes dreadfully nappy mare (due to her being a nervous ninny) was to only do circular or lolly pop shaped routes. We never turn around on the spot and go back the way we came.

I used to ride with two schooling whips as you can flap them (rotate your wrists to move them, but be careful so you don't jab the horse in its mouth) and that sent her forwards very effectively.

If she was really in a state I would ask her to stand nicely so that I could dismount. Then I would lead her past the scary thing and remount (again, she must stand nicely) once we were past it. I never thought of it as a defeat because she had done exactly as I asked. It also meant that she was more confident about go past the scary thing on the next hack, as it hadn't eaten her before. So quite often I only needed to dismount the first time.

I like to have a couple of fingers through her martingale neck strap because sometimes she decides to go past the scary thing rather suddenly. So you get plant to power trot in a split second. I don't want to jab her in the mouth (and therefore punish her) when she is going forwards as I ask.

If your horse whips round - riding with slightly wider hands (if you feel them dithering) means that you can 'catch' the whip round more easily. Pressing/tapping the schooling whip that they are moving towards on their shoulder also helps to keep them straight. If your horse whips to the left and right, then two schooling whips are very helpful here too.

I agree with singing as I often couple this with 'sit up and leg on' forward thinking style riding and not looking at any scary thing. I often find that if I ignore the scary flower she naps/spooks less.

Sometimes a quick tap behind the leg is needed to back up your leg.

Sometimes waiting it out is best.

If your horse rears when napping, don't put your leg on too strong. If they really don't want to go forwards, too much leg can send them up (particularly if your contact has become a bit too strong on the reins). With a horse like this, voice aids can really help so train him/her to 'walk on' when you lead to/from the field and stable. I like to put my leg on as much as I feel they will take and say 'walk on,' if they move forwards they get a pat and the pressure taken off. I then wait a couple of seconds before I ask again. Quite often they will do the power trot to get past the scary thing fast.

With a nappy horse always ride at the quietest times and choose the quietest routes. Don't make it any more dangerous than it needs to be.

I know that there are plenty of people who would think that I am too soft, but every napper that I have ridden has been nervous rather than pig-headed, so that is why I tackled it in the above ways.

 

[swalk]

Just to echo Faracat.....it totally depends on the horse how you approach the problem, there's never one size fits all remedy which is the joy of horses in the first place (I think....)!

 

[Penny Less]

Been there, done all that! 3 years later still a nightmare on his own, but as OPs horse excellent in company. I have always had to deal with this on my own as rarely had anyone around to assist. We have gone totally back to square one now I have had to move yards and everything is terrifying to him. For a horse that is scared of the wide world, he is an absolute gem to load, on the few occasions we have travelled he just walks straight in the trailer! Im sure he is agoraphobic! (except for his paddock which he is reluctant to Leave !)

 

[Kaylum]

When I got K he span at dogs and tractors. The cure is not to stay away but to confront them and walk past calmly. Get dogs to go near him and tie him next to a tractor. Don't stay safe in a school but get out and let him see stuff. He would merrily go last the supermarket carpark with trolley and bags.

Also get the eyes checked, my friends was blind in one eye and napped around to see.

 

[Simbacat]

LOVE this thread, as some of you may know, Yuta my mare and I are a work in progress. Trotting really really helps, in slow motion walk everything looks scary , at a trott it goes by too fast to react to. singing and riding positively helps, I wonder if a shot of vodka might be a good thing - for me not her! Never turn around on the trail, made that rooky mistake today on a long track we had galloped on the day before, what a nightmare! On a separate note I have to deal with rein snatching and head tossing when she goes second ( as opposed to the napping when first ) but have had real success with wrapping one rein around the poley on my stock saddle ) on quite a long rein) and having the other one totally loose. So she is pulling against herself when she snatches, but isn't confined, which would send her mad. She has been giving up the ghost on snatching - with this approach coupled with just riding her into the safety stop horse in front on a loose rein. 2 months in now, anyone got any idea on how long it might take to really fix these issues?

 

[sophiebailey]

Sounds like you're making good progress simbacat I also have a safety stop horse named Bear who provides my brakes when Bailey unleashes his inner race horse!

It sounds like you've found something that really works for you and her so stick with it!! It took in excess of a year to deal with Bailey's napping and we still have a few hiccups now and then but I'd say that the longer you persevere, the better your confidence gets and you actually start enjoying riding out and so it doesn't feel like so much of a chore.

What you've acheived in 2 months is brilliant though, so it might take you a much shorter length of time to iron out the issues than it took me xxx

 

[swalk]

Bob's inner fear is being the only horse in the world and once he cannot see another horse there is a strong possibility that he is the only horse left in the world and then he gets very upset! The prat.