The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Calming a nervous horse

4K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  Ashsunnyeventer 
#1 ·
My mare is 4 and I've had her since August. She is a TB and nervous in new places. I'm not really sure how to handle her when she acts up or how to help her relax.

It took about 2 months before she was comfortable on the trailer and even now she isn't totally relaxed. When we go off the property she gets tense and looks at everything. She is quicker to spook. I can handle all of this. I'm pretty good about staying relaxed my self and if I get her forward and into the bridle to work, she is manageable.

When there are other horses around, especially if they are going faster than her or pass too close, she hops and rears and tosses her head and then trys to run. This is what I don't know how to handle. I usually laugh it off and hope that people pay attention and don't pass too close again. The more she does this hopping thing, the more anxious I get. I haven't fallen yet, and I can always stop her when she trys to take off, but I'm waiting for the day when things don't go as well.

She is also very anxious on trail rides. The only place I have taken her is in a large hacking field by my barn. She was very nervous and reared/bucked/bolted/spun/ and spooked. I don't take her very far any more- just to where she is comfortable and then we turn around. I don't think she likes seeing the whole field, but she isn't this bad when we go cross country.

In the ring she is an angel. Sure she spooks and acts up sometimes, but it is rare, much easier to handle and it's not as bad.

Tomorrow I plan on taking her on a trail ride with a very calm companion who is okay leading or following. I want to see if she is better in an area that isn't as wide open. The probelm is- our "trail" is really a gravel road. Cars do drive on it- and they don't slow down, so she might get scared about that.

What can I do to help her relax? Any amount of training in the ring hasn't helped her nerves. She is 100% okay with horses that she knows passing her at the barn, but at shows, people tend to get a little careless with their steering. How do I help her? I can probably sit through all of her antics and just shake my head and keep going, but will that really help the next time we are in the same situation?
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
She's 4. She needs more miles and exposure out of the arena. Edit, I didn't really help ya there. Try riding in a group, which it sounds like you're planing. I like to turn away occasionally, so she doesn't just walk with them and is listening to you, then ride back a bit. I also like standing as others ride past and around us. Anything that breaks herd bound and keeps her attention on you. Without a boundary.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#3 ·
I understand that, but I don't know what to do when she acts up. I know that eventually, she will be comfortable in new places, but until then what can I do? She will be getting off of the property at least twice a month this season (not counting trail rides). Are there certain things that I can practice or do when she starts acting like she will freak out? We tried using Quietex, but it had no effect (or if it did, I don't want to see what she'd be like without it)
 
#5 ·
Okay thanks :) I will try those tight circles. When I first strated riding her in the indoor arena, she was nervous and would bolt the whole way around. I just did 10 meter circles all the way around the arena until she calmed down. Now she is much better. I don't know why I didn't remeber this before!

Riding her is a big difference from my gelding. He is very on his forehand, so when I got my mare, I was excited that she was uphill. Unfortunately, this makes it easier for her to rear lol.
 
#6 ·
The fact that you're posting here tells me that you, yourself, are apprehensive. Other things you stated also incline that you're giving into the behavior (which will make it harder to correct).

My case below:
The only place I have taken her is in a large hacking field by my barn. She was very nervous and reared/bucked/bolted/spun/ and spooked. I don't take her very far any more- just to where she is comfortable and then we turn around. I don't think she likes seeing the whole field, but she isn't this bad when we go cross country.
Some of it sounds like typical barn sour behavior. If she hasn't gone far since August, I can see it happening that way -- my mare was the exact way when I first started working with her. The previous owner kept her at the barn for months after purchasing her, then expected her to ride right out... She didn't. She was tense, reared/whirled (reared up and spun around) so quickly boss, who was riding her, got whiplash. She was kept away from the herd and would panic if a horse came close to her.

If you feel her winding up (Creampuff usually starts to move stiff in her shoulders & tucks her chin a little before she acts up -- look for your horse's "cues"), time to turn on her brain. Ask her to work; side pass, figure 8s, pace changes, etc. Something to get her focused on you, because apparently she's not very attentive to you right now from what you're telling us.

