Napping - do they get over it?

[croissant]

My horse naps. Long story short, she won't hack alone, she will usually take the lead with another horse but not past something she doesn't like. For a while she was napping so badly in the school we couldn't even go large without throwing a paddy, but we're over that now (famous last words?)

So my question is - do they get over it? Assuming I do EVENTUALLY end up with a horse that's happy to go anywhere I ask at home, do I risk turning up at parties in a few years time and not getting her anywhere near the dressage arena? Of course we will have to practise, practise and practise some more, but will I ever be able to relax and know for sure that she will jump out the start box and skip merrily away from the lorry park?

All experiences, techniques and anecdotes gratefully received

 

[wkiwi]

Yes; they can get over it. You just need to work on the cause.
It is usually be a combination of being non-responsive to the aids and lacking trust in you as a rider in different circumstances (i.e. she trusts you sometimes, then makes her own decisions when she thinks it isn't safe).
Get a really good instructor and work out why she naps and what techniques would be best for re-schooling (varies with horse). You can try different things yourself without help, but the longer it goes on the longer it will take to change it so it is best for you and the horse to get help first.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yes it's just training like everything else. Most horses nap to a degree but most people don't notice! It's a natural behaviour which if not corrected becomes something far more noticeable. There is a technique to correcting a napper and you might be as well to get someone who is good at dealing with them to explain it.

 

[mirage]

We have a 25 year old pony that naps,she always has done,and we knew she did it when we loaned her.She is difficult to ride away from others and will head back to them if she feels like it,luckily it doesn't bother my daughter,she just laughs and tries to make her move away,with varying amounts of success.Dpony used to nap going into the school,but when we moved to another yard,stopped doing it,I think it was because the first school was woodchip and she found it slippery,once she was on a rubber surface there was no problem.

 

[flirtygerty]

Yes they can, we had a CBxTB mare, the napping queen, she had it off to a fine art, when she was in the mood, she was brilliant, (not often) ended up giving her to my daughter in Southampton as non returnable, a pts job if my daughter couldn't bring her round, that mare is now as happy as Larry, rounding up ponies in the New Forest, was a long road, but she did it

 

[croissant]

I have a very knowledgeable instructor and I keep her at her yard too so I always have help on hand. She and I both think we need to take it a bit softly softly and coax her out gently, letting her think what we're asking her to do was her idea. She has passed through a couple of dealer's yards since last spring, been hunted by different people and used in a riding school. She is just 6 so I think this has caused her to lose confidence. I have had her for less than three months.

Having managed to get her to walk and trot relatively sensibly around a field at home last night I think I have noticed a change in her, she is less inclined to threaten to rear (which is when I will bottle it) and didn't get in a tizz. I have been consistent in how I ask her and I think she is responding, which gives me hope that she is starting to trust me. Fingers crossed we can continue on a steady upward trajectory...

 

[Caol Ila]

I had a quarter horse who'd turned planting her feet and refusing to move for love nor money into a fine art. When my riding improved and the mare and I had a better relationship, having worked through some issues, the balking stopped and she was a great trail horse.

 

[croissant]

I had a quarter horse who'd turned planting her feet and refusing to move for love nor money into a fine art. When my riding improved and the mare and I had a better relationship, having worked through some issues, the balking stopped and she was a great trail horse.

The "banana neck" is Daisy's favourite move. Probably less frustrating than planting herself!

I am noticing a trend - all 4 nappers mentioned in this thread are mares!

 

[Cobbytype]

The "banana neck" is Daisy's favourite move. Probably less frustrating than planting herself!

I am noticing a trend - all 4 nappers mentioned in this thread are mares!

I'll add a token male, just so there's not too much gender bias My first horse came from a riding school and he had a terrible nap in him when ridden out on his own. He improved over time, but it took quite a while.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I had a napping gelding once and didn't have the ability to fix him as I was just a kid. I've had three female welsh cob palomino nappers and fixed all of them. (One I've only just got but I am fairly confident I've cracked her). She was rearing and bucking quite spectacularly when I viewed her. Did not take much to win with her tho. I do the initial battles on the ground with long reins. Much safer but again you need to know what you are doing and you must win.

 

[Boulty]

I don't think the tendency ever totally goes away but vast improvement is definitely possible.

At one stage my gelding would rear if I tried to get him out of the yard gates on his own, would try to spin around / plant at every spooky object and we once get eliminated from a clear round class because he just froze in the ring and refused to move (we had to be led out). Hacking alone was impossible and in company could still be interesting. (and he wouldn't take the lead even if you tricked him into it)

I never really properly tackled the issue for a long time and it was only after I started rehabbing him after injury that I realized that to get the mileage he needed to recover he was going to have to start going out alone.

It took many months of inhand walking (I was lucky that he wouldn't do much aside from planting occasionally inhand and that he has good ground manners) to build his confidence to the level where he wasn't constantly trying to stop before riding him out on his own around the routes he'd been led around. It was very slow going at first and involved lots of hopping on and off but gradually we've gone further and further and he very rarely tries to nap now out hacking (spooking on the other hand...) and will go alone or in company and in front or behind.

