Nappy

My youngster (mare) was worried by certain traffic when on her own this w/e - but only when we turned for home. She gets faster and upset - not good riding down a conifer lined orad in a howling gale. I found talking to her and being firm and knowing psychologically I was near home and would soon be off road helped. However, in the school, she is like the horse in the Richard Maxwell article in Eventing this month and kicks out at my leg - and not going forward. Hopefully before she retires we will have developed a harmnious relationship! Audrey; love your commetn on 'your horse has you well trained' soooo true of mine!
 
Yeh i thought she was probably just trying it on! i'll just keep battling on with her! the only thing that bothers me is if she spins into a car - i try to slow them down but there are still some idiots about, thanks
 
I think you are right, she seems to react better if I don't kick up such a fuss, I will keep trying. Thanks all, for all your comments, its kind of comforting knowing that I am not the only one out there who suffers with this problem. I'm going to try various other ideas from the draw reins, ear covers and maybe even blinkers...all have been recommeded to me and you never know one might help - I'll keep you posted on how I get on...I have a lesson on Sat so will be talking it all through with my instructor, at least we have a good lesson to look forward to - we always enjoy them so it will put some positives back in to riding for the both of us, I may even take the minx to clear round jumping on wed evening too if she plays her cards right!
 
Just another word on this subject if anyone else has advice. I am the friend who went out hacking twice at the weekend with this horse. She's very very quick at doing this spin and reverse. I was shocked. One minute she was there, the next not. Although she is definately being nappy as she tends not to do it when headidng towards home, there is always something that she is 'spooking' at when she does it, whether its a different mark on the road or a car that wasn't parked there yesterday but from an onlookers point of view, she comes off the bit so quick and actually gets behind it so she's already in a backwards transition. No matter how short you have your reins and then she's just dead to the leg, hand, voice, bit etc. My friend even rode with two whips so that she couldn't drop her shoulder to spin but its QUICK! I have sat on her and consider myself an experienced rider of many different horses and you cannot even feel it coming. I do think its a confidence issue with the horse too as she was scared recently by a shooting party but the rider is very positive all the time. The horse wouldn't even follow my horse when I trotted off which I did immediately??? Highly unusual.

So......my question is, anyone have any different techniques other than the traditional sit quiet etc? I know that they are all worth a try but has anyone actually tried cotton woll in ears/ear masks/blinkers/standing martingales (or does that just totally encourage rearing against the resistance?)

Anything is worth a go.

Cheers all.

So......other than the traditional methods of sitting quiet
 
I think it sounds like a big horse - with a big attitude that would benefit from a man getting on it. Not to beat it or anything like that - but just to physically get the better of it and get his legs around it. (sorry for repeating myself.)

Why quiet mix and the Allen & Page out of interst??
 
You could try draw reins, if she has her head pulled tight into her chest, she will find it diffcult to rear. When she does rear, smack her on her poll so she thinks shes hit her head. she will b wary to do it again,
 
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smack her on her poll so she thinks shes hit her head.

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Please don't do that - it's an awful thing to do to a horse!!!!
 
Blinkers may work, but not all horses like them, so you will need to get her used to them first. We have quiet a few ride & drive horses at the yard & most have been started while being there. There has been the odd one that took time to adjust, so dont assume that this will make her any better. Nappy horses are backward thinking, you could try long reining with someone at her head (not leading unless she does not long rein). The problem is that what works for one does not always work for another.
 
Does she respond to vocal commands? Daisy used to run backwards but now responds to a very firm "Stand". I then giver her a second to think about it while standing before asking very clearly to "Walk". I'm not using pressure so there is nothing for her to try and run away from
 
The lady I used to work for often had nappy horses in for schooling and she used to do ......nothing!
She would basically ride like a sack of potatoes, not use any leg whatsoever and be as unconfrontational as possible. When the horse napped she still didn't do anything just sat there, often for hours (she used to take a book with her and read that!) until the horse got so bored it would mostly go where she wanted.
However, she didn't ever have to go out on the roads as her land backed on to the common. So it was easier for her to do this without worrying about cars etc

It worked with every horse that came in to be schooled, without fail
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Worth a try?
 
