Nervous--HELP!

[BeachRiding]

Hi, I moved my horse into his new boarding place ( he loves it, ignores me:rolleyes: ) I moved him 3 weeks ago. I have not rode him yet. However yesterday I just walked him with a leadrope up to a *roundpen* he as we were walking pulled ahead which is okay I can handled that, and stepped on my foot(still sore) but what really scared me is when he spooked and nearly ripped my arm off.....literallly. He did calm down after sppoking but was very pushy and he usually is not. At the old place I let him was a leadrope length behind me, if I did that now I am certain he will trample me! I am so nervous to ride him this week, their is no closed pen, their building an arena but that will take many monthes. What do I do? I am scared to even get on him. I am sure he will spook, and I will get hurt. Please Help anyone!! Also, ask away on details.

[galadriel]

Sounds like he may have found a new place in the herd in this new environment, and he's testing his place with you too.

It may be a good idea to work on groundwork to re-establish your relationship. Have you done anything of that nature before?

[kedwards]

Is there someone at the new place who can do some ground lessons with you to help you learn to work with him?

[vjoy23]

I know its sounds silly but it there anywhere that you can lunge him? My mare gets a bit funny from time to time and trys barging etc and normally I put alot of it down to excess energy. Her manners aren't great but she knows who's boss and if she trys pushing me around she wont win. If I'm a bit worried that she may be a bit fizzy and try something I use an empty field at my yard and give her a good work out on the lunging rein first, that way if shes gonna try anything she can without the risk of me getting hurt. Its just a suggestion I don't know your horse. Mine does get bored if not ridden and gets quite excited when its time to go out, if I knacker her a bit first she's less inclined to want to spook or bomb off.

What ever you do you have to get back on him as the longer you leave it the worse it will be and you'll be more likely to tense which will make your horse know somethings up. I don't want you to feel like I'm teaching you to suck eggs but this is the nearest to your situation I've been.

Good luck

[soulburyrider]

mmm I think the first mistake you made was allowing him to pull ahead on the leadrope as he perhaps now feels that this is acceptable behaviour as you did not reprimand him for doing it in the first place. However it's easy to say that in hindsight !
As suggested try lunging him to take the fizz off him - are there alot of mares around ? It could be that this is his initial settling in and whilst trying to gain his rank in the pecking order of the herd he is also trying it on with you.

Perhaps you should look at what he is being fed - maybe cut down on the high-energy foodstuff until he settles.

[shirley]

How relaxed are you around the place? Could be picking things up from your vibes as well. There must be lots of sights and sounds he is not completely sure about and this will take him time to adjust to. Is there anywhere you can turn him out near to the noise of the arena being built etc.
Perhaps buying a control halter may be the solution for the present, as it will give you more control when walking him in hand. If you used this and walked and stood him near to things that appear to spook him, he will gradually realise that these are all background noises and soon learn to accept them as such.
As for riding, perhaps just ride him when no work being carried out i.e. weekends, evenings early mornings etc.
Perhaps also take this opportunity to teach him to walk in hand properly next to you etc - as if in an in-hand show. This will be giving him something to think about other than all the noises going on.
I am sure just like us they take time to settle into new places, new experiences etc and for some that just takes longer than others. Patience will win the day and soon you wil back riding and in plenty of time to enjoy the lighter nights and warmer weather.
Good luck

[NoviceNic]

I am a terribly nervous handler but I do try to be the strong one in my relationship with Captain. I bravely lead him upto scary monster and give him lots of cuddles and talk to him all the time. Itch your horse in their favourite tickly spot. This will also help take his mind off scary monsters. When you come to ride just walk for 10 mins daily and then build yourself up from there. I am sure you will get your confidence back up again soon. I am sure you are a little unsure of the new yard as well and maybe your horse is picking up on this??

[marjiva]

Do you think this new place may be giving him a more potent grain? Any added supplements to his diet? Sometimes a jump in nutrients will also give a jump in energy. Or if he is not getting enough pasture time and is feeling restless could be a culprit as well. Another thing that makes horses behave this way is when they havent had much handling for an extended period of time. Sometimes they forget their trained and need a refresher course. Just a few thoughts.

[roxycutie]

He's just probably still getting used to the new environment. Give him some time. My friend had an appy mare that came to our stables and was very jumpy and nervouse for the irst month. But then settled right in. Give him some time. :)

[Eli_Jay]

It could be a number of things. in new environments horses can often reaccess their relationship with you and attempt to push the boundaries, my advice - which isn't easy - would be to just chill out and take things as they come. you sound like a nervous rider - which i understand perfectly, being one myself. my advice to you is to simply not try to think to much for the horse, just get on and ride him. you're the boss - not him! tip toeing around him and being terrified he's going to spook and hurt you - which is fair enough and what i have spent months doing - is only going to make matters worse and let him believe he really IS the boss. falling off isn't nice, but its a consequence you may have to face if you intend to get over this time of trial. falling off isn't likely - just remember that. lunge him if you haven't ridden him for a few weeks then jump on and remember - NO more crap!!

[Bacharel]

Do some groundwork(longing). Then after he licks his lips and is listening to you, get on him and work him in a small circle, at a walk. Then as he gets better make the circle bigger, then repeat at a trot. Then advance to a canter and repeat the same at a canter, if you do not feel comfortable cantering you can wait until another day.

