New horse started to nap advice wanted please

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Chesnutnutter

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I've recently brought a new horse and have been riding him at home the past few days. He's been on one hack with another horse and was fab and another hack on his own with someone walking besides him and didn't bat an eyelid.
His previous owner hacked alone all the time and he was living alone for years and she never had any issues, when I tried him he hacked alone and went off into the fields for a canter alone no problems.
I tried to take him out alone yesterday and he was napping before I'd even got of my property. He didn't plant himself he just stopped, tried to turn or backed up. I preservered with this behaviour and managed to get down the road abit but he continued to did this I tried to ride him through it but he spun A few times in the road and I thought I better quit whilst I was ahead, on the way home he was fine so I decided to go straight past the gate and head the other way which he did for about 50metres but then got upset and stopped and was backing up every time I asked him to go forward. When I got home I got off him and led him back down the driveway he kept stopping but I kept going a number of times untill I could walk him down there with no stopping. I believe he is just very unsure of his new surroundings and needs to get settled more but I'm after some advice on ways I can show him it's quiet safe to go out alone as I do not want this becoming a habit he is a big chunky horse and does not like the whip so I wouldn't want to even try that with him. Any advice would be appreciated
 
Oh dear, how frustrating for you.

Get some professional help as soon as you can. Unfortunately he has got the better of you and allowing him to dictate and take you home has just reinforced he can be naughty.

No one will agree with my thoughts, which would be a very swift crack up the rear end with a lunge whip. He is unsettled in new surroundings but should, in fact, must do as you ask him.
 
I did give him a good chance by talking to him stroking him etc but when I started to get abit former with him he got really worried. If it had been a different horse who could take a whip I would but I really don't want to take that approach I definatley think the softer approach is more suited. I didn't want to let him get the better of me but the road is fairly busy and I didn't think it safe enough to have him rearing or ditching me there
 
He needs to trust you as much as he trusted his old owner. Have a lesson and maybe also let the instructor ride him so that you see he can do it. Tiny changes will make all the difference.
Good Luck.
 
Am I correct in thinking he was kept on his own by his previous owner but now has company? If so, he may well be reluctant to leave his new friends as well as being unsettled by a change of ownership so you may be dealing with separation anxiety rather than just napping.
 
That thought had also crossed my mind! He's been with another horse and they seem to get on well, I have separated them today I.e one out and one in and they both seem very relaxed by not being able to see each other no box walking neighing stress signs etc
 
If I was you I wouldn't take him out again on your own until your partnership has built up. You basically don't want to ever ever put yourself in a position where you turn around and come back again as you are making a rod for your own back.
I would have lessons with him, hack with a sensible friend who has a safe horse and only attempt a solo hack once you know you have the measure of him and he knows and trusts you. You don't need to smack him but he needs to go when you say go and you have to be confident enough to sit it out and calmly but firmly make him go your way.
 
Chesnutnutter said:
I did give him a good chance by talking to him stroking him etc but when I started to get abit former with him he got really worried. If it had been a different horse who could take a whip I would but I really don't want to take that approach I definatley think the softer approach is more suited. I didn't want to let him get the better of me but the road is fairly busy and I didn't think it safe enough to have him rearing or ditching me there
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If you spoke to him and stroked him to reassure him for being nervous, what you have actually done is reward him for behaviour that you don't want. It's a very common mistake. If you can't bring yourself to get tough with him as Alice suggests, then at the very least do not reassure him, pat, and reward him for his nervous behaviour, ignore it. Praise lavishly every step he makes in the right direction, but don't reassure/reward any unwanted behaviour.
 
In my experience this type of thing is very very common when horses who have been kept alone move to a yard with other horses .
Get good help quickly .
The good news is they tend to come through it pretty quickly .
 
