Should I send him away...UPDATE

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vicm2509

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Some of you may remember my post the other day as to weather or not I should send my horse to a proffesional to sort out his napping.

Recap for those who dont..
Had Baron a year, he gets nervous and tense when I hack out alone, spins, rears and backs up when asked to leave yard on his own and more I push worse he gets. Can only get off by walking him backwards. Can nap on roads but I can usually get him through it by talking to him the whole way and occasional tap with whip. Two weeks ago for the first time he did it going into SJ arena and I had to get off as he was backing into other horses. He did this again at yard show last week. He is absolutly fine in company or if someone is walking on the ground. He also has perfect manners in hand and does not spook.

Anyway some said no and I should get my instructor to help me with him. So I had a fab lesson last night and he was jumping all sorts of scary things even the water tray which he is terrified of to prepare us for SJ & WH at the weekend. Then I asked her to watch me ride him through his nap and help me. He started in the middle of the yard so I turned him around as he would not go forward and walked him backwards a few steps (cannot spin him on circles as its slippy concrete), turned him around again and he started again. Next thing his feet went from underneath him and he went flying on his side. Luckily I threw myself out the way. He got up which a huge chunk missing out his back end and a few scrapes on him and a totally scuffed saddle. Luckily we are both ok and he did not land on top of me.

Instructor said I should take him out in box and see what hes like on neutral teritory. If he is the same send him away. She highly reccomends the guy I was planning to send him to.

There is no way I can risk my horse falling and hurting himself or me again and she couldnt believe quite how bad he was. Im just glad I was on the yard and not in the middle of the road
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OMG! How awful - that must have been really scary for you. The horse sounds like he has some serious issues. I remember your post and if the guy is as good and as highly recommended as you say, I would send him there. It is not going to help either of you carrying on like this. I still maintain what I said before though in that I think you should go a long and see the guy working with your horse. Will he spend some time working with both of you once he has worked with your horse?

Glad you are okay anyway. Good luck with everything...
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Gosh, glad you're both ok.
I didn't read your previous post, but it sounds as though sending him away to sort the problem is a good idea, just make sure you get support when he comes homes to you from either the guy you are sending Baron to, your instructor, or preferably both (as long as they are reading from the same page with regards to how his behaviour should be dealt with!)
He sounds a lot like my youngster, although thankfully she's not that bad at the moment. I'm sorting the schooling and upping the workload, and will deal with the issue then if it doesn't resolve itself as she grows in confidence and maturity.
 
Vic I totally sympathise with you, I have same prob with one of mine. Who is the guy that sorts out problems, and does he use force? An instructor got on mine and he napped badly with her so she whipped and whipped and he got even worse, I could not bear it, so back to the cajouling method, as run out of ideas. Really hope it works for you and keep us posted as really interested to know how he goes. Good luck.
 
I agree with the sending him away if it's getting scary. I don't know all your history obviously but I've always tried cross reining for horses who nap - starting with someone walking at their head and then gradually dropping back so that horse is in front 'on their own' - you may have already tried this in which case sorry and good luck.
 
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I agree with the sending him away if it's getting scary. I don't know all your history obviously but I've always tried cross reining for horses who nap - starting with someone walking at their head and then gradually dropping back so that horse is in front 'on their own' - you may have already tried this in which case sorry and good luck.

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Ive tried it. He is fine with someone walking with him and most of the time ok even when they are walking beind him. Its when hes totally on his own. I spent 6 months taking him out for short hacks last summer with someone walking, or someone else riding and me walking and thought we were getting somewhere. Once I have him off the yard I can usually antisipate a nap and stop him but sometimes I cant. Up until now I have not been scared but now I am scared only incase this happens when we are out. God knows what would happend if he fell over on a blind bend or something.

Oh and yes I can go and watch the guy work with my horse. I have not spoken to him yet but I have seen mental horses come back like wonder horses and no one speaks bad of him. No he doesnt use uneccesary force. Baron will certainly have him on the floor if he does as he hates being smacked. What he needs is someone who is totally relaxed yet firm as if the rider gets tense then so does he and it makes matters a whole lot worse.
 
I wonder if you have tried long reining him? Quite often gives horses lots of confidence to go in front on their own.
 
My 5y.o that I mentioned earlier on this thread does sound so similar to Baron. I've tried all the methods mentioned and they have no effect on the actual problem... she does NOT like being ridden out alone.
She'll long line where ever I ask her to, and when out in company she's braver than all of the others put together - always the one to go first and lead the others past anything scary. Yet when I ride her out alone she turns into the most nervous wreck
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Yes yours does sound very simalar. I could live with not hacking out alone but the fact that he played up at the last show has made me want to sort out the problem, and also the fact that I do plan to do some eventing with him in the future. I cant have him backing into other horses and people when im trying to enter the show ring, something serious could happen and I just cannot risk that.

I have tried long reining and hes fine with it. He does still slow down going off the yard but a little tap with the lines and a stern 'walk on' gets him going and hes fine
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I really have tried everything. I did initially think that things would improve when we formed a bond and he leart to trust me but unfortunatly they havent, well they have to a point but not enough.

I cant afford to send him away just yet but I am going to ring up the guy and get prices and hopefully send him around september time, that way when I get him back I will have the whole winter to work with him without having to worry about shows, flatwork schooling etc etc.
 
There is no way I would consider selling him. I am confident with him, I just do not want to risk him hurting himself or someone else. I am sure it is something that can be sorted out I just need a little help from someone with experience of this type of problem. Hes come on leaps, he just needs a bit more help.

He is not malicious and not trying to get me off, he is just nervous.
 
I think you're doing the right thing, and in this case it is not a sell-able offense, but if/as soon as you start to get rattled by it then you should reconsider! Guard your confidence, it's so easy to lose and such a b*gger to try and get back
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With mine I'm hoping it will be an issue that pretty much resolves itself, as I said earlier. She was kicked this time last year and was brought out of work then, but prior to that when she was working hard she was hacking out alone along B roads without batting an eyelid.
Good luck with Baron anyway.
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Sorry to hear you're having these problems with Baron, hope you are both ok after his fall. You sound like you have a great partnership with him in all other ways, so hope the napping doesn't ruin your confidence or your relationship with him. It does sound a good idea to try this chap, maybe you won't even have to send Baron away, could the chap come out to your yard to see him?

Just re the slipping, could you try having road nails put on his shoes? Brooklyn used to slip a lot on concrete & roads but farrier started putting road nails in for me & they did help. It might give you more confidence knowing he is less likely to slip.
 
Well Baron was ok tonight so I got the long reins out again and managed to get him around the yard and past his napping point.

I rang the guy and he has broken his leg so cant get on him for a few months, but he will come to my yard to sort him out which is good as that is where the root of the problem is.

I am going to keep long reining until then and maybe get him out in the box and long rein is strange places and really work on his confidence. Also will be doing a lot more ground work and hacking in company with him. So hopefully we will make a little progress before the guy comes out to him.
 
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