Nappy youngster

[lialls]

Going to try and keep this short and to the point.

I guess i am in the process of riding Boots away but she is nappy on the lunge in the school, everytime she passes the gate she will leap in the air and kick out, she carries on on her circle though. If there are horses in the field by the school she will rear in protest as the circle comes passed them. If i try and get after her to push her forward passed the problem area with the whip and my voice she just reacts badly, bucking and kicking out but will carry on on the circle.

She has been properly ridden twice, both times out on a short hack with another safe steady horse. The second time we went out she protested half way round on the ride by leaping in the air twice. I don't understand what caused her to do that other than she released it ment being worked.

She will happily long rein, not really any problems there, but she does try to rush home, though she will go in and out of the yard a number of times without any problems.

I have put riding her on the back burner as i'm not 100% sure how to deal with her if she tries anything again, apart from sit it out and trying to get her to go forward but i dont want it ending badly and her winning. Im pretty sure that if i can sort her out on the lunge then she will be better ridden. Have just gone back to lots of long reining and some school work, she is making small improvements in the school which is good to see but having ridden her twice i really need to get back on.

SO any ideas on how to stop her napping in the school? and out on a hack? Any pointers for me in general?

Please be polite with advice.

 

[AdorableAlice]

How disappointing for you, it's not what you want to hear, but if the young horse was mine and I wanted to keep and enjoy her for many years to come, I would be seriously thinking about getting professional help.

Obviously you need to consider if she is comfortable physically.

There will be many others giving good advice soon.

 

[I See Clover]

Don't have a lot of advice for you, but I had a similar problem with my mare when I first bought her last year. She doesn't hack out well alone, would nap by planting but more so by leaping, trying to turn around and rearing vertical. She would do this in the arena sometimes too.

She was just testing the boundaries, but I've never had a horse that naps as bad as that before and so felt a little out of my depth. All I could do was sit it out, be patient and push her own. She reacts badly to whips and if you raise your voice by she will get even worse. The hacking alone is still an issue due to moving yards and not being allowed to hack out alone (strange I know), but I am moving yards next week so will hopefully be able to crack the hacking during the summer.

My mare used to nap on the lunge as well. Again, I just persevered. She would always stop, come into the middle and start rearing. I started to get wise to her and could tell when she was about to stop, so I would push her on. I just kept repeating the same process until she eventually gave up. And I always made sure I left things on a good note.

With the napping, I have always been told to have them faced in the direction you want to go at all times. Try and look out for signs of her slowing down or when she is going to leap/turn around and push her on. Go into trot if that's what it takes to prevent her from stopping. Also, make sure your hands are forward when you are pushing her on. I used to tense up and pull back on the reins when I was trying to get her to go forward. That sent her mixed signals - I was telling her to go forward off my leg, but telling her to stop with my hands.

Just keep at it and don't give in. When they get away with it once, they think they can get away with it again! If she plays up when you are hacking again, don't be afraid to get off and lead her for a bit if you are scared. As long as you are not taking her back home and you do get back on her, there shouldn't be a problem!

Good luck, hope things start to improve!

 

[lialls]

Thanks for the advice guys.

AA - I will be seeking professional help shortly if this doesn't improve vastly over the next 2 weeks.

We have a couple of differnt routes to try as clearly its not working what we have been doing so far. Having owned the mare since she was a yearling we know that she has an attitude on her, i was hoping that a nice approach would change her mind set but its just not quite enough. We are starting to be a bit harder on her now and are making small improvement so i know i'm going to the right direction, i guess there are no hard and fast rules with youngsters though.

Thanks I See Clover, wishing you all the best with your mare too!

 

[AdorableAlice]

I am not so sure about the previous poster advising getting off.

In my mind the majority of horses with a brain will soon work out, have a bit of a stop and/or tantrum and bingo, rider gets off. In my view, and it's not worth much !, I feel if you get off a naughty horse you are rewarding it.

 

[lialls]

I've had nappy horses before just not one that one born nappy! IF i was on Boots and she had a paddy the only way i would end up on the floor is if i fall off... Need to buy a seat belt, anyone got a spare one?

 

[AdorableAlice]

I've had nappy horses before just not one that one born nappy! IF i was on Boots and she had a paddy the only way i would end up on the floor is if i fall off... Need to buy a seat belt, anyone got a spare one?

My seat belt is attached to my parachute and ab-sailing kit at present. We are restarting a 17.2 that is just coming off 8 months box rest !

 

[padderpaws]

Hi, I am NOT an expert but I do have some experience overcoming a nappy horse so far as getting off/not getting off and it is this. I have found that if the horse is generally scared/frightened of something out on a hack and is about to loose it, it is good to get off and lead past (and back again) until the horse is not scared anymore. Then get back on and continue on your way. IMO in this situation, getting off will give the horse confidence. But if the horse is not scared and is just testing you then getting off is a no no. Of course safety first, don't put your self in danger but if you can sit it out then in that situation it is better to do so. Good luck.

