wimpy horse

[fells are best]

i got my horse in feb and love him to bits but i am having quite a lot of trouble with him as he is a big wimp. i can not ride him from the yard to the school with out having a showdown he always tries to run back in to his stable or stands on the spot trying to reinact a bucking bronko. when there is someone walking along side us we have no problems at all. there is no way i can even attempt to go out for a hack alone as he will not even get level with the gate let alone through it. waht can i do i stuck and its beging to affect my confidence it dosent seem to make any differance how firm i am with him he dose not seem to listeren and you can literely feel him shacking

[Bay Mare]

I ride a boy like that! He either splays out his legs and becomes rooted to the spot (last time was at the sight of a crane WAAAAY in the distance), spins and runs (then forgets what he's spinning and running from ) or bucks (usually going into canter, before which he squeals, bucks and then gallops for a few strides before coming back into a nice, steady canter).

I am just really patient with him, I don't even TRY to hack him out at the moment, it's far too dangerous for him, me and anyone else that's around. I take him up to the school and if he's being REALLY spooky I lunge him first (but not every time I ride). He IS getting better and I can even get a nice trot out of him now (he was so tense at first that it was like he was thinking about every single step that he took).

He still spins and runs (his favourite spook) but that only tends to happen now when he's getting tired and we're cooling down. I find that if I try to keep his attention (he's not the most attentive of horses) then he's much better so it's lots of varied work (more so than normal) and lots of circles, serpentines, interspersed with basic lateral work (he's only just learning leg yield although he's pretty ok at turn on the forehand).

The problem that I have with him (and I've posted about this before) is that he's not mine and if, on the rare occasion, somebody else rides him he's an absolute monster the next time I take him out. He's a big scaredy cat around other horses and tends to 'cling' to 'his' humans ..... change his human and he freaks out!

I wish that I'd got more time to work with him (I work full time) as it's great to see him getting more confident but a real bummer when I've not been able to ride him and I can see that he's regressed :(

He's also a wuss in the stable and on the yard. Rather than have a showdown I just stand with him until he decides that it's easier to move. Trying to MAKE him move is impossible, he's bigger and MUCH stronger than me so, for me, it would be a losing battle. He's very kind and wouldn't deliberately hurt you (though he's run me over in his panic once) so I find that being patient and getting his confidence is the best thing that I can do.

I'm sure that others will have some good suggestions, I look forward to hearing advice too.

Good luck


x

[bexj]

He may be genuinely scared or may be he is trying you on. You need to undersand that a horse is a herd animal, and by you asking him to go away goes against all his instincts - if he leaves the herd, he is more likely to get eaten by a lion:D He will rely on the experience of a herd leader to listen for danger, run away etc etc. If you remove him from the herd, he will get eaten by a lion especially as he hasn't got the herd leader to look out for him.

So you have to make him see you as the herd leader. Try some of the Natural Horesmanship methods (Parelli, Kelly Marks, Richard MAxwell etc etc) to build up a really strong relationship on the ground.

When you are ready to leave the yard, start short, when he gets past that point, give him a big pat and turn him back home. Gradually increase your distance away from home. After a while, your horse will understand that if he leaves the yard, he will come back. Be warned its a slow process - its taken me and Molly about 3 months to get through the gate at the end of the 100m drive from the yard:o

If he plants, then sit there. Don't fight him and don't kick him harder. As long as he is pointing in the right direction, then just leave him. Soon he will get so bored of just standing there, he will take a step forwards. As he does this, turn back for home as a big reward for being a good boy. Again you need plenty of time, but if you set yourself tiny targets, (that little bush, the lamp post, the gap in the fence etc etc), then achieving them will become more frequent and therefore rewarding.

You will get there I'm sure, but you need the patience of a saint:D

[Dizzy]

Have you tried leading him out. My friend has a Highland who has been a nightmare to get going, even leading him out was a challenge, as he'd fix his head away from us, but baulk his inside shoulder towards us, and many times stood on our feet. When we overcame that he would just plant, and refuse to move. We've got past that by giving him a lead with another horse and giving him lots of praise.

