Spooky irrational horses, is there hope??

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Louby

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Ive owned my boy for 8 yrs and he is so so talented at dressage. At home he could do an Elementry with his eyes shut but go out anywhere and he loses the plot over the most stupid things. Last year I finally had transport so no excuses to get him used to going out and seeong things but he never got better. Calm as anything coming off the wagon, not phased by the atmosphere but he would spook at people!, kids on bikes, entry tent and even the bell and then that was it, he would not calm down. I threw the towel in and sold my wagon. Well I have itchy feet again, horse is going to waste, I am bored so Im looking to buy another wagon in the hope I will go that many times he will finally take it in his stride. What do you think, is there any point o will he always be like this? By the way this horse was shown successfully at county level as a youngster, I just dont know what went wrong :(
His eyes, tack etc are fine, got his eyes checked recently and vet laughed, said they are 110% :D
 
There is definitely hope. i have a spooky irrational horse but she is also a fantastic all rounder. it has taken a long time but i know her inside out and she needs careful management to bring out the best in her, but so worth it in the end! good luck!
 
bce said:
There is definitely hope. i have a spooky irrational horse but she is also a fantastic all rounder. it has taken a long time but i know her inside out and she needs careful management to bring out the best in her, but so worth it in the end! good luck!
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Whats the secret :D. Ive had him 8 yrs, Im ashamed to say he used to make me mad :( as its the most stupid things he reacts too but for the last 6 mths or so Im trying to ignore it and we seem to be getting on so much better. Any tips are appreciated
 
yes i try to ignore spooking. she just needs confidence and encouragement all the time, her confidence is fragile so i have to be careful what i do builds her confidence all the time.
 
bce said:
yes i try to ignore spooking. she just needs confidence and encouragement all the time, her confidence is fragile so i have to be careful what i do builds her confidence all the time.
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Echo this. My mare is a spook mistress. However shes just had an 18month break from dressage due to a tendon injury. We didnt do a lot anyway but today we went to our first Walk Trot comp and she was a little spooky but better than any time previous. My Trainer says just keep taking her and so I will and to the same venue. She used to be very nappy at leaving the yard. Ive had her 5 years just about and we can hack out on our own now, though shes a little more on her toes if we go somewhere new. I put it down to her being more settled and trusting me. I dont know what to suggest to you apart from maybe compete at a lower level and see if your horse settles more. We used to do Prelim before and I got so frustrated as I knew she could work better than she did when out. As we havent done any canter work yet as I dont want to push her recovery, we only did W & T today and I have to say she was more relaxed and so was I! That may have been the key - I dont know.

Good luck with yours. It was nice to get out today again, I so enjoyed myself and we got 2 3rds so must have done something right.
 
Awww thats great news, bet you are so pleased with her.
Im only going to Riding Club doing Prelim and Novice and made a total hash of that due to spookiness although at home he can do so much more. He finds lateral work so easy, if I could get him to focus on me and listen Im sure he could do so much more.
My nerves could be the problem, I dont feel nervous, its wierd, I just seem to go into auto pilot.
Good luck, Im feeling a bit more optimistic now. Thanks :)
 
.....also its tempting to get cross but would get me nowhere and if anything would set me back, just have to take a deep breath, dont rise to it and ignore it!!!!
 
Another thing, I did praise her during her test, know you shouldnt but made sure I was nowhere near the judge so she didnt see.. Izzy seemed to relax when I did this. Have you tried the Magic calmer syringes? Not sure how effective they are but may be worth a go.
 
....sorry i'll probably keep thinking of more things but..... i found doing dressage when my mare used to spook all the time, i put spurs on, even though shes a sensitive and sharp horse, using spurs got her attention away from what she was spooking at back to me! eventually i could predict what she would spook at beforehand and be able to keep her attention.
 
I don't post very often on this forum but if you look at my previous posts then I probably bang on about two things. Aquamax and shiatsu.
Try shiatsu, my mare is a different beast since having regular treatments. I nearly gave up the will to live at Xmas as she was such a pain in the a*se to ride. Now, she's an absolute joy. Really, it won't do any harm. Let us know how it goes. x
 
Awww thanks everyone.
I do wear spurs for hacking (just incase) and at tests although in the school I dont use them. Hes a bit backwards if anything, not good for a spooky horse :eek:. I feel so much better just speaking about this, thanks for your replies. Actually feel positive now :D:D
 
Hi, I echo the above,

Also have you tried changing the feed? silly question but my boy was spooky, he was only being fed hifi and pony nuts. I changed him on to allen & page barley and molasses free range and he is a changed horse, his concentration is much better and where he would have spun and bucked me off before the most he does now is blow a little, they are doing a trial at the mo' too where you get a £5 voucher, try the range for a month, send in a diary and get another £5 voucher. worth a try

Until you get out again have you tried competing through http://www.dressageanywhere.com/ it's a great way of doing dressage at home. All the judges are BD,BE or FEI so better standard .than at most local unaffiliated, all you do is go on the website see what tests are on this month, practice then get someone to video you riding the test, upload it to the site and pay the entry fee,you get mark sheets, placings, rosettes and prize money the same as any dressage competition, it's a really good idea.
 
