How to stop

[sherbet]

I started to hack my mare by herself and she is a nappy mare no other way to describe it. She will hack with others 100% take the lead etc but I want to be able to hack by myself
Yesterday she was not to bad stopped, span faced correct way then walked 2 steps repeat and so it went on. I had to get of and lead her out the way as someone needed to pass me on the drive. Today she was worse with the spinning and we ended up following a lady who had a carrot but the spinning was really bad.
She always spins right so today I held whip in right hand
Anyone have and advcice on how to stop the spinning and get her going forward
Have instructor coming thurs to help out
All cheeks done within last month

 

[Brandy]

I'm sure there will be people with more helpful comments than mine - one of mine is a bit like this but not as bad with the spinning.

First thing is to try not to let her stop, keep her moving if she stops then spins. Is she scared of something? - my boy feels like he's going to explode as he is such a wimp on his own (will follow another horse anywhere like a donkey....) so keeping him moving is a mind over matter thing!!

Does having your whip in the right hand help? Maybe flexing her to the left might help. I am never afriad of getting off and leading as often once we are out he settles down.

Will watcht he thread with interest for any tips!

Good luck.

 

[be positive]

You dont say how old or experienced she is, so a few suggestions to get started. Although she is good in company, is she truely confident and understanding of everything or does she lack self confidence at other times.
Or is she being naughty wanting to stay with her friends, if the former I would really work on building her trust in you do some work in the school then go for short walks at the end, in hand if it is easier, then gradually extend the walks without any time pressure, lots of confidence building will pay off.
If it is her being naughty you need to stop the spin before she gets fully round each spin is a small victory for her, keep her flexed to the left, whip on right shoulder and be prepared to hold her when she tries to turn, easier said than done, but if you can stop it once or twice she may well give in and go forward.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

I would get her on the bit and fully engaged behind and leg yield, shoulder in, travers and the such like. lots of transitions within the pace and lots of keeping her occupied, infront of your leg and listening to you. The better schooled she is on the flat the easier she will be to keep engaged. The more she is engaged the harder it will be for her to do anything.

Also- ABORT THE FOETAL POSITION!! sit up and look ahead! bottom under, boobs up and MARCH!

 

[sprite1978]

How secure are you in the saddle?..... I only say this because i had a similar problem, and the following worked a treat.

We have a long driveway with a hedge at one side and a post and rail fence the other. When we tried to leave the yard, he would napp. I got the yard owner to follow me and everytime he backed off and tried to spin, she would crack a lunge whip behind him. He would fire off forwards ( hence the question about the secure seat!), and we just had to keep up the momentum. We did this a couple of times, and he has never napped since. Everytime he even thinks of turning now, i just have to threaten with the crop and he goes forward.

She needs to know its not acceptable, to prevent more trouble further down the line.

 

[Brandy]

Also- ABORT THE FOETAL POSITION!! sit up and look ahead! bottom under, boobs up and MARCH!

Lol!! I can second this. As I said, for me its mind over matter, so we think positive thoughts - we ARE going for a nice hack, and I will not curl up and wish I wasn't there. It actually works wonders. My boy is really good with company, but a nervous wreck on his own, but also takes his confidence from me so I HAVE to be confident even when I don't feel it. Talking to him works well too and I natter away at all times 'yes thats a person walkign their dog, people are not scary, nor are dogs, you've seen them before. Here are some swans on the river, i hope they don't take off in opposite directions again....' and so on.

 

[sherbet]

She is 8 yrs TB not raced but trained. Today we troted a few yards which I thought was a break through as at least she was going forwards. Once she has stopped, span gone forwads a couple of times I got her facing forward then got of walked her in hand so we reached end goal. I think she is just being a cow bag. Do you think instructor should riude her thurs to see if she plays the same tricks or should I ride and instrucpt advice from floor

 

[forestfantasy]

How secure are you in the saddle?..... I only say this because i had a similar problem, and the following worked a treat.

We have a long driveway with a hedge at one side and a post and rail fence the other. When we tried to leave the yard, he would napp. I got the yard owner to follow me and everytime he backed off and tried to spin, she would crack a lunge whip behind him. He would fire off forwards ( hence the question about the secure seat!), and we just had to keep up the momentum. We did this a couple of times, and he has never napped since. Everytime he even thinks of turning now, i just have to threaten with the crop and he goes forward.

She needs to know its not acceptable, to prevent more trouble further down the line.

Agree with this & TT ^^

Also DONT get off!

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

How secure are you in the saddle?..... I only say this because i had a similar problem, and the following worked a treat.

We have a long driveway with a hedge at one side and a post and rail fence the other. When we tried to leave the yard, he would napp. I got the yard owner to follow me and everytime he backed off and tried to spin, she would crack a lunge whip behind him. He would fire off forwards ( hence the question about the secure seat!), and we just had to keep up the momentum. We did this a couple of times, and he has never napped since. Everytime he even thinks of turning now, i just have to threaten with the crop and he goes forward.

She needs to know its not acceptable, to prevent more trouble further down the line.

I used to have a horse that would do this hence sitting up- I used to have a bucket of water thrown at us as people could stand further away and it was a bit safer for them! then you just waved the bucket and he would shoot forwards!

 

[sprite1978]

you need to find the confidence to stay on her - other wise let the instructor have the fight. Everytime you get off, its a little victory for her. She wants you to be on the ground like the lead horse would be if you were in company. it will just reinforce the napping.

 

[be positive]

If you are secure enough you really need to be on top so that a victory when it comes is yours not the instructors.
If she was in training the chances are she has not hacked alone, many ex racers are brilliant in company but have no idea alone and you really do need to be stronger, mentally not just physically, than her on this issue.

