Youngster scared by fall

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callmelucky

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Last week I had a woman out to try my welsh cob (5yo, backed a year ago and until now was pretty much bombproof) as she was looking to take her on loan. She had been out to see her previously and loved her so came back a week later to go out a hack. We were just setting off when one of the fat ponies decided to escape from his paddock and started a riot between the boys, the cob got a fright, shot forward and the woman lost her balance, which frightened the horse further and the woman fell off. It took a while to catch the horse as she was so spooked. Anyway, after calming her down i got on her myself and had a walk and trot around the school and she seemed fine, however when i came to dismount, as i swung my leg back she freaked and ditched me too. She obviously thought the same thing was going to happen as did with the woman. She wouldnt let me near her, esp her right hand side, which is the side we both fell from so i decided against getting on her again that day.

the next day she seemed ok so i tacked her up and went and got my hat, with the hat on it was though her world had ended, so i lunged instead of riding to try and get her confidence up again. she was still terrified of me approaching her right hand side but settled after time.

the day after i spent time with her, trying to desensitize her, touching her all over, rewarding her, standing on mounting block next to her and jumping off to try and show her im not scary! I managed to get on her with the help of a friend and we had a wee walk down past where she had her original fright, all went well. I dismounted slowly back on to the mounting block and she was great, although very tense.

Today i took her a hack, she was fine to mount but panicked when my friend mounted her horse. All went fairly well on the hack until i moved my hand up to my face to rub my nose and she panicked and shot off, luckily i had put a neck strap on , which i was holding so i managed to stay on. the rest of the hack was fairly uneventful, however she did spend the whole time with her ears facing backwards, listening to me and turning around to look at me, she was tense the whole hack and i did not dare move my hands again so i didnt frighten her. She also would not stand to let a car past on the yard which is very unlike her usually, and proceeded to shoot off again. Dismounting was good, with the help of a friend.

So my question is really, has anyone been in this situation and how did you deal with it? Do i keep slowly working with her, is she likely to forget her 'bad day', any other tips? She was the most awesome wee horse prior to this and i'm gutted she is so scared of things now, I just want my girl back!

TIA
 
Yes keep going and it will go away ,horses have to learn odd stuff happens and nothing changes
Just be matter of fact and try to treat her as you did before the fright .
There's no way the mare hurt herself is there .
Was the lady ok ? It's awful to fall off trying a horse completely ruins your confidence
 
Keep at it and it will pass. I always say they need to learn to be ridden but need to cope with a faller!

My mare thought I was completely incompetent and not fit to ride for about 3 weeks after I fell off her (she was 6 - her first fallen rider). Her behaviour escalated and escalated and in the end we did lots of calm work and when she seemed calm (albeit not "happy"/confident), I turned her away for almost 6 weeks. She came back better than ever like none of it ever happened. They can have a real fright and need some time of think about it sometimes.
 
Thanks for replys. I did taken in to consideration whether she had hurt herself, but there's nothing obvious to see. The woman got stood on, but did say the horse didn't put her full weight down so she was trying to avoid her. Apart from that shes fine and wants to come back and try her again. I did wonder whether i ahould leave her or carry on, if she still continues to find things terrifying over the next week or so i may just try giving her some time out. I'm really hoping she gets back to normal, she's the most genuine made I've owned and the woman looking to take her is lovely.
 
It sounds like you are doing everything right so just keep going as you are, turning her away for a couple of weeks or so probably wouldn't do her any harm and would give her time to completely chillout before you start again.
 
Yes, horses often get a real fright when riders fall off. Freaking out on dismounting is something I've had to deal with, although not associated with a fall. As with anything else that requires desensitising, time is the key and having a plan is essential. Turning the horse away for a couple of weeks might help her to process her fear, but you will still need to take things slowly and methodically. It sounds as though the sight of something happening on her back, just at the edge of her peripheral vision is worrying her, so lots of slow arm movement with rider on board and someone at her head would be where I would start, along with bending down and then up. And lots of repetitive mounting and dismounting, again with a helper on the ground. Good luck, and don't be afraid to call in someone who specialises in problem and frightened horses.
 
Desensitising while standing on the mounting block might be helpful. You can be above her back, but safely out of harms way. if she were mine, I'd do it every time she's fed for the next couple of weeks.
IME horses don't forget bad stuff whilst out in the field.
 
