My horse is really starting to scare me !!!!

Havong had a nappy mare some years ago, I would say that on occasions aggression and loosing your temper can be the right the thing to do! The Old Appy could nap for Britain and the only way forward with her was to be more bloody minded than she was, and that took some doing. I always wished I had got much tougher with her earlier. The day I lost the plot and did not care if we fell in the river, was the day she decided that I may just be in charge :eek: She was never perfect, but by gum she was a lot better. With regard to not going in front, I would suggest that you set off with him behind a lead horse, then go side by side, then let the company drop back a little, for a short distance, build this up until he goes where he is put.
 
Faracat - Not that i can think of :confused:

he was great :) and was giving me a lot of confidence after I had had a nightmare horse out on loan who really knocked my confidence down.
 
In that case OP I think you may have to explore the possibility that he's telling you there is a problem.

Has he had any problems with lameness?
 
I had a horse which napped when I first got her, she used to do it on the road which was a nightmare, I spun her around in a couple of very small circles and then kicked her hard and introduced her to "Mr Spanky" and booted her up the road :eek: :eek:. Not my normal style of riding and a bit messy and draconian for my liking but she only tried to nap once more after that and then didn't bother any more. She had other issues which I struggled with - but she never mapped again!!!!!
 
Look up and ahead, sit deep - almost feeling like you're leaning back, wrap your legs on and just take them off momentarily to give sharp little persistent kicks. Keep your reins short enough that he can't turn or snake his neck, but keep the contact light and be quick to give a bit when he does go forward. When he is going forward but shows hesitation, do all this and at the same time try to keep ticking his neck with a spare finger and talking to him, encouragement can go a long way. The whip can help and can sometimes be essential but it really does depend on the horse's personality how much of a whip aid is enough and how much is too much.

Sitting up and riding positively, avoiding letting him stop to nap is advisable. Also keep riding a lot in company to break up the "battling" cycles you can end up in, which will just ebb away at both your and your horse's confidence if you don't intersperse plugging away at the issue with some easier, fun days.
 
I have no problem with people being tough with nappers - I used to ride my mare with two schooling whips, although I hardly ever needed to actually smack her as waving both at the same time (rotate your wrists and be careful to not jab the horse in the mouth) sent her forwards very effectively - but you do have to rule out a physical cause first.
 
amymay- a few abut he now wears hoof boots and has been given the all clear by the vet

the funny thing is he will happily go one way with out any trouble but as soon as you turn him right he starts to nap. but I need to go to the right to use an area as there isn't one where i stay :(
 
My boy has seperation anxiety, he cannot be in a field alone (even with horses either side of him) so had to get him a companion. I didn't ride him out alone for a year, just had nice quiet hacks with friends and spent the first year trying to get over his collecting ring fears. He schools nicely then if a particular horse goes out, he can go bonkers...bucking and bronching!!!

I managed to sort this and was coming on nicely so started to go out on my own. Started just short routes, half hours. At first he would nap at least 6/7 times, I tried many idea from people, smacking (that just made his adrenaline peak and made an issue out of it), walking him backwards but in the direction I wanted to go (that again made it an issue). I then tried sitting it out, would not let him reverse but must go forward but I sat it out patiently, if he tried to turn round would face him correct way, if he walked backwards would make him stand. I could be stood there 10 mins but smacking him made it worse.

Each time I went out it got better and better, 3/4 times then down to just once and now we are at the point where we can go out calmly together and he never naps at all.

I do try and trot in the places that he is known to nap so I have in front of the leg and going/thinking forwards...that normally helps...a good working trot too!!!

Good luck its not nice when they are naughty but it a natural behaviour so just feel what is right for your horse, smacking works with some, spinning works with others, my boy preferred patience! :)
 
If he is only napping in one direction, then I put money on it that he doesn't want to go in the school! My mare is going through a stage at the moment of napping at a left hand turning into a lane. Straight on is fine, as is the other way out of the yard. Using a stick is a no no, she just mini rears. I have found that my voice is the best think to use, a loud 'get on with it' seems to do the trick. I believe that she is hesitant to enter the lane because it is like glass, she only started to do it after she was shod for the first time, and she has been slipping so she is going to have road nails on monday as I think it's a confidence thing, and being arab, she is far from stupid.
Last time she napped there, just before the turn off, I directed her straight on, which surprised her as we haven't been that way solo before, and she walked smartly on, so it's not a 'work' issue.
 
