New horse settled well but terrified of the school

[Abi90]

My new (and first) horse arrived a week ago and settled brilliantly into his stable and the field but is terrified of the indoor school.

He came off a hunting yard so was mostly doing hacking and schooling in a field. He's well mannered and was not at all spooky when I tried him but the indoor school is apparently terrifying, which makes sense as I'm not sure if he's ever been in one. First time I took him in there he was spooking at the mounting block, the door and the pole corner.

I decided to take him in on the lunge and he seems much more chilled out and relaxed. Nothing is as scary as it was. I've lunged him past the door and walked him round the school in hand and he has chilled out massively and is actually a very pleasant horse to lunge and is very obediant BUT I don't want to jump on and ruin what we've achieved. I also don't want to take him out on a hack until I know he's more settled and won't do something stupid out and about.

What's the best way to move forward from here? I am trying to find an instructor in my new area but I want to be able to progress with him day to day as well.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Is it a metal school/ enclosed they do have echoes, and can be scary for sensitive types, probably just do a quick lunge for a few weeks and avoid riding on windy/stormy day.
It is not often the case that a horse will be scared just because it is a new experience.
Maybe try a magnesium calmer for a month.
You would do best to hack out in company, or you can start off long reining out and about, but if he has been in a hunting yard he should be safe on his own.
Try to avoid out and return trip, circular hacks are best.

 

[Abi90]

It is a metal school. And very echoey.

It also has pillars in it and a random arch thing they use for tilting in the middle which he didn't like initially but is now okay with after we investigated it together on the ground.

He's not spooky at all outside of the school and tractors and wind and the like don't bother him so I think it's just the alien environment.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Horses have very sensitive hearing, it is part of their survival response, he should get used to it, just have some grids etc set up, and give him things to think about, keep him moving forward, keep sessions short.
It is quite normal for a new rider to be a bit tense, and obviously this adds to the stress, all round.
Maybe think about more ground handling, walking over tarps, walking past things in the arena, just change things around, the horse's instinct is to identify predators, and he will be looking out for things that move around, this can include cones which appear in hedgerows, and so on, sheep may be aliens for some horses, not for others, ditto pheasant / highland cattle / white cows / horses in white sweet itch rugs.
I spent a lot of time walking up to , and investigating artificial things with a youngster, he was fine with certain things, but very reactive, the woods were full of lions and tigers, and he was pretty tricky, it took over a year for him to relax in any yard he was at, moving yards really upset him.

 

[Abi90]

Is it a metal school/ enclosed they do have echoes, and can be scary for sensitive types, probably just do a quick lunge for a few weeks and avoid riding on windy/stormy day.
It is not often the case that a horse will be scared just because it is a new experience.
Maybe try a magnesium calmer for a month.
You would do best to hack out in company, or you can start off long reining out and about, but if he has been in a hunting yard he should be safe on his own.
Try to avoid out and return trip, circular hacks are best.

And thank you

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

If you can't go out with another [quiet] horse, you could get a friend to ride out in front on a bike.

 

[Abi90]

I have a friend with an older and very sensible horse on the yard that I'm going to take him out with. I'm not too worried about him out of the school but better safe than sorry!

I think I'm going to continue to do groundwork with him in the school for the next week or so. He's much more confident in there with me on the floor and we can investigate things together. I'm hoping it will get him used to my voice and therefore give him confidence when he hears me when I'm on board!

Thank you for your advice

 

[Barnacle]

Can you leave him in the school for a couple of hours with a few piles of hay?

I'm sure he's over it already honestly. Horses have severe neophobia. Once they see something won't hurt them, they're fine.

I would not make a big deal out of it. If you start setting up scary things IN the school to desensitise the horse - particularly if you haven't done this before or there's ANY chance you'll cut the session short - you run a big risk of making the horse absolutely convinced the school is a terrifying, horrible place.

Walking him around in-hand or lunging and giving him treats while you do it won't hurt though!

 

[D66]

Can you leave him in the school for a couple of hours with a few piles of hay?