Maybe an experienced friend can ride her out a few times for you? Someone who isn't easily swayed by naughty behavior? For the most part, she needs more respect for you as well as more exposure.

[EDIT]
From the excerpt I quoted, you have taught her that it's "okay" to only go "so far." Ask her to go farther next time, I bet she'll act like a brat because she feels she doesn't "have" to.
 
#8 ·
I've realized her signs already: Head and neck go up like a giraffe, heart pounds so hard that it literally moved you legs, she freezes, and then... BAM she explodes

I know I'm not helping her by keeping her in her comfort zone, but I also don't think I'm helping her by going halfway around the field and then turning around to go back to the barn because I don't think bucking and rearing and spinning down the steep hill is a good idea. I feel like I should wait to turn around until she behaves, but when I do this she will just start misbehaving on the way back to the barn.

The only person I know at my barn who could ride her through this is my trainer. I went out on a few hacks with my trainer to help fix this problem and that is how I discovered riding her fast and collected works a little bit. It doesn't prevent everything, but it's a start.

I don't expect her to be good right away, but I do expect improvement. Also, if I'm in the ring or at a show, her antics don't usually make me that nervous and I can handle it. But something about taking her on a trail ride is just downright scary. I plan on wearing my helmet cam for our little ride tomorrow, so I might get a video of what she does.

EDIT: I have tried to take her past her comfort zone before. We went to where she was comfortable, turned around and went back to the barn and then went 20 feet further the next time. We did this for about an hour of just going back and forth so she would know that she will always come back to the barn. If anything, this made her worse.
 
#10 ·
Persistence is key.
I wouldn't push Creampuff to the point of explosion... When she showed the beginning signs I started to make her think. Talked to her soothingly (short phrases, not lolling over her), gave her little things to "do." And eventually went back to it.

"Whenever the [horse's] head gets above the saddle horn, the brains all run down their neck and they can’t think.” - Doug Williamson
 
#12 ·
Next time you go out, find where she gets geeky and stay there. Heck ride her with a halter on and tie her up and eat lunch. She really needs to calm Down before you go back. Simple things are a good start. If y'all have a hitching rail, take her n tie her up alone. Go kick back and do what ya gotta. She'll get over it. Then if possible, pull the other horses out of pasture and leave her. Watch for safety's sake but don't try to calm her if you don't need to. I'm terrible at this lol!
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#13 · (Edited)
She was a skinny little thing when I got her and now needs a lot of food to maintain her weight. She gets 14lbs of grain a day. Partially COB, Senior Feed and whatever the barn feeds (I can't remember). She gets SmartGut, SmartMuscleMass and now SmartCalm. She also gets Hyleuronic Acid (sp?) in her feed. She has unlimited hay (alfalfa in her stall and grass/timothy in the field) she has a pretty large pasture that she shares with only one other horse and, surprisingly, there is still green-ish grass this time of year.

She is turned out from 7:30 am- 5 pm during the winter. The rest of the time she is in a stall. She can see part of the hacking field from her pasture. If the ground is good and I decide to try to take her for a hack, I ride her for at least 45 minutes beforehand.

Phly- I tried that before- I got off where she was getting anxious and I just walked her in circles and asked for backing up and turns on the forehand/ haunches. She ended up rearing and almost flipping over and I don't think I want to try that again. She is the most polite horse I have ever met, until she gets scared.
 
#15 ·
Yes it is. We asked the vet what to feed when we got her. She has been eating that much since about october-ish. We will try to take some grain away in the spring, but I'm expecting her to lose weight when we do that. She is getting worked 5-6 days a week (dressage and only a tiny little bit of jumping) and she is a clown in the pasture, so she burns those calories!
 
#16 ·
Phly- I tried that before- I got off where she was getting anxious and I just walked her in circles and asked for backing up and turns on the forehand/ haunches. She ended up rearing and almost flipping over and I don't think I want to try that again. She is the most polite horse I have ever met, until she gets scared.[/QUOTE]

There's definitely training issues by the sounds of things. If you're off a her if she wants to flip, so be it! Your saddle is cheaper then your butt. If you need to get off for the tight circles, again a training issue. She's young and learning fast. And not to be mean, but she has figured out how to stay home from school. I'm not sure of your age or riding, but she's a lil too sassy and needs learned.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#17 ·
Sing.