His napping in the arena has also just about gone but he does still get overwhelmed and freeze sometimes if I push him too hard by taking him somewhere too exciting and asking him to concentrate. (I can get away with this doing dressage sometimes but jumping not so much)

 

[tinap1]

Hi, yes you will, think positive and she will. You have to find out if she is scared of something, if so keep repeating what you are doing, or if she is being naughty, you then need to be harder with her. Repetition is the key, she will get bored of napping, it is tiring. I am a freelance tutor based in Berkswell, if you need any further help, just let me know.
Tina

 

[godfreyy]

My Welshie D mare is a serial napper. I got in contact with her breeder last year as wanted to hear about her younger years (had her since she was 9yo and she is now 20yo). Turns out she was always a serial napper for no real reason - just because she felt like it! However, it took me a couple of years but she has now been hacking out in company without an issue for years. and years! On a very good day she will happily lead the ride, but they don't happen very often. Hacking out on our own is still entertaining even after all these years.

 

[AnyChance]

My mare who just turned 6 can also nap.
When she came she would badly drift towards the gate in the arena and sometimes have a little bronc! Or just come to a stand still.
She has stopped the bronc but when out hacking she will just plant herself if she is unsure.

I have taken her out a couple of times on her own so she isn't so reliant on other horses.

Still work in progress

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I don't think the tendency ever totally goes away but vast improvement is definitely possible.

At one stage my gelding would rear if I tried to get him out of the yard gates on his own, would try to spin around / plant at every spooky object and we once get eliminated from a clear round class because he just froze in the ring and refused to move (we had to be led out). Hacking alone was impossible and in company could still be interesting. (and he wouldn't take the lead even if you tricked him into it)

I never really properly tackled the issue for a long time and it was only after I started rehabbing him after injury that I realized that to get the mileage he needed to recover he was going to have to start going out alone.

It took many months of inhand walking (I was lucky that he wouldn't do much aside from planting occasionally inhand and that he has good ground manners) to build his confidence to the level where he wasn't constantly trying to stop before riding him out on his own around the routes he'd been led around. It was very slow going at first and involved lots of hopping on and off but gradually we've gone further and further and he very rarely tries to nap now out hacking (spooking on the other hand...) and will go alone or in company and in front or behind.

His napping in the arena has also just about gone but he does still get overwhelmed and freeze sometimes if I push him too hard by taking him somewhere too exciting and asking him to concentrate. (I can get away with this doing dressage sometimes but jumping not so much)

This describes the problem with a horse which lacks self confidence, they will default to flight, and even if you have a number of good days they can get themselves in a stew, not always the nervous shaky type, they overthink: usually intelligent enough to imagine lions and tigers but not enough to listen to the rider telling them life is good.
It takes time and if they are worried it will recur, a good strong rider is the answer in most cases. I used to ride my boy bareback a lot, and he never napped then, so it was communication. Instant rider response to any hesitation. I was pretty sharp myself as I had to stay on board.

 

[Kaylum]

Have you had her eyes checked its just we had one that would nap because he was blind in one eye.

 

[Barnacle]

One of the common underlying causes of napping is a badly-fitted saddle. When I hear someone say their horse stops napping when they ride bareback, I think saddle issue immediately. Most horses are the opposite and will be more forward with a saddle that nicely distributes the rider's weight...

But I digress.

Yes, napping is totally fixable.

If your horse is not scared and seems to simply be misbehaving, the first thing I'd do is check tack, teeth and feet. It's not always possible to tell if a horse is scared or not - heart rate is probably the only indicator you can rely on that it's possible to detect without special equipment.

Once you've ruled out physical issues, there are a number of approaches you can take. I find different horses do better with different approaches...

One thing is simply persistence. You should NEVER give up if your horse naps. Even if this means dismounting and leading and then getting back on again. You are simply not allowed to turn back! If you don't have the time, just don't even try it.

The softly, softly approach is much less effective (according to a recent study) than a more pushy approach - IF the horse is genuinely scared. A scared horse will respond better and more quickly to being forced past a scary object the next time it encounters it... While if you give them time to think about it and choose to move on their own, they are not as relaxed the next time and likely to repeat the behaviour. Counter-intuitive but true! So if your horse naps at a specific thing, squeeze, nag, click, tell them to walk on and give them a flick with a schooling whip. If none of this works, try turning a tight circle and then asking for forwards as you come out of it. Keep alternating which way around you go, ask for forwards, ask again. If they refuse still, turn again. Turning also stops horses from backing up or rearing when they are nappy.

If the horse is not in fact scared, a pushy approach is still better - as they will be rewarded if you just let them stand!

