jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
Just out of interest, I've done a little poll to see how many of us have experienced napping in horses....
Napping Poll
- Thread starter jumpthemoon
- Start date
rara007
Well-Known Member
Have ridden horses that nap- Current ones don't.
I was too weak to get the pony to do XC, which was mainly when she napped. We did well SJ though although she would still try and nap.
I sold her, before it came a real problem, but for other reasons.
I was too weak to get the pony to do XC, which was mainly when she napped. We did well SJ though although she would still try and nap.
I sold her, before it came a real problem, but for other reasons.
jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
That's quite positive - a few people seem to have managed to find ways to work through the napping. No-one's recommending the NH route though....I guess I'll hold off on the carrot stick purchase...
Ellies_mum2
Well-Known Member
Ellie occasionally naps and I have to be very firm with her
Its usually by gates funnily enough. Once she's through it she's fine
Its usually by gates funnily enough. Once she's through it she's fine
Ziggy_
Well-Known Member
Mine naps occasionally when hacking alone, I tend to just push her through it but I do try to avoid putting her in a situation where I know she'll nap for instance shes worse when in season so I only hack out in company/school for a few days instead.
stencilface
High upon a hillside
My first horse napped terribly - rearing was his weapon of chocice, and at the time I wasn't experienced enough and didn't have the right instructors to teach me through it. He was a fab hunter (so I'm told) but never really got on with doing things by himself. The last I heard he was in a hunting home so I hope he is now happier.
My current horse naps, but only a tiny amount that I wouldn't really class as napping. He sometimes doesn't want to move off the leg as much as I'd want - and he neighs ALOT!!!!
My current horse naps, but only a tiny amount that I wouldn't really class as napping. He sometimes doesn't want to move off the leg as much as I'd want - and he neighs ALOT!!!!
atot
Well-Known Member
Current horse used to nap, but not badly. Now just tries it on every now and again, but she knows I will get cross. She isn't even truly scared of anything, she just tests the water for the first 5 minutes out hacking alone.
I didn't tick any. a good instructor can only help you so much if the problem is out hacking, which I would've thought it would be. For me big fat pony club kicks and a smack with the whip and she hardly tries it on anymore.
I didn't tick any. a good instructor can only help you so much if the problem is out hacking, which I would've thought it would be. For me big fat pony club kicks and a smack with the whip and she hardly tries it on anymore.
Forget_Me_Not
Well-Known Member
Oh yes, I've done napping....I had a beast of a napper. He was young and just been [****] up really, so was backwards, I guess thats what napping is though.
Few situations would be say, over taking a horse/leaving horses like when XC schooling or hacking. Fraid it was a case of winning the fight, rewarding everything forward and ignoring bucks, rears etc in his attempt to win. Sometimes he would have a strop out hacking again just a case of persevering and never letting him get his way.
Another could be in the school becoming dead to the leg or stroping when asked to bloody do something. I found the best way was to start by giving him a good few laps of the school with no aids and slowly working up. I have to amit to not bothering to even try schooling with other horses.
When I sold him he gave you a brillant ride and doing pretty well now I believe
I guess with nappers you have to be rather confident and determind. Give an inch and they're just take miles.
Few situations would be say, over taking a horse/leaving horses like when XC schooling or hacking. Fraid it was a case of winning the fight, rewarding everything forward and ignoring bucks, rears etc in his attempt to win. Sometimes he would have a strop out hacking again just a case of persevering and never letting him get his way.
Another could be in the school becoming dead to the leg or stroping when asked to bloody do something. I found the best way was to start by giving him a good few laps of the school with no aids and slowly working up. I have to amit to not bothering to even try schooling with other horses.
When I sold him he gave you a brillant ride and doing pretty well now I believe
I guess with nappers you have to be rather confident and determind. Give an inch and they're just take miles.
Forget_Me_Not
Well-Known Member
Forgot to say I think every has to just be FORWARDS, FORWARDS and FORWARDS.
Baileysno1
Well-Known Member
Leonard does it but hacking alone and on the ground if leading him in from the field, he generally gives in after walking backwards for a bit / pony club kicks, if I use the whip he does spit his dummy out and rears a little, I lead him from the field in a chiffney I don't have to use it he knows he can't shoot off when its in his mouth and everyone is happy. Hes strange he'll put up a fight for a bit then he just goes ''oh ok then'' and toddles away as though nothing has happened.
Cop-Pop
Well-Known Member
I couldn't answer the last question. My mare naps when she has a tantrum - the only thing to do to work her through it. Sometimes a smack on the bum works, sometimes changing the task works, sometimes dropping the reins so she has nothing to fight against works. It depends entirely on her mood at the time!
PrincessDana
Well-Known Member
My 1st horse (an ex-racehorse) started napping exactly 2 months to the date after i bought him. We tried everything with no success what so ever...pro's tried to "fix" him but nothing worked.
I just came to accept it as one of his quirks until almost a year later he just stopped (for no apparent reason) and never done it again til the day he died
Maybe it was because as a racehorse he was never asked to go anywhere completely on his own, maybe he was just testing me or maybe he just learned to trust me? Not sure, he was a complex little man
I just came to accept it as one of his quirks until almost a year later he just stopped (for no apparent reason) and never done it again til the day he died
Maybe it was because as a racehorse he was never asked to go anywhere completely on his own, maybe he was just testing me or maybe he just learned to trust me? Not sure, he was a complex little man
piebaldsparkle
Well-Known Member
Agree with above, how you deal with the nap depends on horse, situation and reason etc...
BBs
Well-Known Member
Current horse naps and his way of dealing with anything scary is spin and rear.