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Simbacat said:
Hi I've had lots of great advice on the forum for my issues hacking out with my mare - who can be very nervous of all those scary things - leaves etc and can spin round - just like everyone says riding positively helps - I've just come back from a much better ride today :D I find that trotting on stops her having so much time to think, gets nervous and spin (as she can at walk) - so that might helps as well. Confronted some alpacas today - just a little spin and snort!
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Agree with this. I have a nappy mare who can spin in an instant with no barely any warning - smacking her makes her rear higher to the point where she will come over with me. But I'm learning to notice those little nuances in her behaviour which precede an incident, eg head coming up and neck starting to come rigid, a slight slowing in her pace. I've found that as soon as this happens, if I start to flex her head and get the rigidness out of her neck and start to do a positive trot I can get past the issue. I'm even getting to the point where I will see something that I know will cause an issue, so I have her working correctly, into trot and past the thing which might cause the problem before she has time to react. I had to go past some road signs a couple of weeks ago - I knew it would be problematic, so head down, into trot and she never even reacted.
The other thing I have found works with mine is long-reining her out on the roads. It has really helped with her confidence.
 
Ah missed that it was a nap prior to going in to the school.

So my concussion is that your horse doesn't want to go in to the school for two reasons:

1. Bored, and resentful of (possibly) too much school work;

2. Has an undetected lameness problem that causes discomfort when ridden on a surface.

So I wouldn't go in all guns blazing with whips and spurs until you've established which.
 
Amymay... You have concussion?! :D
Op, I agree, I wouldn't be getting mad or using 'tough love' on this one, just because you've had everything checked doesn't mean there isn't a problem, if I had a horse that suddenly changed behaviour 3 months ago, I'd know he was trying to tell me something. When you get him in the school how is he, and does his riding differ on either rein?
 
Hi, My pony does the same and he has started to scare me.
He is a 14.2hh 5year old Welsh Section D and he naps in company or without he doesnt care.

When he first started to nap he just stopped and wouldnt move and we put it down to being green. So we were nice to him and encouraged him to keep going with a pony in front so if he "was" genuinely scared he would follow. However this was becoming more and more regular.

I then started schooling him more to get him going forward but still done the same but after a few cracks he did do what he was ment to be doing.

Hacking again and started to nap again anywhere he would get a chance just wont go forward but now getting more nasty and walking backwards, spining round and doing small rears going into ditches, gates, hedges and fences. We tried every thing horses to follow, getting led, being nice and being horrible nothng worked just made him worse. Rather than being killed after 20 mins I have got off and walked with him all the way to where he was ment to be going so he doesnt get away with it.

On the way back though as I decide to get on he is fine so there is clearly nothing wrong with him other wise he would be doing it on the way back too.

I have battled on with him but now he is getting even worse, If you ride him in the paddock he goes mental and tries to get you off even though he has been lundged to tire him out. You attemt to go on a hack and you cant get out the gate and if you do he just stops dead at will rear full height and nap or just generally do anything to get back home.

Now I have just gave up on him. We have paid someone to ride him and he had them off and they wouldnt come back, even though they ride for a living (racing and breaking horses), We have been nice to him, We have been nasty to him and we have gave him loads of chances and still no change. And he is scaring me because you are always wondering what he is going to do next and why risk your life on a stupid horse? He knows what he is doing and he is just nasty, not even having any enjoyment out of him. :mad: More of a danger than plesure.
 
Not for the faint hearted, you shouldnt be scared of your horse but easy to give advice when you are scared(I have been terrified too before) but....... I would seriously get his measure get someone very experienced who holds no prisoners to ride him and see if it is you? Some riders enjoy the challenge of a horse like this and enjoy trying to sort out what is going on for the horse.