 

[lialls]

My seat belt is attached to my parachute and ab-sailing kit at present. We are restarting a 17.2 that is just coming off 8 months box rest !

DOH, Boots is only 14.2 so i think you are best keeping the parachute and ab-sailing kit! lol. Good luck with yours!

 

[lialls]

Hi, I am NOT an expert but I do have some experience overcoming a nappy horse so far as getting off/not getting off and it is this. I have found that if the horse is generally scared/frightened of something out on a hack and is about to loose it, it is good to get off and lead past (and back again) until the horse is not scared anymore. Then get back on and continue on your way. IMO in this situation, getting off will give the horse confidence. But if the horse is not scared and is just testing you then getting off is a no no. Of course safety first, don't put your self in danger but if you can sit it out then in that situation it is better to do so. Good luck.

Quite right. Boots is not scared, shes just being a madam... Thanks for your reply

 

[lialls]

Boots must be reading HHO, just lunged her and she was pretty much foot perfect, youngsters eh

 

[Passtheshampoo]

As others have said keep her facing the way you want to go and if she looks the other way correct her. With my youngster if she's putting the brakes on rather than have a big argument I let her think about her actions for a couple of seconds then ask her to go forwards. First time nicely then I apply the growls, flicking of reins on her neck and spurs if that's what it takes to get forward movement. Basically I make life hard when she's being willful so that going politely forwards is the easiest option. In the early days I did jump off her and lead her to get the forward movement and don't feel that doing so created any problems. In fact when you have cars lined up behind you it can be the safest option. Having her move in the direction I wanted not back home as she wanted in my mind showed leadership. Not sure if it's a mare thing but they do seem to be more argumentative than geldings.
With regard to nappers being bred or created, my youngster, her sister and their dam are all nappy, self opiniated mares. I backed the dam and my youngster and the other youngster was professionally backed in Ireland. all show the same trait so I do think personally that some horses are more likely to wnat to test the water. Have to say though the more you can get out and about and reiterate that you are the leader and decided where to go they do get better.

 

[fatponee]

I would continue with lunging her and pushing her forward when she naps. Don't work her for ages either, otherwise she'll just associate lunging and the school with boring things! Think it's just a case of her having to get used to all this 'work' malarky!

Out of interest, do you ride her in the school? Just wondered if maybe you could spend some time riding her in the school so that she gets the idea of having a saddle on and being ridden. When she's gotten used to that, then maybe you could ride her for 5 mins in the school before you go out for a short hack with a friend?

Hope that helps?

 

[lialls]

Thanks guys.

No i don't ride her in the school as usually she has her paddy as soon as we get in there and start work - she has done it from day one, no idea how she learnt it but it put me off riding her in there. As shes always been so good to long rein i though that my safest bet was actually to just get going out on a hack rather than have a battle and fall off in the school to start with.

Trouble with boots is that she dosnt grin to a halt and plant her self or even wind up to something big, she just does the something big. So you have got to be ready and really read her. Shes quite easy to read though, in the school its approaching the gate or other horses. Out hacking i'm not sure what set her off, i think she just decided that she'd had enough.

Her mother was the queen of napping, she would just plant herself and happily stay there all day, had i known this when i went to see Boots i might not have come home with her!

Thanks for all your replys guys, i feel slightly more confident with the situation now and she worked really well tonight so i think it is just a case of plugging on with her. No doubt i will be back here for move advice

 

[Dottyfordylan]

No advice but can tell you about my personal experience. I have a nappy horse started schooling him after he was in the field for god knows how long we couldn't get round the school in any direction I wanted to go he would pick a certain place to nap then do it through the start of the schooling session, they were violent naps towards the gate. He gradually got better by sitting tight but quiet if he napped in the opposite direction I wanted to go then we would go that way but keep him forwards. Once he realised I wasn't just going to give in he started to co-operate.

This was 18 months ago and now I am asking more from him he is napping and bucking towards the gate again, same process and he eventually settles.
I think this will always be his thing that he uses as an evasion.

Don't know if my techniques are wrong or right but they seem to work for him

 

[Above&Beyond]

Get her to respect you, maybe through some ground work or natural horsemanship, just so she knows whos the 'boss'. Also make sure she listens well to your aids before you take her into an environment where she naps, or as you said work with the long reining... I would also try and keep her busy ie transitions so she concentrates on you rather than the surroundings. Oh and possibly avoid confrontation, be firm but giving enough to avoid a 'fight'.
Good luck!