Tanning his backside occasionally works.
TBH just sitting on him ignoring his tantrum works best for me. I get him to work for me, he thinks its his idea - fine! i dont care as long as he goes forward.
My mums ex racer was the same, would stand in the road refusing to walk - sitting on him and ignoring him then gentle squeeze to get him to walk forward worked if he didnt move i would sit some more.
Funny enough both of these horses thought they were still entire.
Tanning his backside occasionally works.
TBH just sitting on him ignoring his tantrum works best for me. I get him to work for me, he thinks its his idea - fine! i dont care as long as he goes forward.
My mums ex racer was the same, would stand in the road refusing to walk - sitting on him and ignoring him then gentle squeeze to get him to walk forward worked if he didnt move i would sit some more.
Funny enough both of these horses thought they were still entire.
xxcharlottexx
Well-Known Member
My horse used to nap badly when i first bought him but this was due to the fact that he had been abandoned and just dumped in a field and never really been ridden before. he was very underweight and had no confidence. when he napped he looked for assurance from the rider so i just sat quietly, talked to him loads and calmly pushed him through it. sometimes took a while through to go forwards as we just spun round in circles but eventually got him through it.
Now he's got perfect manners as his confidence and schooling are 100% better. though we have got a very scary burned out caravan at the end of the road to the farm so when he naps no im alot firmer with him as i know hes now just being silly as he
But as others have said how its dealt with depends on the horse. A horse just taking the mick may need a firmer hand a nervous horse mite just need more time to trust rider and gain more confidence
Now he's got perfect manners as his confidence and schooling are 100% better. though we have got a very scary burned out caravan at the end of the road to the farm so when he naps no im alot firmer with him as i know hes now just being silly as he
But as others have said how its dealt with depends on the horse. A horse just taking the mick may need a firmer hand a nervous horse mite just need more time to trust rider and gain more confidence
gemmahodgkinson
Well-Known Member
my mare naps when hacking out alone, she just takes the p*** and spins and threatens to go up/buck if i tell her off. i know she is taking the mick though because if my instructor rides her alone she wont try it because she knows the telling off will be worse from her than from mum. i do tend to avoid situations where i think she will nap which is just on the road normally (can have a tantrum going into the school though but a short sharp smack normally sorts that one out easily). She is going to a pro for 3 weeks in sept though to try and get it our of her system altogether, and to bring her on in general as she is only 6 still and a bit of a baby! glad other people have the same problem though because i do get down about it sometimes!
LankyDoodle
Well-Known Member
My horse used to nap every ride and even more so in the school. He doesn't do it anymore and I believe it's because after a pasof insecurity, being passed from pillar to post, he has a home for life with me. He's been with me 6 years and he knows that whatever he does I will stick with him because I made a commitment... an unspoken promise to him. I have a range of tactics I would use when he did it, the key one being riding smaller and smaller circles then kicking him straight on. Or I'd stand him still til he got bored. Occasionally I used the stick behind the leg but that was rare and only if I saw danger.
The key thing for George was iving him lots of confidence to do it on his own (without other horses). Over the last 2 years he's even stopped throwing strops when left on his own. He's become a bit insecure since we lost our mare but he is doing really well.
It takes lots of patience, kindness and confidence on your part. I never came off due to his napping. The 3 times I have come off him have been either in the jump field or in the school and it's always been him running out at a jump at the last moment. Because I know I have a good seat on him, I have the confidence to deal with things he throws at me and that calmness transfers through to him.
The key thing for George was iving him lots of confidence to do it on his own (without other horses). Over the last 2 years he's even stopped throwing strops when left on his own. He's become a bit insecure since we lost our mare but he is doing really well.
It takes lots of patience, kindness and confidence on your part. I never came off due to his napping. The 3 times I have come off him have been either in the jump field or in the school and it's always been him running out at a jump at the last moment. Because I know I have a good seat on him, I have the confidence to deal with things he throws at me and that calmness transfers through to him.
hellybelly6
Well-Known Member
I think napping is due to insecurity. My horse napped every time we changed yards. We worked through it. He would buck, twist, bronco and try to drag my legs through hedges - he is a big 16.3 CLydesdale x Highland, as a last resort, he has reared.
As we have got to know and trust each other, he has stopped doing it. There was only one route he refused to go on and that was past a battery hen farm with a slaughter house, but I cant blame him for that and we just didnt do that route.
He was a working livery for a short time with me and started napping going into the school. At that point, I withdrew him, he was obviously not enjoying it.
As we have got to know and trust each other, he has stopped doing it. There was only one route he refused to go on and that was past a battery hen farm with a slaughter house, but I cant blame him for that and we just didnt do that route.
He was a working livery for a short time with me and started napping going into the school. At that point, I withdrew him, he was obviously not enjoying it.
BlackDiamond
Well-Known Member
Sometimes my horse naps from scary things.
I give him adequate pressure, keep a gentle contact on the reins and talk to him. He has never failed to pass an object.
I give him adequate pressure, keep a gentle contact on the reins and talk to him. He has never failed to pass an object.
SmokingBabe
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I think napping is due to insecurity. My horse napped every time we changed yards. We worked through it.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto
My way is by leading her out in hand every day , a bit further each time then progress to riding her out for a few minutes until we complete an hour hack alone. Once we get to this stage there's no stopping us !
I certainly don't beat her for being genuinely scared
I think napping is due to insecurity. My horse napped every time we changed yards. We worked through it.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto
My way is by leading her out in hand every day , a bit further each time then progress to riding her out for a few minutes until we complete an hour hack alone. Once we get to this stage there's no stopping us !
I certainly don't beat her for being genuinely scared