We had a mare as a youngster who started to nap tried all sorts. Napped exactly at same spot.

We got someone to wait at said spot with lunge whip(they actually stepped out of hedge) and come and push them along (just as if the were a naughty child) they never did it again! This pony now cross countries/pony club etc etc and is a real nice pony. Not nasty just taking the BIG P.

But get help even if you pay someone to help you etc. Something clearly has gone wrong somewhere
 
amymay said:
Ah missed that it was a nap prior to going in to the school.

So my concussion is that your horse doesn't want to go in to the school for two reasons:

1. Bored, and resentful of (possibly) too much school work;

2. Has an undetected lameness problem that causes discomfort when ridden on a surface.

So I wouldn't go in all guns blazing with whips and spurs until you've established which.
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Ahhhh I missed the going in the school. Dont go in the school. My horse hated it but was excellent on a hack. You can school any horse on a hack whilst out too. Thats what I use to do. Too many schools around these days and horse might have gone stale.
 
When I first got my pony we had a honeymoon period of about 3 months when he didn't put a foot wrong, would hack out happily on his own and be very good. He came from a small place and was now at livery with 12 other geldings and a lot of space and grass. We had one bad ride with some others where I think we lost confidence in each other and from then on he started napping if I tried to take him out by himself. Big battles but I didn't seem to be able to win. I resolved it by only hacking out with others for lots of long hacks several times a week (easier in the summer obviously). And at the start of that he would nap out with other horses with him too! But just with persevering doing that and with really firm, legs, voice, crop if need be (and he would try and back up into ditches, spin, lift front legs of floor a bit, buck if I used crop), we resolved it as kept lots of variety to the hacks and I think he enjoyed going out and I got more confident about the napping too so knew how to tackle it.

Years down the line I still get the occasional nap from him - usually at this time of year, or due to something scary he thinks he sees (or does see!). We also have an ongoing nerves issue with cycle bikes on a track as one ran into him 18 months ago so he's very wary now but we just have to ask them to stop totally to allow us past on this narrow track but he's fine on the roads with them. Also if I'm not feeling up to it, I think he can sense that so will try his chances. So I would say build up his and your confidence by hacking out with good sane horses on nice long rides if possible and then pick a calm, warm day to start trying to go out on your own again.

I hope you get it sorted, it feels very good when you do :)
 
indie999 said:
Ahhhh I missed the going in the school. Dont go in the school. My horse hated it but was excellent on a hack. You can school any horse on a hack whilst out too. Thats what I use to do. Too many schools around these days and horse might have gone stale.
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My boy napped going in to school, and coming out, napped going out of stableyard, napped going one route and another, nothing to do with sick of schooling, all to do with lack of bottle on behalf of rider. He is fine now, lots of schooling by stronger, more determined, rider.
 
Miss L Toe said:
That is the problem:little_ mouse is a "wee courin timrous beastie" [Robert Burns].
You need to "man up" take no prisoners, let him know you are the boss, a good "welly in the belly" sorts most of them.
You decide where you are going, and at what pace.
Best to stick with friends, or get a friend to ride him for you, if not get lessons, but no more fluffy bunny huggin for him!
Don't try to figure him out, it won't work, get him going forward off the leg, on the aid, on the mark.
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^^this^^ really worked for me. also helped having OH walking at his head and when things improved, he followed in his car. oh and lesons lessons lessons. now we rarely have any problems. it takes time but it will sort out. dont be afraid to get off and walk him on then get back on him - and if you cant (like me) get on from the ground then find a hedge or wall or anything . you can do it.
 
A random one, is the road sloping at all when you turn right? I found that my gelding would nap at steep up or down hill, but would happily go another direction away from home if it was flat. I also noticed he slipped and sort of scared himself when we had been down hills (used to live In a ridiculous hill area!!). Anyway, road studs have really helped, and also being hyper aware of ground surface as we ride. I second the in hand walks, it will improve your bond and takes some of the pressure off.

Good luck, I still worry about recurrences of the major naps, it can be a horribly scary situation. X
 
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