Horse Spooking

[SuperNoodles]

Ok, so for the past few weeks i've been riding a 9 year old mare. When there's a few people on my lesson she's great to ride, very forward going and always listens to my aids.

But when there are more people on my lesson she get's really nervous and get spooked easily. Being a livery yard as well there's alway banging going on and we spend most of the lessons on a 20 meter circle at the opposite end of the school to most of the banging.

She's also terrified of Cones and Jump wings and each time we go past them she'll gallop off. She'll hardly go on the track down the long side and when she does as soon as she's 3/4 of the way down she'll just break into canter.

Anyway, my instructor keeps telling me that i need to relax more when i'm riding her and i need to get her to come back to walk quicker after she canters off. The thing is i've tried but she just doesn't listen.

Over the past week she's calmed down a bit and we think its because she's new she needed more time to adjust to the stables (she was kept on a private livery)


She's still cantering off when we're on the track, so i'm just wondering whats the fastest and most effiecient way off bringing her back down to walk after she canters off and getting her to walk on the track?

[xloopylozzax]

well dont know whether this is much help but i will tell you anyway :)

if shes galloping off on the long sides imagine the school is a clock and turn small circles at 12 o clock, 1 o clock etc, to get more control or just 12, 3, 6 and 9. if you feel her moving up to go into canter and you dont want to then do this.
maybe just stick with the canter and keep pushing her on- a few circles of this will get her bored so she will just go back to trot because she hasnt achieved anything.
do you do figures of eights and serpentines? these will give her something to think about and she wont have time to plan her next escape :D

well hope this helped- sorry if it hasnt i dont really have any trouble when im schooling its just what i have picked up from my mum the odd times i have

[Abi Ramsey]

I just want to say that I'm in a very similar situation as SuperNoodles!!! I've had my lovely coddy gelding 'Murphy' for 3 years now and am doing a lot of trianing on the flat, with an aim to doing dressage at a low level as he is a beginner.

He's a lovely horse, but we just don't seem to have any concentration going on! He goes in the same menage all the time, to be turned out an worked. I can get on and ride him round and warm him up and then once we start the hard work, he thinks the wall, fence, sand, stone, and every other thing in sight is a monster :eek:. Other days he'll act like a pro :D.

It's a VERY testing time! I get up tight by him and yes, a lot of it is to do with the rider being apprehensive... We need to learn to relax, as well as being on the ball so we don't fall or hurt the horse....

I'll watch this post to see and try out the replies!!

Good luck! :)

[cwb]

I would try doing lots of different things in each circuit of the school to keep her guessing - transitions, changes of rein, serpentines, circles - mix them up and do them in a random order so that she HAS to listen to you.

Once she is busy, she will forget about spooking at the cones etc. but watch out if you relax the regime - she will suddenly remember to spook again!

[Joyscarer]

The trouble is that if you are in a lesson situation with others you can't just keep doing transitions, changes of rein etc because you need to follow what the class is doing.

All you can do appart from being as relaxed as poss to reassure the horse is to have a word with your instructor before your next lesson and chat about your options.

I personally always try to introduce my horse to what she has spooked at. This isn't necessarilly going to be your solution though.

Speak to your intructor before your lesson. :)

[Fanshawe]

It is difficult when you are in a lesson because you are restricted as to what you can do.

First of all make sure you are not accidentally giving canter aids or a very firm aid when on the long side of the arena. Keep your leg aids when you are on the long side very gentle.

Will your instructor allow you to ask for a circle? If so then as soon as she breaks in to canter then turn her off the track on to a small circle and insist on going back to trot or even walk. You need to be very firm and use the whole of your body with weight down in to the stirrups and squeezing with the upper thigh.

Only go back on to the track when she has come back to trot/walk and one circle should be enough time to get her back. If she canters off again as soon as she hits the track then do the same again. Keep doing it every time she does it being very careful you are not accidentally giving her canter aids. She will quickly learn that you don't want her to canter there unless you ask.

You can also use this with the things she is spooking at. If she is silly past something then turn a circle and ask her to go past it again. Keep doing this until she does so calmly. Talk to her lots but do not look at or react to what she is spooking at. Very often we also look at what has scared them and then they think it must be really scary if we are also looking. If you ignore it then she will assume it must be ok too.

Oh and of course lots of praise when she comes back to you or is calmer!