Something useful for building confidence or forming good habits is of course hacking out with others. But this isn't always practical. It's also actually potentially better to lead from the ground yourself... So try going out in-hand, all tacked up if you like, and hopping on and off at intervals. Try not to hop on when there's a risk your horse is about to get nappy. You want your horse to associate you riding it with the times when it is going forward calmly so that when you hop on it is "in the zone". You can even take a lungeline with you and lunge in random spaces. Vary between places your horse is totally comfortable in and places where they get nappy. This will show them that they should be focused on you in all circumstances.

I like to do lots of groundwork with a horse... This gets them more relaxed when ridden too. Try simple free lunging or in-hand lateral work. Even very simple things like transitions on the lunge, change of direction or turning on the forehand. These will build your horse's trust in you and they'll believe you mean it when you want something and you will earn their respect. All this will translate to the saddle - and it can make a huge difference. I spent weeks trying to get one stubborn gelding confidently going past a certain area and as soon as it was dry enough to do some free-lunging, his attitude out there changed completely too - now he is like a new horse!

If your horse actually seems fearful, a bit of desensitisation can also go a long way... But groundwork first.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

When I had my traddie first of all, he'd been in a trekking centre and all he knew was to follow the bum ahead. When I tried to take him out solo hacking he would spook at his own shadow, plant, spin, bronc, try to rub the rider off on the hedge, you name it.

It had got to the stage where I saw no other option but to sell him back to a riding school or someone who wouldn't want to ride solo, ever.

Then (cutting a long story short) I ran into a professional, specialising in quirky/difficult horses, who offered to come along and see what was going on.

Firstly I needed to do a LOT of groundwork with my horse to build up mutual confidence; alongside with this my horse needed to learn that I was his herd leader and that he had to learn respect, and boundaries, and TRUST me as his herd leader so that he'd willingly relinquish his position as herd leader, and let me be the one that decided whether something was "safe" or not.

The groundwork is fundamental, and you can't cut corners with it, there has to be that framework of trust before any other learning can take place.

From this, we progressed to leading out on the road; and from there progress was made to leading him out, tacked up, and then, ever so subtle it was, just hopping on and riding him home, always going in a circular route and not going out and turning round and coming back the same way - that's a real no-no with a nappy horse.

It felt fantastic when we did our first solo ride - tacked up and rode him out the yard like any "normal" horse, and went for a little hack, and back again.

It IS possible OP. But I would highly recommend that you get a good professional who won't get the whip out at the first tail-swish and will work through the issues with you and your horse. Someone of the "Intelligent Horsemanship" school of working would be what I would recommend.

Also have a look at Michael Peace's website - or get one of his books, as he works with tricky horses and has some good practical advice which actually works, not airy fairy stuff.

Good luck. I know that it IS achievable to "sort" a nappy horse. Mine is a lovely boy, loves his solo hacking now, and I'm so glad I was able to work the issues through with him as I've learnt such a lot as a rider and handler in the process.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

One of the common underlying causes of napping is a badly-fitted saddle. When I hear someone say their horse stops napping when they ride bareback, I think saddle issue immediately. Most horses are the opposite and will be more forward with a saddle that nicely distributes the rider's weight...
t.

Yep I had him in three saddles and he was no different, he was OK with a strong rider, just not for me!
I did have his eyes checked by top vet, every year, but it was not that either. He was fine on some routes and not on others and on some days and not on others, also napped long reining when being broken in [on magnesium calmer]. A PITA to be honest, but I liked him anyway. He was Ok as long as he was not on his own or not at the rear or not when there was chain sawing or highland cattle,. Sheep and pheasant held no fear. Very large dogs were a worry, alpaca were terrifying and barbecues were the devil, bouncy castles were acceptable, bagpipes were interesting.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, of course they do. Proper training and secure riding will sort out this sort of disobedience (which is all napping is).

 

[exracehorse]

I work with horses as my job, I'm experienced but certainly no Mary King. I recently helped a client who had bought a happy hacker and was so naughty with impressive spins to the right, that she had lost confidence. Armed with a schooling whip, I had the experience and guts to deal with the naughty pony, she soon stopped napping. However my ex racehorse has a split personality and will one day hack on a belt buckle and the next turn into a tearing, plunging devil through napping. I've had this for 4 years and he hadn't changed

 

[croissant]

Thank you all for your responses. Glad to hear that they can get over it with some perseverance. No doubt I will be keeping you up to date with our escapades!

 

[uncle max]

My mare was very similar - agree with the Michael Peace groundwork and get off and lead if you have to...they do get over it (eventually!)

 

[EnduroRider]

Perseverance is key. When I took my mare on she refused to leave the yard alone or with others and we had all sorts of tantrums. She was always made to leave the premises and this nearly always invoked reversing for over half a mile as she wouldn't go forwards! I'd then hop off and lead her for miles until we were half way around a route before riding home.

Two years on she has completed a 120km fei 2* ride which included leaving the ride venue 5 times. I never thought she'd do it but they really do get there in the end. Keep going....