Another think is to have someone hold you horse on a longe line and you ride your horse.

HOPE YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR PROBLEM :)

[Las-Vegas-517]

Do some groundwork(longing). Then after he licks his lips and is listening to you, get on him and work him in a small circle, at a walk. Then as he gets better make the circle bigger, then repeat at a trot. Then advance to a canter and repeat the same at a canter, if you do not feel comfortable cantering you can wait until another day.

Another think is to have someone hold you horse on a longe line and you ride your horse.

HOPE YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR PROBLEM :)


good advice, brooka! ;)

dont u luff my SN? haha

[Wally]

I think Galadriel and one or two others have hit upon your problem. The fact he tested to see what you'd do when he pulled forwards and you let him maybe opened the floodgates a little.

Get some parameters in his dicipline and STICK TO THEM like glue. Don't make him nervous, but make it quite clear to him that you are the gaffer not him and he might be higher in the horse herd but it's still you that is the boss no matter how tiny his little tests at the boundaries are.

[ponylover88]

can i just say, its a new place, he will want to look around and there may be things hes never seen before.

[Elle78]

First of all, I would have to advise against even thinking of riding a horse which you don't feel safe on. My instructor was explaining just the other day that the rules of play are set on the ground first, and if respect is gained on the ground, it will follow when riding, however if he mis-behaves on the ground, he will behave the same when you are riding him.

I agree that he may have found a new place in the heard in your new paddocks. It could be a combination of him reacting with his right brain (horses are flighty and spooky by nature), together with him looking for a leader (alpha), which may not see in you (yet). Are you familiar with Natural Horsemanship and Pat Parelli at all? You may find the 'seven games horses play' assists with the horse not seeing us as predators, but as partners etc....and you will be able to read where your horse is coming from when he reacts in a certain way to different situations. You may also find that you build a trust and understanding b/w you and your horse thru these exercises.
Parelli works for me (just dont get too caught up with all the marketing of the products etc as they can be quite costly!), just keep at it and as a few people mentioned, try to get an instructor that will be able to guide you and your horse in the right direction. Let me know how it goes!

[ponylover88]

ehh parelli?? hmm dont agree with all of parellis games and solutions.
i used to think it would work and was really good, but i dont personally like it!

[Elle78]

To Ponyloer88,

I guess everyone takes a different approach to horsemanship and improving the relationship between rider and horse. I have tried other more traditional methods and my horses did not respond to those methods, however when I started Parelli, I found myself learning together with my horse, and he seemed to understand me more. Just like learning anything, Parelli takes a bit of time and effort, unless you put in the time you are not going to see results. Perhaps that is why many people give up before they have even tried it properly. I say, if you never try it you will never know!

happy riding everyone! XXX

[ponylover88]

i tryed it with my thoroughbred, snip, and we bought everything, even got front row seats at his presentation thing at solihull in october/november! i had a parelli trainer helping me every saturday and any other day he could get up to help me, but all seemed to be going really well, but it seemed that the less i practised it, the worse it looked, and the more i practised it, the more it confused snip! towards the end, the sideways game was rubbish and the day before it was really good but he just got so confused. i decided that parelli wasnt for us and stopped it. i then tryed lunging but he kept yeilding and at times refused to walk on the left rein. he then tryed it but i cracked the whip at him (which he never had any problems with before) and he pulled back rearing (also which he'd never done before in his life) and dragged me across the paddock as my mum said never to let go of the rope!! when i first got snip, my friend lunged him for me as i couldnt get up to him one day and she couldnt hold him and let go of the rope and he got it tangled around his front legs and panicked. after him rearing up, i wouldnt let go as i didnt want he same to happen. once we'd finished the tantrum we carried on lunging but afterwards he was very worked up and i only walked him after it.

[Beausowner]

I had exactly the same thing when I moved my horse 5 months ago (try to find my post -I had some really good advice) and my shoulder still hasn't healed after he spooked and pulled it out four and a half months ago. In my case I was a lot of (and still am sometimes!) the problem. I was too scared to ride him - I had seen how he spooked with my instructor on him - and was as stiff as a board when I did ride - I wouldn't do more than walk, which didn't help him, so I decided to stop riding and started lunging him (his first time and mine) which made me a lot more confident as I could see what he was going to do from the ground at safety and it gave him more trust in me and me in him - as we met scary things I would deal with them for him which again made him realise I could look after him and I slowly took him to the places he was scared of in the school. It was a slow process but he will now ride confidently in the school (most of the time but when he spooks now it is a little easy to sit one), even with the monster JCB working next door which he was petrified of. We still have our moments, like when they introduce another machine but it only takes two days now for him to become used to it and I still really have to try hard not to tense when I hear something different. I took things slowly, walked for a while and before I get on him I don't even think that he is going to spook - if I'm in one of my wobbly days then I will only do 10 minutes because he will pick it up from me). I knew when I was ready to get back on, probably about six weeks after we got there - I relaxed and he was absolutely fine. I have had to be patient and if I were you I wouldn't worry about getting back on him, just do some groundwork and enjoy that, then work on slowly - I certainly wouldn't ride until you feel ready and less nervous.