New Horse Napping....advice please (long)!

M

michelleyork

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 March 2011
Messages
141
Visit site
Hi All,

I bought an 8 yrs old warmblood 3 weeks ago, and keep him on a lovely yard in Solihull - they frequently hold dressage comps and BSJA, run by a very lovely team with a great instructor and regular SJ clincs at the yard.

The new horse can get nappy in the school near the exit and sometimes when heading towards home he can get a bit over excited - but been having lessons on him from the instructor and we seem to over come problems fairly quickly.

I decided to enter him in a couple of classes yesteday at the yard, and the first class he went into the school fine and part way round decided to stop in the middle of the arena and 'bunny hop'. I pushed him forwards and he went and jumped clear - the jump off we had a fence down as he was trying to get away with slowing down to bunny hop again and i just pushed him on and took a flyer at the fence and brought it down :(
The second class was a disaster - took us several minutes to get into the arena - as he just kept backing away from the school and doing little bunny hops and trying to spin round. I tried the nice approach, leg on pushing forwards etc....but then lost my patience as it was getting a bit embarasing, cracked him down the shoulder with my stick and shouted at him and he went trotting into the school fine. No napping in this round, but just 1 fence down which was a pain, but the round was not particularly pretty or effective - i felt as though I was riding very 'defensive' and waiting for him to be naughty.

I am pretty sure I am not over facing him, as the classes were all warmups to the BN class - he jumped all of the fences absolutely fine, I had no worries about him actually stopping or running out at a fence.

Back has been checked, new saddle fitted and checked by back man, teeth done, five stage vetting and bloods done.

Do you think he might just be trying is luck and testing his boundaries??

The first week I had him, i had problems getting on - so was lunging him before I got on. 3 weeks later and I can get on him cold absolutely fine.

He is a bit of a cheeky chappie - not dangerous with what he does, but I want to sort this sooner rather than later so he does not get to the dangerous stage... I am having a flat lesson once a week and a jump clinic once every other week - next one is tomorrow so will have a chat with the instructor then about it all aswell.

Any help/advice much appreciated.

Thanks
x
 
From what you have written it sounds to me as if he is just trying it on and you did the right thing, without seeing the horse however it is difficult to say! Is there any chance you can ask his previous owners if he was like this at competitions with them? Perhaps he's been allowed to get away with it before? If you're absolutely sure he's fine physically then there is little you can do except ride it out, good luck with your new horse :)
 
Thanks for your reply.

I have dropped and text and an email to the previous owner to ask her about this - I have a feeling that I might not get a reply!!

I am planning on heading down to the yard later on today, to work on going from the indoor to the outdoor school and working in both of them, then a little hack around the fields and back in the school again.

Fingers crossed that he is just being a cheeky beggar and we can get past this stage easily!
 
My horse started to do this about 6 weeks after I bought him. He would nap by going backwards, slowly at first then at speed. I tried the nicey nicey approach, sat there thinking he would get bored, steered him backwards, then one day he backed into a car on the carpark so I tapped him with my whip and he changed direction backwards :confused:, ran fast backwards and bucked me off. I ended up in A&E with torn ligaments in my shoulder.
Armed with my body protector and very sore I was advised it was a battle I had to win otherwise he would never stop it, so he did it again, I asked nicely but as he was about to go bacwards again, I walloped him and he shot forwards. He never did it again. I think timing was the crucial thing.
Good luck, I suspect your horse is taking the mickey.
 
Sounds like he is trying it on a bit. If you can get him to pack it in with a quick tap of the whip then it sounds like you are sorting him out fine!
 
Sorry to hear your having problems, I would definitly ask your instructor so she can see whats happening from the ground. I had a breakthrough one day when I was having very bad PMT!! and couldn't be doing with any messing so got on board with a very positive attutude and nipped any nonsence in the bud straight away, my horse instantly got the message and didn't put a foot wrong, what I'm saying is maybe if when your riding you were very clear of what you exspect and be consistant he may not try it on? I hate having "battles" with horses but there has to be mutual respect on both sides, its just a thought I'm sure your a good rider but some horses gain confidence if they know theres a pilot on board so to speak, wishing you good luck and hope you start haveing some fun. Would be intresting if you got any info from the previous owners regarding this. Good Luck!
 
As has already been suggested it does rather sound as though this is something he did with his previous owner. I think you did the right thing. In my experience a lot of warmbloods can have a nappy streak which is often exacerbated by the stress of a competition.

