Spooky in the school

Swift00

Swift00

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Hi I'm new so be nice:o. I've owned my pony Swift for 4.5 years he's 11.5 years old now and 13.3hh welsh pony. I know a lot of people won't agree, but i've been doing Parelli with him for most of the time i've had him. I will admit i didn't really get into the Parelli riding till about 2 years ago, before that i rode same as i always had and added the groundwork.
I have always had difficulties with him being spooky, thats just what he is, but i moved yards 5 months ago to somewhere hat has a school (finally!) but i haven't been able to use it, because Swift is just too jumpy, tries to run off, gets distracted, can't keep his attention, and to be honest it driving me nuts!! (haven't really ridden him in there yet as he nuts enough on the ground)
I've tried doing short sessions so he can't get distracted, which worked but i never seemed to get beyond 10-15mins, i tried persevering and getting him through it, still no joy. I left it for a few months and just hacked out - no better and no worse.
So as you can probably tell i'm really stuck in a rut, any ideas would be gratefully received.
I'll also add that due to work commitments i can only work with him at weekends for 1-2hours a day at the moment.
Well done if you've got this far, thanks for reading
 
I'd just keep him in there until he settles, just keep schooling and don't stop until he's stopped being a tool and is listening to you. Sounds like he's taking the piss.
 
I did wonder that, but often he is acting genuinely scared, ie lots of snorting, tail held high, adrenalin running and all that
 
I have a new pony who is spooky in the school, so I try to ride when other horses are in there. I walk round in hand first and then get on when he looks less anxious. Even then, it takes his 15 minutes or so to relax.
 
Have you tried lunging in there so he gets used to the school? That would be my first thing to do, using side reins or a Pessoa so he works properly. You could then progess to someone lunging you on him so theres a little more control. If you are nervous atall he will sense it. Do you have flood lights atall? The nights are staying lighter now so that will help matters.
 
I shall definitely try riding with someone else, don't know why i hadn't thought of that before, will have to speak nicely to a friend thank you
 
Welcome to the forum! I'd say that consistency and familiarity will be your friends in this situation. If he is genuinely scared, working him in there at weekends only is unlikely to be enough. You need to keep repeating the experience with him, being firm with him, preferably every day until he settles and either stops being scared or stops taking the p. Is there any way at all you can get him in there every day during the week? Could you pay someone else to school him for you?
 
yup been doing lots of lunging (or close to) in there, but haven't got him convinced the school won't eat him yet, and i'm not aloud to turnout in there either (yard rules) unfortunately we don't have flood lights which is a shame, roll on spring.
 
I wish i could get him in there everyday, but i can only go up in the mornings before work YO turns him out pm as she doesn't want to hang around for me in the dark. I did try feeding him in there i the mornings for a while, i think that helped a bit
 
Sounds like company is the best thing for now until the lighter nights are with us. I would knock off any feed you are giving too just to rule that out as being a factor.
 
Just wanted to add - you may be better getting on to "ride him through it" you have much more control from onboard. Mine was being a tit in the indoor today because someone was roaring around outside on a scrambler bike. My friend was holding him for me and he was trying to barge all over the place (was promptly stopped from doing so, though ;) because he was scared. I jumped on and trotted serpentines (with added spooks, admittedly :D) for a few mins to get his attention back and he settled pretty quickly.
 
thanks all, at the moment i'm willing to give almost anything a go, he's a fatty so currently on hay/straw mix when in during the day, and 1/2 scoop Hi Fi Lite with vits and mins in the morning, and out on ok pasture at night, only thing thats changed is we ran out of grass for strip grazing, so he's probably getting less grass the last fortnight and he was on top chop lite until last wednesday, so shouldn't really be a feed issue
 
I second walking in-hand first. I thought I could just get on and ride through the tantrums, but after a few laps of gallop and then ears pricked, headed towards the fence, I decided to get off and try a different approach. (I did managed to turn him before he jumped out the school...just!)
I walked him around and took it as his pace, I went and stood in the spooky corners and since he was on a lunge line, he could stand a safe distance away, then come closer when he liked.
I can now ride him in there without any in-hand :) He's not perfect, but he's not spooky anymore, we both just need to spend more time in there to get our trotting and cantering perfected :)
 
If its just at one end i'd start at the end of the school he wasnt scared of then gradually work my way to the other end throughout the session.

As others have said is there any chance you could lunge him in there before you get on for a little while?

Also do lots of transitions and flexion to keep his mind on you rather than the scary things/
 
Thanks, problem is i've been trying the lunging and in hand walking with no success so far. Parelli certainly hasn't been any help either
 
Thought i was getting there last week managed to walk him round the school perimeter with out much fuss, both ways hooray but today was 3 steps or more back! and this was on the ground! I know it was raining and a bit windy but he just doesn't seem to be getting any better, any one got any suggestions even as to what to do with him to get his attention when in there as opposed to constantly looking for monsters!
thanks
 
Could you free lunge then give him a couple of minutes to explore on his own and that can be his cool down or warm up? I can't ride mine if it's next to a garden fence but this has helped a little
 
