stupid spooky horse- give me strength!

diggerbez

diggerbez

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My horse is an idiot! When i ride him in the arena at home he spends most of his time spooky madly at nothing and is very tense and tight... but if i ride him elsewhere (lesson, comp, hack, another arena) he's fine- might spook at the odd thing but he's generally soft and relaxed and works nicely.

spoke to DR trainer and she said to get him straight into canter- now i can do this and it seems to help with the spooking but is no use with the tight/tenseness.
does anyone have any suggestions for anything that i can try? have arranged with a friend to use her arena once a week so at least i will get one normal session done in the week- but it would be nice to ride at home without major tantrums (tonight i don't know how i didn't die... as it is my back feels shredded and my arm is killing me:rolleyes: ) i probably do flatwork twice, three times a week max. horse is out in the day and in at night and is fed lo cal and alfa a so nothing that should make him hyper???
 
diggerbez said:
My horse is an idiot! When i ride him in the arena at home he spends most of his time spooky madly at nothing and is very tense and tight... but if i ride him elsewhere (lesson, comp, hack, another arena) he's fine- might spook at the odd thing but he's generally soft and relaxed and works nicely.

QUOTE]

Snap! Although mine does spook sometimes when we are out, it's normally worse at home. It can be so annoying. My trainer also said go straight into a faster pace, I normally trot.

I also find he is better when there is someone else in there, do you ride with someone else or alone? I also find that if another horse leaves the arena mine then starts spooking, I think this is his way of having a tantrum! I also think if they have a tendency to spook then they always will and it's learning to manage it (or try and ignore it) although it can be hard when you are trying for your life not to come off!! Mine has had me off from a walk in the past, he is so fast!! One minute you are doing a lovely canter/trot and the next he's making a mad dash away from the grim reaper that surely must be chasing him!!!

I also found Alan & Page Power and Performance helped a bit, just mixing this feed in with his other feed through winter. I also don't feed any barley type feeds and only feed sugar beet with the sugar extracted!! I also avoid oil alfa a's and just use the normal hi-fi, mixed with Calm & Conditioner.
My horse has been off for three weeks though so it's all going to start again from next week! One step forward and five back! lol
Good Luck!! :)
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QUOTE]

Snap! Although mine does spook sometimes when we are out, it's normally worse at home. It can be so annoying. My trainer also said go straight into a faster pace, I normally trot.

I also find he is better when there is someone else in there, do you ride with someone else or alone? I also find that if another horse leaves the arena mine then starts spooking, I think this is his way of having a tantrum! I also think if they have a tendency to spook then they always will and it's learning to manage it (or try and ignore it) although it can be hard when you are trying for your life not to come off!! Mine has had me off from a walk in the past, he is so fast!! One minute you are doing a lovely canter/trot and the next he's making a mad dash away from the grim reaper that surely must be chasing him!!!

I also found Alan & Page Power and Performance helped a bit, just mixing this feed in with his other feed through winter. I also don't feed any barley type feeds and only feed sugar beet with the sugar extracted!! I also avoid oil alfa a's and just use the normal hi-fi, mixed with Calm & Conditioner.
My horse has been off for three weeks though so it's all going to start again from next week! One step forward and five back! lol
Good Luck!! :)[/QUOTE]

yes mine is super duper sharp too- i've ridden some spooky horses in the past but never sat on something that can move this quick- he's like spiderman or something :eek: I'm managing to sit most of them now (partly because i've ditched the dressage saddle in favour of a jump saddle and short stirrups :rolleyes:) but i feel a bit like a rag doll... sure my brains shouldn't be being whizzed about this much :eek:
he tends to do this if he's on his own or with company...plus now people have seen his antics not many people want to ride with me :rolleyes:

do you find calm and condition good? i used to have my older TB on that and it popped his head- its suprisingly high in starch- one of the reasons i went onto Lo Cal in the first place. might try hifi instead of alfa a next time then....
 