I have been jumping on and off the mounting block next to her but I didnt think about standing right next to her and waving my arms around! lol. But i think this may be beneficial. For a fat hairy cob shes extremely sharp when scared, so i want to try and correct it now rather than later. If im honest i don't really want to turn her away if i can, she needs to learn that its not scary. Thanks for all the replies, its been a big help knowing im doing the right thing and also getting a few tips from you guys :-)
 
I would just keep going. And if you can, eventually, get someone who is really bouncy that can get on and off literally 5000000000 times in a session, in ever increasing mad manners. Eventually she will just be glad they are getting off lol
 
Been there, done that although it was me falling off so couldn't blame anyone else!! I scared my horse by falling off him and took a few weeks for him to get over it but he did. I had to be careful for a bit and not get off while he was in panic mode. Just lots of talking to him and taking thinks slowly and he is fine now but to start with getting on and off was more tricky than the actual riding. Good luck.
 
D66 said:
IME horses don't forget bad stuff whilst out in the field.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right - unless their bad scare happened while out in the field. But doing anything associated with people, then they have to get over feeling scared of what wierd humans will do. I've seen yet another bit of proof of that in the last year. Last year we started to back a 4yo home-bred filly with a perfect temperament, who'd never had a fright before. Due to a breakdown in communication, she got that fright and went do-lally. For various reasons we turned her away and brought her back in this year alongside her 4yo full sister. The 4yo has been backed and sold - and behaving like a star in her new home. The 5yo will take at LEAST another 8 weeks to get to the same stage.

When backing, it is essential they learn that people get on - and off - randomly and in wierd ways. They should have LOTS of ons and offs - in different ways AND on the 'wrong' side too before they are actually ridden. Far too many horses are rushed through thsi critical stage.
 
this summer I had a few days away and went out walking a friends dog while she took a 4yr old out for a walk that she was starting. the horse had saddle and a bridle over a headcollar and was either being controlled by the reins with her walking at the saddle from both left and right or from the headcollar rope with the stirrups down and the only way I can describe it is with her bouncing up and down as of she was about to vault on and using the saddle to help her bounce higher (obviously without pulling it round) with the horse both walking and standing still. before and after leaving and when she was brushing the mane she stood on a step beside the horse and bounced up and down and also from there leaned across and gently patted all over the opposite side. the last day I was there she leaned over her back on the way home from the wrong side since that was where the little bank was that she got on from and the mare just strolled home as if nothing was unusual. not saying that this is what you should do but it does give you an idea of how one person works with her horses before they are backed. this was a quick thinking type horse who she in my view correctly wants to have a start where she is not rushed and learns that odd things happen when humans are around and its best just to ignore them :D
 
I would go back to basics and start rubbing her allover with a numnah, then pushing the numnah off her back onto the floor, do the same with rugs, then an old saddle working up to a saddle and numnah with stirrups attached and down and a girth attached. You can't move on to the next step until she is 100% with one before.
I do everything I can to get them used to a faller before anyone gets on- getting on is the last part if backing with me. Then we go on to riding away.
 
Yes! I had to stop a friend riding one of mine. He is very sharp and he spooked her off twice. I have a very good seat and am not easily removed so I forget sometimes just how sharp he is. He became a bit of a nightmare after those falls- got very wary of people mounting and dismounting him. Now I am the only person he will allow on his back.

I did read an article about using a 'dummy' to de-sensitise them to fallers. Looked really interesting and probably would be such a good idea to do. Basically you teach them to stand stock still when someone falls.
 
I haven't read all of the replies but do agree with the ones I've read but I would say just to persist quietly and calmly.

I had a situation a few years ago when my friend was getting on my (rather spooky and worrywart) 5yr old - she was used to horses that she could just lob herself on and not worry where her legs were, but he was very sensitive and as she got on she booted him in the side and bashed her leg on his bum. He was in complete meltdown and reared, shot off and when he eventually stopped he was trembling (she was fine though a little embarrassed)

It took weeks for me to get him comfortable with mounting again as he was just so worried, but perseverance, lots of treats and getting on carefully he soon came right again.

I only ever came off him once (a year or so later) and somehow managed to land on my feet but he was still beside himself.
 
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