How to work through napping in the school ?

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Eira

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Just after some guidance please
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Last night Sol became very nappy in the school and to avoid walking forward , she would reverse all the way up the school , everytime you put leg on she'd cow kick , as soon as she would move forward she would plant and spin .
This was all because she didn't want to work on a circle in my lesson .

So how do I combat her nappiness ?
I dont carry a crop as she is very sharp and if I touched her with it , she'd have me on the floor before I could blink
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So any advice welcome
ETA - Back,teeth,saddle all ok
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When she goes into reverse - make her do it, actually make her rein back until you tell her to stop (even if you have to go all the way round!) that may make her change her ways. Works with one of ours - really wants to stop after you've started 'making' him go backwards
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and then push her forwards again....

Probably get slated for writing that.....
 
If you were in a lesson, why don't you get the instructor to get behind her with a lunge whip? not to hit her, just to make her do what you want.
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I keep 'nagging' milly with my leg.. to go forward (even if shes napping backwards) and once she stops still i will wait as long as needed until she will walk forwards.

Its been a while and now she will nap only when walking past the gate which is not so bad and it takes a quick reminder that we're working and she'll carry on.

You not going to choose a RC then?
 
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You not going to choose a RC then?

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After the week i've had , I no longer know if I have
a) a lorry
b) a horse that walks forward
c) the will to live
So i'l let you make your own answer to the question
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Does she nap towards the gate or does she just nap when she doesn't want to do something?

If it's just when she's having a strop has anything in particular prompted it? Like has she been asked to do something new, something she hasn't understood or something she finds hard so it's easier just to throw her toys out? (Going on the basis it's not pain related since she's been thoroughly checked out).

If it's at/towards the gate I just read an article in Horse & Rider (the USA version) about how to remedy it and tbh it's pretty much common sense now it's been pointed out (my horse is the same). Basically it's the theory that you make doing the right thing easy and the wrong things hard and the horse "self learns"

So if she's nappy at the gate that is where you work her and don't let up. Then take a break at the other end of the school and let her relax for a while. Start work again and if she's still nappy then go back to working at the gate end of the school. It won't take her long to learn that being at the gate = hard work for her and behaving in the whole school is easier for her.

When you are working at the gate work her hard, not as in ride her into the ground, but just keep her thinking with changes of pace, changes within the pace, loads of transitions, lateral work so on and so forth. Then let her walk round on a loose rein at the other end of the school.

It took a couple of session with my gelding at our old yard but he learned pretty quick and settled to working in the whole school. He's started it again at the new yard, not bad but just through turns his shoulder is always heading to the gate. He's just coming back into work so isn't really to be really "worked" so we've just been doing a few circles at teh gate and he's realising already that the gate isn't his way back to his bed!

Good luck with your mare, she's lovely looking
 
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When she goes into reverse - make her do it, actually make her rein back until you tell her to stop (even if you have to go all the way round!) that may make her change her ways. Works with one of ours - really wants to stop after you've started 'making' him go backwards
grin.gif
and then push her forwards again....

Probably get slated for writing that.....

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, my girly took off in the field once, instead of trying to stop, I kicked on, bearing in mind it was a hot summer day, 16 laps of the huge XC field and I let her stop, never done it since and that was nearly 4yrs ago now.
 
I agree, use psychological means as per equestrian fairy.

When jake used to nap and back up, I used to turn him in circles even going backwards until he decided to go forward. I didnt use a stick with him either as he could buck like a bronco. The trick is not to loose your temper either.
 
with the youngster at my yard that throws a strop if she thinks she is having to do Another circle we tried the reversing option but it only worked once. we're now having much more success with avoidance - not getting into a situation where she feels she needs to say no. I run round putting bollards and poles randomly about the school and then the rider works round/over them constantly changing pace and direction, the key being to teach her that she doesn't know what we're doing so she;d better listen. working brilliantly so far.
She will now do 2 circles in a row without going stuffy which a few weeks back were impossible.
 
i will probably get shouted down here, but I would keep schooling/going round and round an arena to a minimum with a 4 year old.
 
[ QUOTE ]
When she goes into reverse - make her do it, actually make her rein back until you tell her to stop (even if you have to go all the way round!) that may make her change her ways. Works with one of ours - really wants to stop after you've started 'making' him go backwards
grin.gif
and then push her forwards again....

Probably get slated for writing that.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. works well I think!
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Alternatively you can just make it really uncomfortable for her when she does nap - turn her in small circles, then when she is done having a strop, calmly walk her on
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It was in a lesson , she was required to do one circle and she threw a hissy fit so it cant really be counted as going round and round
She isnt schooled often once/twice a week , she is also lunged and is more than capable of doing a circle .
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Sorry I didnt mean to offend, its just that I know of 2 horses that did so much as 4 year olds that you cannot even lead them into a menage now. It doesnt sound like yours does too much, just being a bit of a prima donna, little monkey!
 
I am going to sound incredibly harsh now and probably get slated for it but the 3 things I have quickly realised with youngsters are:
1. They MUST go forwards, and they MUST do it when asked, not 10 seconds later. Mine tried it on a bit when she realised she had to work and her reaction was to threaten to go up and then bronc until rider came off. Instructor was immediately called and basically every time she even thinks anout "backwards" in whatever form (literally/napping/bucking etc) she is sent forwards. With a youngster I would be very wary about rein back as it isn't going forward.
2. The horse MUST accept and respond to the leg - no questions asked. If it ignores it or kicks/bucks etc welly it. DON'T nag as you will end up with an unresponsive horse, put your leg on and expect a response and if that doesn't work welly it and failing that use a stick.
3. The horse MUST accept the whip, especially as a 4 year old. Unless she has been beaten and badly abused in the past there is no excuse except stroppiness. Stick a neck strap on, and if she ignores your leg grab the neckstrap with one hand and give her a short sharp smack with the whip - if necessary get your instructor to clip on a lungeline so if she does explode the first few times someone has control but in all honesty I would't be frightened to use a stick and if she is that bad get her desensitised to sticks now (don't hit her, just hold one when your grooming, touch her with it gentally etc and when you ride carry one so she is used to it there even if you don't ever have to use it).

4 year olds, especially sport horse types, are bloomin big, strong and athletic horses and once they learn to take the P you've had it. You MUST ride forwards, forwards, forwards and she MUST accept you aids, whether natural or artificial.
 
Had all this with Oscar recently.

Voice commands are quite important and making sure you're not gripping with your knee and tensing up. I thought that if I smacked Oscar he'd buck me off but one day he got me to such a point that I walloped him.....and he's been getting better ever since ;-)

I'm afraid that I've had to do a few pony club kicks to get my way but he is now slowly realising that I'm the boss!
 
Thankyou for the advice , Yes she is big and very strong ( 17HH IDXTB)
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That all makes total sense , your not going to get slated by me .
While be putting my BP on tonight and giving it a go
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