Nappy horse "looking back at his rider"

[Palindrome]

I have watched an interesting video of a very experienced pro stud backing their youngsters and the stud manager said they put fluffy blinkers on one particular horse as he was "looking back at his rider".

This is exactly what my horse does, she stops, turn her her head to the right and looks back at me with her right eye when she doesn't want to continue. I encourage her forward and this sometimes work but I am being very careful/gentle as in the past she has gone up and fell over after looking at me in that way. She is getting slowly better as I try to go a bit farther every time but not sure if blinkers or some exercises would help.
She is quite nappy when hacking and doesn't like it. She doesn't do that when riding in her field or in an arena but I don't have an arena at home and can't ride in the field in winter as we are on clay.

Anyone has come across this behaviour? How did you work the horse through? Any tips to help a nappy horse feel more confident?
Just to add, I have tried riding with a companion and she will happily leave him to come back home.

 

[maya2008]

How good is your groundwork? Would she trust you to follow on the ground where she doesn’t under saddle? I do lots of groundwork with mine before backing, then if we run into problems hacking I can just hop off and they will follow me without question. Many years ago we hadn’t hacked for a while and my TB had a serious moment about going anywhere away from the yard. So I led her round the hack until we were headed home, then hopped on. Gradually I got on earlier and earlier and very soon we were back to our solo hacking selves.

If she doesn’t really trust you as a leader, desensitising work can help - it doesn’t really seem to matter what to, the work builds trust because you take something they are afraid of and show them that it’s actually ok. Do that enough times with enough things, and they generally default to assuming if you say it will be ok, that it is.

Or you could get a pro to come help you/send her away for some training?

 

[Palindrome]

How good is your groundwork? Would she trust you to follow on the ground where she doesn’t under saddle? I do lots of groundwork with mine before backing, then if we run into problems hacking I can just hop off and they will follow me without question. Many years ago we hadn’t hacked for a while and my TB had a serious moment about going anywhere away from the yard. So I led her round the hack until we were headed home, then hopped on. Gradually I got on earlier and earlier and very soon we were back to our solo hacking selves.

If she doesn’t really trust you as a leader, desensitising work can help - it doesn’t really seem to matter what to, the work builds trust because you take something they are afraid of and show them that it’s actually ok. Do that enough times with enough things, and they generally default to assuming if you say it will be ok, that it is.

Or you could get a pro to come help you/send her away for some training?

Yes, she follows me if I get off. Last time was a bin that was laying on the road due to the wind, I got off, she had a sniff while I put it back straight and she happily grazed beside it. I only get off when I am near home though as I wouldn't be able to get on from the ground, she is 16.2hh and a bit fidgety, I am 5ft5 and not the most supple.
She only naps on the long reins or under saddle.

For the groundwork, lunging she is really good and calm. I have been watching the TRT method and trying it with her. She will do the turning crossing hindlegs (I had been doing it with her before) but not the backing up front leg behind. She is a type who is more dominant/on top of you so if I wave the rope to make her back up out of the space between us, she will just look at me.

I have been thinking about sending her away but I don't know anyone locally that I'd trust. I am not in the UK.

 

[scats]

Millie does this when she’s really unsure. This is how I know it’s not just her being daft nappy (which she will do when she gets distracted by/nappy to something like a pony in a field)
If she stops and is very unsure, she will turn her head back to my leg and I can see her trying to look at me. We have a system now when she does this that I take the pressure off and allow her to have a moment. She’s communicated that she’s really unsure and I have to acknowledge that. Then I’ll try the one leg encouragement to go forwards (both legs is too much and sends her up) and a gentle saddle wiggle. I’ll sometimes say in a jolly and happy voice “it’s alright Mill, we’re fine.” Rather than an encouraging, soothing voice that I think makes them more wary!
We have a good understanding now and she’s trusting me to recognise that she’s genuinely worried. I used to have to get off and lead her but now she will move on no problems. We’ve got this down to about 20 seconds now at worst.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Agree with scats! Keep your energy upbeat and over the top jolly if you have to, she probably knows your pretty comfortable and relaxed and shes like ‘nope, not today’
My horse was terrible, Im talking rearing moon walking, spinning bronking, reversing into hedges and sometimes all at the same time.
I used food as an encouragement, we still have the odd nap like today , Because of the weather I hadnt ridden for 3 days, so we had a nap and I just quickly turn him and push him on, I dont use crops or spurs. Its actually the only time I use leg on him. Turns out he could see a bit of tree had fallen and that was it.
I still reward him when we are out hacking, he knows his little treat stops now ?

 

[Greyskull]

My first though was that it could be a confidence issue.

Some good thoughts in the posts above.

I would also be willing to get off and lead if required (if you feel rearing is on the cards). Plus working on vocal cues in hand that can then be be used when mounted.

Could you also work on mounting while on a hack? Maybe note where any features that you could use as a mounting block are on the route?

As she naps on long reins, I also wonder if talking to someone who trains driving horses would be helpful?

 

[LEC]

I tend to do the Warwick Schiller method when they are like this building confidence and thinking forwards. Basically ride to the point they are comfortable and that might only be 3m and then turn around and keep doing that and keep asking for an extra step each time. It might take days, weeks, months but they do get better and better. It’s just anxiousness. I tend to do a lot of fun rides, cubbing, RC etc lots of little and often to make it fun.

 

[Palindrome]

I got lucky today. I was circling her to try to get her going forward as she was point blank refusing to go (at her usual place, near the field that used to have cows but is now empty) and a man passed us with his elderly golden retriever, we then followed them and managed to do a full hack . Now I might just need an elderly golden retriever and we are set.

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm in the same boat. Fin also turns his head to the side when he does not want to go forward. I've tried circling and it has made it worse. When he gets like that, you can't bully him out of it. I think the only way forward is to follow the advise above - don't make it a battle of wills. He'll follow if you lead, so get off. Even you are only 20m from the point where you were going to turn around anyway.

I've watched a lot of Warwich Schiller videos, and his methods work when I have warning that the pony is unhappy about something, but sometimes, he goes from perfectly fine and relaxed to slamming on the brakes. In seconds. That's when you end up stuck. He trusts a human in front of his nose, which is something, but he does not trust a rider.

 

[maya2008]

I would work on your mounting issue and just be prepared to get off to go first then get back on. In time, my experience is that they soon realise you’re willing to put your ‘money where your mouth is’ in terms of you approaching the ‘danger’ to show her it’s ok when you have told her it is from on board. Trust is built and eventually they go forwards fine from the rider’s aids alone.

 

[Palindrome]

She has been stickier today and the turning in tight circles wasn't helping, so I did as suggested, I got off to lead and got back on thanks to a big rock and then a bench.
I will try to watch/read some things about Warwich Schiller as I don't know him at all.

 

[Gloi]

Mine stops and turns to look at me in anticipation whenever I'm digging in my pocket for my hanky.? Never missed a trick.