One of mine never napped at home but was a 5h1t at a show. He seemed to realise that he could be obnoxious in the arena - I do dressage with him. In the end I spoke nicely to a couple of local show centres and paid to use the arena in the lunch break. I plaited up and wore my competition clothes. Sure enough first time up the centre line he napped and got a crack behind my leg - I'm not a fan of a slap down the shoulder as I want my horses to go off my leg. I then carried on as though riding the test and every time he napped he got another crack. I was also able to spin him when necessary. A couple of tries at thisvand he got the message.

When I next tok him out to compete it was with the view that I would "throw" the test if necessary but he had to go when and where he was asked. I did let the judge know that this was my plan but he had obviously learned from his earlier experiences and has never tried to nap again.
 
My horse gets silly off MY adrenalin so is nappy at shows. I have a battle pretty much every time we go out. We are in a riding club and they are well aware of my horses' antics and support me in dealing with him. However the more I go out the better he gets, so I'd say just keep competing as often as you can and don;t let him get away with it. He will settle eventually.
 
I have stories as long as my arm about my KWPN and his nappy and rearing!!! The long and the short of sorting it has been:
1. Our relationship and his trust in me (something you won't have much of yet so early on). We had a session with a natural horsemanship person a few weeks back who gave me some exercises to keep him a. looking to me when unsure, b. respecting me and my personal space, c. stop the behaviour as soon as it starts.
Eric Bravo on YouTube shows a lot of what I was taught by Emma Tarrant in Exeter.
2. Ring craft - working out he always goes through his left shoulder so I work him in the suspected problem areas before crossing the start line.
3. ALWAYS win the battle else he will be worse the next time.
4. Calmers. I used Steady-Up (magnesium based) first of all and now changed to Cool, Calm and Collected (L-Tryphothan based). It might be placebo but I think it helps.
5. WBs seem to do this to new riders - so many friends have had this problem so don't give in or get too downheartened.
6. Don't over stable them. He is too clever and becomes naughty and yard bound/buddy bound with too much time in.
7. They do relapse. I have had problems both years coming out of winter... as per point 6!!
 
3 weeks is nothing. Hes obviously insecure because of new owner, surroundings, food, friends etc etc. His whole life has probably just changed completely. Not trying it on- just completely normal behaviour when a horse is insecure. And added to that do you ride him exactly the same as his previous rider? I doubt it! You don't know him and all his little ways so you cant expect him to understand you 100%!

Time, patience and appropriate handling/traning and you will not look back. Youve had him 3 weeks, that is nothing!

Good luck!
 
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to my post, a bit of an update!

I went down and rode this afternoon, first in the indoor arena as other horses were in the outdoor. Schooled for about 30mins and then took him out the indoor and spent time working through the napping by making him go back in and then out again, and then back out and back in....each time walking him further from the school and then back into it - loads of fuss when he went in without playing up etc, and a good crack with my stick when he tried it on :(
Then decided to go into the outdoor school on the way back into the yard, well that was fun, we ended up back on the yard bunny hopping all the way! I spent 10mins trying to get him to go forwards and he just kept going backwards - so I turned him round and made him walk backwards through the yard and into the outdoor arena!! Which amazingly worked!

Very confused now! I have a jumping clinic on Monday night so will talk to my instructor then and also the yard owner when I am down there.

My main concern is that I don't make things worse, and they don't evolve into worse things if I don't nip this behaviour in the bud sooner rather than later. The joys of horses I suppose!!!
 
I have a different view im afraid. I dont believe he is trying it on. He cant speak so is communicating to you that he doesnt want to go somewhere by napping, he would rather stay in his stable or field where he feels safer- near to other horses and away from someone who is asking him to do things he is uncomfortable with. Its made worse when he tells you he is feeling insecure (by napping) he gets whipped! When what he needs is understanding of his predicament and time and help to sort it out.

You made progress by getting him where you wanted him into the indoor but then when he did what you wanted him to do his reward was to go somewhere else that he was unsure about! Made worse by you heading back to the yard but then saying, no, youre not going back actually i want you to go somewhere else.

Your horse is probably more confused than you!

I have owned a pony for all its life and when i took him somewhere new on the farm he needed longer than 3 weeks! You have to do a gradual introduction, if its just up to the school gate at first then thats fine. Then as his confidence builds you will find it easier. But too much too soon and you hit problems.

