Afraid of the new - any suggestions?

[Lovecat]

Hi guys (soz this is long!)

I have come to the conclusion that Murphy, while solid as a rock in traffic and unpeturbed by scary noises, is still an anxious little baby when it comes to any new sights.

To begin with I thought he just had a problem with seeing people on the ground when we were out and about (he would see them in the distance, stop dead, regard them with deep suspicion, skirt around them like they were going to leap on him, then try and keep staring at them even as we moved on), but the last few rides I've had have convinced me that it's not the people per se (after all, he sees enough of them around the yard!) but the fact that they're in a different context.

For example, we go down pretty much the same road route to the forest every hack - there isn't a lot of choice about this, it's the only way to get there. He will motor on beautifully, but anything different - a car parked where normally the road is empty, a car not parked where it normally is, a person coming out of their front door, a bin put out by the road, a walker in the distance, someone sitting waiting for a bus in the shelter - he will come to a dead halt, ears forward, the head goes up (he has a martingale for hacking!), 'OMG, what is THAT!?!' and then either nap, trundle backwards or when pushed on will skitter around it at high speed, none of which is really ideal...:rolleyes: He's not dangerous as such, he never bolts and will stop playing up immediately he's past the 'scary' thing, but if traffic is about then it becomes a serious issue - although most will give us space, not everyone round our way has sympathy with horses on the roads!

While I can desensitise him to objects, it's not so much the thing itself that's disturbing him, it's the fact that it's something that's not usually there (or the absence of something that usually is!) - this Saturday the bins were still out because of Easter and he napped for Britain past them on the way out, but on the way home he didn't give them a second glance. My companion suggested he's just a mickey taker, but I suspect it's because he had got 'used' to them on the way out and so was no longer scared when confronted with them a second time...

Anyway, the point of this ramble is to ask is there anything I can do to give him a bit more confidence in the unexpected and stop him from being so anxious?

I already have books by Kelly Marks, John Lyons, Richard Maxwell, Alexandra Kurland, Klaus Hempflinger et al and I'm afraid I just don't get them - I'm a bit of a dope on practical measures and they don't seem at all clear in their instructions, more like a chain of anecdotes which I just cannot translate into an action plan - I think I need a 'Dummies' guide! As it is, Murph is pretty much joined up with me already, a very non-dominant horse who generally looks to me for his confidence - except in these circumstances.

BTW, if he is following, he doesn't bat an eyelid even if the horse in front spooks - this nappiness is only when he is in the lead. But because of his long stride he is usually in the lead as I generally hack out in the company of a Fell pony!

[Yann]

Snap! He sounds just like Rio, not a care in the world following another horse, but in the lead or out alone she often feels the need to stop and look at things, especially people and other horses. Normally allowing her to look for a short spell is enough, and she doesn't normally get too upset by most things. There was a lost coat hanging on a branch in the woods last week though, that really worried her:D

I think it's a lack of confidence, and the horse following its instincts - they have an incredible memory for things and places as a grazing animal, and of course anything untoward or changed could indicate a predator or danger. I try to deal with it by being patient and sympathetic (not always easy, especially on the road or in someones way), but still be purposeful about going forward. If we get stuck though I dismount and lead to and past the offending obstacle, maybe pausing to look at it, touch it and allow Ri to sniff it and decide herself it's OK. I think the only cure is lots of practice and to a lesser extent a good relationship with the horse so they trust you as the reliable leader.

Something to bear in mind is the spring and new grass, horses are generally quite a bit sharper and spookier at this time of year, it might be a factor.

[katieB]

Its quite common for horses to do that, not to that extent but most of the horses I know and have known have a tendancy to do it at some point. I took my friends mare on a hack last week and we have to go through someones back garden, the owner never has problems usually but the owners of the house had mowed the grass in stripes (y'know, lighter and darker shades in rows) and she just wouldnt go past, we were there over 10 minutes before we convinced her to go past. I think age and experience has a lot to do with it (this mare i rode is the same age as Murph) Once they realise that these changes arent dangerous they become more relaxed about them, it sounds like Murphy is just particulary uneasy about them. Like Yann said, when something has changed in a familiar environment their instincts would tell them something is wrong there. All I would suggest doing is making sure he gets the experience of going past things, if he stops and wont budge, persevere and stay as long as it takes to go past, go about it the same way you would reassure him of something he's scared of it, gentle voice and encouragement :)

[Lucy J]

i remember the first day i walked down the street confronted by a wheelie bin outside each house on each side of the road - my horse was convinced they were monsters waiting to pounce! i find with ciara that the more she trusts me the less she spooks at different things - now she just stands and looks instead of jumping around. just keep persevering (sp?)

[welshcoblady1]

hello love cat ,i am not sure how long you have had your horse ,
but what your horse is doing is perfectly normal and will settle the more you do with him.
the reason i say normal ,providing there are not eye problems or any other problems ,is because a feral horse would react the same way to any changes with the herd or surrounding areas they would nomaly live in

not every horse is a leader with in the herd ,and prefer to follow the dominant horse, natural training is based on us not being the horses boss, but being a leader.

the horse has a large brain but has 2 hemisperes (spelling wrong sorry) each side works for the oppisite side of the body .
so a paper bag seen going out on his hack he walks right by .
but coming back the paper bag looks different and he shies away
even though he saw it on the way out .

horse learn through repitition and some learn and with hold imformation slower or faster than others

horses see and hear things long be fore we do his life may depend on him seeing it coming ,so he will raise his head high to get a better view and listen hard.if he approaches the thing his normal reaction would be to make an arc so his eyes can see it and nose can small it but his body is away from it, ready to take flight if he needs to .
many riders punish horses for shying ,and in turn the next time something worries the horse he is also associating the shying with punisment .

there are a few things you can do to help calm your horse .
first look at his diet and if need be change to high fibre diet with less concentrates and sugars.try for a mounth to see if there is a change in behaviour, limit rich grass ,

teach your horse to lower his head and neck on que ,a worried horse carries him self tall and in flight mode if he feels threatened
or in danger.

i have a green late cut colt who hacked out for the first time with a friend he was worried and flighty ,i rode quietly ,from the beginning of the ride i scratched his withers at first he took no notice then after 10 mins i noticed he started to lower his head and become more relaxed ,i carried on gently scratching, his head came down more and he was enjoying the scratch as he walked along hacking for the first time a 20 min walk ,because i was scratching him he lowered his head and relaxed, and did not fret or look for thing that would worry him , now i scratch him if i feel him going tense on a hack and he relaxes again ,i will not have to do this soon but i will then do it as a reward for the right reaction.


i am not sure how old your horse is ,if he has been started late
and his education at a later age it may take alittle longer for him to settle .

the simplest way to befreind ,calm ,bond, reasure, is to do what another freind horse would do simply scratch as two horses would scratch each other in a feild or herd freinds on the withers or some where near that area that he lets you know he likes,
i use it all the time in many situations and i find it have a calming affect in many ways.

when riding be calm your self no matter what if you tense and your breathing changes horses will notice this, if you release adrenalin horses can smell this.

if you ride a up tight horse quietly, with no reaction to his worries
he will fret less, because if you react, he reacts to your reaction no matter how small ,always reward for the right reaction ,even the small ones with a scratch ,he will understand that easier than a pat on the neck.
best wishes.