Stupid Q about napping

A

Ahrena

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 June 2007
Messages
1,880
Visit site
This is a bit stupid but bear with me lmao, but if you have a horse which naps does it mean it doesn't like to be ridden, isn't enjoying itself or is it just doing it to be difficult/see if it can get away with it but can still actually enjoy being ridden?

This just occured to me earlier lol not sure why..
 
Mine can nap when hacking out on his own purely because he'd rather turn round and go back to his stable mate and munch grass!
I don't think he doesn't like to be ridden as he is fine in company and he is fine on his own after the first mile!
 
I suppose its like anything really, like bucking can be from excitement, pain, fear.

Thanks xD I'm being a bit of a dope
 
I think it's different for every horse!

Some may be genuinely nervous, some might not like to hack out away from the herd, some may be lazy, some may be just testing out the rider, some may be in pain when ridden....
 
I think napping is often a sign of insecurity, either a lack of confidence in rider, or in the situation, but some are naturally much more creatures of the herd and hate leaving their mates, while others horses are more confident and don't think twice about going away from the herd.

Bought my daughter a pony from a riding school and he napped all the time when asked to do anything on his own and regularly stopped at fence 1, but would follow a leader happily anywhere and over any size jump! So it was a mix of habit and confidence with him. He did gain enough confidence to get over fence 1 and sometimes 2 & 3, but once he passed that collecting ring and spotted his herd, that was it!
 
as said by others it can be a number of things
my girl can nap, but this is only really when she is scared, i have just moved yards and am having a little trouble getting her past the neighbouring donkeys, i know i will get there as she knows i will not have any of this refusing to move malarkey, alot of the time they are testing to see how confident you are as a rider when they nap, it can be laziness right through to pain
 
dw ur hrose probably likes to be ridden. they do it when theyr'e insecure and or young and dont quite understand.

oh when they're taking the absolute piss and seeing what they can get away with...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top