steering\napping issue - advice please

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missyme10

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Hi all,

I've got a pony who can be a right pain in the bum, can be brill for weeks and then decides to try his luck again. He's only 5 so I know it goes with the territory.

First, its not a pain issue, its definitely behavioural.

When ridden, he suddenly decides he's not working and veers off in any direction that takes his fancy. At present, all I am able to do is eventually pull him up, turn him and make him go back the way he was.
What I'd like to do is stop him getting away in the first place.
He's ridden in a french link with full cheeks with keepers, which in theory should be helping with steering, but he's a strong bugger and when he's going, he just goes and all the pulling in the world does nothing 90% of time, the other 10% he rears up in protest.

This can happen in the school, he'll gate nap, now he knows he can't get out of the gate, he's now trying to go up the banks.
He will also nap badly if I try to hack him out alone, this is way worse than his messing in the school.
He hacks brilliant in company, and so I am currently sticking to this whilst I work on the school issues.

He can go weeks of working fine in the school, then revert to being a complete knobber overnight.
He has me believing we are really getting somewhere, then no, it all goes pear shaped again lol

Do you think I have got the bit right?
Would a different bit help?
Ideas?
 
Well at 5 he's still a baby, I've just backed my 5 year old as mentally he wasn't ready at 4 and no doubt I'll be going through what you are now. Time and patience, goes along way.
 
If you have full cheek rather than a fulmar try taking the keepers off and see if that helps,you should have a bit more movement when you need it,the keepers may be holding the bit at the wrong angle in his mouth.
 
You described my horse to a T, he has always napped, in company and on his own, since the first time I sat on him. I couldn’t do anything about it as he was so strong he would just lock his neck and turn for home.

I put a post-up a while ago just curious about what people thought about napping and was it always pain related as I really believed my horses napping was not pain related (always had teeth, back, feet, saddle checked, good feed, good weight, good turnout etc.) but more of a bad habit and a lot of people on here thought the same.

I had awful issues for years and years, lots of tears, tantrums, falling off, rearing, spinning, getting off and walking. I tried everything, going out with older, safe horses, getting someone to walk out with me or coming on a bike, going the same or circular routes and varying our hacks and schooling but nothing would work. I tried all sorts of bits and basically nothing would work, but the napping was very random and we would go for weeks without an episode and then we would have weeks when it was nonstop.

People’s advice was to school him and get some respect. I tried this but we didn’t get anywhere and I really didn’t think that was the right advice, and the napping had reduced but he was very unpredictable. However we started having more regular lessons and schooling a lot more to a higher level than he has ever worked before and actually making him work for living :) so when I took him out on for a long hack one evening on his own and didn’t encounter 1 episode of napping or even backward thinking I was in shock………… I had to admit to myself that maybe a tougher stance with our schooling had paid off and I had earned a little respect and also bonded more, maybe my horses trusted me more now???. Since then we have been out on our own a good few times and did have 2 tiny napping episodes which I managed to correct within a second and just continue with our ride without drama :) I managed to stop him and turn him round which in the past would have been impossible, and would probably include some nice rearing. I don’t think my horses napping will ever stop full stop, I think it will always be part of his nature but at least we are able to control better now it now.

Im not saying that this would work for every horse but it did make me re think my attitude. My horse was 4 when I got him and now 11 and the napping has only just started to calm down, so I suppose some would say we have bonded now and he has grown up. But I do believe that the good schooling, mutual respect and perseverance were the key. I used to go hacking knowing dam well I would have to get off and walk 10 mins down the road but I still did it. And hopefully it’s paid off! Good luck, I know too well how frustrating it can be but when you crack it there’s no better feeling!
 
I doubt this has much to do with the type of bit you use, full cheeks/ fulmers are best for helping steering or at the very least so that the bit doesn't come through there mouths. Its hard but important to really keep hold of the outside rein and lots of outside leg and a smack when they do this (easier said than done I know).
Important to ride to redirect there attention so stronger riding, try schooling a level higher to make them focus ect.
If you really struggle to get control you could try draw reins. Now I would like to add I am usually dead against them but used properly for behavioural issues and not to pull the horses head down to look pretty they do serve a purpose. You could try them, make sure they are very loose and only bring them into action when he starts, as soon as he is moving in the right direction immediately release them again.
Good luck.
 
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