Spooky horses

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Seahorse

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Axel seems to be very spooky in the school, 1 corner in particular, which is where the jump wings are kept. We have been at the same yard for over a year and he still runs past that corner even when there's nothing in there. He's not scared of jumps when they are up in the school btw!

I've tried ignoring him, I've tried riding him round that corner for ages, I've lunged him there, I've made him stand there to have a look at it, everything!
He even can be working really nicely down the other end of the school and as soon as you start to even go up the long side he puts his head up and 'locks on' to that corner, if I try to go across the diagonal towards there he goes wobbly and will often try and turn away, yesterday he even had a few little rears.

Its becoming a real issue now, and I don't know what to do about it. He is also like this while out at competitions, he picks something to be scared of and then won't go down that side of the arena, not very good when you're in the middle of a dressage test
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Any suggestions?
 
If you were to lunge him in side reins in that corner for 15mins or so and then immediately get on him, would he still "lock on"? (Know what you mean, btw, it's a pain.)
 
Are you able to turn him out in the school? I would like to observe him in there on his own and see what he did. If he wasn't bothered I would do a little bit of loose schooling with him and see how he was. I.e is he playing you up or is he genuinely scared? Is it his way of trying to get out of working? If it is genuine then perhaps turning him out in there whilst you muck out each day for example might just bore him out of what must be an irritating habit.....
 
He wouldn't be too bad, but would still rush past that corner.

Normally there's nothing in that corner, but all the jumps are put away on a wednesday night, so the school is lovely and clear on a thursday morning. Unfortunately he had developed an issue with it that is 10 times worse when there's actually stuff there.
 
Probably not a bad idea, I have a feeling he wouldn't even go anywhere near there though!

I'll give it a go and see what happens. I've even sat in that corner with him for ages feeding him polo's before
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My daughter's pony does that. It is sooooo irritating. He spooks at the jump poles and wings just outside the arena fence down the long side. Sometimes he does beautiful travers all down that side. But only if he's in the mood/remembered. For him it just silliness. We have stood him by the fence for ages, fed him polos, led him past, done circles at 'B' until he is bored to tears. walked him up and down, ignored him, ridden him strongly past, turned his head away. I just don't know what else we can do. So we are rather resigned to it now and just ignore him as much as possible and lots of inside leg to push him back onto the track.

Fortunately he doesn't do it every time. I know he's not scared as if you lead him up to the fence he sticks his head over and rests his nose on the wing and goes to sleep. He's just cheeky, but he has so many great points that we can forgive him a little foible. Sometimes he has been doing it, then if he gets busy working he forgets and then suddenly remembers again that he is supposed to be scared which is rather funny.
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Any hints to stop him would be great though.
 
I know it's easier said that done and to some extent you probably already do this - but sometimes i find that if i think "oh he spooks at that" when i'm riding my horse generally he will - for example he usually spooks when kids jump about near the school - in my lesson last week my instructor had some kids jump about - after realising i wasn't bothered he wasn't bothered -

try to visualise going past the corner without any spooks occuring - he maybe picking up on nerves from you -

although you may not conciously be thinking "oh he's going to spook" your unconcious is thinking "my horse spooks here" so he's almost only doing what you expect him to - horses can easily pick up on these signals

the alternative is to get someone else to ride him around and see if he does it for them too - but to be honest i'm suggesting this but you've prob already tried this....
 
Why do horses spook?

I would suggest that it has something to do with things they see, hear or smell. They have a very much stronger sense of hearing or smell than we do and can map routes by remembering smells. I would suggest putting some of his fresh poos in the area he is afraid of.
 
Horses Spook because they're flight animals. In their minds, anything could leap out and attack them, hence why they're usually always wary about something being new, brightly coloured, out of it's normal palce or routine, smells funny or makes a nasty or unusual noise. This can be annoying as my 3 y/o does it. Not nastiness or anything, she hasn't got a single cell in her body to make her nasty, but she just runs because she's frightened.

When she did this in the school I turned her out in it - to the Y/O dismay! But I cleared it up
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And she went in every corner, sniffing, snorting, bolting, bucking. She got it all out of her system, then after that she was fine in there! Try it.

PM if you need other ideas. I have plenty
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*Gives you that look of experience*
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Thanks for all the idea's, I will try and turn him out in the school but won't be easy as YO doesn't like it as we are on a pretty busy yard, but I'm sure I can find a quiet time during the week!

I lunged him in that corner yesterday with a pessoa on and he was a bit silly for the first 5 mins then settled down until I changed the rein and was silly for 5 mins on that rein too!
He was fine and settled and concentrated on his work, I was really pleased with him.

At the end I took the pessoa off and let him trot round to have a stretch, and he spooked at the corner every time!!
So I think today when I ride him in there will be interesting
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Right, I've come to the conclusion that lovely little Axey is well and truely taking the piss
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Today he was fine in the school but shied at one of the jumps, I gave him a smack down the shoulder, and surprise surprise he didn't do it anymore!

I think I'm finally getting the measure of him at last (famous last words!)
I had a fantastic ride on him today
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