Spooky Mount

[Kelly Lee]

I have a 10 yr old TB mare who is very intelligent and a very nice mount. I love her and we have developed an excellent partnership. We have one issue....her spookiness. She has really started developing a habit of jumping sideways at objects when we are working. I know that I have to correct this habit - as I feel that perhaps that I haven't been responding to it correctly.

These things I DO know:

1) She spooks whether she has been worked or not. I know that many horses will be spooky if they have not had turn out, or are on high protein food - but she is turned out regularily, worked every other day, and is on low protein food - so I have eliminated this. Her eyesight is also very good - I know that if some horses are losing eyesight they can also spook - so this isn't it either.

2) She spooks at corners. Pretty much - that's it. She will see these corners daily - one day she is fine - the next day she spooks - even if nothing has been changed in the corners. No new equipment or anything.

3) My response has been to i) let her approach object at her own accord ii) let her inspect iii) reassure her when she approaches it iv) then reward her and ask her to move on - and I continue to reward if she passes the corner the next 2 or 3 times without doing a spook.

4) Once she is working - and once we have already addressed the corner with method outlined in 3) she will sometimes start to spook in the SAME corner again - she will prop and many times I almost come out of the saddle - it is a much more violent reaction then her initial uneasiness that we dealt with in 3). This makes me think that she is being naughty. That perhaps she knows she can get away from work if she continues. I have actually gotten off her and lead her up to the object and she is fine - almost asleep - then once I get on and ask her to work - she will prop/spook at the same object. I am not nervous on her - so I can't blame my nervousness - I actually get quite frustrated though - and persist until she goes by the corner.

Can anyone think of any other methods I can try??? Do I reprimand her? I think she is really testing me - but I want to know how to correct her the proper way...

Thanks for your response.

Kelly Lee

[Sue Carnell]

A funny thing I discovered, is that horses seldom seem to be afraid of the corner where the sugar lumps are, the plastic bag with the carrots or apples in it, or the rustling of the paper wrapping around the polo mints. Show them an empty corner, an empty bag, or an empty packet and all of sudden, there be dragons and lots of despooking work. :)

It could be that your mare is very intelligent and is making up games to amuse herself. I had a mare once, who would spook like crazy at all kinds of daft things, but put her in a handy pony, or traffic and she became the most reliable beast on 4 legs, who wouldn't spook if you begged her to. I always felt she was spooking for fun, she wasn't dangerous with it, so I didn't really mind at the time, but give her a job to do, or a situation where spooking could be dangerous and she never did.

It's hard to tell really why your mare is spooking from where I'm sitting, but perhaps she needs to do more varied stuff to keep her occupied? Perhaps try riding her through it all as though she hasn't spooked, ignoring it really and giving her a job to do, rather than making something out of it? Could you teach her shoulder-in, if you haven't already? I find shoulder-in a good exercise for spookers, keeps them occupied, engaged and stops them worrying so much. Also helps prevent them swinging their quarters in, looking at the imaginary monster and backing up. If she's spooking one day and not the next and not only at new or different things, then I think it's one instance where letting her dwell and check it out isn't really worth it, though that is what I would normally do initially.

Sue Carnell
sue@eclipse.co.uk

[Danae]

3 Things that came to mind when I read your thread, I'll describe all three...

First, you said you reward her when you walk up to the object. That is actually teaching her that it's okay that she spooked. The proper way: While walking up to the object use reassuring phrases such as "Its okay, eassyyy, walk on, etc." and then once she has gotten past the object reward her with a pat.

Second, what are you doing? Are you anticipating the spook therefore tensing up? When coming up to the object, don't make it the first thing in your mind. Make your work your first priority and then in the back of your mind keep that thought of spooking. Remember horses have "physical" telepathy :D!

Third, you say you got off her and walked her up to the object, which by the way, what is the object?? She's asleep while your on the ground, why do you think this is? Because she won the battle. She did what she needed to do in order to get you off her back. She buffaloed you, almost! Do not get off the ground again to walk her up to, although that would have been a good idea if she was truly spooking at the object.

If you would like further information I seriously recommend a book I'm reading right now that goes very detailed on this matter, the books name is There Are No Problem Horses - Only Problem Riders by Mary Twelveponies. I can barely set this thing down, I bought it for $14 in a local book store.

[mikka]

Spooking is my biggest - often paralyzing - fear and I seem to have had plenty of spooky types lately (possibly my own fear being transmitted downward). I've discovered, as someone else points out, that if I engage the horse's mind by riding strongly forward at those spook-provoking spots, and keep an firm eye on my destination, I can kind of trick the horse into thinking of other things. Of course, that only works if I know where the problem areas are. It's those horses that spook at just about everything that reduce me to a quivering blob of jelly. This is one fear I'd give anything to master.

[Waikato Valuta]

Have you tried working her past the corner in a bend so she cannot see the object. I would get her working and just work straight past the ofject if she spooks just egnore her get her working again and go around and pass it again. Often if they dont get a reaction and are still made to work they will get over this. I would not recomend walking her to the object as she is now getting out of work by just walking and standing looking at somthing that dose not bother her in the least.

I am rididng a mare at the moment and when i first got on her she would freack at this corner that had a drum init. so i just sat still kept her working very forward and rode her past it several times she now knows that we dont spook in that corner.

I know it can be hard but just sitting calmly not hitting her or yelling at her and just pusing her past the object withoutanything bad happening then she will figer out it is ok.

[Kelly Lee]

Thanks all - for your responses. I rode with her yesterday and she started at the corners again. The first couple of times I grumbled at her and moved her on. The first time she rounded the corner without spooking I rewarded her and kept moving her on. Eventually she kept going by with minimal reaction. She still would do a very little side step but I would ignore her and keep moving her by this corner over and over again. By the end of the ride she would walk into the corner without a problem.

Another thing - if she rushed by the corner I would bring her down to a walk and then halt to make sure she wasn't thinking that she could "run away" from the corner. This also worked well. I know the next time I ride she will be afraid at the same corner - but my power is that I know this and will ignore it and keep her moving forward (and bending her in). Hopefully she eventually realizes that the corner is fine and regardless - she still has to work. If I am not afraid then she should trust my instincts!

Thanks for your suggestions.