Oops!! I took him out in hand down the road today and he only stopped once when my other horse neighed and he herd, I am getting a professional rider out to him this week to hopefully nip it in the bud
 
if he was mine I would take him out inhand every day to start with another horse or two people/ we have walked six miles with some horses who later went out on their own and passed everything, I think you are right not to hit him certainly at this stage, as we are not certain why he is doing this, but just think how positively you are using your seat and legs, to let him continue is fatal, to hit him if he nervous is wrong, and not always productive unless it is known he is a napper, but I would not hit him, I would find the best way to show him what I want and lavish him with praise, in other words outwit him and at the same time build his confidence and self esteem and show him where to find pleasure in his work, and the time he spends with you.
 
Get yourself a neck strap, hold it & he goes forward no matter what, be it at walk trot or canter

keep your hands high so he can duck & try to spin & drive him from your leg & seat into your hands

When he is going forwards tell him how good he is if he falters & tries anything tell him firmly get on & give a growl if needed.

Won't look pretty but at the end of the day the longer you mess around with something like this the worse it gets

I used to have 17hh eventers trying to spin & rear on me & this worked with them, they need to know you mean business & are confident & sometimes you have to be really over the top when showing them

P.s never get off, they have won then you have no chance against a horse on the ground in a bridle
 
This is common in some horses in a new place, as others suggest. Also as others suggest, you need to build up a partnership and you don't need to hit him (assuming it is nervousness only). What we used to do with similar horses was a combination of:
1. Build up the partnership at home, so that the horse never ducks behind the contact (i.e. always have it from inside leg to outside hand (then when you do go hacking you can stop the spinning). Also make sure it is very responsive to the leg aid i.e. goes forward with one light signal.
2. Go out hacking with another horse but make sure yours is in front. If he doesn't want to go forward at any point then bring the other horse along-side and halt next to yours, then try to get yours to take a few steps in front. You need a very patient person on the second horse. Gradually get yours going further and further in front (you need a trained horse behind, otherwise it will be fussing and calling out to yours.
3. When hacking on your own (wait till you are confident you can deal with any problems), stop the spin from happening and just get halt instead (if this isn't possible then get the horse turned back the way you want to go as soon as possible then halt. ask the horse to take one step. If it doesn't want to then tap with the whip (this is not a hit just a signal). Just keep tapping until you get some response - one step and reward that step.There will usually be quite a bit of bouncing around and trying to spin initially (the amount depends on how much confidence the horse has developed with you in the school). If needed (e.g. traffic situation), get off and lead past that point, lead back to before it and then past it numerous times then ride past it numerous times etc. In a very nervous horse it can take a lot of patience. An alternative to the tapping is just waiting until the horse steps forward (correcting any tendency to step back or turn) and reward that - be prepared for a long wait and multiple long stops during the ride, but very effective as the horse is only getting positive reinforcement.
Note that what the others say about rewarding nervousness is true, but you can scratch the withers which mimics allo-grooming and is proven to reduce the heart rate and stress levels (whether done by a human or horse).
If the professional rider who is helping you thinks that it is not nervousness but naughtiness then they will give you appropriate advice to deal with it. A lot depends on how the horse reacts at the time.
good luck, and good on you for trying to sort this out before it becomes a major issue!
PS you might want to find out if the previous owner had any issues when they first bought the horse, as sometimes this sort of thing has come from an earlier owner and it resurfaces when the horse has a new rider. If so, then they could tell you waht they did to win the horse's confidence.
 
kassieg said:
Get yourself a neck strap, hold it & he goes forward no matter what, be it at walk trot or canter

keep your hands high so he can duck & try to spin & drive him from your leg & seat into your hands

When he is going forwards tell him how good he is if he falters & tries anything tell him firmly get on & give a growl if needed.

Won't look pretty but at the end of the day the longer you mess around with something like this the worse it gets

I used to have 17hh eventers trying to spin & rear on me & this worked with them, they need to know you mean business & are confident & sometimes you have to be really over the top when showing them

P.s never get off, they have won then you have no chance against a horse on the ground in a bridle
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This -also napping can become rearing very quickly. You can be sympathetic with him but firm and strong too - if you let him turn back just once he will take that as you having given in and his attempts will be more frequent and sustained. He has a new leader now, and that's you. he needs to know that you are absolutely clear about what you want him to do, better to have a smaller battle now, than a massive one later with an ingrained habit.