I'm sure he's over it already honestly. Horses have severe neophobia. Once they see something won't hurt them, they're fine.

I would not make a big deal out of it. If you start setting up scary things IN the school to desensitise the horse - particularly if you haven't done this before or there's ANY chance you'll cut the session short - you run a big risk of making the horse absolutely convinced the school is a terrifying, horrible place.

Walking him around in-hand or lunging and giving him treats while you do it won't hurt though!

this^^^^
or, feed him as close to the school as you can get, moving nearer each feed. It won't take long.

 

[Abi90]

I'm thinking about turning him out in there at the weekend for a bit. We can only book the school for some use once a week and there are lots of people using it at weekdays.

To be honest, when I last lunged him there he was very chilled and even have a big sigh suggesting he was getting bored when I was walking around with him in hand showing him stuff!

Might take some treats in as well next time and if he still seems settled then try him ridden next time

 

[PorkChop]

He sounds fab - I wouldn't worry about it too much - just keep doing what you are doing.

Expect the best behaviour and prepare for the worst! If he is chilled in there on the lunge then keep doing that, build on his confidence and set him up to succeed

 

[Fun Times]

Get your friend with the older sensible horse to ride in the arena with you. Ride round together then start a bit of schooling away from the older horse, rejoin one another, then ride apart again for a bit longer. You have to tackle this head on wearing your brave pants in my view. I don't know you at all, but your post reads as though you could make this a bigger issue (in your head I mean) than it actually is. An indoor school is a very good place to have a problem as its about as safe an environment as you will ride in. So crack on and work him through it would be my somewhat old fashioned view.

 

[applecart14]

Can you leave him in the school for a couple of hours with a few piles of hay?

I'm sure he's over it already honestly. Horses have severe neophobia. Once they see something won't hurt them, they're fine.

I would not make a big deal out of it. If you start setting up scary things IN the school to desensitise the horse - particularly if you haven't done this before or there's ANY chance you'll cut the session short - you run a big risk of making the horse absolutely convinced the school is a terrifying, horrible place.

Walking him around in-hand or lunging and giving him treats while you do it won't hurt though!

I would just get on with things now. I don't mean to be rude but I think you are making a big deal out of it, and its probably worrying him because you are worried. Every horse I've ever had I've just got straight on and ridden, none of this walking them around letting them have a look at things, because it just makes them worried and anxious.

You are saying you don't want to take him out hacking until he is more settled and won't do anything stupid. How do you know he will do something stupid though? By saying this you are already convincing yourself that he will do something stupid, and you are setting yourself up for it. Just go out and do a little hack, tell someone where you are going, take a mobile phone and just get on with it.

He's not done anything to alarm you other than shown a perfectly normal reaction to something new that he has not seen before. You have no reason to doubt him, so hack him out.

 

[Abi90]

An excellent point applecart.

I'm satisfied from his last 2 sessions that he's pretty much used to it in there so going to get on today and ride through anything that happens

 

[applecart14]

An excellent point applecart.

I'm satisfied from his last 2 sessions that he's pretty much used to it in there so going to get on today and ride through anything that happens

Good. Look up, breathe and most of all ENJOY!
Oh, and let us know how you get on x

 

[Goldenstar]

Get out hacking with a friend and then go with the friend into the school and have a ride about .
Do that for a few days and he'll be fine .

 

[Abi90]

He was absolutely fine today. If anything he was a bit lazy!

 

[applecart14]

He was absolutely fine today. If anything he was a bit lazy!

Great news, that brilliant. Now try a hack

 

[Abi90]

Well he's absolutely rock solid now. Hacked out no problem yesterday, back in the school today and another horse was being spooky in there and he didn't react at all

 

[applecart14]

Well he's absolutely rock solid now. Hacked out no problem yesterday, back in the school today and another horse was being spooky in there and he didn't react at all

So pleased for you. Keep up the good work and remember to post on here photos of your first rossette! Start as you mean to go on and you will be fine.