Louby said:
Awww thanks everyone.
I do wear spurs for hacking (just incase) and at tests although in the school I dont use them. Hes a bit backwards if anything, not good for a spooky horse :eek:. I feel so much better just speaking about this, thanks for your replies. Actually feel positive now :D:D
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Thats what this forum is all about isnt it? Love posts like this that help someone. Keep at it and persevere. Thats what Im going to do and I too wear spurs and all the time. Much better than flapping my legs like a pair of chicken wings lol!!!
 
I was just going to reply with 'he only gets Hifi and hi fibre nuts' so was suprised to see your horse reacted to hifi and pony nuts!!
He is a fatty so not sure if barley is the way to go but I will def go and have a look now.
Thanks for that.
 
Mine is a fatty too, a really good doer, irish horse and though he used to be really spooky was lazy too and behind the leg, sounds wierd but true. The Allen and page range is Barley and mollasses free so has non of either in it.

i started mine on fast fibre at first but after two weeks he was really lazy so now have him on a mix of fast fibre and ride and relax and it really has worked wonders.
 
Sounds just like my boy! Ive tried Ride and relax but he wouldnt eat it. Hmmm think I can see a change coming on :D
 
Izzwizz said:
Thats what this forum is all about isnt it? Love posts like this that help someone. Keep at it and persevere. Thats what Im going to do and I too wear spurs and all the time. Much better than flapping my legs like a pair of chicken wings lol!!!
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Thanks, glad to get some replys. No offence peeps but my boring posts dont often get replies these days :D
 
Have you tried taking him to a show (any shows) and just riding around? Take the pressure off completely.

Take him out every weekend, every day if you can, until he becomes desensitized to the whole scene.

As to your posts, have a hug and a hot choccy hun, with extra sprinkles :D
 
Sorry Mrs M, first outing last year was just riding arround at a dressage comp but not competing. Ok he was spooky but good really as it was indoors.
Its me :eek::eek::eek:
 
Yes I have heard some others say their horse doesn't eat it. I give my boy his feed and leave it in there if he doesn't eat it at first he will eventually. I think cos it's fibre based it's not very exciting, mixing in some carrots, apples of hifi might help?
 
Two things work IME with spooky horses

HorseFirst RelaxMe - got a spooky irrational horse of my own - this works 100% with him

The other thing that I guarantee works 100% of the time - hard work! Make them tired and they won't have the energy to spook :)

Most horses don't work hard enough and their owners get into all sorts of trouble trying to deal with excess energy - they try and manage it through feed and turnout - but that won't reduce their natural energy levels.

Try working him hard consistently for a few days before the show, make sure he's tired, then take him to the show. Warm him up for long enough too - I find if they've gone flat just before you take them into the arena, the excitement/tension of going down the centre line picks them up to do a good test....

sounds harsh but I don't mean riding him into the ground - just til he's sensible :) :)
 
I gotta admit he is short of hard work and hes very clever so I think he gets bored easy.
I debated between Relax me and Nupafeed and tried Nupafeed which didnt work so I think Ive got to up his work load, if that doesnt work then change his feed and then try Relax me, Do you rexkon thats the right order of play :D
 
Maybe try desensitization? By putting horses in situations that they find uncomfortable but not panic-provoking can help them overcome spookiness.

For example, a race horse who fears the starting gate can be desensitized to the fearful elements (the creak of the gate, the starting bell, the enclosed space) one at a time, in small doses or at a distance.

I understand horses do need peace and quiet (I wouldnt mmind some myself :D) but I let my little brothers play football outside my horses stable, I turn the radio up if I like a song, quad bikes are driven around the yard, I put plastic bags on the odd post in the field, I dont mind people raising their voices across the yard on occasion etc. I find all these small things done seperately helps the horse be more relaxed when it is presented with the chaos of a show. It really works!
 
Thnks Alpha1.
He is on a quiet yard (maybe the problem) with 9 other horses but we dont pussy foot arround them. As its a family yard, a child is regulary going up and down the yard on bikes, moveable toys etc obviously only when the horses are in the stables. My boy is the only one that is petrified of the bike and always has been even prior to him moving there. Its wierd as out on a ride if a bike approaches from behind he is fine but from ahead he is scared to death.
 
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