NERVOUS HORSES?

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charlottekmw

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22 September 2009
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Hi everyone looking for some advice for my boy!
So basicly this is the story...
I have just brought this horse and he is quite nervous like he doesnt like
-being touched at all on his legs, under his belly or on the back end of him AT ALL!
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-he doesnt like his rugs being taken off and put on
-he flinches at any sudden movements
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But he doesnt mind
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-being groomed the front end of him
-picks up one of his feet
-being caught in/ turned out
-me putting on his headcollar/ tieing up
-being stroked

And he has started
-kicking out with his back leg if he gets scared
-sometimes he tries to bite but doesnt actually get you if you get what I mean?
-today he started cow kicking
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He wasnt fed before but he has started being fed today on just mollichaff calmer. He has his hay and gets turned out in the mornings.

Im quite confident with him and I dont want to smack him or anything because I dont want him to get more nervous but I tell him 'no' in like a confident authoritive kind of voice! lol and Im just being patient with him because I know its going to be a slow process getting him to trust me and that but I was wondering if anyone has any advice I could try with him?

He is a 3yr old irish gelding& stands around 15.2 so he is quite big& strong!

sorry about the essay just want to try to cover everything! thanks for reading x
 
Hon was just like that when i got her!
Shes still jumpy with anyone but me & my mum cos shes only built up her trust with us. After alot of patience and help!!
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she now picks up all 4 feet, doesnt kick/bite and is calm with her rugs. Shes still a little spookier than a "normal" horse. And jumps at silly little things but i have only had her 6mnths!
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Good luck!
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Oh bless him he's just a baby yet and maybe your relationship is very new still. I think you're on the right track - smacking will just frighten him more so take it easy and slow. I'd start him all over again as if he was straight off a mountain and unhandled. Touching on his legs and belly is best done at this stage with a "false" hand, eg rubber glove stuffed with hay and tied to a walking stick. Tiny touches to begin with and if he gets worried and kicks you won't be hurt but the trick is to NEVER move the "hand" if he kicks. You will just teach him to kick more. Only move it when he stays calm, even if it's just for a second or 2. The rug thing, I'd take his rug off by folding and folding it up across his back so you end up with only a foot wide strip of rug to be gently eased off. Same with putting it on. Fold it up so it's only a foot wide. Let him see it and sniff it and ease it onto his back. Don't try to sneak up on him with it. If he's still worried, start with a thin, light rug eg fleece and fold it up into a small square. Let him sniff it. Rub him on his shoulder with it. When he's happy (advance and retreat) open it up a fold and so on. Every new thing you do with him, allow plenty of time and always end on a high even if you have to go back a step now and then. The jumpiness should resolve as he gets to know and trust you but when he's ready you can start some confidence buiding groundwork and before you know it you'll be riding him through a funfair. Good luck x
 
agree with box of frogs too, talk to him loads so he knows your voice. I was also told to make my horse take a step back if it did anything naughty to mirror herd dominance, rather than smacking. And mega loads of praise and scratches when she did good! good luck and keep us posted x
 
Hi there, I bought a 7month old colt and filly last year, both had never been touched once, so it was a huge challenge, my filly was very very scared if you walked up to the stable door she would run to the back and stand in the corner, they were both so scared. It may sound silly but I just used to sit in the stable with them and in the field everyday. They just got used to me being around and they got a bit more trusting and they wanted to know more, I also tried "Join up" by Monty Roberts, it worked a treat, best way in my eyes, especially when you are trying to get a horse to trust you. I know hes headcollared etc but it just builds up trust and he may be more relaxed around you, mine both used to kick and bite but it was nerves they wasnt to know if I was going to hurt them or not so this may be what he is doing. Good luck with your boy, honestly its the best feeling when your there eventually just dont give up and dont get angry with them. X
 
Completely agree with Box_of_Frogs but would also add that if you do everything the same way so keep a routine that normally makes them more confident because they know what is coming next. So it you are picking his feet out then always start with the same foot and pick them up in the same order.

I find this works really well with my lad, he loves his routine and finds it quite relaxing he tends to get worried if things are done differently and he doesn’t know what you want him to do.

Good luck
 
Agree with all of Box_of_Frogs excellent advice.

Ari, is five, and was just like this when we got him, not really been handled a lot and very babyish and nervous. The more you get to know your boy, and him you, the better he will become, he's still a baby in his head.
 
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