Lacking focus/Napping

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FailedEventer

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Hi this is quite an essay but I would really love some advice/tips on this!

I have a horse who is a fantastic jumper that I event, very talented but you could definitely say he doesn't have a great brain for it. From a young age he was incredibly nappy, constantly argued in the school or out hacking, vertical rears, spinning, bronking you name it he did it in an attempt to get out off any kind of work, just going forwards was our biggest issue so hacking was a great struggle! He couldn't jump initially like all youngsters but really quite unbelievably bad, had no idea what his legs were supposed to do and then one day found it and is easily the boldest scopiest horse I have ever ridden. He is now quite a different horse but still has his moments - he is still quite spooky, not so much that you have rears anymore but he goes in to his shell in the dressage for instance. But our main problem is his napping problems have occassionally resurfaced a couple of the times on the XC course, if he does it XC I literally can not do a thing! He will not go! His naps usually occur about 10 strides before a fence and it can be anywhere on course in to any type of fence (so far not once at the start!). I know myself that i have fluffed up something sometimes and so that has been the cause, he doesn't like to feel harassed and if i've been over riding for instance he does not appreciate that. So i have worked a lot on siting quieter.

Things I am now trying:

Hack him everyday, even if he has been schooled. In the hope he will forever forget to nap and also to make him fitter. Made his schooling at home, including jumping and dressage a bit harder (not for longer periods) but a bit bigger more technical - both of these things to try and bring out his napping so i can get him through it, so far nothing though!
He has already had 2 full work ups as I felt a horse could not be so argumentative without having a reason, his feet, back, teeth are routinely done by people I completely trust so know this is not a problem.
After two of his nappy runs I got his bloods done to see if anything was wrong, bought up nothing.
I now wear ear covers on him to see if it helps with his concentration, undecided how its working yet!
Running him more sparingly - but xc schooling more.

One thing I am looking at is something like equifeast? I was wondering wether starting him on something like that may settle him a bit more, make him focus on the job in hand and not be so reactive in his mind but without losing the energy for the job?

Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated!
 
Ours does this while Showjumping at times, no rearing, spinning, just plants (almost always coming away from the collecting ring) & nothing will make her move. If she gets a smack she backs into it & kicks out which usually results in her backing right up into the gate & kicking out at spectators! The daughters instructor suggested wearing spurs (despite her being forward off her leg). This has made a huge difference. The spurs only go on at the first feel of a nap & although she will still try it on, the daughter can now get her moving forwards instead of a stand off!!

I think the problem with ours is that she gets rather worried & in a fluster in a collecting ring. If it's quiet & calm she doesn't nap so no amount of private schooling helps, its always only at shows. I've also had it suggested to try fluffy cheek pieces/blinkers to try & get her to focus & I'm debating on trying a calmer at busy shows. I know how frustrating it is, ours is 6 this time & she has so much scope & talent when she's focused & not being a plank! I'm hoping it's a case of going through a bit of teenage years too (& she is a dumblood!!) xx
 
What sort of training are you getting? If you've been with someone a long time, have you had some fresh eyes on the problem? Have you consulted a specialist about the underlying tension issues?

Out of curiosity, what's his breeding?
 
At the minute I can't afford a great deal of training, I used to have dressage lessons regularly and feel on that front I can deal with pretty much anything he throws at me and at home I am always working on getting him to respond to my aids positively, ie reactive of the leg and try to make him always think positively forward. It's a work in progress and I feel it will always be something I have to work on with him. He has never actually thrown his toys out of the pram while jump training, and while having instruction I have always mentioned that he can nap and say no but he has never done this while being taught except for once when in a clinic with a top trainer and he said no 5 strides out from a fence and proceeded to nap (a very simple fence) and she mentioned I was almost riding for it to happen and to think more positive so from then on I have tried and it has made a big difference but not cured the problem.
Sounds very mean but to ride I would describe him as a bit bad tempered, to handle he is lovely, if slightly coltish sometimes. But ridden he most definitely likes to say NO! given half the chance. If you were to stereotype you would definitely say he was more like a mare then a gelding. But actually XC he is extremely genuine and never thinks to pop out to the side in a skinny combination or worry i'f i'm a bit concerned about a big ditch palisade or anything like that but at another event will say no for no reason except for maybe something he can see or hear that I don't? Which is why I have thought recently about trying him on some sort of supplement? to try and alleviate some of his worries by calming his mind down slightly. He seems to really enjoy it which is very confusing and the reason I persevere with him. Haven't seen a specialist, what sort of person do you mean? Numpty question there probably.

He is a full TB built more like a WB though and everyone that sees him thinks he is a KWPN, although only 15.3.

I already use spurs on him, I used to use them all of the time on him but now only use them for the jumping phases while eventing as I think if he responds to my leg positively while at home then the spurs can be there for just a little extra, which again seems to be effective, although having said that I initially tried to ride him in the dressage with spurs and I ended up with a more backward/grumpy horse in the dressage so now I don't, for the jumping phases it seems to help though.

With this horse I know I need to expect the unexpected but just trying to figure out ways to make him/I a bit more consistent.
 
Have you tried French blinkers on him . ?
Does he nap XC on long straight stretches or does he do it near the fences .
 
I have wanted to try French Blinkers but they aren't BE legal are they? There isn't any consistency in where he naps, I have thought about whether it was a twisty or fairly straight course and looking back he ran well on fairly twisty and straight courses and has napped at both as well. I would say it feels like he prefers the twisty bizarrely but thats just me thinking that without any proof. He does it approx. 5-10 strides from the fence, he is a horse who doesn't like to stop at a fence in fact the only time he has is when we weren't flowing at all and he was never really on the bridle if that makes sense, after the stop he refused to go anywhere near it, really threw the towel in. He will run 5 out of 6 runs and fly but you also get the 1 out of 6 that he will throw the towel in and is always looky/unfocused in the dressage, which reverts him to his backward ways. This is one reason I'm running him less and instead schooling more to see if that makes him more keen to always run?
 
I know that obviously training/physical causes are the first ports of call but I have found that Equifeast helped my spooky inattentive mare. Not sure whether it would help with the napping but a better frame of mind in the first place may give you half a chance. Worth having a chat with them, they're really helpful.
 
I had one that napped XC .
The trick with him was never to let him just be cantering on between fences if you did he would lose focus and nap .
I used to flex his neck and adjust the speed to keep his interest.
He was much better on twisty courses more to interest .
I used French blinkers on him at home at first they did help .
 
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