help!!!!! advice needed on lightness and spooking!!!

[Santi]

Spooky horses

Its an interesting thread. Ive got my horse to stand still now and look at things, he was dancing about and trying to turn round and run away to begin with at everything he didn't like.

I realised someone before me had stroked his neck when he was scared because he would tense up, i experimented a couple of times when he was fine and he started looking round for the scarey thing i must have seen!

I have to carry a whip (with a flat end), he gets time to look at it then i start insisting he walks forward one step at a time, with a reward of nothing happening for a minute of two after every step - this can take AGES to creep up to things but i think its working, and me being business-like is much better with him. I also get off and lead him past if i haven't got time and he'll follow me past anything which must be that 'ok if you go first' leader thing.

I met some other horse people once when i was having a session of this and i think they thought i was being very unsympathetic as he is genuinely scared and i'm just sat there, no stroking or anything (i do talk to him)!

My other horse is very brave but has moments when he would like to be led - he is much happier if i go first over the motorway we cross.

 

[cvb]

thanks so MUCH guys. Ive taken it all in[just] and will try it. I took him out today and we had a breakthrough.
He stopped wouldnt budge. So i circled him 5 times on each rein then asked him if he wanted to go fowards. He Didnt. So did it again and he did. He know knows if e wont budge.. more work!!

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN!
Anneli xx

Anneli

I think I need to check - as I had assumed this was under saddle, but I think you have a saddle problem and are not riding him (or did I get the wrong end of the stick... ?)

confused...

 

[levi1739]

Good post Harry. I really enjoyed this part.

If the horse learns that the human will take actions to support it and provide security when it is fearful, it will learn to manage its fear. We do this by giving the horse a safe place to go when it's afraid. ("Safe place to go" having physical as well as mental dimensions.) We give the horse the time and a safe space to work through its problem:

It's hard to "work out" problems if we don't feel safe. That's the first thing "me and my horse" look for when things get scary. "A safe place", one we know well.


Have fun, be safe

Jack

 

[HorseManiac]

Anneli

I think I need to check - as I had assumed this was under saddle, but I think you have a saddle problem and are not riding him (or did I get the wrong end of the stick... ?)

confused...

it was inhand i dont have him no more. i wish i could have him back *crys*