Riding Challenges

Spooky Horse

I am a relatively experienced rider and I am having problems with my 8 year old TB gelding whom I have owned for 10 months. He repeatedly spooks (he dashes sideways and tries to take off) as an evasion and puts a lot of effort into it! Although the problem is improving I would like it to stop. He uses the same "spook" method in all areas ie lunging, schooling leading him in from the paddock, away from his mates. I have conquered him on the ground (and subsequently he rarely tries it) but have "hit a wall" with our riding. Due to this problem I now lack confidence riding in large areas such as paddocks and I am limiting my riding activities to accommodate the lack of control that I am feeling. I am riding him in a French link fullmer with side pieces to assist with direction when he dashes off. His work is very varied and short (ie 30 mins schooling, hacks, road & lunging). I am not over-asking and am keeping things very simple by just asking for a little bit of long and low, with lots of walk and trot and only a little canter. He is learning to be ridden from seat to hand and is beginning to transform from a race horse to a riding horse. The more I sit still and soft the less effort he puts into it although this is extremely hard to do when you know what is coming!. Tapping him with the whip simply aggregates the problem. He has been checked over by reliable horse health experts and I feel that the reaction he is giving me is psychological rather than from physical triggers (it feels calculated rather than pain response) I feel him start to tense and lift his head a few strides before he does it but I have not been able to come up with a technique to apply at this early stage? If I ask him to soften he simply retaliates more. He is worse on the right rein and will use a specific area of the arena or road each time, although the area will change every few weeks (ie the top corner will be his spook area for about a month then it might change to be the left side) Can you help as I am losing my enjoyment with this otherwise lovely quite natured horse. Kind regards Vanessa Jepson Waiuku

Hi Vanessa,

It sounds to me as though your young gent doesn’t appreciate how lucky he is to have such an understanding and thinking Mum. It is not in his job spec to “change the subject” without your permission and dashing sideways and trying to take off are unacceptable behaviours.

You say you have mastered control of him on the ground. Well done because the level of respect he gives you when you stand beside him is in direct proportion to the level of respect he will give you when you ride him.

When we are being challenged by a horse that feels like an unexploded bomb to ride we are very quick to get off the bomb and call for the bomb diffusing equipment.

Lunge lines are wonderful and a combination of lunging and long reining can help to wipe the smirk of many a smug face and/or they give both the horse and the rider the opportunity to work out exactly what it is that pushes the spook button. The other beauty with lunging is that the horse cannot “blame” his rider for losing balance and therefore hanging onto the mouth or gripping with the legs and the rider does not need to worry about doing either of those things simply to stay in the saddle.

You mention that your guy is worse on the right rein. I pick this to mean that he finds this rein more difficult or uncomfortable. So? We're all imperfect and we all have physical challenges, life isn’t easy and discomfort is something we all have to cope with every day. Tell him calmly from the safety of your position in the middle of his circles that it is socially unacceptable for him to blow you any raspberries, he does however have every right to politely say:

“Excuse me, when you ask me to do this I find it very difficult and so please will you agree not to make me do it more than once in the next minute so that I can get a bit fitter and learn how to cope with my imperfections”

Once that rule of basic manners has been established it's important that you're sympathetic towards your horse and appreciative of what he finds difficult. Why does he want to change the subject? Because although it sounds as though there is a certain amount of calculated insubordination going on, the root of this behaviour will be because he is experiencing, or is apprehensive of experiencing, some sort of discomfort.

Don’t fall on your sword, discomfort is experienced by all who partake in athletic endeavour. The difference between a good physical performance and a bad one depends on how much the individual is prepared to work their body and how much faith they have in the trainer who is dictating the amount of work done.

We would suggest that you work him on the lunge or long reins until you are satisfied that his behaviour is polite and respectful. We'd then suggest that you end the session with an easy ride with the attitude:

”I lunged you because you were rude to ride, now you are polite we're going to have a very simple ride. I'm going to ask you to work quietly on the right rein and you are not going to react to your pet monsters that live at the top of the arena or the ones lurking down the left side. You have two choices: Give me a few circuits of good behaviour and we’ll finish the session or we can do some more lunging.

It’s your call little horse.”

He just won't go!

My cross bred gelding has become really nappy all of a sudden. He's fine when we hack out in company, but on my own he suddenly plants his feet and refuses to budge. I've had to get off a couple of times to get him moving, which makes me feel like I've lost. Why has he just started this behaviour, and what can I do about it? LM, Christchurch

LM, Why do you feel you’ve lost? Are you in competition with your horse or are you in partnership?

You mention that your horse is OK when hacking in company, could this to be because when you are in company it is fun for you both and you are relaxed and allowing him to go forward without placing too much emphasis on how he holds his body so he is not under any pressure.

Exactly what is it that makes him plant his feet? Is it because you’ve asked him to go away from home, if so is he fit enough for what you want him do? Is it because you’ve asked him to turn in a particular direction or go up / down a hill or canter on a particular lead? If so then is it because he finds this particular exercise uncomfortable? Is it because you’ve asked him to go somewhere he is unsure about. If so are you sympathetic enough and are you respecting his fears be they real or imagined?

Analyse exactly what stimulus makes your horse stop and from there ask yourself if he could be reacting because he is insecure about his surroundings or apprehensive about the work he is going to have to do. When he next stops don’t enter into a battle with him so that there is a winner or a loser, just sit there patiently and wait (suck on a lolly or use your cellphone!) act as though you have lots of time and wait until he offers to move (to start with it doesn’t matter in which direction he goes) then be really appreciative of any forward movement.

If you think he is insecure don’t belittle him and call him stupid, reassure and give him confidence. If you think he is apprehensive about the work you are about to ask him to do, think about asking for a 3 steps rather than 30 metres and if he feels as though he has seven wooden legs consider calling his health professional because maybe he’s hurting.