Spooky spooky advice please

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erg4862

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Hello, newbie here. I'm jut about to take on loan a beautiful anglo arab mare which I used to ride. The mare is lovely but exceptionally spooky. She is 9 this year but hasn't really seen anything (been out in a field in the middle of nowhere and one other yard). She's been off work for nearly a year and has just been brought back in so reasonably fit. Basically I would like any ideas on despooking, she is the type to throw all her toys out of the pram if she doesn't like a situation or even a funny plant! Going to start leading her out with quiet horses from the yard I'm moving her too and taking her to local shows. Would love it though if anyone has any tried and tested methods of showing horses it isn't such a big bad world!
 
I think scotsmare is right my warmblood is now 12 and he has always been spooky. Iv had him since he was 6 and iv been everywhere you name it big shows, small shows all bsja with alot going on. Now dont get me wrong he is a load better but to be fair iv tryed pritty much every product on the market, good as gold, blue chip calmer, oxi shot ect..... . As far as im concerned if a horse had that "spooky nature" in its system thats how they are and time and age will make things better. Hope it goes well. Cheers.
 
I know a few weeks ago the people who have her now tried to hack her, after 2 hours riding in the field and a dose of sedalin. Bless her she still went mental at a the traffic. Hopefully might have more luck where I'm moving her to with quiet country lanes and off road hacking.
 
Although I havent always been a huge Parelli fan I do think some of the Parelli techniques would be potentially helpful with Spooky horse, if you can get Horse and Country TV they often have the clinics on there to watch and see what you think. The aspect I think would help would be establishing an 'everythings oK' signal with your horse that you can then use when the scary leaf blows off the tree etc.

Good luck and remember the velcro knees for the sideways leaps our lovely horsies do, mine doesnt like dark patches on roads!
 
NAF magic has taken the edge off my mare! She is still flighty and spooky. The first time I had ridden her on the NAF magic she napped going into the indoor school and I found that the napping was no where as near as bad as it has been and I found it easier to make her give in and walk on into the arena. It won't make them perfect but it just takes the edge off.
However these suppliments on the market are not miracle workers and all you can do along sie thses suppliments is take the arab out with a good quiet horse that will take the lead and keep calm in most situations.
Hope this helps!
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I think taking her out with quiet experienced horses is the best way - I used to hack out on a lovely sensible cob with a neighbour who had a very unbomb proof mare. The mare would get confidence from her friend and walked quietly past scary things without a problem.

I think your own confidence in riding or leading is important as well. I have my own horse now who can be spooky - one night I was having a lesson and there was a cat in the hedge (to horseys mind a sabre toothed tiger). He did a couple of leaps the first time we went down that side of the school. My instructor had me ride him very strongly every time we went there - really keep the inside leg on him and get him to listen to me and after a few circuits he forgot about the cat and settled. Now when I feel him getting anxious I ride him on strongly and confidently. I have also found doing a lot of in-hand work in the school has settled him a lot - I think he knows my voice so well now I can talk him through strange situations.
 
Thanks for the advice. Have tried NAF magic and moody mare, unfortunately no matter what I put in her feed she wouldn't touch it! Did mostly get her over the spookiness in the school by riding forwards all the time and doing lots of different things to keep her attention on the work not the scary monsters in the hedge! Still ended up on more than one occasion hanging of the side of her, broke many nice nails that way bless her!
 
I think the magic lies in being the confident one .... not easy when your horse is snorting and trying to b*gger off in the opposite direction.

Mine are stuuuupid and snorty and do "double takes" at things out hacking which is what I think of a spooky, but if your mare needs 2 hours schooling and sedalin and still cant be hacked out safely, then I think thats serious problem. If you can afford it I would enlist specialist help. Are you moving somewhere like a livery yard where there might be some people with "bombproof cobs" to hack out with you, or do you have anyone to walk beside you?

Her traffic fear sounds quite extreme, please be careful (Im sure you are).
 
I agree with inmydreams, my old Appy was terrified of buses, tractors, waggons, skate boards and roller skates, pushchairs and prams, donkeys and driven ponies, umbrellas. We rode her out with the calmest kindest shirexclydesdale, (who was bigger than her) she never stopped being frightend but she did stop spinning round and pi$$ing off in the oposite direction at speed. The big mare was brilliant and would bend round her to protect her from the traffic. It is the best method of acclimatising them to the problem objects.
 
will be taking herout in hand first with very bombproof cobs, luckily we have lots of quiet hacking. Personally I think the problem is she hasn't been taken out to see things. Probably doesn't help that she's very highly strung and dominant. Want to get it sorted out as am hoping to do the county shows next year (and fingers crossed perhaps hoys, she's certainly good enough when behaving herself!)
 
how about putting loads of (safe) and coloured, flappy etc objects round her field?, as with traffic, putting horses in field next to roads, perhaps the fact that she can suss it out for herself and feel free to get away from the things might help her get her head round them. Over here there are often huge scary bits of silage wrap stuck in hedges, fertiliser bags half in the ground etc, it might help? best of luck!
 
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