nappy mare

[phoebelgrant]

hi Im new to all this forum stuff but have been reading for a while and was hoping you could give me some some help with my mare.
Well she is an 8year old warmblood who iv had for 4 months the problem is that sometimes she will ride away quite happily but other times she naps very badly and has started to rear and buck.
I think the problem is Psychological rather than physical as i have had the back man to her and apart from slightly stiff hip nothing else was wrong. however i do think she is worse when she is in season so perhaps hormones are to blame although i have tried her on a moody mare supplment with no noticable difference.
she lives out is fed alfa-a, sugar beet and d and h pasture mix.

 

[monica123]

umm....i had a mare on lan who used to rear and buck badly, it turned out she had a bad back, but she still did it when it was better, i just kept relaxed and concentrated, and she got better and better with work! good luck, sorry im not much help!

 

[ladylisa]

i think you've just got to work at it!
welcome to the site

 

[Twinkle Twinkle]

Think positive thats what l do.

 

[Clodagh]

I think the key word is warmblood. I'm sure there are some who aren't nappy, but I've yet to meet them. Persist, and you'll get there!

 

[phoebelgrant]

Thank you Clodagh i think you may be right there! I will persist well after my leg has healed following last nights "I will not go" episode lol.

 

[acolvine]

Hi,

My mare had back issues and it caused her to start napping when being ridden. She would plant herself on the spot and threaten to rear then just jig jog and refuse to engage when schooling.
I had a few sessions of physio with her which seemed to sort the problem out but it did take time.
It took ages for her to accept the pain had gone before i could get her to work normally again. She now has regular massage sessions as it helps to keep her muscles supple and relaxed which in turn has a calming effect on her.
Back on track at last but unfortunately riding through the subsequent tantrums was the only way. Just be patient and im sure you will get there.
You could try using NAF Magic or temperelax to take the edge off. Its the only calmer ive tried that actually worked.
Hope you get things sorted soon.

 

[jennystreek]

Im just wondering if i have just been sold her identicle twin??

Bought a 6yr old mare about a month ago, sold with "occasional napping" - when she doesnt want to go past something (ie, the field with her fellow mares in it) she rears and spins, and then also has started rearing, bucking and spinning all in once, so can be quite un seating. When in the school, if i dont have her full attention she spooks at absolutely nothing and then starts broncho's round the school.

My curent plan is to do more ground work and hacking (in company) with her, so she can learn to trust me more. had a lot of people saying "that horse needs a whopping big kick", but if i start getting like this with her she gets worse and retaliates more. Will be putting her on a calmer this week to see if it makes a difference to her.

Before having this mare, i always thought that "napping" was just pulling, ie towards a gate - not doing acrobats!!!

 

[tashyisaudrey]

Hi

I've seriously been here and got the t-shirt. Get it all checked physically , with my mare it was her back, but she still does it. My mare has tried every trick in the book and we're still working on it. she refuses to hack out alone. if I keep my legs on her she naps. If I give her a tap with schooling whip , she then rears, I can normally ride her through this as well, but if it turns to bucking , it can be very scary. She used to refuse going in front, but I have improved this by lunging her lots. TBH - the only way around this problem is sheer grit and determination. Lots of ground work, re-establishing the realtionship that you are in charge, and she is not. Monty Roberts headcollar - brilliant and well worth the money, and Kelly Marks book has lots of ground work exercises to try. My mare has a will of iron. the more you argue with her the more difficult it is to reason with her. Out hacking, I've often been forced to get off her lead her past the problem and then get back on her. she too will spook at anything. This is their way of testing you out. It is often not fear. If you are to be in charge they want to test that you are aware of all potential dangers ( in their mind). If it is fear, then they may not have settled in or been schooled properly. My advice is be calm and firm. Do lots of groundwork and hack out in company in the mean time. make them go in front or even just alongside another horse. If they do this, praise them and reward. A tip : if you canter level with another horse, they will nearly always want to race and go in front, let them do so , until they realise they are in front and then pull them back and pat. It does take time to cure this problem, and be prepared for it to be worse when they are in season - and it can cause mounting problems. Its an old saying but it takes a year to get to know a horse, and vice-versa. Have patience, with things they find difficult or confusing.

 

[phoebelgrant]

thank you audrey, what you have described sounds exactly like my mare! She is a super little horse otherwise so i will keep going hopefully sometime soon she will learn to enjoy it rather than having to fight all the time! I will give the cantering infront a go and hope it will give her more confidence in front. Again thank you and will give ideas a go.

 

[beaconhorse]

Unfortunately like all the others have said napping is something that takes a long time to deal with especially when it is so inbuilt like hers sounds. The other advice is to hack as often as possible, The longer you go inbetween each hack the longer it will take. Try not to have a break from hacking. ie a friend of mine has a slightly nappy horse if she does not hack him for a couple of weeks he is right back to the beginning, whereas as long as she takes him out a couple of times a week he is ok.

Have you tried spurs? Just a thought because IF you can keep her forward by using them she is less likely to be able to rear or buck. Obviously try her in the school with them first.
I know a lot of people are nervous about using them on a sensitive horse BUT some actually prefer the spur to the leg

 

[Blizzard]

our warmblood used to nap and nap none stop for months when we got him, basically just keep at her and dont let her win, ever!
Even if you have to stand still for an hour until she decides to go forward.