Enlisting the help of a more experienced rider sounds good, good luck with this.

It sounds as though he is unsure, but is testing you also.
 
He won't trust you or his new surroundings yet so I'd be working on that.

Personally I'd be taking him out in hand (if possible and safe) as I find that helps to build the trust. My mare will hack anywhere with me but would she with a strange person in a totally new environment? - probably not at first.
 
Thanks for your advice everyone I think I went into panic mode!! Thinking oh my god what have I brought. Does anyone have any more tips on bonding with a new horse
 
I'd say most types of groundwork help bonding - leading, long reining, lunging etc - all gets them used to you and your voice and builds up the trust so that they understand that you aren't going to ask them to do anything that will hurt them. I've found a lot of the time that just the everyday handling does that - grooming, leading, tacking up etc etc - all will get him used to your voice and your presence and to understand that you are now his human.

I'd hope that once he is settled and used to his new surroundings, routine and owner that he will settle back into being the horse you went to try.
 
kassieg said:
Get yourself a neck strap, hold it & he goes forward no matter what, be it at walk trot or canter

keep your hands high so he can duck & try to spin & drive him from your leg & seat into your hands

When he is going forwards tell him how good he is if he falters & tries anything tell him firmly get on & give a growl if needed.

Won't look pretty but at the end of the day the longer you mess around with something like this the worse it gets

I used to have 17hh eventers trying to spin & rear on me & this worked with them, they need to know you mean business & are confident & sometimes you have to be really over the top when showing them

P.s never get off, they have won then you have no chance against a horse on the ground in a bridle
Click to expand...

This!

Apart from the getting off bit. I do get off if it gets too dangerous and they settle more when you are on the ground. Lead to a safe place and get back on.
 
My new mare was fine to hack alone in her old home of 3 years, but wasn't after moving to me, napping, spinning, generally hyped the whole ride, so I hacked her with friends for 6 months, she was perfect always happy to lead, go new places..we are now hacking fine alone, occasional shouting when in season but no bad behaviour, she had to get to know & trust me! Give him time but be sure it is nervousness of new home and not him taking the Michael, I would say an Instructor or other knowledgeable friend would advise you.
 
I would start by hacking the horse in company but always in front any sign of bad behaviour I would get my hand in the neck strap let go of the contact and if several pony club style mega kicks did not fix it it would give two big reminders with a dressage whip .
An eleven year is not the same as a four year old and I don't pussy foot around them

But there's a big however , you need to be confident you can carry this through if your not get someone else to ride the horse out for a little while .
Sorting Napping used to be my speciality if a eleven yo horse was a good hacker in his old home I would not be pussy footing round him but I would be happy to carry it through .
This is not how I would deal with a four year having a nap .
The rider is the leader the horse goes where you say horses don't negiogate for weeks they establish who's in charge and get on with it .
I have had to kept alone horse through my hands one I bought one was someone else's who went very percuilar when moved to a more normal enviroment bith where mature both responding quickly to firm fair treatment in the ridden work one however was appalling turned out that was a bigger issue .
 
You are doing the right thing by getting professional help. Once napping is established it takes determination to break the habit.

Years ago napping did not seem to be so much of an issue. Most of us did not have access to schools and so would hack for miles, either in company or on our own. It didn't occur to us that a horse would not hack out without napping. They have to get used to going out to strange places - I don't expect to have to take my horses out to a show for five or six times before competing them there, they just have to jolly well get on with it.
 
My horse did this, trying to make him go forward made it worse. What was most effective was either getting off and leading him a few metres (or to something I could get on off) or turning him in the opposite direction and backing him in the direction I wanted to go until he was desperate to turn around and go forward. He does occasionally now plant at scary things (eg metal sheeting on the ground) and the reversing works really well for getting him past things.
 
Can you not just try to develop a relationship with him by riding him in the field for a while before you take him out, the field will be new enough to him so I'm sure going hacking straight away is probably pretty terrifying for him. Personally, I would never start hacking a horse until I had a few weeks of getting to know him in the safety of a field first.
 
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