Green horse solo trail riding: how to respond to her anxiety and stopping?

[luvmydutch]

Hello! I have a 5 year old morgan mare who is such a little sweetie pie. I rode her lightly last summer, and she just came home from 30 days of pro training. I intend to make her as versatile as possible, and have been trailering her out to different places to trail ride every day that I can. I don’t have any horse friends nearby so riding with an experienced horse is really not an option.

I’m noticing that she is getting increasingly spookier rather than being more confident on the trails. She typically starts the ride off keyed up, ears straight ahead, neck tense as can be, head up, staring into the distance. I ask her to flex her head, do side stepping, walk, halt transitions, all to no avail.

Today she actually spun and bolted with me when she saw a dog (eyeroll). I am sure that I’m somehow making her think she is in charge…although I am asking her to do stuff almost the whole time i ride (at the walk only). I have a very hard time getting her attention on me and not peering off into the distance, stopping her feet at every rustle in the trees.

Any advice as to how to show her I am the leader? I recognize that being so young and green…much of this will dissipate with experience. I’d love to teach her that walking down the trail is a great break, and that being anxious and scared is much harder…i’m just not quite sure how to get my point across.

Maybe get off and do some lunging for respect when she tenses and stops and stares off into the distance?

Thanks guys! I’m a dressage convert so I can get a horse to trot pretty in circles in an arena but this trail stuff is all new for me

[enjoytheride]

Have you gone trail riding with an experienced horse? I find that helps a lot and I put the green horse in front, letting the experienced horse take over when the green horse balks.

Also, I spent A LOT of time last summer getting off and leading. I got nice and fit and it really paid off this summer as my mare has been great solo trail riding.

[irish_horse]

Hike. And more hiking. Walk in front and be the leader. Then get on for a bit and ride along. Then get off and walk some more. I’d get off randomly, not when something is spooky. My 6-year old was pretty brave, but needed that extra support. And I wanted to make sure he’d turn to me when things did get scary.

I don’t think I’d lunge out on the trails, too many chances for them to get away. But certainly circle, back, sidepass, all the “distracting” things to get her feet moving again. But it also depends on the looking: stupid or curious?! I let my guy “look” a bit, even stop, but then he had walk on. “Ok, move on” is my cue. I like to trust my horse to notice things but not be stupid.

Glad you’re out on the trail, you’ll see so many new things! I’m sure you’ll both love the adventure.

[tabula_rashah]

How much work is she in? I’m asking because every Morgan I’ve ever ridden/owned NEEDS a job and if they aren’t working enough, they’ll make their own fun. My current Morgan will be jumpy and spooky at a walk out on the trail- put her into a trot though and she goes to work and is perfect. Maybe try doing a dressage school at home, then heading out on the trail and see if it makes a difference

[luvmydutch]

She had the past 2 days off of riding before taking her out today…and the more j am reflecting the more I think we had some excess energy going on. I was just telling my husband that tomorrow I want to do dressage work at home before loading up to go to the trails so she can burn off some energy. She’s a foundation type Morgan and so she is usually pretty chill but today was like riding a 1000lb coiled spring! Before the weekend off she had been ridden 6/7 days for 5 weeks straight so she is in full work right now.

QUOTE=tabula rashah;8742984]How much work is she in? I’m asking because every Morgan I’ve ever ridden/owned NEEDS a job and if they aren’t working enough, they’ll make their own fun. My current Morgan will be jumpy and spooky at a walk out on the trail- put her into a trot though and she goes to work and is perfect. