Please help with my spooky horse!

[MyDappledConnemara]

I've owned a six year old Connemara for just over two months now, and he is quite a lot sharper than I expected! He works very well until something spooks him and then he spooks at everything, tensing up and bunny hopping in the canter. I intend to do some showing and eventing with him, but I am worried about this aspect of his behaviour. Help would be much appreciated!

 

[be positive]

You have not had him very long and most horses will be sharper when they move home than they were when you tried them especially in winter when they are in more, it is colder, most get less work than in summer and it takes time to establish a relationship so you know how to deal with their individual foibles.

I would find a good instructor to help you, this is your first horse, you want to get on and compete so the next few months need to be spent working on getting the foundations firmly in place, I don't think you can do this without experienced help, his tension and spooking are related and you need to learn how to deal with both as they happen.

Usually I would be working something like him in a very steady relaxed way, teaching you how to get him stretching towards the contact, softening him through his body and slowing down everything to give you both time to deal with things before they go wrong, cantering a tense spooky horse can help them unwind and relax but it makes some worse and they get more wound up which is why help is essential as they can do what is appropriate at the time.

 

[Illusion100]

Try not to worry too much at this stage, be positive has given great advice.

He sounds like a cheeky little monkey that is playing about a bit (my experience of Connies! ), sometimes they spook for the sake of it, so to speak, then manage to convince themselves they actually have something to genuinely worry about, (horses in general really!).

Until you get an Instructor to help, just ride him through his tense phases. Stay relaxed, breathe and focus your mind on him producing calm work. Any tenseness or hesitation from you will be escalating his spookiness, ignore it, carry on and get him thinking about what he's supposed to be doing.

 

[MyDappledConnemara]

You have not had him very long and most horses will be sharper when they move home than they were when you tried them especially in winter when they are in more, it is colder, most get less work than in summer and it takes time to establish a relationship so you know how to deal with their individual foibles.

I would find a good instructor to help you, this is your first horse, you want to get on and compete so the next few months need to be spent working on getting the foundations firmly in place, I don't think you can do this without experienced help, his tension and spooking are related and you need to learn how to deal with both as they happen.

Usually I would be working something like him in a very steady relaxed way, teaching you how to get him stretching towards the contact, softening him through his body and slowing down everything to give you both time to deal with things before they go wrong, cantering a tense spooky horse can help them unwind and relax but it makes some worse and they get more wound up which is why help is essential as they can do what is appropriate at the time.

I keep him at full livery where he is schooled by a very experienced rider four times a week, and I have lessons every time I ride him with my amazing instructor and yard manager. I find it hard to relax once he has spooked a few times which undoubtedly adds to his tension! Thank you very much for the advice anyway.

 

[be positive]

I keep him at full livery where he is schooled by a very experienced rider four times a week, and I have lessons every time I ride him with my amazing instructor and yard manager. I find it hard to relax once he has spooked a few times which undoubtedly adds to his tension! Thank you very much for the advice anyway.

Maybe he would benefit more from hacking a couple of times a week, that is a fairly intensive amount of schooling and if he is not really improving a change may make a difference, being schooled regularly by an experienced rider is great as long as they are schooling him for you and training him at the level you are riding at, or just above.
Your instructor being on site is useful as you have continuity but it does seem that you have been having rather a lot of issues with him despite having plenty of help and advice, is he getting enough turnout or too much hard food? being on a full livery with riding can mean the yard is in control and may not realise just how spooky he is being, it may be an idea to have a chat about his diet/ exercise/ turnout being tweaked a bit.

 

[Illusion100]

being schooled regularly by an experienced rider is great as long as they are schooling him for you and training him at the level you are riding at, or just above.

This, with bells on!