I wonder...so he's normal elsewhere, and spooky only in that place? Perhaps there is something uniquely scary to him there (my pony seems worried about the letter E, go figure!), or else he has a tense association with the place (perhaps an unsuccessful session?) that you need to break. This may sound mad, but how about going in there and not schooling for a while? Simply wander about on a long rein, play a silly game or two involving a carrot (or two)...just see if you can get him to relax at all when he's in the place.
 
spookypony said:
I wonder...so he's normal elsewhere, and spooky only in that place? Perhaps there is something uniquely scary to him there (my pony seems worried about the letter E, go figure!), or else he has a tense association with the place (perhaps an unsuccessful session?) that you need to break. This may sound mad, but how about going in there and not schooling for a while? Simply wander about on a long rein, play a silly game or two involving a carrot (or two)...just see if you can get him to relax at all when he's in the place.
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yes an interesting theory however,... if i jump in there he's fine... :rolleyes:
if i try to wander about on a long rein i nearly get spooked off and if i lunge in there he's fine... i honestly think that he's taking the piss- away from home he doesn't feel so secure and so is well behaved- but at home he thinks its very entertaining to be naughty. in his defence the lights aren't great so there are a few shadows at night...
 
i lunge mine and sometimes school as well with music playing on my mobile phone as no plug in school - but it helps her to listen to that rather than scary spooky stuff outside - she is very spooky and tense in our little indoor. - Also mine was on alfa a - took her off it and she has been calmer (some horses cant take alfalfa and it can make them hyper)
 
diggerbez said:
yes an interesting theory however,... if i jump in there he's fine... :rolleyes:
if i try to wander about on a long rein i nearly get spooked off and if i lunge in there he's fine... i honestly think that he's taking the piss- away from home he doesn't feel so secure and so is well behaved- but at home he thinks its very entertaining to be naughty. in his defence the lights aren't great so there are a few shadows at night...
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Hmm...does sound suspicious! :confused:
 
TBH, the only thing that worked with madam was getting very tough with her. She HAS to be infront of my leg, and 100% on my aids. I canter off her back as soon as possible, and then do loads of tranisitions, lateral work, flexion, counter flexion etc to keep her attention 100% on me. If she ignores me, I repeat the request a lot more firmly. She HAS to do what I ask her to do immediately, but I am never sharp with her, as I may as well just get off and give in there and then! I hate to say the dreaded word, but drawreins can really be your friend in this situation. Just having them loose but there so if they throw their head up to spook, you've anchored them. they can also help keep their shoulders. Having them 100% infront of the aids is the biggest thing to improve though :)

ETA don't react to the spook, just correct what they have stopped doing as a result of the spook. This is why they have to always be being asked "something" so you can correct it. I work really hard on having her on an inside bend past spooky spots, and maybe be pushing the pace on past it, or doing a downwards transition, so if they shoot sideways, you correct them by making them straighter, or by pushing them off yur inside leg again, but ignore the spook itself if that makes sense?!
 
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what are you feeding him? Twizzy is very well known for jumping rubber monsters and invisable dragons alot. I changed her feed to Ride and Relax and its taken the spooky edge off her so much :), yes she still has a little look ever now and again but not jumping all over the place :D, just a thought
 
_Rach_ said:
what are you feeding him? Twizzy is very well known for jumping rubber monsters and invisable dragons alot. I changed her feed to Ride and Relax and its taken the spooky edge off her so much :), yes she still has a little look ever now and again but not jumping all over the place :D, just a thought
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LOL! Bless her. Have to say though, R+R sent madam LOOPY! :p They are funny creatures ;)
 
My TB mare Ria is exactly the same.
According to her the school at home is full of horrible nasties waiting behind the fence to get her.
The only way I can get a decent session is to completely switch off for the first 15 mins. I ride with washing line reins sit right on my bum and pretend like every time we leap 6ft in the air, it never happened.