I know this sounds strange, ever since i was a child i have been riding hot horses. why you ask lol well just a rush i guess, i broke my back a few years ago in 3 places and after my surgery i got more nervous about when my horses get jumpy. i learned that singing and not paying any attention to the other horses with us calms them down substantially. If she starts tossing her head and neighing at the other horses i just stop her turn her in a few circles untill she stops turning and i will face her away from the herd and walk a few steps and then walk back to the herd.

also try shaking your reins a bit, it pulls their attention to the mouth and not everything else.

my mare was broke at 6 years old so she was set in her ways. this stuff has helped her become literally bomb proof. this year i shot a gun off her back and she didnt flinch.

and it never hurts to try some thing different.
 
#18 ·
I'm 15 and riding for 9 years (mostly eventing). She's my first greenie. My previous horse isn't push botton but I definately did not think she would have this many quirks. I got off because i thought I might have more of a calming effect on her from the ground lol, boy was I wrong. This was also several months ago and we have a stronger bond now (and stronger muscles to do smaller circles). She is much more willing to please me now and I think its because I finally got my stuff together and figured out how to ride her.

Since the ground has been frozen, icy or really muddy, I haven't taken her on a hack since mid- December. Today I walked her down the barn driveway, and while she was nervous, she wasn't misbehaving. She also saw a car and when she started to show her warning signs, I asked her to do a circle and move to the side of the road. This was enough to take her mind off the car and we were able to continue with our walk all the way down and back up the driveway. Now, there was some jigging and mis-used nervous energy, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Hopefully this is how our ride tomorrow will go.

Thanks for all of the help :) I know that I'm the one that has screwed this up, but now I want to focus on fixing it. I have no idea where her attitude comes from, but the second that she feels that I'm second guessing myself or not completely paying attention, it comes out. I've never owned a mare, a 4 year old or a chesnut, and I've never been responsible for the complete training of a horse before, so there will be mistakes, but hopefully I can learn from them and fix them.
 
#19 ·
If there is rough ground nearby, take her into it. She will have to focus on where she puts her feet instead of other horses etc.

If you have to get off to get her to do circles because she has lost her mind and is completely unsafe, IMHO, that's ok. My mare was a little psycho when I got her two and a half tears ago in August. Then Sept 13 I was in a bad accident and couldn't ride her for months. When I got back on her I was weak and poorly balanced. So when she acted like a freak, I jumped off and corrected her on the ground (lunging with frequent changes).

The best cure is lots of practice with you being firm and calm. Resistance =lots of hard work.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#21 ·
Tiffanyodonnell- I'm sure that this is a great tool, but maybe not for where we are now. On the hack field, there is a tractor path that drops down a good 6 inches from the normal ground. In one of her tantrums, she stepped off the side of it and had figure out how to not fall on her face. Then again, maybe she learned from this experience.

Foxhunter- that was such a helpful thread. A lot of it I already do with the horses I ride because you can't let an event horse sniff everything they see on cross country. But there was a lot that could be learned from that post too. I'm going to the barn now, so the vidoe of her behavior should be up this afternoon.
 
#22 ·
I promise that the video is coming, but my computer is being really slow. Sunny was so good! I thought I was riding a completely different horse. She was still nervous the whole time, but she didn't act on it except for a couple of times. I think she did much better when she couldn't see the entire field at once. I was really proud of her when the herd of yearlings was running around and she didn't try to race them. The worse part was when we decided to do another lap and turned away from the barn. She threw a tantrum and kicked the horse my friend was ponying. After this she was fine and we did another lap. She is definatley barn sour. I used some of the tips I read on here and they were so helpful. Something that helped me a lot was to keep on talking. My friend and I talked the whole way and it kept my mind off of the yellow sign that Sunny was for sure going to spook at, or the invisible monsters that were chasing her at one point. The video will be up probably tomorrow morning. I had to cut it from 35 minutes to 8, so not everything is shown (mostly just the bad parts so you guys can help me :) )
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top