When is a spook not a spook.......

[Drummers mum]

..........and when is he winding me up?

Yesterday Drummer was his worst yet. We thought we would have a quiet ride round the orchard but he was awful. Spent the entire time doing giraffe impressions, rooting himself to the spot and just searching for scary things, until we turned for home and he plodded down the hill without a care in the world!

Decided to go round the field, got to the end where the woods are and giraffe again but this time he whirled and ran from nothing, this made me cross (which deadend my nerves!) and I pulled him up and made him go back!

None of this is helping my confidence! Is he winding me up? I'm at a bit of a loss how to handle it!

In the school, he is fine (although he can nap!) and when we ride with Billy (his field mate) he doesn't bat an eyelid, even when we get 100yds behind! Yesterday I actually got off to get through a gateway as I was starting to loose it too! The minute I was on the floor, he chilled!

On a plus note, our schooling is coming on great!

[Tiber]

Poor you!

I've got no advice for you I'm afraid - haven't got to this stage with Hon yet - but good luck in sorting it and don't loose hope!

[horsemad]

It is difficult to know when they are genuinely scared and when they are just messing about - I have the same problem with my girl sometimes.

I think with my horse, it starts off with being genuinely startled at something, but then she will sometimes continue to spook at that spot, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she is having me on One example is when she kept spooking at the same place in canter, but would walk or trot past this area without batting an eyelid - definitely sounds like trying it on to me

I can see how I may have contributed to this, because the pattern is - we are trotting, Cindy spooks and canters off for a few strides, I bring her back to walk, and keep her in walk for a while because I don't want her to take off again. So you could say I am rewarding her spook by letting her walk rather than trot (doing as little as possible is definitely a reward for my lazy girl )

So I now try to ignore her spooking as much as possible and go straight back to what we were doing before the spook. I'll also ride lots of circles (big circles, small circles, keep changing the rein) in the spooky area rather than avoid that area, as I would have done previously. This is not easy to do though - especially as my instinct is still to leave the spooky area or get off! So good for you for making Drummer go back to the spooky bit

[Trewsers]

Hmm, can't really offer any advice, cos I'm in a similar situation! Storm is quite spooky, but at the moment, I'm not convinced its all spooks - I really do think she is just winding me up sometimes!!! For instance, we have to pass a scary horse eating abandoned gate on our way to the school - 6 days out of 7 she ignores it, but last night she was spinning and snorting like it was really out to get her!!! Quite frankly, I got quite cross and told her we weren't having this nonsense I don't know, but I think she uses things as an excuse sometimes. What are we to do with these horses???!

[ElvisFan]

Dont no if it helps at all but when my daughters horse spooks she makes him look at the spooky object.9 times out of 10 he settles but will probably still spook at the same object again

[Peace]

Sounds like you handled it fine - you made him go back after he spooked and ran away, which was more work for him than if he hadn't spooked. You won, I'd say!

Bram and our old blue-tick hound like to "wind me up" on trail rides. Hound will bound out of the woods at Bram's feet, and Bram will react as though the big bad wolf himself is menacing him. I know Bram's not really scared though, because the one time he nearly unseated me, he froze mid-spook and waited till I recovered myself.

I agree it's usually best just not to make an issue of it. I usually say something like "oooh scaries" and laugh at Brammie while urging him onwards. If he's genuinely scared, I'll sometimes let him stop and have a good look at whatever it is, providing the scary thing (old tire or whatever) is still sitting there. Doesn't work that way for deer, of course.

[Drummers mum]

I think I am going to stick to schooling for a bit and do a bit more groundwork (which I have been neglecting recently) if we have a major incident and I fall off, I know it will knock my confidence down to zero!

Its sooo annoying because things were going so well. We had a nice day out at the beginning of the holidays and I was starting to hack a bit more.

[Peace]

Since Drummer doesn't spook when he's out with his fieldmate, could you just stick to hacking out with Billy (or another horse) for awhile? In other words, give up hacking alone - instead of giving up hacking altogether?

I don't hack out on the roads alone - mostly because I don't trust car drivers to notice a lone horse but I figure they can't fail to see a whole herd of us.

[Stella2]

I don't have any advice on figuring out when a spook is not a spook DM, I just wanted to offer my support. You are doing fantastically, but I'm with you on protecting the confidence. Its so quickly lost and so hard to regain isn't it? Do what feels right for you and monitor yourself so you are not driving yourself to do something that is against your instincts (this is my problem and way of making it go pear shaped, it may not be yours ).

[notpoodle]

i know what you mean angel will do this from time to time ie. she will plant her feet, stick her head up and look around in a horribly concentrated fashion with her i know it is not a spook 99,9% of the time, so i just ask her to walk on, combined with the ever so handy NO! or I DONT THINK SO!

try not to freak yourself (which is hard, i know ) because then he will think there REALLY is a concern there, when *even you* get scared (you being the grandmasterbosswoman )

julia
x

[Drummers mum]

Peace, Stella2, notpoodle, thank you! Some people really don't understand what its like! I nearly cried with relief when I read your posts!

I read a book called Dune, (also a film) there was a thing in it about fear and the saying was "fear is the mind killer" (then a load of gumf about how it wasn't going to get them down!) they are sooo right!

Anyway, today I did some groundwork and played with Drummer for a while, we both had a bit of fun and it made me remember why I love him so much! Riding is not the be all and end all!

We don't actually venture out on the roads on our own, the orchard is like a mini hack and you can make it last half an hour if you go up and down the aisles! lol! but I think thats where the pony eating monsters must hide out! showjumper is coming to visit on monday and is riding one of the YOs ponies so I will leave it until then and then get her to come with me!

Thanks again for your support!

[Peace]

Originally Posted by Drummers mum

the orchard is like a mini hack and you can make it last half an hour if you go up and down the aisles! lol! but I think thats where the pony eating monsters must hide out!

Ah, yes - the monsters' trans-atlantic cousins, known here as "gremlins" , also prefer to inhabit wooded areas. A whole mob of them live down by the creek and have been known to attack groups of as many as three horses - particularly when said horses are ridden out by my riding buddy, her small daughter and myself, without benefit of the YO's company.

[Stella2]

I discovered today that our small wood may actually have real monsters behind the trees (in the shapes of dogs and people) since there is a little used public footpath through it!! Just when I thought it was safe to venture out on Flora again, I risk being 'spooked' into a tree

Remind me - why do we do this again? Oh yes, because we love them and we are addicted

[Drummers mum]

lol! Actually, there is a footpath at one end of the orchard (at also runs past ponies field!) and the pony eating monster dog walker gremlins aren't scary when they have handfuls of grass!

I also feel that there may be some water sprites on the loose as the brook has become a no go area!

[Stella2]

Originally Posted by Drummers mum

lol! Actually, there is a footpath at one end of the orchard (at also runs past ponies field!) and the pony eating monster dog walker gremlins aren't scary when they have handfuls of grass!

I also feel that there may be some water sprites on the loose as the brook has become a no go area!

It seems we are at a similar stage in terms of hacking. I often feel like the silly woman rider! Its kind of comforting to know its not just me