Napping is getting worse!

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CScastle

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My new horse has developed a napping problem.

I moved him to my yard at the beginning of June & he was absolutely fine to hack out alone for the first few weeks. I rode him at his previous home for 9 months before I bought him, and he was a very bold and brave horse wherever he was ridden.

Over the past couple of months, he has started to stop dead at random points on rides and just completely refuse to go forwards. He does this both alone and in company but will go forwards if another horse leads. He will do this at scary places eg past cattle farms but also does it at random points where there's nothing he could be looking at or scared of. Occasionally, he has spun round and tried to leg it home. I have never let him win and have always managed to get him going forwards again but often I have to get off and lead him.

Most recently, he has started to refuse to go forwards in the showjumping paddock (even when not jumping) and in the arena.

He tends to get very very aggressive and angry when he freezes and I ask to him to walk forwards. He'll whip his head round to try & bite my legs and will stamp his feet and swish his tail like crazy.

Physically, there is nothing wrong with him. Due to previous issues before I got him, every inch of him has been scanned. He has a monthly visit from the physio & saddler and everything is spot on in those departments.

Has anyone had the same experience or got any tips/exercises that could help us!
Please no sarcy comments, had enough of them!
Thank you :)
 
He has been x-rayed head to toe and results showed everything how it should be, no kissing spine or other back problems. He also been scoped for ulcers which came back clear too.

Napping is something I've never experienced with any of my horses so I'm a lot less knowledgeable on this!
 
I had the same problem - my horse was never really hacked out alone before I got her as a 9 year old (she's now 14). After a new mare was introduced to the herd, her napping ( which had been annoying but manageable ) became unbelievably bad - like nothing I had experienced before. Refused to walk more than 40 yards in any direction from the yard. ( nothing physically wrong - physio checked) Put her on valerian cordial - which is a herbal sort of calmer (not permitted for competition) & I had a different horse. Now walking out willingly & using herself a lot better. She's still the same character - it doesn't make them woozy - but it's just taken the edge off whatever anxiety she had been experiencing. "Horsemaster with Julie Goodnight " is running an episode today on the very subject of herd bound or barnsour horses. It can be viewed later on http://tv.juliegoodnight.com I, for one will be watching it. Best of luck - I know how very frustrating it is & completely destroys your desire to ride !
 
What about his feet? What is he like in hand? Can you long rein him? Do other riders have the same problems as you

I think I'd be asking for a second veterinary opinion as combined with the aggression it sounds like a discomfort thing to me
 
He had remedial shoeing about 2 months ago as his feet were off balanced when shod by my new farrier (the old farrier had been doing them poorly) but since had no problems with his feet. He is absolutely fine in hand. I have long reigned him for the past 3 months and it's made no difference, he has occasionally napped if there is nobody walking up front alongside him.

Nobody else rides him but me really. My mother schooled him for 30 minutes the other night and had to get off as he just froze and completely refused to move.
 
Thee issues when he arrived were that he'd had such an ill fitting saddle much of his life, so it had made his withers very sore and tense with no muscle on them. Took a lot of physio and some mega-muscle building groundwork exercises to build his withers back to 'good health'. So he had 6 weeks off from being ridden during this time, at the end of which I had a new saddle fitted to him. And since then, he has slowly got better at asking for upward transitions eg walk to trot and trot to canter (when he wants to) but the napping habit has slowly come forwards and is just getting worse.
 
Has he been x-rayed? - badly fitting saddle over a long period time could have caused some deep rooted problems.

You might need to re-think the saddle? - even if it has been re-fitted, your saddle could be a problem? - possibly very quickly slightly too narrow? My horse ( who has had KS) can't cope with a 'normal' saddle and although I'd had a new saddle professionally fitted, he wasn't happy with it. Remedial saddler, recommended by vet, fitted him with a semi-flex tree and the difference has been huge. She said that in her experience if a horse has had a badly fitting saddle and is then comfortable again, they will tell you very quickly if it's not comfortable.
 
CScastle said:
Thee issues when he arrived were that he'd had such an ill fitting saddle much of his life, so it had made his withers very sore and tense with no muscle on them. Took a lot of physio and some mega-muscle building groundwork exercises to build his withers back to 'good health'. So he had 6 weeks off from being ridden during this time, at the end of which I had a new saddle fitted to him. And since then, he has slowly got better at asking for upward transitions eg walk to trot and trot to canter (when he wants to) but the napping habit has slowly come forwards and is just getting worse.
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It does sound like its still pain related in some way, is the saddle ok now I only ask as once they have muscle damage its really hard to get the saddlle right, I know I have had the same issue and 6 weeks is not long enough to build up lost muscle from saddle damage, whats he llike on the lunge with and without the saddle?
 
CScastle said:
Thee issues when he arrived were that he'd had such an ill fitting saddle much of his life, so it had made his withers very sore and tense with no muscle on them. Took a lot of physio and some mega-muscle building groundwork exercises to build his withers back to 'good health'. So he had 6 weeks off from being ridden during this time, at the end of which I had a new saddle fitted to him. And since then, he has slowly got better at asking for upward transitions eg walk to trot and trot to canter (when he wants to) but the napping habit has slowly come forwards and is just getting worse.
Click to expand...

I think the tail swishing and turning around to bite your leg could indicate something similar to his previous issues. I had a mare do the same once when having a saddle fitted. I'm not saying that's definitely it, but perhaps try a second opinion on the saddle? Maybe peh1980's suggestion is worth some thought (not that I knew remedial saddlers really existed!).
 
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