After 15 mins of her acting like a total idiot she realises she wont get a reaction out of me and thinks, "mum seems to say that everything is ok", she then accepts a contact and starts to work properly.

Even though she leaps and bucks for the first 15mins, I know I can trust her, she'd be mortified if she ever hurt her rider. She'd never do anything nasty so I feel totally safe throwing away the rein and letting her faff about.

She's worse if we are doing just pure flat work. As soon as a fence is put up she acts like butter wouldnt melt.

If you feel safe doing so try switching off and not reacting it works a charm with my little dragon!
 
I think your theory that he needs you when somewhere different is probably right and that he is ok at home so can play up. Try feeding him Mag ox this really is fab stuff and so cheap!

Then I would get tough with him. use you voice to scold him and don't forget the praise too
 
Henry used to use spooking as an excuse to do something when he didn't want to do it. At home or competitions or out hacking for that matter. I used to be able to figure out what mood he was in, and what he would spook at, and react as thus. He got a good telling off when he did it on purpose.
 
Can you turn him out in the school? Maybe worth putting him there for a hour or so every day and see if it takes the excitement or spooks out of the place? My lad is the opposite, fairly sharp (for a heavy cob) and spooky as hell outside but in the school he's like a RDA pony on dope!!:rolleyes:
 
I have been having exactly the same problem, for a long time- but it seems like we have cracked it now.
The only way we have got around it is like many people have suggested, get straight into trot, and make your horse work!!
I have put ear plugs in mine to stop any distractions, and whacked on some draw reins and he is a million times better. It's all about making them go forwards, don't let your horse play around, they are in there to work!!
Good luck
 
hI, I HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH MY YOUNGSTER, WHEN I GO INTO THE MENAGE I RIDE HIM IN 20 MTR CIRCLES FOR 10 MINS, THIS HELPS TO CALM HIM DOWN, AN ALSO HELPS ME, AS MY INSTRUTOR TOLD ME, IF YOU GO INTO THE MENEAGE EXPECTING HIM TO DO SOMETHIN DAFT, HE WILL DO SOMETHIN DAFT, AND IF YOUR TENSE WAITIN FOR IT TO HAPPEN, THIS WILL MAKE HIM TENSE TOO, BECAUSE HE WILL BE WORRYIN WHY YOU ARE TENSE I THINK TAKING UR HORSE INTO A CANTER STRAIGHT OFF IS ONLY GOIN TO GET HIM/HER EXCITED, I FOUND WHEN MY YOUNGSTER SPOOKED AT SOMETHIN I TOOK HIM BACK TO WHERE HE SPOOKED AN RODE HIM ROUND IN A CIRCLE IN THAT AREA, DONT MAKE AN ISSUSE OUT OF IT EVEN IF YOU SPEND A FEW DAYS OF JUST WALKING HIM AROUND IN SMALLER CIRCLES, HE SHOULD GET THE MESSAGE THAT THERE ISNT ANYTHING THERE THAT IS GOING TO HURT HIM, ITS ADVICE THAT HAS HELPED ME LOTS
 
Might be worth trying a magnesium calmer, Equifeast's Cool, Calm and Collected, helps mine a lot. Also I ride him very forward which does sound counter-intuitive because if you are worried they will spook you do tend to hold them a bit, but R is better if I think "Right, you little so and so, do whatever you want but do it going FORWARDS!". I forget all about outline or where the head is, but he has to keep shifting. That seems to help quite a bit.
 
I was riding one over the summer who was similar- he could be sharp out hacking, as well, but in general it was whilst working in the arena at home that he would really play up. With him, it was simply a matter of putting him to work so that he wasn't just ambling around the arena with plenty of headspace to consider what he might be able to do. As others have said in here, getting into a faster pace and simply putting them to work (lateral work was especially useful, a little later on in the schooling, to focus his mind), riding them through any of the spooks. It honestly could feel like a bit of a battle sometimes, but after the initial twenty minutes or so of him trying to suddenly shoot out to the side, he tended to calm down and simply get to work. As irritating as it is, if there's no obvious reason for them to be doing it and it's simply evasion, then it often just seems to be a matter of staying calm and being firm whilst riding them through it. Fun stuff, I know.
 