We are now at the point where I ride him, and friend walks with us, with a lunge whip. The first day was difficult, he walked out nicely for about 100 yards, then tried to spin. I stopped him by blocking his way with my schooling whip (twisting my hand, so that the whip created a wall between his face and the direction he wanted to take) while at the same time opening my outside rien and giving him a sharp kick with my outside leg, to counteract his bend. His answer to that was a buck, and my reply was a good kick with both legs, accompanied with a good smack on the bum with the whip, whilst yelling at him to 'get on with it'. Sounds awful I know, I hate kicking and whipping, but what a difference it made.

We carried on with our walk out, which was only around the village, and instead of gawping round looking for things to react to, he started to listen to me. He baulked at a few more things, but didn't stop, and got lots of praise. We were only out for 10 minutes, when we got home, he got lots of praise and a bucket feed.

He's been out 3 more times, still with his owner walking out with us. The first 2 were a little messy, nothing horrendous, a few spooks, but no stopping. And last time he was lovely, my friend dropped right back, and we explored the village alone, then trotted home. He's now ready to go it alone (say I with anticipation ;))

I'm a firm believer that trust, confidence, willingness and obedience should be established inhand, before we ask for it when we ride. It gives you a chance to get to know each other properly.

I've just recently backed my 4 yr old coloured mare. She already knows every inch of the lanes I ride her, as I've led her around them many times. At first inhand she would shout for her friends, and spook at all sorts of things, but after a few times she plodded along, with her ears pricked, totally relaxed. She now rides out more confidently than the Highland who is 7.

I know its not easy to get an insecure, unwilling horse to go forward. But forward they must go, so make it easy on yourself, and establish it inhand, before you attempt to ride. When you do feel he's ready to ride, get a friend to help you, until you feel confident enough in yourself and the horse, that you're ready to go solo.

When you do go out alone, don't push yourself out of your confidence zone, if you feel you can't get him past something, don't start a fight you can't win, or a 'sit in' that you don't have time to complete. Get off, lead him past, praise him and get back on. Bear in mind that if your horse finds black wrapped, round bales (just an example) horredously frightening, and you fight with him to pass them, not only are scarry, but he will associate them with the memory of a fight with you - which is totally negative. So next he's faced with them he already has a bad memory associated with them.

If you acknowledge his fear, get off, lead him past and reassure him and then praise him, he'll eventually realise they aren't 'going to get him' recognise that you are a 'good and trusted leader' that is prepared to 'listen to him', you'll gain his trust and he will begin to offer his willigness, which is absolutely vital.

Saying all that, I do think there are times, when you must say in no uncertain terms, that this behaviour is just not acceptable and give them a good rousting, as I did with the Highland. He was trying to dictate to me, his problems stem from his previous handling. He wasn't frightened, he was being very naughty. If he'd succeeded in taking me home that day we'd have been in real trouble when we tried him out next time. We know he has a naughty streak, which is why my friend carried the lunge whip, unfortunately when I turned my whip to block him, I caught her in the face, which stopped her helping me with 'forward motion', but luckily I managed on my own.

As you've already been advised, start with small goals, but be prepared to alter them, so that you always end on something that appears to be your suggestion, so that you can praise. Always have a positive outlook, praise the slightest move in the right direction, even if its just an adjustment of bodyweight and his feet don't move. Never use food to bribe him, but always reward him at the end with a small bucket feed.

If you've managed to get to the bottom of this epic post, well done;) and I hope it helps. All the best with your horse.

[Secret Smiley]

Lol, i read the title of your thread and thought "Oh no somebody has found out my horse Sek's secret"

We should form a support network for our frightened ponies, they can all sit down together and discuss their issues and hopefully grow from the experience:D :D -What do you think, could it work?

[fells are best]

i would just like to say a big thank you to every one who has replied to my post i will let you all know how i get on :D :D

[Montezrider]

Hi !
I have to agree with Dizzy . This worked for me and Monte . I would take a bag of goodies with me , and lead my guy out for a nice walk . When we got to the really " scary " places we would stop and have a little treat . He soon got the message . He began to relax and look forward to going out and exploring . Sure you are bound to have a few spooks along the way , but just stay calm and let him see there is nothing to worry about . It will take time , so be patient . It is really a matter of getting him to trust you , and look to you for his guidende on how he should feel abut these new scary things . :D