[vonlora]

Hi Horse Forum,


Just brought my horse up to start riding again, have had family issues so she has had most of the year off from riding, has been turned out and lounged thou. She seems to spook easily and tried to bite when tightening the cinch. Ended the biting by cross tying when grooming and getting her ready. Thought she was just rusty, so gave her some time to get used to be ridden again (mostly trail ride). When she spooked at the bale of hay, decided to have the vet look at her. Since she is an Appaloosa, thought about vision problems. Vet found no problems with her eyes and no sores/scars or other issues to cause the cinchy. She thought she may have lost respect for her rider or confidence in herself.


Has anyone any suggestions on how to build respect and confidence? Or will this come with more miles? Thanks

 

[mmshiro]

I have had brief bolts (not just in-place spooks) at the sudden appearance of a bale of hay on the trail or a white plastic recycling bin on the side of the road. I know those objects were the cause because I made the horse approach them - little by little - and finally maneuver around them. He did not find them scary after all after a while. Maybe it was the horsey equivalent of someone waylaying you behind a door and yelling, "Boo!" as you walk past - not scary or dangerous when you think about it, but it startles you nonetheless.

Lots of miles will build experience, and with it, confidence. If the horse doesn't trust you, he'll not let you take him out in the first place. If he listens to your cues, he has no respect issues with you. What you have may be a horse that thinks, "Trust, but verify!" – he'll trust you as a leader, but it's not blind trust.

As for the cinch, a sudden pinch of the skin could make him react that way. I tighten my girth little by little, pulling it away from the body each time to (a) assess how tight it is and (b) allow the skin to straighten under it. If we didn't want to be saddled, he'd try to scoot away from you. Just make sure you don't inadvertently cause him discomfort when you tack him up, which we will then associate with being saddled, because then he might start flinching at the mere sight of you coming with tack.

 

[thecolorcoal]

It's going to come with miles, sure, but it also comes out with how you interact with the horse. Decide what you will allow and not allow, and correct whatever you will not allow. Horses learn from the release of pressure, so they will try different things to see "is this the right answer? is this the right answer? how about this?"

Beware of the koolaid that is the natural horsemanship gurus of today. "Respect" does not necessarily come from moving the feet in the round pen. It comes from shutting down behavior quickly and without drama. A horse is not going to understand what you mean by chasing it around and around in circles. Daily interaction is what shows your horse "oh wow, they're serious, ok." If a horse is in your space, make it move away at whatever degree of severity is required. Consider how you want to be treated, and then apply it to the horse as well. But horses need a "one and done" approach. They need CLEAR answers.

I think clinton anderson's methods are very good for highly unruly and dangerous horses, but for your every day horse I believe him to be too harsh. Pat Parelli might be a better mentor for a horse like that, or even Buck Branamanm. I am an english rider so our mentors are people like Charlotte Dujardan, Carl Hester, Steffan Peters, McClain Ward, Boyd Martin, and other famous high-level equine athletes. Just BE CAREFUL. not all training works with every horse. You need to discover your horse's personality and choose a trainer that will DO BEST for that personality.

 

[tinyliny]

Confidence for you, or for the horse? The horse will gain it from miles and miles and from you. lots of trail rides where if she spooks, you just get her busy doing something and make no big deal of the spook.

Her biting when you girth up . . . I'd watch that. It could be just her saying, "Oh no you don't! you're not going to kill MY vacation with work!" or, it could be her saying, "Ouch! that girth is pushing on a sore spot. or Ouch, that saddle hurts my back!"

you'll want to investigate that. And, while cross tying might put a bandaid on the problem, you'll still want to address a horse that tries to or achieves biting. No matter how they feel about being girthed up, they cannot be allowed to bite, so I'd actual , when you are ready, work on girthing her up where she CAN try to bit you, and giving her a very sharp, swift , hard bop on the cheek when she does. Basically, you have your elbow ready, and if she reaches around, she just sort of 'meets' your elbow coming the other direction.

in any case, it's too soon after a long absence from riding to make any overall judgement on her. things will probably change with each ride.

best of luck to you!

 

[jaydee]

She could just be cranky because she thought she was on a permanent holiday and resents being asked to work again.
The nipping when the girth was tightened might have been down to pure discomfort so take care to do it a bit at a time, even walking the horse around a few times before it goes up that last hole or two. I use sheepskin lined girths on horses that are sensitive in that area though biting is a big 'no no'.
A lot of horses spook to avoid work, they use the spook as an excuse to try to turn back to home. People don't give them enough credit for smartness in things like that.
Take your time to bring her back into work, small bites rather than one huge mouthful

 

[vonlora]

Thanks for the thoughts.
Should have mentioned that I have been riding 30 years and 7 on this mare. I ride in a bareback pad, so know it can't be a bad fit.
When I tacked her up the first time, it was the look of "Oh no mom, we don't do that any more" and the temper tantrum that she got smacked for.


Will continue with some miles along with keeping her attention on what I want and not what she wants.

