Exercises for retraining a 10yo easily nervous/excited horse

[emilyzwz]

I just purchased my horse-a 10 y.o. four months ago. He’s an appendix with very nice movement and conformation. However, in his previous life, he didn’t receive much basic education and was a fox hunter so his natural disposition is to run around like a giraffe while nobody ever corrected him.

He gets nervous spooks at random things(especially the goat and chicken on our farm). He also gets very excited and tends to run away as soon as we start jumping. We tried gymnastics and he just gets better at it and run even faster. We’ve been making some progress but it is very very slow and he regresses to his old habits quite often. I came from a Hunter world and hoping to get my hands on eventing this summer/fall.

What are some exercise that’s helpful with retraining an older horse like him that likes to run away?

[TrailRides4Fun]

I would get him supple, soft, and responding by doing LOTS
of circles, transitions, changes of gait and changes of direction.
He needs to learn the basics he was never taught with lots of under saddle exercises, before adding speed or jumping.
JMO

[Huntin_Pony]

Especially with your interest in eventing, you should find a good dressage trainer and work on the basics, as TrailRides suggested.

Dressage - the training system - not the competitive sport - is THE answer.

You will learn as much as he does and you will never regret the (probably considerable) time you spend getting these basics right. Done right, this will help you with every horse you ride for the rest of your life.

[AMWookey]

I had the same issues with my guy, and did what the other posters suggest. (Actually came on the thread because I am always looking for more ideas). We took him back to pure basics. The first lesson I had with my flat coach we just walked. My horse learned to be rideable, not just go, and I had to learn how to train him. We went from giraffe who wouldn’t go in one end of the ring, couldn’t be adjusted, didn’t use his hind end, to last night riding in the scariest ring in the world (massive wind storm) after 1.5 weeks off due to an injury, and having him completely responsive and ridable. Even had a few good canters.

But it took 4 months of just working the basics. We literally w/t from september-january. He just started canter work again this month, but he only does it when he is being perfect and round and soft at the w/t, and moving off my leg well. He is going to be re-introduced to cross rails and some gymnastics at the end of the month just to give his mind something else to think about, but all at the trot.