Napping

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MissJessica

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I have owned my horse almost 3 months & although our main differences lie in the school, this evening as we rode in the company of one other horse (as wr often do) and he stopped at the top of the lane and tried to turn for home.
I was confused at first, and concerned he'd seen something as he is spooky but no, he was quite confident he wanted to turn around.
I preserved for 10/15 minutes and praised every step forwards, I didn't have a whip with me as he doesn't normally need any encouragement to go forward. And I was scared of him rearing as he was spinning towards home.
Why did he do this?
He did have a bad experience with a dog out hacking the day before but was fine after it.
He was in company, the other horse was going forward fine.
I must also point out he napped on the way back from the ride to his paddock, then spooked all the way to his stable!
He has never done this, but there is a lot of grass in his paddock, did he not want to work today?
The route we took I ride on 3/4 times a week, alone and in company, I am relieved I was in company as alone I don't know if I'd of been brave enough to keep kicking on.
 
I think he might be trying it on IMO. Take a stick with you next time and as soon ad he even thinks about turning grab a neckstrap and give him a whack
 
You need to give him a smack and tell him you mean business. My ride uses spooking as an excuse most of the time, funnily enough he's not spooky at all on the way home :rolleyes:
 
In the past I've often found that a horse who has had a fright will then temporarily stop willingly doing what your telling them because they are slightly unsure, and sometimes they will quite forcefully opt/try to do something else. But if you are firm and clear with them they will ultimately take confidence from this, because they like to feel like someone is in control - it's how they survive. So my advice would be to ride him through it and show him that you are in control and can be trusted. Good luck :)
 
Yep I would take a stick with me next time and be firm and confident that he can go forward which is easy or try it on and you'll make it hard. My girl was a serial napper but she is pretty good now.

Some people disagree, but if a horse is throwing a real wobbler I will get off and lead (and always complete a known route whether on foot or ridden). My current horse will follow me anywhere but can lose confidence ridden and I don't have an issue with it if she needs me to give her a bit of direction from the ground.... It can be difficult to find a suitable thing to get back on from though :-)
 
I didn't hack tonight.
I rode in the ménage, took someone to lead him through the gate after 10 minutes of back up? Crazy pony? Didn't have a stick as didn't think I'd need one as never do in the school, I think I'm being tested! :confused:
 
Do you have lessons? If not i'd book some so that you can have some experienced person watching and assisting from the ground. It would be good to nip these teething problems in the bud.
Good Luck and let us know how you get on.
 
Yes dabdab, once I got in the school he tried to use every excuse to not focus & stick his head up in the air, a dog 10 miles away, a car driving into the yard, a gate that might catch his leg as it closes 300yards away but didn't nap once in.
I went out at the end on a long rein & asked him back in the gate & the series began again, I had someone in the ground so they asked him through by taking him by a rein.

Tonight prior to hacking I am going to get him to walk into the school, like you said digger, I want to nip this in the bud.
I am going to hack the same route he napped on Sunday...will keep you updated.
 
I used to ride a nappy horse. She used to back up to try and avoid going forwards so I'd say right you want to go back ill ruddy well make you go back until I say so, doing this with some halts and leg yields so she was constantly working she got bored quite quickly and realised walking on was the easiest choice.
 
That's a really interesting idea....! I did think last night, why doesn't he back up that well when I ask in the ménage haha, yet when I ask for forward somewhere he doesn't want to go his back up is full of impulsion! :eek:
 
My trick to get Ned going (don't know if it'll work for others!) is to jam his nose to my knee. It prevents him for rearing and keeps his hooves moving.
I always pull his head the opposite way that he's trying to go. If you get what I mean, ahah!
 
MissJessica said:
That's a really interesting idea....! I did think last night, why doesn't he back up that well when I ask in the ménage haha, yet when I ask for forward somewhere he doesn't want to go his back up is full of impulsion! :eek:
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I've always found it an interesting quirk of very nappy horses that while they won't walk past something forwards if you turn them round and use rein back they will walk past it backwards. I had a mare when I was younger who was incredibly nappy (and had a lot of accompanying party ticks!), and her absolute nemesis was water. Two hours of arguing wouldn't get that mare to step into water, but one day I turned her round and backed her in, then quickly turned her and trotted her out the other side. I only had to do that twice before she'd go in forwards and after that session she would still hesitate occasionally, but never stop. I've only backed a couple of other horses past things since that mare, but it is useful last resort.
 
I always keep in my mind, 'the horse will always choose the path of least resistance'. Be it loading or catching a difficult horse that has learnt evasion tactics if you make the horse 'work' it will fairly quickly work out the easiest option (coincidently what you want them to do)!

If something isn't working change it up. Also, always end on a good note, you don't have to aim for a whole hack. Even if you just walk round the school or just leave the yard that's a good foundation to build upon.
 
I'm going to go against the grain here a little. I don't like 'making' a horse go somewhere it doesn't want and would rather give them a choice but make my way much easier! When they make the decision for themselves I find it has a more lasting impact and often works faster too.

One of ours used to be very nappy when hacking on his own - he would get so far and then spin and trot for home. Building his confidence in us helped a lot but it was still something he would try occasionally. Rather than attempt to stop him from spinning we would let him turn back for home but keep him going past the yard gate and off in the opposite direction. We did this every time he turned and once he had walked happily past the initial 'no' spot we asked him to turn and took him home. We did this on three consecutive hacks - I think we did 7 or 8 'passes' the first time but only 2 or 3 on the next days - and haven't needed to again since (this was over 2 years ago). :)

With refusing to go in the arena I'd try something similar. If you have a field or somewhere you can ride close by then take him in there as soon as he refuses and get him trotting round at a good brisk pace for a few laps before going back to the arena and asking him to go in again - if he still says no, then back to the field. Next day do the same. If he goes into the arena when you ask have a walk round give him lots of fuss and then finish there. You may have to do this several time but once he makes the connection that not going in = harder work he should decide it would just be easier to do as you ask! I'd also think carefully about why he doesn't want to go in - it seems quite an extreme reaction if he's just being lazy. Could something be making him uncomfortable when being ridden? Is there something in particular that's he worried about in there? It's always better to treat the cause rather than the symptoms.

Good luck with whatever you try.
 
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