Nervous youngster

Sparky0207

Sparky's slave!
Nov 28, 2008
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I have a 5 year old welsh part bred who I've just backed. I've had her since she was weaned so know her history. She's always been of very nervy disposition and we've done an awful lot of ground work to build her trust and I've left her the extra year to mature a bit further (I generally break at 4).

She's a fab little mare but she can be very nervous and as such we've taken the backing process really slowly. She's had me on her in walk and trot being lead, on the lunge and independently and I've also taken her on about 8 hacks, she's coming on brilliant except....

She's constantly worrying about what's behind her - she does this on the ground but is worse with a rider on. I've done a year or mores worth of desensitisation with her and she's got much much better but it seems to be something that's always stuck in her mind.

When riding in the arena last week a horse whinnied in the field behind the arena and she shot forward, panicked herself and then tied herself up in knots. I was able to sit to it but it did alarm me that she panicked so much. I long reined her a few days later which is something she's been fine with and I tripped very very slightly and again she shot forward but this time started broncing - I'm not sure I would have sat that! When she shoots forward she goes forward then spins to see what's behind then panicks more, often throwing a little rear or a buck.
She's had her teeth done recently, saddle is brand new and fitted to her, back was done less than a month ago so it shouldn't be anything underlying, I think it's just her spooky nature. Anyone have any tips? This isn't a regular thing, when we were out hacking last week and cyclist came up behind us really quickly and all she did was flick an ear to listen! She's not nasty in any way, I'm sure it's just nerves but I'm not sure where to go next with it.
 
It is possibly the way she is.

You could be describing mine except the bucking. Mine will shoot forwards or spin a 180. It's definately less than it was, she is naturally very curious however she takes her confidence from the handler/ rider all the time. She is what I would say looky.
Hacking solo didn't come easy but we got there. Like you I know the history, nothing bad had ever happened. Some are bold and brave and some less so.

No tips other than just carry on and treat as you would any youngster. I too did lots of ground work but it didn't really prepare her for the random things she spooks at out hacking.
She ignored the fly tipped fridge and startled at a parked car as one example of random.
 
Have you had her eyes checked?

Also, magnesium Malate can perform magic on some nervous horses. Even if she is on the best diet you can devise for her, she can still need magnesium.

I am in the U.S. so buy my magnesium Malate (it's a LOT more effective than magnesium oxide) from Perfromamce Equine Nutrition in California, USA. They have a website but, if I try to leave this post to get the link, I will lose everything:(. Google Performance Equine Nutrition and read the symptoms:)

It has made a world of difference in my anxious horse.

He also has soy and grain sensitivities and has been off all grains and anything that uses soy as a protein source for a few years. That was a huge help but putting him on magnesium Malate made such a difference to the good, he puts a lump in my throat.

I hope this helps:)
 
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The only thing I would add to the above is that with this sort you need to be absolutely calm & confident yourself while staying very aware of everything around you. Until she's more experienced - and possibly even then - you need to be so unflappable that she knows she can always turn to you because you aren't bothered by the dragons. When you're on her always ride her so she knows you're paying attention. Don't reward the spooks, but when she does something like behave for the cyclist then tell her she's a star. If you know something is behind her maybe flex her slightly so she's more likely to see it before it's close enough to startle her. And lots & lots of hacking to get her confident.
 
Ditto @carthorse & @newforest : mines a bit like yours sometimes out of the blue, she's not of a panicky disposition in general but when she goes she really does blow up. I congratulate the good things i.e.: bikes coming up from behind with no bother, and continue as if nothing has happened with the panicky spooks. Try not to react with her and just carry on as if alls well is all I can say. Good luck and stick with her;)
 
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Thank you so much for your replies. She absolutely relies on me both on the ground and ridden, I'm constantly having to reassure her and she lives for praise, as soon as I give her a pat and fuss for being good you can physically see her relax.
She is super 'looky' but will walk past anything out hacking providing I let her have a look and reassure her. Last week we too had a load of stuff fly tipped right at the end of our bridleway including a treadmill and some sheet metal (which seemed to blow in the wind and make a lovely cluncky sound!!!), my old trusty babysitter horse absolutely would not go past it but the baby did without a problem - after a few seconds of looking at it and a couple of little snorts! So in this respect this incredible, it's just the things behind her.
I didn't think of getting her eyesight checked but that's definitely something I'll look in to.
 