Swift00 said:
Hi I'm new so be nice:o. I've owned my pony Swift for 4.5 years he's 11.5 years old now and 13.3hh welsh pony. I know a lot of people won't agree, but i've been doing Parelli with him for most of the time i've had him. I will admit i didn't really get into the Parelli riding till about 2 years ago, before that i rode same as i always had and added the groundwork.
I have always had difficulties with him being spooky, thats just what he is, but i moved yards 5 months ago to somewhere hat has a school (finally!) but i haven't been able to use it, because Swift is just too jumpy, tries to run off, gets distracted, can't keep his attention, and to be honest it driving me nuts!! (haven't really ridden him in there yet as he nuts enough on the ground)
I've tried doing short sessions so he can't get distracted, which worked but i never seemed to get beyond 10-15mins, i tried persevering and getting him through it, still no joy. I left it for a few months and just hacked out - no better and no worse.
So as you can probably tell i'm really stuck in a rut, any ideas would be gratefully received.
I'll also add that due to work commitments i can only work with him at weekends for 1-2hours a day at the moment.
Well done if you've got this far, thanks for reading
Click to expand...
I have a horse that I got a little while ago and at first it was REALLY REALLY REALLY (you get my idea...) hard to keep his attention, and he was quite nervy in the school, so I would suggest just working him through it, keeping him occupied with interesting stuff and groundwork until he realises it isnt that scary.
Maybe you could try feeding him in there?? Just a suggestion; i'm relatively new to the world of horse ownership so please don't take what I say seriously! :) and I agree lunging him is a great idea :)
I hope it goes well for you! please keep us updated with how it goes!:)
 
Thanks for the ideas, i shall certainly try free schooling in there, anythings worth a go..
I did try feeding him in there for a while (few weeks) but it didn't really seem to make much difference??
Oh well ill keep trying, hopefully when the evenings get lighter it will be easier because i might be able to do more than just weekends!
 
Riding, try to keep the brain working, ask him to lower his head, balance (half halt), stay on the bit, engage his back and if not enough, lateral work and exercise that make him concentrate on what you are asking, and not what's around him. Being firm but not rough.
It's what works for my mare. I also think that when she lowers her head, she can't see what's around (because of her field of view http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_vision) and has to trust me.
 
It sound like you are doing all you can at the moment :D
If you are riding, I would also try and keep him focused on you by not just going around and around the school. Treat him as you would treat a fresh horse; don't give them the chance to misbehave (or in his case, spook). Try not to go for more than two letter markers without having done some sort of movement, even if it is just a simple circle. You can add in serpentines, more circles, leg yields (if he can do that) transitions, and more and more until he forgets why he was spooky in the first place :D
Hope this helps! :)
 
My youngster loves being in the school, hard to remove her sometimes!

Last mare was a nightmare, used to just canter small circles or gallop around. Spent a long time gaining her respect and getting very confident out hacking her before I took her back in and knew I could do it. I made her think the whole time, never a full circle as she'd just take it as a race.

The major difference was that she respected me second time round, I told her what I wanted her to do and she accepted it wasn't worth a fight.

Pan
 
Do you react when he spooks? Are you anticipating it? What tack do you ride him in? How is his work on general, does he work on the bit? Is he in front of your leg? Can you alter his neck position? Does he move laterally?
 
Thanks again for the replys, I haven't really had the chance to do any proper schooling with him, firstly because this is the first real opportunity i've had to use a school, and secondly because i had been following the Parelli program (please don't jump down my throat) in which you don't really start to work with contact until levels 3/4,(i'm currently mid level 3 on the ground but only level 2 riding) silly i know but to be honest other than hacking out Swift hasn't really done a lot in the last 4.75 years full stop. He is very responsive tho, never have to carry a whip stops every time backs up and can do basic lateral work, we do leg yields out hacking etc only at walk currently but working on it! He can be spooky out hacking but has improved no end to just jumping in his skin vs 6' sideways leaps!
I really want to work on improving his 'schooling', i'm not really up to speed with where to start with him (been out of the loop so to speak with doing Parelli) especially given his ease of distraction, what sort of exercises would be good to start with?
As far as reacting to his spooks, not often but sometimes it's hard not to! I probably just get frustrated which he knows of course, which probably doesn't help matters!
 
Swift00 said:
Thanks again for the replys, I haven't really had the chance to do any proper schooling with him, firstly because this is the first real opportunity i've had to use a school, and secondly because i had been following the Parelli program (please don't jump down my throat) in which you don't really start to work with contact until levels 3/4,(i'm currently mid level 3 on the ground but only level 2 riding) silly i know but to be honest other than hacking out Swift hasn't really done a lot in the last 4.75 years full stop. He is very responsive tho, never have to carry a whip stops every time backs up and can do basic lateral work, we do leg yields out hacking etc only at walk currently but working on it! He can be spooky out hacking but has improved no end to just jumping in his skin vs 6' sideways leaps!
I really want to work on improving his 'schooling', i'm not really up to speed with where to start with him (been out of the loop so to speak with doing Parelli) especially given his ease of distraction, what sort of exercises would be good to start with?
As far as reacting to his spooks, not often but sometimes it's hard not to! I probably just get frustrated which he knows of course, which probably doesn't help matters!
Click to expand...
My pony had not been schooled that much when we got him, would basically only walk trot canter, I would start with getting him on the bit, in an outline and supple throughout his body, because once he is doing this it is easier for him to do other movements :)
 
Without getting into the Parelli arguments, isnt the basic idea that the horse should see you as its leader and so reduce spooky behaviour.
It may be worth getting an instructor to help you get started with him in the school as it sounds to me that maybe Parelli is not working for you both at the moment, it would be worth trying a different approach to help with confidence building.
 
Hi, yes Parelli is about becoming a leader and reducing spooky behaviour by doing so, and it has dramatically improved his groundwork, respect and he's now fab out hacking, i have talker to a Parelli instructor and the common answer is It's not about the school, however as you can tell this is very unhelpful, so i'm kind of looking for not necessarily another way more so new ideas, different techniques that may help, because what i'm currently doing is obviously not working
 
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