Nappy on the way home...

3Beasties

3Beasties

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I've had my 5 year old ISH for about 6 weeks now, we've had some problems along the way (very explosive for a while) but I think (and hope) that we have finally made progress and I am actually starting to enjoy riding her. It is still early days but there is definitely potential there and I hope that we will reach it together.

Anyway, we are now hacking out alone, she is green but seems to enjoy being out and about, is no longer the lazy, nappy horse that MUST be ridden in spurs that I bought and is fairly brave and great in traffic!

The nappy-ness that I was warned about actually comes into play when we turn for home, she seems to love being out so much that she wants to go further! Once we get over the initial battle when we turn for home she is fine and will plod on home with some encouragement. In some ways I find it quite nice that she want's to be out doing stuff and it makes me want to do more with her and take her exploring, but it does seem slightly strange to have a horse that naps on the way home, especially as I was told she'd nap leaving the yard.....so, am I alone with my strange nappy horse or do your's nap on the way home too??

Is it something she will grow out off (We've only hacked alone 4 times)?
 
wow! not a nappy trait I have come across, but agree its nice to think she enjoys her work so very much... if it were me I would return to the entrance of the yard and ride right past up the road and do a loop, or just turn around... do this for a week, if only turning around and doubling back so she gets to not know when facing home means 'we are going home' if you get me... it may help to stop her anticipating and therefore napping.


As a side note I love your sig :D
 
Queenbee said:
wow! not a nappy trait I have come across, but agree its nice to think she enjoys her work so very much... if it were me I would return to the entrance of the yard and ride right past up the road and do a loop, or just turn around... do this for a week, if only turning around and doubling back so she gets to not know when facing home means 'we are going home' if you get me... it may help to stop her anticipating and therefore napping.


As a side note I love your sig :D
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I've only done loops so far with her, never actually stopped and turned back on myself, she just seems to know which direction home is :D
 
We are fortunate enough to be able to head for home and then divert along several loops, so that our horses never really know when we actually on the way home. Could you do something similar?
 
Pearlsasinger said:
We are fortunate enough to be able to head for home and then divert along several loops, so that our horses never really know when we actually on the way home. Could you do something similar?
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Humm, possibly on occasions! Unfortunately our hacking isn't great so we have two main route with mini route off from them. Today I could have gone further or done another small loop on the way home but my back was playing up so had to head for home, tomorrow we will go a bit further :)
 
My horse is officially weird lol! Went out in company today and she was much more nappy and spooky then she is on her own :rolleyes:
 
My horse went through a phase of napping on the way home from a solitary hack after the hard winter a couple of years ago - he didn't get off the yard for 6 weeks due to the snow and once he was out with me he did NOT want to go back! Took a month or so before he settled down. He is rather strange!
 
3Beasties said:
Humm, possibly on occasions! Unfortunately our hacking isn't great so we have two main route with mini route off from them. Today I could have gone further or done another small loop on the way home but my back was playing up so had to head for home, tomorrow we will go a bit further :)
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What I mainly mean is this... say for instance your yard is situated on a long stretch of road.... ride up it, then back down it past the entrance and down the road, turn around if you have to, and repeat, repeat, repeat... basically incorporated lots of the return routes into one big ride so that 'return route' does not necessarily mean 'home', when you do your loops never ride straight into the yard for a while, always ride past it and turn around, if she naps ride past again and keep doing this until she doesn't nap, then ride past again... then ride in. Stop her from being able to anticipate... :D hope this helps :D
 
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