I have one like this too, she can be really spooky - will be tonight as bit windy. She is the same whether on hard feed or not, whether in school at home or away.

But, is fine when jumping, at clinics, with other horses in school, or in open fields (not by hedges). It is a mixture of pi** taking and being genuinely terrified of lots of things.

She is a WB with Concorde bloodlines - how I wish I had researched her breeding a little more before buying her!

With schooling I don't find working fast to start with makes any difference, it usually takes about 20-40 mins to start getting decent work out of her regardless of what we are doing.

I also find her quite lazy to school though sometimes, has anyone else had this? Not sure if work is too boring for her or she is too scared to put one foot in front of the other so goes veerrryyyyy slowly, unless jumping or pole work involved.

Feed wise she is on alfalfa a oil, power & performance and naf energy, and still needs a rocket up her arse!
 
diggerbez said:
yes an interesting theory however,... if i jump in there he's fine... :rolleyes:
if i try to wander about on a long rein i nearly get spooked off and if i lunge in there he's fine... i honestly think that he's taking the piss- away from home he doesn't feel so secure and so is well behaved- but at home he thinks its very entertaining to be naughty. in his defence the lights aren't great so there are a few shadows at night...
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At our previous yard, my mare had a few scares in her first few months there with hideous windy weather, naughty dressage horses and escapees from the neighbouring fields, so was always tense. She would spook or just nap and any attempt to correct her in one particular corner resulted in an explosion. She is fabulous away from home and is so far being very good in her new yard.
Does he get any better if you tell him off briefly and then carry on regardless? sometimes I think it is taking the piss, and if they know they can wind you up they are worse.
My friend's horse used to spook just to test how serious she was about working him hard.
Our trainer has it just right - if they do anything naughty he gives them hell immediately then it's as if nothing ever happened!
 
ironhorse said:
At our previous yard, my mare had a few scares in her first few months there with hideous windy weather, naughty dressage horses and escapees from the neighbouring fields, so was always tense. She would spook or just nap and any attempt to correct her in one particular corner resulted in an explosion. She is fabulous away from home and is so far being very good in her new yard.
Does he get any better if you tell him off briefly and then carry on regardless? sometimes I think it is taking the piss, and if they know they can wind you up they are worse.
My friend's horse used to spook just to test how serious she was about working him hard.
Our trainer has it just right - if they do anything naughty he gives them hell immediately then it's as if nothing ever happened!
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Sure they all vary but I have tried being nice and softly softly approach, giving her what for and a sharp telling off, ignoring the spooks completely, avoiding spooky areas and working in ok areas of the school, different bits, different feeds - makes no difference. I just have to quietly ask her to go in the spooky areas gradually and praise when she goes past spooky areas without reacting. The spooky areas change each time, so makes for varied schooling patterns
 
KatB said:
TBH, the only thing that worked with madam was getting very tough with her. She HAS to be infront of my leg, and 100% on my aids. I canter off her back as soon as possible, and then do loads of tranisitions, lateral work, flexion, counter flexion etc to keep her attention 100% on me. If she ignores me, I repeat the request a lot more firmly. She HAS to do what I ask her to do immediately, but I am never sharp with her, as I may as well just get off and give in there and then! I hate to say the dreaded word, but drawreins can really be your friend in this situation. Just having them loose but there so if they throw their head up to spook, you've anchored them. they can also help keep their shoulders. Having them 100% infront of the aids is the biggest thing to improve though :)

