Riding out a spook- question

[tiger28]

hi all- horse has been pretty nutty with recent winds and cold weather, i keep hearing things like 'keep your leg on' and 'keep her going forward'- what exactly does this mean? it is just distracting the horse, getting her attention back on you? or are you supposed to be pushing the horse on? i am just thinking if i am walking the horse around the arena (by the spooky door) and i suddenly put my leg on that will cause her to bolt to go faster. does that make sense? i mean, if i only want to walk, and i push her on, wont that be a mixed message to start trotting?

[Tatooed Lady]

I don't think the RI means to squeeze tightly or bump into the next gait, but just enough leg to get the horse's attention back on you until s/he's past whatever is spooky.

[charlotte-x]

by having your legs even just resting by your horses side, its a way of letting the horse you are still there, and so if they are scared by something then they can be ressured by your leg aids.

my horse can be very spooky in the wind, by keeping my legs on him and gently playing with his mouth if he gets distracted it keeps him focused IN the school and not what going on around him. :) it does work, try it.

xx

[Berry]

The horse I ride can be a bit spooky, and when he's thinking about spooking he often starts to lose concentration on what he's doing, look outside the school, and slow down. If he's walking slowly, that gives him more time to think about spooking. I have to use my leg to keep him going when he wants to slow down and look at something spooky.

If a horse is working properly in a nice active pace it's less likely to spook because it's concentrating on something else. I think your RI means that you should keep the horse going forward in an active walk or trot, so the horse has less time to think about spooking and is 'thinking forward' not thinking about jumping sideways!

You should be able to use your leg lightly to get a more active pace, for example a more forward walk, to keep the horse's attention without the horse going too fast or trotting. Maybe you could practise this next time you are riding in a 'non-spooky' region of the school and see what happens, see if you can get the horse really concentrating on what you are asking.

[preciousgem]

I agree with all the responses so far. The RS horse that my daughter rides spooks too and this is the advice that her RI also gives. When he does spook, then bolts, she stays loose, sits it out and turns him in a large circle until he slows down.

[dunrobin_topper]

Spooking is very distracting and usually annoying especially when you are trying to concentrate and get them working!

Topper used to be and still can be a pest in one part of the school! But i find he plays on my fears and if i think about the spooky part he tends to follow suit! I find the best remmedy is to work through it and give them something else to worry about! Like giving them comfort with your leg but NOT gripping which can sometimes happen as you are expecting the spook which makes matters alot worse! We have tried leg yielding away from the corner, circles (like someone else said) changing the rein and keeping them guessing. Topper tends to spook when he gets bored its like an evasion tactic on his part and i have been told not to contribute to the problem by nagging with my legs but to ease off the pressure and even if he does spook dont say anything! refrain from shouting or even worse smacking them for being naughty or stupid! I think i read somewhere else that this is like confirming to the horse that they were right to spook cos it WAS scary cos you tensed up! Wait until they calm down and are steady again and praise them for going forwards and being relaxed, your voice is quite a useful tool for relaxing them and yourself and steady breathing too lol

Sorry for my long ramble but i know it can get scary and before i started riding in the arena i attempted long reining and lunging him in the scary corners! Very good tool for getting them going on their own and listening to your voice aids! Good for when its windy too!!:D

Good luck!

[robrob]

talk 2 the horse, stay relaxed and push on......always works 4 me :)

[MrsCarter]

I find that if my horse is spooky a reassuring 'leg' and talking to her does the trick. As soon as I get her attention back I give her a rub behind the ears and a big pat on the neck :)
Also, try not to get tense when your horse spooks as this just affirms to them that there's something to worry about. It's not always easy for you to stay relaxed with a horse that thinks it's world is about to come crashing down, but take a deep breath in then out, relax and move your horse positively forward :)

xxx

[tiger28]

thank you all for the great replies, will reread them all now as i have a lesson tomorrow:)

[jenmac_85]

Recently Tyler has been spooking at a farm that keeps two dogs, both of which go nuts if you pass by.

Tyler is not a happy bunny and spins round.


Only thing to do is keep the contact, positively put on the leg pressure, and talking to him. We get there eventually. He has been getting better and now only needs a couple of clicks and a great big hug once we pass.

RI seems happy with this and it works.

Depends on the horse and level of 'spookiness I suppose'.

I tried a small amount of pressure with my legs when Tyler was a passing a tractor that had been left running. We broke into fast trot on the road. Cringing at that thought lol.

Jenny and Tyler
x

[Tatooed Lady]

My girl spooks at some of the silliest things...like corn husks blowing and rattling around. Or the skid steer she's seen hundreds of times, and has chased through the pasture because it's bringing dinner out. Or a plastic cup being rattled around by the wind. Or a pickup truck with a horse trailer that's parked in a new spot (but it's been there for weeks before this).
But then, she DOESN'T spook when the barn manager goes ZOOMING around the farm on the barn owner's snowmobile while she's out of the pasture eating grain, even though he slowed it down and went within 10 feet of us. Or the rats that have started trying to take over the feed bins. Or the birds that nest inside the barns, and tend to fly RIGHT over or past the faces of the horses while they're tied and being groomed.

My biggest workout with her (other than getting her to give me her feet for picking and the farrier for trims) is de-spooking her as much as possible. I've got her so she'll spook "in place" close to 75% of the time, and if she spins because another horse bolts, she doesn't go more than about 10 feet.
So, I suppose if you're having issues with a spooky horse, if you've got the time for it, anyhow, work on getting the horse to accept spooky things without tearing off.