Im so glad that i have read this post, as i am having the same problem with my chesnut mare, who incidently is fed exactly the same as the 16.2hh warmblood, and has all the physical checks done etc etc.
I bought her last september knowing that she occasionally naps when going out on a hack on her own - however, she has proved to be rather established at her napping, and since being with me has moved it to new levels hich makes me feel crap! She refuses to walk the 100yards to the school, and when she gets to a particular point she rears, spins, then flybucks and if i stop that, she will then go backwards like the speed of lightning. I have to say that if i dig my spurs in to send her forward, or use a whip, she seems to retaliate and does it even worse - she is just too athletic and leaps so high in the air that i simply fear i cannot sit to this so end up resorting to "quieter" methods - ie, waiting for her to finish pratting around and then applying a constant pressure with praise when she steps forward etc etc. I have been advised that the only way to stop a nappy horse is to "square them up", ie get someone on who is fearless to beat them when they nap, who will be able to sit to the consequences! However, i am reluctant to do this as i cant help thinking that she will only resort to her bad behaviour with me in the future.

As for going backwards, i managed to stop this by making sure i had good control of her hindquarters, and to keep her head turned in front so she simply coudlnt go back. This also enabled me to keep her more together and prevent her head from coming up so she couldnt rear. however, as soon as i had stopped the backwards antics she then resorted back to rearing, which caused me great upset!

I'm now at my wits end, as i dont really trust this mare and bought her to event - at the momen the last thing on my mind is to put her on a xc course and expect to come back alive. But also cant sell her as no one would buy her like she is.

Will be useful if anyone else has anymore suggestions
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My horse ran backwards when I got him, long reining worked wonders for him- probably because I was brave enough to give him a crack on the bum forwards when he started playing up.

Once he was working forwards nicely past 'scary spots' long reined I rode him out- first time he stopped at first scary point and I gave him a proper smack exactly like I did when he was long reined (same place, same determined whack). He shot forwards and *touch wood* hasn't done it since
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Beating isnt really the answer to anything.
However, 1 good one at exactly the right time is usually the answer to most problems. It may be an idea to put an ultra experienced rider on her back who is confident enough to catch her right. In her case it may be mid way into the rear, then prevent her from spinning.
I do absolutely believe there is a difference between a proper rearer and a pi55 taker - and only an ultra experienced rider can tell the difference.
I would'nt even raise my voice to a proper rearer, let alone my stick.
Seeing as she has worsened when in your care, perhaps you need to face the fact that she isnt the horse for you. You are right that she would resort to doing it with you in the future, it only takes the once for them to re learn bad habits - then the cycle starts again.
 
This is such as b***** frustrating problem.
I have no perfect answer but I do sympathise. My mare was a 100% perfect hack until I let a BHSII hack her out whilst my workload was exhaustive. I was left with a nappy mare that would 1/2 rear, spin and then plant her tootsies Grrrrrr
I've found that she will hack out fine with another horse and will tolerate the occassional short hack alone but I must be in a determined, confident frame of mind or she will sense otherwise immediately . I've found leading her out fully tacked up, I mean on purpose not that I get off!, has helped to a degree. I'm lucky in that my new yard encourages us to go out together but I really want her as she was before. My next step is Parelli, I'm willing to give anything that may increase her confidence/ respect/trust in me a go
Good luck x
 
I really haven't tried the sitting there and making her stand scenario until she moves off on her own. I have my lesson on Sat but on Sunday am going to walk her up to where she last spun with draw reins and ear covers (the ear covers works for a friend of mine). If she does it again I shall sit and do nothing until she moves off - I've got the time and have the patience so there is nothing to lose. I've never long reined her before and we have to go on lanes with traffic so I don't think this is an option for me when hacking out. Will let you all know how I get on.....
 
Amy - Have you ever ridden a horse that rears ?? A rearing horse is EXTREMELY dangerous to the rider and horse.

Smack her on the poll, they do think they have whacked their head. Another really effective trick is to smack them with a bottle of water with a few holes in or crack an egg over their head. They think it is blood and will not want to do it again.
 
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Amy - Have you ever ridden a horse that rears ?? A rearing horse is EXTREMELY dangerous to the rider and horse.

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Yep. And agree that they are terribly dangerous. And we all have ways of dealing with them - I would never hit them on the head. Others may and that's fine IF they have the expertise to deal with them.

However, I don't believe that the original poster does. She sounds to have a horse that has had a bit of a nap in it that has got progressively worse through (quite possibly) the riders own inexperience. To advocate that she hits it on the head could end up with serious injury for both horse and rider. And as I don't believe the OP has the experience to cope with what could be a very extreme reaction by the horse would never advise that she do it.
 
