Improving a horse's concentration

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Gorgeous George

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George is a a very nosey horse and if there is anything strange or spooky he will go around with his head held high, ears pricked, staring at it. He often doesn't spook but he certainly isn't listening to me.

Has anyone got any ideas of what I could do to get his attention back to me in the school and on a hack? I know this is one of the things that makes me nervous, although he mostly doesn't do anything I feel he could be a few steps away from doing something daft.

Thanks
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India is exactly like this. My OH says that as soon as I get on I need to be asking her to do things. She makes me nervous when I first get on because she can be quite bouncy. It's all about gaining control.

I now straight away start asking her to bend round things. Have some jump wings up and weave your way through them, do lots of figures of 8. It's all about getting their attention on you and not on whats going on around them. Slow the walk right down with your seat and do lots of transitions. Don't be afraid to give a good tug on the reins to get him to bend.

It's exactly the prob I have and have found the above to work well. Don't forget to breath!
 
Hi Trish
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My advice in the school would just be to keep him busy, lots of transitions on different size circles, serpentines, changes of rein. Keep him so busy that he just doesn't have time to think about anything else other than you!
 
Use your leg- the leg should should be the attention grabber. Ride a shoulder-fore or ben him, make him listen. If he ignores the leg then a tap with a schooling stick may help
 
Fudge used to be exactly the same, I know from experience that all of the advice above works.
When out hacking if I spy something potentially spooky in the distance, I focus his attention on me by doing some lateral work, this stops him spooking as does working properly whilst out on a hack rather than slouching along.
 
As said it is all about keeping the horses brain occupied, so loads of transitions and just keep them guessing all the time. My horse can we a gem to ride if we do this or can be hell and on the lunge well she just loses it because we can't always get her attention
 
Keep him busy. Don't give him chance to look at anything else.

Lots of transistions, changes of rein, lateral work. Don't do the same circle more than once. Direct transistions, changes within a pace. All sorts! Make him listen to you, and if he ignores an aid from you give him a tap with the schooling whip. He will learn v quickly that he has to listen to you.
 
Have you tried any feed supplements? Being easily distracted and having little concentration can be a sign of a deficiency (esp magnesium).

I had a gelding who was a spooky pain in the ass until I put him onto Magic Calmer. It took the edge off him just enough so that he could listen to what i was trying to tell him.
 
I agree with the others, keep him busy with transitions etc etc.

Out on a hack, I have been taught that when my horse spots something he doesnt like, head up, snorting at it etc, I MUST NOT look at whatever he is looking at, no matter how tempting, instictive it feels, I have to look away and just ride forward like my life depends on it, and it DOES help!
 
I thought about supplements and I have tried him on Topspec - no effect and he is currently on Nupafeed but I haven't noticed a great deal of difference.
 
If he's a pain out hacking then I would school on a hack too. Keep him between the aids and do things like leg yield and shoulder in to keep him busy.

I honestly don't think it's a calmer issue as he's not being naughty or generally stressy, he's just taking the pee a bit. He has to know you mean business and you have to make him listen to you.
 

Gorgeous_George you are not the only one! I was going to put a post exactly the same! My horse is such a nosey chap! He cant resist looking at everything when we hack out! hes not spooky just nosey! (feels like driving a car with the hand brake on!) To be honest, I put off schooling him for a while because of his lack of concentration. However, lastnite we were brave and ventured into the school, and I rode lots of transitions and changes of rien and he was really good. In fact, tonight we will do a bit more!
 
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