Hi everyone, I wanted to ask for some advice aroundde-spooking my nine year old paint. I've had her for about 5 months now, shewas previously used for trail and arena riding (english). When I first got hershe was really good out on trail on her own, even though she had onlybeen ridden in groups by her prior owner. She is generally a forward, alert, very responsive horse. However in the last 3-4 weeks she hasstarted spooking more while out on trail. The good news is she does not try tobolt, but she is constantly jumping at nothing and she has several times nowput in a huge sideways leap whilst cantering/galloping. She spooked soviolently at a walk recently that I fell off and she galloped home (although to befair I was leaning the opposite way to duck under a branch, LOL).
What is so strange is that she was absolutely fine forthe first few months and this is a recent development. She is turned out 24/7 and gets no extra hay - I did start her on SmartViteThrive vit/min supplement about 6 weeks ago but surely that would not make her hot? She is no different in the round pen, just on trail. I trail ride her 2-3 times a week for an hour and lunge/ride her in the round pen once a week. She is well mannered on the groundand is sweet and easy to handle.
So, my question to you is how should I handle her spooking?I don't want to discipline her if she is genuinely scared but her excessivereactions to deer, tree stumps etc. are dangerous and they are impacting myconfidence with her. My plan for now is to get in some more basic groundwork totry and improve her trust in me and our bond, do some desensitization workaround the barn, and continue to put more trail miles on her as she isstill relatively green in that sense. Is there anything I am missing that Ineed to be working on with her here, or any suggestions you may have for whatmight be causing the change in her behavior? Maybe the timing suggests its the supplement but I've not heard of simple vits/mins having that effect before.
What is so strange is that she was absolutely fine forthe first few months and this is a recent development. She is turned out 24/7 and gets no extra hay - I did start her on SmartViteThrive vit/min supplement about 6 weeks ago but surely that would not make her hot? She is no different in the round pen, just on trail. I trail ride her 2-3 times a week for an hour and lunge/ride her in the round pen once a week. She is well mannered on the groundand is sweet and easy to handle.
So, my question to you is how should I handle her spooking?I don't want to discipline her if she is genuinely scared but her excessivereactions to deer, tree stumps etc. are dangerous and they are impacting myconfidence with her. My plan for now is to get in some more basic groundwork totry and improve her trust in me and our bond, do some desensitization workaround the barn, and continue to put more trail miles on her as she isstill relatively green in that sense. Is there anything I am missing that Ineed to be working on with her here, or any suggestions you may have for whatmight be causing the change in her behavior? Maybe the timing suggests its the supplement but I've not heard of simple vits/mins having that effect before.