I have had nappers who have been corrected in a number of ways. One youngster had learned that spinning round & threatening to rear frightened his srider and he was allowed to go home. I bought him dirt cheap not knowing this. He tried it with me on day one and I was so bloody furious that I did give a bloody good belt, he was so shocked ( I was very loud and verbally abusive - few good pony club kicks and some hard belts across the backside) he never misbehaved in any way ever again. In fact when he was sold he was described as the most obedient horse the guy had ever sat on.
Another big warmblood mare would completely switch off and nothing you did would make her move. I didn't want her to turn into a rearer as I wanted to sell her on. I hacked her in company for a few months, concentrated on flatwork & obedience, and then requested that she went in the lead on a hack one day, she went to throw her toys out of the pram and I resorted to the abovementioned treatment. She was so suprised that she took the lead, and from then onwards was able to hack alone etc. without any real resistance.
I do think that once a horse learns it can nap then it will always have the thought at the back of it's mind, it 's all down to your relationship as to how successfully you can manage it.
I would never entertain getting off, or being 'soft' with a napper though, I would contrive a situation where I could have a confrontation in a 'safe' place and stack the odds in my favour.
It's not an approach that would work for everyone though and I would never start a fight I wasn't confident I would win.
 
This is what worked for me.

The horse naps and giving it a whack makes it worse, you get it to stand still, you then turn its head as far as possible in the direction that you want to go, so that its nose is against your foot, and hold the head there, sit still, don't kick dont do anything, the horse will give a big sigh and then you ask it to walk in the direction you want. It'll probably nap again, so you do it again, and it gets quicker and quicker to get it to move. I think it works by somehow 're-booting' the horses mind. It probably sounds stupid but it does work, and it is a non dangerous way to combat napping, you aren't going to end up on top of a car.
 
No she shouldn't do it from advice she has gained from this forum but it would be a good idea to get someone experienced to do it with her /for her.

I have now had 2 horses in a row that have reared and have been reared off the back twice, once with the horse coming down on me. I did not think twice about hitting it over the head as hard as possible to break the habit. It has worked but being too soft with this would not have worked. I go by Continental training methods and they are much stricter (some may say harsher) but ultimately they work - IMO!
 
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No she shouldn't do it from advice she has gained from this forum but it would be a good idea to get someone experienced to do it with her /for her.


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Seems terribly extreme to me. But hey ho, each to their own.
 
Well said!! Each to their own but it does work, horses are far too big to be pussyfooted around. I use the continental methods cos to be honest, who wins the Olympics, WEG etc etc? Germany and Holland are at the top of the tree nine times out of ten and it really is cos they have the discipline instilled in these horses from day one.

I am not putting UK down but I have had mega problems with a horse that was trained as a 4 yr old in UK. He just was not taught enough discipline at a young age and as a result, the kind of horse he is, he had taken advantage to the full extent that he can! My other two are disciplined when naughty and praised when good and they have their moments but on the whole are much more manageable.
 
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I use the continental methods cos to be honest, who wins the Olympics, WEG etc etc? Germany and Holland are at the top of the tree nine times out of ten and it really is cos they have the discipline instilled in these horses from day one.


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Maybe - but at the end of the day, most people want pleasant individuals, don't have the olympics in their sights, and just want to be able to ride their horses. And I'm not sure that the type of discipline you speak about applies to us all. Certainly a lot of the training techniques do not endear themselves to the massess or even a lot of individuals. I've seen a lot close up and personal, and it's not for me I'm afraid.
 
Yeah I agree with that. Most average riders do want a pleasant horse - unfortunately for me, to make my monster that I mentioned in this post into a pleasant individual, I have had to use these methods. Nothing else works and believe me I have tried!!

I agree that this type of discipline applies to riders that want competition horses - I use methods like these cos I compete seriously and want/need obedient horses.
 
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Most average riders do want a pleasant horse....

I agree that this type of discipline applies to riders that want competition horses - I use methods like these cos I compete seriously and want/need obedient horses.

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Again, not terribly sure about that. There are some seriously talented individuals on here competing at some pretty serious levels. Obviously can't comment on all of their training methods. But assume that the methods you speak of don't apply to all of them.

Anyway - we're hijacking this post. So will leave it there.
 
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