Good luck. I know its frustrating but imo you are asking a bit too much too soon. It can be overcome but only if the horse can cope with what it is being asked to do.
 
OP - take a step back, and give this horse a little more time.

What do you do other than jump and school it????
 
OP listen too teddyt and amymay what they say is very sensible, you have only had him 3 weeks, old horseman saying takes 12months for horse and rider to get use to each other, could be your style of riding? He's a living breathing, flesh and blood being who also thinks and feels, as they said he cann't tell you whats bugging him, it's for you to find out.
 
Hi there I have had my horse 10 weeks and sure enough 2weeks in hacking out he starts napping,backing up spinning and refusing to go forward even in a group,I understand how your feeling it is so annoying ,I used a whip and he bucked and didn't listen to my legs to go forward the more I kicked the more he went back,I got a lady out to help me with my problems she be leaves in spurs and being firm that has seemed to do the trick for him ,he does do it slightly with someone that hasn't rode him that much just listens more with the spurs on
 
If I were to have whipped my gelding during his nappy stage I'd have ended up being dumped. My horse would spin and run home. He couldn't be stopped or turned. The more I'd 'fight' him the worse he got.

The best way is to ride through it without making a fuss out of the situation. If you get angry then get off.

Can he be led with company to the school? How often do you hack - does he nap whilst hacking? Take a step back and evaluate his behaviour so you can work out why he's upset.
 
I had exactly the same problem and do mean exactly, new WB, did show on own yard and he got increasingly nappy the more times we went from one arena to the other. He also used to threaten to rear or go backwards if I asked him to go forward.

I also did what you are planning to do, in practising going from one arena to the other, but don't over do it!! just 5 mins in one arena then 5 mins in the other, return to original and work. If you keep going in and out you will make it worse by stressing him out



He was quite a tense young horse who generally didn't do much wrong so I also put him on Mag ox and spent extra time with him. Now 12 months on he is the most laid back and well behaved horse on the yard and no longer on mag ox

I did go a little gentle on him as he seemed so sensitive, if it had been my old lad he would have got a huge telling off and smack, but this lad would have lost the plot if I had over reacted.

I have also found with him to give him a minute or two to think about things, a stroke on his neck, then ask again, as he doesn't do well under pressure. They are all different as I said my last one was, if I had given him a minute to think about it he would have taken that as he had won and been twice as difficult.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for your responses.

Horse does get hacked every other day, the reason I took him into the school again yesterday as purely to try and solve the problem that we had the day before. I have hacked him alone and in company - in company absolutely fine, unless i try to get him to go away from the horse/s that we are hacking with - but I think most horses would! On his own, he can be a bit funny leaving the yard, but otherwise no major problems as yet.

he doesnt appear to be napping to other horses, it is back to his stable! So yes, i do think it is partly to do with his world being turned upside down with new home, new rider, new routeine etc... I realise i have done a lot with him in a short space of time, however alot of this was on the reccomendation of the yard owner and the others who work on the yard.

We got past the issues of getting on, so I am sure we will get past the issues that we have at the moment.

Big thanks to those who were supportive of my post, with constructive adivce.
 
I've recently bought a new horse and he's been getting a bit nappy too. I agree that ii is probably an insecurity thing, although there may well be an element of testing you out also.

I don't get into a fight with mine. I don't think it is worth it, have had all the "really lay into him" kind of advice. Have tried getting tough with the stick but he just gets worse. Now I just sit there. Mine will just plant himself and make himself extra bendy so very hard to push him on:rolleyes: If i boot him hard, he bucks, so I just keep the contact really tight (particularly outside rein, away from the napping direction) and I nag with my legs... I'm very good at nagging;). My instructor recently told me not to fight but "make yourself really irritating". I keep a strong contact with my lower leg and release it slighty as soon as he takes a step forward. He eventually decides it's easier to walk on.. the time this takes is getting less on each ocassion, so I think I'm winning.

In the school it's easy, if he doesn't want to go in one direction, I change direction but make him go in the manner I want - ie. he must work!!, I keep doing this until eventually he doesn't know which way he didn't want to go in the first place lol:confused: He doesn't nap in the school anymore.

My advice would be to avoid competitons for a while. Lots of lessons, clinics etc. Don't push the situation too much as he is still settling and make yourself quietly irritating:p Good luck x
 
I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone in my situation with him at the moment!

I do like the sounds of 'nagging' him, as I think i could be quite good at that one!;)

Lets see what happens this evening at the clinic!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top