Nappy hacker - advise needed!

[Tayto]

Hi all!

I have had my 21 year old mare since May 2012 - on part loan for first month and now on full loan.

She can be very nappy when hacking, when leaving the yard she will spin, reverse or plant her feet. When we eventually get going (can take some time) she will plod along REALLY slowly and do anything to get out of going forward i.e. banana up the track or pretend to spook at non existent things! The spooking un nerves me as a few times she has offered to spin and bolt although has only actually done this twice (once being a genuine spook).

When we start to head for home she give me a lovely forward walk but sometimes gets a little too forward and goes to canter without being asked.

When we hack in company she is an absolute gem - does not put a hoof wrong however it is not always possible to hack in company and I prefer to hack alone anyway!

Her owner has had her for 10 years and they competed together, hacked for hours and based on their relationship she seems like an almost perfect horse so I worry that the problem is me!!!

She is in really good condition for her age and her teeth, back and feet have all recently been checked.

With the dark nights it has meant we have not been able to get out as much so I have been trying to do some in hand work to build up trust between us - could the problem be that she doesnt trust me?

Any suggestions on how we can get past this?

PS - hope this makes sense and I didnt blabber on too much!

 

[AmyMay]

Any suggestions on how we can get past this?

Have you spoken to the owner about the problems you are having?

I have to say that she sounds like a confirmed napper to me - and I think at 21 you'll be hard pressed to cure her.

 

[webble]

I agree re speaking to the owner. Also have you tried asking someone more experienced to ride her?

My mare became nappy after I had had her a few months and sadly its now partly my fault as I let her get away with it YO is now riding her for me too to get her out of it

 

[Tayto]

Well this is my other worry - is she stuck in her ways and wont change regardless of what I do but on the other hand is she just testing me because she doesn't trust me?

Her owner said just to persevere as she can be stubborn! As mentioned, she had a really good relationship with her owner so I don't like to keep asking her about it in case she thinks I am being annoying!

I should also mention that there are days when we do have lovely hacks together with minimal napping - maybe just a little bit coming out of the yard then ok once we get into the woods.

I try to keep the routes varied and choose her favourite routes if she is having a particularly bad day.

 

[Tayto]

I was on holiday recently and her owner took her out several times and she said she didnt nap with her

 

[Gloi]

I'd think that she's testing you out to see what she can get away with. Ride her strongly forward and don't make excuses for her bad behaviour, she's not a youngster and knows just what she's doing so be strict. Don't forget that cantering on the way home without being asked should be corrected firmly too.
Ask the owner to watch you ride her out and see if she will give you some tips on the best way deal with her.

 

[maxapple]

Speak to the owner to get their advice.

It will take time to build your relationship with her and she is prob testing you out. The key is repetition - keep doing the same ride, be persistent on making her walk on, move her from side to side if she plants her feet and give her lots of praise when she does walk on. If she spins sit deep and just keep making her turn till she is facing the way you were going. It takes time but you will get there.

 

[deoni]

This is exactly my horse! He is reluctant to leave the yard alone, used to rear and back up etc but is very forward on the way home and often spins and attempts to gallops home after a 'spook'. However with another horse he will hack out all day. Mine hadnt been out much alone though before I got him but i just persevered, used to take hours to leave the yard but as I never gave up and wasn't scared of him he and he soon decided he will go out and now I've started trotting out the yard as a step up. As long as you never give up I'm sure she will soon realise she won't get to go home!

 

[PeterNatt]

I would aks the owner to ride the horse out by itself when you are there and see what happens. If the horse does not nap then it is a matter of the two of you getting used to each other. I always allow 2 years to get used to a new horse!

 

[jojo5]

Just so you dont feel alone - the very first horse I rode regularly was very much like this . She was 23, part welsh Section C. Her owner, who rode a couple of times each week during the week, had owned the mare for many years, and had a very settled, routine relationship with her. She had a very relaxed view of the mare's behaviour because they knew each other inside out. Then along I came to ride at the weekends on what i had been led to believe was a companionable bombproof hack. Hmmm!! She napped, turned round and legged it for home at the sight of a tractor, rushed home at twice the speed of light, etcetc. When i worried about this to her owner, she saw all this as amusing, characterful behaviour. To be fair, i guess my boy now has habits that I am used to that others would not like. The bottom line though, with hindsight and experience (some, at least!!) is that the horse you are riding has to respect your expectations when you ride ( within sensible bounds) so you have to get on top of it now as others have said.