 

[sherbet]

I agree re getting off but when your by yourself and already won a couple of battles the will starts to go, I will ride on thurs and get instructor to "chase" with lunge whip as she wont react badly to this she is not scared just a cowbag!!
thanks for advice guys keep it coming getting very fired up to beat this

 

[stencilface]

Mine always spins right too, and the way to stop this is to take hold of the right rein, right leg on, turn their head right ime. Normally when they spin they will do this by pushing their shoulder out and ducking that way, by turning their head/neck that way and having a firm leg on that side they cannot spin.

That said, sometimes I do not catch it in time, then I have the problem that he won't turn back the way he came. My solution (that works) to this if I'm on a track (maybe too slippy on road depending on surface, is to open my left hand, and calmly, but firmly pony club kick his right side until he turns. Mine is 11 and knows better!

Only thing is, with a TB - once you cure one method of evasion, be on the look out for the next

 

[forestfantasy]

you need to find the confidence to stay on her - other wise let the instructor have the fight. Everytime you get off, its a little victory for her. She wants you to be on the ground like the lead horse would be if you were in company. it will just reinforce the napping.

agreed

 

[stencilface]

I agree re getting off but when your by yourself and already won a couple of battles the will starts to go, I will ride on thurs and get instructor to "chase" with lunge whip as she wont react badly to this she is not scared just a cowbag!!
thanks for advice guys keep it coming getting very fired up to beat this

Noooo! Perserverance is key, you are the dominant animal here, and you do have the stronger will power to win til she has stopped trying. You can obviously fix it - just keep going

 

[forestfantasy]

I agree re getting off but when your by yourself and already won a couple of battles the will starts to go

You need to be in the 'I'm going to win' frame of mind.
Even if the ride takes 2 hours instead of 1 you have to be consistent. & don't give in and get off!!!
She will soon realise its much easier to go forward than mess about and be out twice as long.

 

[stencilface]

You need to have Winston Churchill in your head for days like these

Never give in - never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

NB and hope your horse hasn't read the same

 

[muff747]

I would advise making sure that when you set off and get out, there is nothing unpleasant waiting for her, i.e. smacking or shouting, she will remember that mostly when going out and will make her not want to leave her friends.
When my gelding was spooky, I found he was much better and calmed down quicker if I concentrated on making sure I wasn't tensing up too much. You have to make sure you are secure but if your shoulders, arms and back/bum are all rigid and tensed up, she will feel that and think you are ready to run if something jumps out of the hedge!
I once rode out with a friend, she on my horse and me on hers and I was amaized at how calm my horse was and she just said " O that's just my big floppy bottom" which made me laugh but actually really made me think about my body, and it did work when I relaxed.
Try to make your outings pleasurable for her and not even more frightening.

 

[Myhorseeatsmoney]

I can only echo other members thoughts. You must not get off if you do you are enforcing her bad behaviour. You have to make her realise that it is not worth her while spinning or napping. One of my horses was a real pro at it and I started losing my confidence with him. So a friend came out with us on a bike and every time he tried it she squirted him from a powerful water pistol. It made me laugh so much that I didnt have time to worry and he didn't need it after the second time.

 

[gryff]

Using a myler combination bit cured my strong welsh d of this habit. It was usually combined with an attempt to gallop home too. The first time he tried it whilst in the myler, I managed to sense it before he could set his neck. I think the longer shanks, (even though it was a short shank version), just gave more pressure on his cheeks.

 

[rockysmum]

Have you tried long reining her. I have only had two youngsters, an arab years ago and our current warmblood. Both were long reined extensively and neither have a problem going out alone, its better than leading out for giving them confidence.

I haven't tried it with an older horse to overcome your problem, but it might work. The breaking yard our warmblood was on took her for miles on the long reins before they ever sat on her and the one problem she doesn't have is confidence hacking alone.

Perhaps its my age but I would rather fight these battles on the ground now.

 

[E_Lister]

I have never been sitting on a horse that would do this, but my regular hacking buddy's horse used to do this. Like yours, he would only spin to the right, so my friend tried holdign her whip to the right, flexing him to the left and all the normal tricks to no avail.

We came up with a novel method... my pony is a hacking goddess (we hacked past a fireball the other day which we hadn't realised was there (a dutch barn full of nearly £1000 worth of straw which has been on fire for about 45 mins... no horses were harmed and hopefully the insurance will pay out as they caught the kids that did it!!) and she barely even looked at the flourescent firemen, their engines, the firehose, the inferno or the gathered shrieking audience!) so I used to have to ride on her right hand side.

The first few of times he got belly bounced back, mid spin, to the direction he was facing before! Eventually though, when her horse tried to spin, he found the way was blocked, and his friend was by his side, so no need to panic! I had a couple of bruised knees from when he realised that his buddy was there a little too late but it worked.

Case in point, that fire I mentioned... he was there too, he looked, snorted and his head flew up, but he walked calmly past it. (He was behind my pony, but for a while that wouldn't have stopped him from spinning and setting off.)

Ok, this probably isn't very BHS, if you are going to do it, you need a horse whose photo should be next to the word bombproof in the dictionary with an idiot aboard who doesn't mind bruised knees
I was originally worried about him hurting her if he hit her, but he is a lightweight beastie and my pony is the very definition of a tank! She didn't even care those few times he bounced off her and now he is no longer inclined to spin, regardless of whether he is out alone or in company!

Yes, my friend still rides with her whip to the right, and it took a lot of patience and perseverance on her part to consistantly ride him, whenever he tried to spin she would ride him forward until he settled and she would never lose her cool, even if he was being a total plank. But it is possible to stop it!