Napping youngster!!!

[BID]

How many of you have had younsters that have napped when in competition or schooling situations with other horses and managed to overcome it. My 5yr old had a couple of napping fits this morning doing a clear round class. He was good and didn't spook at fences but there were two fences where the other horses went out of sight and he just napped in front of these fences and tried to go back towards the others. He jumped everything else ok. He has also napped when xc schooling with a small group of others. I really don't wan't this to become a permanent thing and feel that I just need to keep going out and about with him and he will eventually feel confident and settle. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[lastresort]

Mine used to but Im afraid I was very firm, they only tried it twice!! Im always ready now and they dont seem to do it!!

 

[Petrie]

Yes, I think it's really normal for youngsters to do this, and even older horses sometimes if they've got attached to another horse in the vicinity.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I do think you want to try to nip it in the bud. He just needs to get his confidence up a bit, and start to listen and trust you a bit more.

Things like hacking him out alone, and taking him out and about to shows on his own will help. If you've always got company, they can get very reliant on other horses being there. I always find that if you travel to a show with another horse, by the time you get there, they're joined at the hip and it can be a real pain.

Also, cross country training, while it's always good to have another horse there to give you a lead, once he's going over something happily, then I would take him away from the other horse and get him jumping on his own. Things like that all help.

When he starts napping, I don't think there's a need to start making a big song and dance about it, just keep his head pointing in the direction you want to go and keep asking him to go forward. He should give up eventually.

 

[stencilface]

What does he do when he naps?
I had a four year old tb when I was 14 (which in hindsight was a mistake) and he napped he whole time I had him, which was for five years. He used to do the whole back rounding, and small bucks - and I fell off a lot!! I always got back on and tried again and he grew out of it.
Then the rearing started.

He was fine to hack (ok well lively but pretty much ok) but at competitions he would refuse to go in the warm up sometimes, rearing in the lorry park and be a total b*stard in the warm up. I did Bn and Disc on him which he was fine about (could jump anything xc, hunting) for a while, but then I could never get past the third fence. For some reason the third fence is always away from the entrance, and he always would nap and just keep rearing. (I had his back/saddle/teeth checked) I think he learnt that 2 stops and that was it - a bit too clever!

He would go great guns xc, after i managed to get through the start, and was fab for pairs/team chase.

Bit long winded that! But anyway, I didn't have the support at the time to deal with it, or the experience (pc instructors gave up with me

, as I did everything the told me (hitting between the ears and plenty of others didn't work!) and he still wouldn't stop!)

So my advice is, if you can't deal with it yourself or the behaviour escalates then seek very good advice from someone you can trust. Once it escalates it is so much harder, and I wish I knew the people I know now back then, as it would never have become a problem and he would have been excellent otherwise.

Good luck, and persevere, they do give in in the end!

 

[BID]

This morning he just got to the point where he couldn't see the others and then stoped and tried to turn so we ended up stepping sideways, I circled and carried on and he was fine but we did the round again and he did the same again. When xc training he just had a stomping fit on the spot and refused to turn away from the group but once again in the end we managed to go off and jump several fences going away from the others. He is not nasty with it just green and lacking in confidence I think. The thing is I already have a horse that napped sj and xc and I could never get it out of him, some days he would be fine then others he would slam on the brakes and it was always when going away from the warm up area or rest of showground. They are different characters and my new boy is very trainable but I am just panicking I will end up with two nappy horses.

 

[Petrie]

It sounds like he's just getting a bit worried about going off on his own, then gives in when you persuade him it's OK, which is a really good sign. Sounds to me like you're doing really well.

It's really hard to say without seeing it happen, but it sounds like it's fairly harmless at the moment and more of a baby confidence thing than being naughty. Therefore, if I were you, I'd concentrate on doing things with him that will boost his confidence and make him happy to go off with you on his own.

I do think that sometimes they need a good smack, but in this case, it sounds to me like a confidence issue, and making a big deal out of it might make him even more worried. This oculd set your relationship with him back - he needs to trust his rider that it's OK to leave the others.

I would be firm though about not letting him turn or circle - I would keep his head pointing in the direction you want to go and keep pushing forwards, ignoring any silly things he wants to do with the rest of his body.

The other thing you could do is wear spurs. That might be a bit controversial and I'm sure others might disagree, and I don't mean you should go jabbing him in the sides with them, but sometimes you just need a bit of extra leg power to keep them going forwards.

 

[BID]

Thanks, I too would agree with you about not turning a circle but we had come way off our line for the next fence and had got very close to it and it was a paralell and I just didn't want to jump it without a good approach and not from standstill so I decided to circle. I am sure he will come right in time, we are a fairly new relationship and he is a fantastic horse, we did our first hunter trial a couple of weeks ago, he did a little nap at the first but then settled and completed the course without a hitch. I had spurs on him this morning but they didn't help when he just stopped dead on landing at one fence and then crabbed sideways!!! I think he will become more confident in time, fingers crossed.

 

[BeckyD]

Hi there, just saw your post as my youngster has started napping. It seems to be lack of confidence at parties, he wants to cling to a buddy (he's lost confidence in hacking alone as well).

Is your youngster getting any better?

 

[BID]

Hi, my boy is getting better and is the same as yours it is only at competition or training sessions where there are lots of other horses. I am finding that he is better to go on his own and I avoid talking to anyone when warming up, he then doesn't attach himself to any other horses. We have got our first ode on Sunday so that could be interesting!!!

 

[BeckyD]

Ooo good luck on Sunday!

Ah, I think this is the problem with my boy, I hacked to the clinic with a lovely lady from my yard, which gave him confidence but then the two horses seemed to "over-bond" if you like and we couldn't part them! When we did, they kept napping back to each other. Then yesterday at a SJ comp, he was trying to stick with the other horses in the collecting ring.

I'll do as you do - avoid talking to people and keep him alone where possible. Bless him, he's just a bit nervous I think. Am encouraged that your horse is getting better.

 

[BID]

I made the mistake of doing some training with friends and went to a couple of shows with a friend so he got really clingy and nappy when warming up with people I was chatting to and warming up with. I took him sj training the other night on his own and there were other horses jumping whilst I was warming up but I just ignored them and when they left it was our turn, he did one neigh to them and just felt like he was gently puting his shoulder out to the horsebox area once or twice but that was it so I was very pleased with him, it is really hard as it is nice to compete with friends or get chatting to people when warming up but I have learnt that I can't do that with him just yet. I am sure your boy will improve with time also.