ADVISE NEEDED!! starting to napp.?.

[my chunky chap]

This last month i have spent bringing my horse back into work after a three month rest due to not having shoes. Over his break he became hard to handle as he was using his strong neck to push us around and drag us away from the yard back to the field. Over the last three or so weeks lots of ground work seems to have payed off and i feel like i have respect and control again. Mostly i have been working in the field making sure i have control when in the saddle and just trying to touch up my riding skills. i have been taking him out for short hacks as he isnt too fit, doing a simple loop around the roads. He does this fine. He works in the field fine. But today when i tried to go off the road ... the problems started. He started to get very strong in his neck and turn away (he is a 15'3 irish cob who knows how to use his neck for strength at times). I tried to hold him in place and certainly not let him turn the way he wanted to. WHen he stopped turning he would either stand and stare for a bit or he would back up before turning again. I tried for sometime, but due to time restrictions i had to turn him (my way of course) and head towards home. I had a similar problem with him shortly before i rested him, it was always lanes, even ones that we would always walk down. I dont understand where this problem developed as at the previous yard we were always hacking down lanes and through the woods but now he wont do it. He used to be such a gentle giant not meaning to do anything wrong. And as i have just spent so much time and effort solving his last problem i would like to be able to stop this one before it really developes into something dangerous or uncontrolable. Please help:( Any advise would be really appriciated :)

[Bob's mum]

When my boy ( also a 15.3hh Irish cob) started to do something similar I was advised to sit up very straight, turn him back the way I wanted and then push him on by squeezing with alternate legs and telling him to get on.

If that didn't work then I would get him to rein back for a few steps and try again.

One or other method generally worked but I did notice that I was beginning to anticipate him possibly napping at certain particular spots and this could actually cause it to happen !! eek: so if I feel he is going to nap I now get him trotting to concentrate his mind and that seems to do the trick :)

Hope this helps. I also read that sighing out loud and saying " silly boy, that's the wrong way" can help, might be worth a shot....

[Maclynky]

could he have lost his confidence hacking especially down lanes wich may be more closed in where he maybe feels more alone than on normal roads. Could you maybe hack out with a sensible companion to ry and build his confidence. My horse used tospin round when out hacking as he didn't want to leave the yard. He's a lot better now but I'm sure that's because he trusts memore and reallt listens when I tel him it's OK.

[knockaroo]

One of mine tried to be nappy hated leaving others at field, and became more nervous when we very nearly got run over a car stopped ihches from us (drivers fault) I tried various methods they've all played thier part in the process of making him more confident and relaxed. I've taken him out in hand he'll go most places I lead him, I've had people walk or cycle out with me riding, I've ridden out in horse company (even followed another thropugh a flooded road, hates puddles). Went through a stge of going backwards with me so I rode out in spurs a couple of times just to tell him this was not a option especially in traffic, because at backwards I had no brakes and little steering with his head tucked to his chest. anyway hope some of these methods help. I also never turned to go home at same spot and never in a gate way so he didn't form any habits.

[dilaika]

It could just be nerves or him testing you. One thing to try would be seeing if you could go out with another horse...always walking next to or behind them, never in front. Some horses will take a lead and follow others (they are, after all, herd animals) and then will often be easier to work w/ by themselves once they've done it with another horse. You could also try distracting him...doing something like bending as you come up on area where he might napp before he gets a chance to think about it

[Bay Mare]

Start by following a lead/nanny horse?

You could also have circled him so that you got him where you wanted to go and made it harder work for him to start with.

Depending on the reasons for the nappiness you could also have got off and given him a lead. If he was unsure about going where you wanted then this would be helpful.

In addition to that lots of groundwork which will teach him manners and also build up a relationship between the two of you. The more he trusts you the easier it will be to ask more of him.

Just one point ... unless there were other issues it may not have been necessary to have rested him for a month just because he didn't have shoes on. If you have a proper trim and do transitioning work then there's no reason at all for most horses not to go without shoes. Even if your horse didn't transition well you could still use boots (Boas, Old Macs etc).

[my chunky chap]

Thanks to all for the advise. I'v hacked out with another horse since and went down one of the problem lanes and he didnt bat an eyelid. Hopefully he will continue this way. So is thought that the best thing to do would be to keep him behind untill i try alone, or maybe after a while should i try leading the hack. We have been doing upto 15mins of ground work every time i go to take him onto the yard, trying to teach him this whole personal space thing. Thank you for the advise guys :)