Is there any cure for spookiness?

P

peanut

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2007
Messages
4,465
Visit site
My 7 yo is worse in the spooking department than she was as a 4 yo. Leaping with all four feet off the ground combined with a 180 degree spin when a bird flies out of a tree is possibily justifiable, but the same behaviour when a blade of grass is facing the wrong direction is just plain ridiculous. It makes no difference whether we are in company or alone.

I'm no Anky in the saddle but I am competent, confident and fortunately have a knack for staying on (meaning that I don't think she is picking up nervous vibes from me).

I've tried Magic and it's had no effect whatsoever. She's only going to get worse once the spring grass comes in. Should I work my way through the calmers?

Has anyone any suggestions please? Will she ever improve/grow out of her sillyness?
 
I'd get her eyes checked just in case. If not I would try spook proofing her with all manner of objects, ballons, tarpaulin, flapping bags, etc.

My horse is spooky but I am more forceful with him now and in the school I make him more towards the object with my inside leg but with his head turned to the inside. If you push them across with your leg on a circle, gradually getting closer and closer to it I have found this works. A lot of times I take my horse up to a scary object and give him a long rein and use my legs to gradually get him up to the object. Then I let him sniff it and paw the object if he wants to. You have to hold tight as there is always the chance he could suddenly spin round, but I have found this works really well too and my horse has become a lot better with spooky behaviour because he is more confident in me.
 
What are you feeding her and how often are you working her? If she's getting too much hard feed and not enough work this happens with some horses. Mine has to be in constant work or he is patheticly spooky. If I excersice him for about 1/2 to 1 hr a day schooling approx 5 days per week he will hack out reasonalbley OK. If he has time off (even a week) he is really silly. It takes a while to get him settled again once he has time off. When he's in work though he's lovely. It's work getting a retuble instructor in your area to advise you on feeding/work and have a few lessons as she may also be having you on!
 
Erm.....you've just described my mare. I really hate it when trying to school and she whips round 180 degree - been there and its not nice.

I've tried calmers and have had my mare 6years and I think she's worse than she used to be.

I started having dressage lesson from a good trainer and he tells me just to ride her forward. He's seen her and he says that does spook because she's scared - its not an evasion.
 
Thank you for the replies.

I'm feeding her on Hi-Fi, Top Spec balancer and Speedibeet night and morning. She's probably not worked as much as she should be (3 x week) but the snow/ice then wet weather has made this difficult with no indoor school.

Maybe more work now that the weather has cheered up will help - I really hope so as hacking is no longer as enjoyable as it was.

Just to hear that others have similar problems does make me feel better.
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I started having dressage lesson from a good trainer and he tells me just to ride her forward. He's seen her and he says that does spook because she's scared - its not an evasion.

[/ QUOTE ]

My mare has nearly had the instructor off too - that was really embarrassing for him and me
blush.gif
 
I agree with having her eyes checked, and it would be worth having her saddle & bit checked and a physio out to make sure she is comfortable and not in any pain, as this would make a normally spooky horse even worse.
Have you considered having some lessons to hep you try to avoid and ride through the spooks as effectively as you can?
Is she turned out for a sufficient period of time every day, in company, and does she have a strict routine that will help encourage her to settle?
No feed or gadget is going to change a hrose's natural temperament, and if she has always been like this then you will have to be realistic about the degree to which you can change any natural nervousness or reactiveness that she may have. However your best bet is taking her out and about and gradually developing the amount of positive experiences that she has when faced with hazards and new environments. you could tajke ehr for in-hand walks, as being in front of her will encourage her to follow you and increase her trust in you.
Never punish her or get angry when she spooks as this will only be counter-productive, and you can't discipline a horse into not being fearful. You could try hacking out and riding with a companion, and getting off and leading her past something if she is fearful of going past and feels panicky.
 
Another one for getting her eyes checked, my mare is very spooky and has cataracts in one eye, to be fair she was spooky before but not as bad and I'm not more aware of the times I ride and how light or dark it is outside.
 
QR my boy is pretty spooky at random stuff too. I don't mind generally but it affecting our dressage scores quite badly so have started putting bizzarre stuff in the school to get him used to different things (my instructor suggested it) ...worth a try!
 
My mare is the same and has been ever since I started asking more of her when schooling so partly evasion, but she's also a total coward, even when in the field so it's partly her nature... I've tried calmers and they did help with the spooks but we lost all impulsion so no good really.

Current method of dealing with it, threaten to give her a good whack with schooling whip, just flicking it up seems to be enought to make her mind up for her, only very occasionally does she need a tap.

It's so hard though, so I do sympathise, just riding round a field without any major spooks is a huge achievment for us.
 
Horse First, Relax Me if you can afford it. Phenomenally expensive though, it works but I can't say it's REALLY worth it.
TopSpec calmer is ok and half the price.
Maybe cut out the HiFi? Replace with half the amount of A & P's Calm and Condition?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top