how to stop the horse from shying at familiar things?

[eva]

Hi all,

My horse recently started shying at a poster in an indoor arena where we exercise at least weekly, sometimes more often. He didn't do it before! I let him come close to it and sniff it and pat him to tell it's ok, but every time he sees it he again shies like crazy! There's no chance the poster would be taken off, it's a sponsor's poster, but what am I to do?! Competitions run in this school as well so it really sucks shying away from something he's seen 100% times!!!

 

[Cuppatea]

do you always do the same thing in the school? maybe he's getting bored and using it as an excuse to play. Does he still do it at the end of your exercise when he is more tired?

 

[eva]

yep, he does it even when he's tired I try and vary things all the time, I don't think he's bored, and he's not very playful type, normally he's very genuine.

 

[noblesteed]

My friend has 'taught' her horse that drains by the roadside are dangerous. Because she expects him to shy at them, he now does so and quite violently...
The more you expect him to do it he will. You need to ride positively past it and ignore it. Don't even look at it. Leg yield the other way if that helps. Eventually your horse will start to trust your judgement in telling him it's safe, and things will improve. Exactly the same process as you would use passing a scary object out hacking - ignore, look beyond it, turn horses head away, leg on.
My horse used to spook ridiculously at items in the school he had seen hundreds of times. Funny how he never does it hacking! Some just get bored in the school.

 

[Booboos]

Might be worth getting his eye sight checked. If all is OK, try to associate the poster with something positive, like rewarding him with food everytime he choses to move towards it, otherwise ignore it for a while and work at the other end of the school.