ETA don't react to the spook, just correct what they have stopped doing as a result of the spook. This is why they have to always be being asked "something" so you can correct it. I work really hard on having her on an inside bend past spooky spots, and maybe be pushing the pace on past it, or doing a downwards transition, so if they shoot sideways, you correct them by making them straighter, or by pushing them off yur inside leg again, but ignore the spook itself if that makes sense?!
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thanks kat- do you find when she's like this that no matter what you try that she stays tense? i can sort of work through the spooking but its rare that he'll actually relax at home- he feels really tight and fixed, its horrid :( have resorted to draw reins on a couple of occasions and they did help with the spooking- but again, not with the tenseness. argh, bloody horses! its so hard to ignore his spooks because they are so monstrous (and he knows it :rolleyes:) but i totally get what you are saying. actually think kezimac's idea about music might be someting i could try (can't do any harm eh! :rolleyes:)
 
wow lots of replies about my naughty pony thanks :D
i think that getting him into a faster pace definitely helps. if i try trot he can use this as an opportunity to do his 'sewing machine on speed' impression- but canter it is easier to sit stupid leaps and really get legs on- as not having to bob up and down :rolleyes: If i walk about on a long rein he thinks its hilarious to try and kill me- ditto walk work in an outline. its got to the point now where i carry a schooling whip (something i don't do away from home because i just don't need to) and if he spooks (generally on the right rein and away from the track) i give him a tap to reinforce the leg aid that he's clearly trying to ignore and a growl- but then i try to just get back to what i was doing... with definite attempts to reward anything good... i just hope that it starts to improve- i hate riding him at home because i know its going to feel horrid and be a battle- which is so annoying because he's so lovely to ride away from home :(
i might add- its not something that frightens me as such or that i think i get especially tense about- it just annoys me that it has to be so difficult! you'd think that being a teacher would stop me from getting so irritated! :rolleyes:
 
Yeah she can be, but I can take her into the school and do nothing but walk, and she will stay relaxed. Lots of soft flexion, sideways movement and praise when they offer something, no matter how tiny, slowly gets her to relax. It can take time though!!
 
I totally feel for you diggerbez - my horse is sharp to school and even sharper to hack out alone, and whips around so quickly hes had me off in all 3 paces. The worst time was when he was coming back into work after time off - he would simply lose it for absoloutely no reason or spook at things that were just silly, like another horse walking past or the mere sound of a car. In the school, i did 6 months of walking in hand before i got on which did help him stop spooking at the showjumps along the side of the schoo and the hay barn at the end l - walking past once on each rein and if he was eyeballing he got to stop and sniff. Nowadays he gets to walk past once while im on him - after that i expect him to pay them no more attention and if he does he gets a growl and a circle in front of them. Like others have said, he needs to be in front of the leg, but it doesnt stop all the spooks, just most of them. My horse has always been spooky, will always be and its a case of just managing that. Like your horse my horse is always much better behaved out than at home - at our last competition he was one of the horses who spooked the least. There is a basis of fear in it i think, but the less they have to think about what *might* scare them the less they tend to spook.
 
I don't know whether this is any good but my mare is ridiculously sharp and spooky most of the time. The only time we can stop her doing this is if she is working hard and listening to me, otherwise I may as well give up and sit pretty.

So if she spooks in the arena at the jumps in the left corner, i take my right rein and right leg on and get her to bend round this, even if it is exaggerated, it takes her attention away from the spooky object.
 
Well you all make me feel better about my horse who sounds just the same. I have had five years of trying everything and still don't know the answer. He is better if I work faster, he spooks at things he has seen 100 times (jumps in the corner), he will go past a combine harvester and then spook at a flower. He has been to a dressage final and not even looked at the large white advertising hoardings but spends his whole time in the school on red alert. If it hlps at all, he was completely mad on Calm & Condition as it's high in protein, R & R also didn't work, but I do find Magnesium calmer helps.
Like you diggerbez, he doesn't scare me but I just get so frustrated that it's one step forward and two back all the time .. every time I think I've cracked it it all goes wrong again :(
 
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