 

[teakwood]

I used to worry about spooking but I don't anymore. She hasn't been out in a while so just give her time and miles. I've had the SPOOKIEST horses over the dumbest things (to me anyway). But if you work with them and not against them, they get over things. I've had my horse spook at horse poop on the trail! I have a horse right now that has very little confidence in herself. She's getting better and better tho. I think horses respond to verbal communication very well. So, when mine gets bothered, I talk to her and I don't push her but I don't let her avoid it or hide from it either. If I have to get off and work with her on the ground, I will do it. Whatever it takes. Last week it was a pile of twigs and brush that someone had cleared on the trail and it had some white plastic in it!!! OMG, she thought she was going to die. She did a pretty big spook since it was around a corner. We composed ourselves and worked thru it. I ALMOST got off but she took a few steps forward. When she went forward and tried, I petted her neck and told her she was good. I was riding with my husband and his horse kept wanting to just go (nothing bothers her). I did let him go and mine followed, eyeballing the plastic thing. Next ride out was about 5 days after that one and we again rode past the plastic thing. This time she didn't spook but she stopped and wanted the other horse to go first. NOPE, we gotta do this!!! She only eyeballed it but went past it nicely.
A little bit of a side step but nothing major. Horses that lack confidence just take time and a lot of help from the rider. No pushing, no making them do it NOW. Lots of praise when they at least try. If you feel like you just can't deal with what is bothering her at the time, like you feel she's going to jump out of her skin..... get off and work with her on the ground. Whatever it takes. There is no shame in that and they don't know what you're doing. All they know is that they are not alone. And you're doing her a favor because you're not hanging her out to dry and letting her do this by herself.
As far as the cinching goes... I will cinch in small increments. I don't tug but I lightly scoot it up a little at a time. I have one mare that used to ear pin and turn around to look at me. NEVER tried to bite me but she was telling me something. Now she doesn't do anything. After I get the cinch done, I always stretch front legs out so the cinch is not pinching any hair or skin. Makes for a more comfortable ride for them and if they are pinched along the ride, I'm sure they remember it.

 

[Mulefeather]

Have you checked her back, legs, or hips for any sort of soreness? Even horses who are out of work can throw their backs out, slip in the paddock, or have other issues that make riding painful. If you've lunged her beyond her fitness level, she also might be experiencing muscle soreness from that.

Do you use any kind of breast collar with your bareback pad? If not, you might be having to cinch her up so tightly that it's uncomfortable for her, just in the name of keeping the pad from rolling. If you don't, I'd try borrowing one and seeing how she reacts when you don't have to cinch so tightly.

The spookiness could be just getting back into work, having extra energy, or she just needs time and miles to gain her trust back in your relationship. For now I'd let her sniff, look, or approach whatever is scaring her as long as she stays facing it. No running off, no backing up, don't punish her or yell at her. When she walks past it calmly, praise the heck out of her!

When I've driven horses on the road, they always find something like a mailbox, a patch in the asphalt, or a sign in somebody's yard to goose at because it's a relatively new environment, and my attention is higher as well since I am listening for traffic. So if they do spook, I attempt to make sure it's in the direction we're traveling, and I ease up on the reins before asking them to collect themselves again. Snatching at their mouths or "riding the brake" is just going to create more anxiety.

Other than that, just try to make these first few rides as pleasant as possible. If you're OK dismounting out on the trail, maybe get off when you get to a safe stopping point away from the barn, let her graze, and just let her relax for a few minutes. She's got to remember that good stuff happens "out there" too.

 

[charrorider]

I can only speak to what has worked for me. I find that trying to find why a problem originated and solving it through patient work, is a better way for me. Cross tying so she can't bite only covers the problem up. I've been riding Arabians for over 30 years. What is this "spooking" you're talking about? lol.

 

[vonlora]

yes, seems to be a little rusty. more of a temper tantrum / trying to get out of work. Am coming back slowly, 10-15 minutes 2 to 3 times a week is all I am good for.
chiro has been done while off, nothing amiss.
the smack seems to have worked, no longer having to cross tie (or even tie ).
her response to new things was to freeze and throw her head in the air. Now she stops, snorts and backs up. Annoying on normal trails. Scary if bush is behind us.
Never used a breast collar on her, trail ride in a river bottom, so flat sandy rides. Don't cinch that tight.

 

[Smilie]

Thanks for the thoughts.
Should have mentioned that I have been riding 30 years and 7 on this mare. I ride in a bareback pad, so know it can't be a bad fit.
When I tacked her up the first time, it was the look of "Oh no mom, we don't do that any more" and the temper tantrum that she got smacked for.


Will continue with some miles along with keeping her attention on what I want and not what she wants.

Bareback pads are useless-might as well ride bareback, and those with stirrups are particularly bad
The treeless saddles of todAY, well made, are a good choice, if you don't wish to ride with a treed saddle. A saddle takes weight off of the spine directly, and allows you a much more independent seat and use of your legs when needed.
Horses don't need to smell, go up to any thing they are spooking at. They need confidence in their rider, and the training, so the rider can push them through /past stuff
Biting is never allowed, but do the cinch up slowly, walking the horse out some, before that final tightening