She probably worries if she doesn't understand what you want? Doesn't cope well with correction?
I do recall trying to teach mine something new and she would just offer anything she had been taught already in search of what I wanted.
Shoulder in could be your friend, but you will find the fine line between allowing her to look and telling them they don't actually need to.

Talking of eyes mine doesn't like red very much. What stands out like a sore thumb to my eyes catches her off guard. Nothing physically wrong.

Any photos of your lass? :)
 
We're not quite at the shoulder in stage yet but it's definitely something I'll work on in the future.

She does worry if she doesn't understand me but she is very very voice activated so generally if I use the aids alongside voice commands she understands straight away!

I have no idea how to attach a picture but I'll try now!

ETA... I've managed to do it! First pic is of her as a 2 year old and second one is our first ever hack a few weeks ago!
 

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She probably worries if she doesn't understand what you want? Doesn't cope well with correction?
I do recall trying to teach mine something new and she would just offer anything she had been taught already in search of what I wanted.
Shoulder in could be your friend, but you will find the fine line between allowing her to look and telling them they don't actually need to.

Talking of eyes mine doesn't like red very much. What stands out like a sore thumb to my eyes catches her off guard. Nothing physically wrong.

Any photos of your lass? :)

My welsh really couldn't cope with correction in the school for a long time (hacking he was much happier with) & so it really was a case of praise the good, ignore the bad, finish on a good note & keep sessions short. It's difficult to train without correcting but as long as you keep things very simple it can be done. He's now more confident in there & so a tactful "like this would be better" is accepted but the need to praise the slightest effort is still there & "no" is almost a forbidden word unless I want weeks of anxiety. Remind me again why I got a welsh?!

Sparky shoulder in may be too far ahead, but flexing her neck slightly towards the traffic so she can see what's behind her should be doable, flex that way so if she does sidle it's not into traffic.
 
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I would get eyes checked. Although if you say she's voice activated she should respect and gain confidence from you. My lad has cataracts (age related) which don't affect him being ridden. But if she's young and has eye probs she might not have adjusted. But I agree some are just of that disposition.
What about going out with other horses. Then making yours go in front and behind.
 
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Thank you Jane&Ziggy!

Chunky monkey - out hacking she's brilliant and tends to worry less about what's behind her, she will go in front no problem but does gain confidence being behind I feel. It's more so in the arena or on the yard which makes no sense as she should be used to all things going on there! Schooling again tomorrow so shall see how it goes
 
It does make sense, it's what I find with mine in the school although it took a friend to spot the reason. Out hacking he's allowed to look around, I don't need his attention so much, so he spots things sooner & has a chance to figure it out. In the school I'm asking him to focus much more on me & that plus what I ask him to do takes up most of his attention, that in turn means he's far less aware of what's around him so by the time he notices things they're too close & startle him. When she thought this was the reason I had my doubts so I tested it slightly both ways - firstly I rode him in the school but didn't ask for much focus or proper work & I found I got far less spooking, secondly I tried a hack he knows well while asking him to focus on me - gave it up as a very bad idea & quickly went back to normal hacking mode! Don't get me wrong, he isn't allowed to hack with me just as a passenger but it seems micro managing him is not the way to go unless I want to spend a lot of time skittering about rather than riding a polite bombproof neddy.
 
micro managing him is not the way to go unless I want to spend a lot of time skittering about rather than riding a polite bombproof neddy.

It sounds like you also have that fine line I mentioned. Putting a horse to work isn't always the answer in settling them because they have no room in the brain for anything else.
But you reach a stage where you know they have more room.
 
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