Spooky horse.

[leah_x]

I have a big TB ex racer. He's 14, raced till he was 6 then went to racing college until I picked him up 4 months ago, he has only been on about 3 hacks his whole life, so clearly hasn't seen much in his lifetime.
So needless to say he is scared of pretty much everything. Long grass, tiny puddles, leaves when they're not where they're supposed to be, other horses, stinging nettles, different patches of tarmac on the roads, when grass is a bit darker in one place than the rest.
I try to hack him as much as I can, seeing as he has been in a school environment for a good 12 years and I'd like to make him fully enjoy life now rather than bore him with reschooling. But I just can't seem to have a safe hack and he doesnt enjoy it cause he is scared of everything. I have walked him round a whole hack route on foot with him, the next day he was fine, then the day after - back to how he was.
I just wondered if any of you wonderful people had any amazing tips and tricks for getting him a bit more 'bombproof'?

 

[Elbie]

Do you hack out alone? Its amazing the difference the presence of another horse can make.

Unfortunately, I haven't had much experience of horses 'coming good' hacking alone. Our current loan horse is fine in company but alone is spooky - maybe not as bad as yours but similar ie, tufts of grass in a field, stick on the floor, birds. There is a very suspicious looking dock plant that sits on a corner and he ALWAYS gives it a wide berth and stare when we pass it.

Also rode a spooky TB that seemed to get worse with age!

Hmmm...i'm hoping some people do have some success stories now!

 

[leah_x]

We've tried him with other horses, the others being good as gold not scared of a thing, but nope, Cappy still goes crazy when we spot that awful bit of poo in the middle of the track. haha. He is better with others, but still not great. He is just so quick I am very surprised that I've only hit the deck twice out hacking lol. But then we can quite happily walk past bags blowing in the wind which are hidden in bushes, but random plants - no way! there's just no logic to what he is scared of so i have no idea what to do! I usually end up half way round a hack and having to walk him home on foot! lol

 

[tazzle]

my suggestions would be

practice at home doing some groundwork and scary object training . eg tying plastic bags / balloons etc on posts, walking over tarpaulins, weaving in and out of cones / posts, walking over bits of wood / poles, touching him all over than waving bin bags / coats etc around .... anything and everything you or anyone else can think of. Start of with things far away or small then increase the scare factor once he is comfy .... loads rewards / scratchies whatever when he is calm.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj0f1DghFPo

if you want to watch that you will then see loads other suggestions come up- of other things people do ..... . pick and choose and do what you can


Personally I would also walk him out in hand ... even letting him graze at set spots ( giving him a cue word so he knows he cant do it without that ) ...... quite a few times and when he can do that without getting spooks as much then get on.

4 months and only three hacks, he is just a baby and still new really to you ...... relationship building still going on imo. Sounds like he has a great home

this does not guarntee no sppoks ever... but prob less likely and not as big.


I remember one day ending suddenly several feet to the left one day when Taz caught side of herself suddenly in a tall mirror someone had erected in a driveway ..... I had never thought to introduce that one

 

[minniemouse]

I would suggest longreining him out on hacks, that was the key to my big wuss of a horse! like yours when i got him he had never been hacked out and was also frightened of everything,he was a serious napper and it took me months to realise that it was just a confidence issue. i spent hours and hours leading him out on his own, he hacked with others(he would happily follow others but refused to go in front)i had major battles with him and used to get so frustrated.
i then progressed to just me and him, he was very nappy and used to plant and also try and spin round.

6 months ago i thought i would never be able to take him out on his own as he wouldn't even go out the gate without another horse in the lead, i used to lead him the lst half of the hack then got on him when we turned for home but sometimes he still refused to budge and our hacks were very tense and not enjoyable at all, he was fine when i lead him by his side we walked miles with me singing to him but the big breakthrough came when i started longreining him. it gave him the confidence to go forward with me behind him and he became much braver, i started early Sunday mornings when there was hardly any traffic and i took him round familiar routes just short hacks then progressed to longer hacks. 6 months on i am now hacking out on my own, we still sometimes have a little battle but he now goes forward when i dont give in and he gets plenty of praise. good luck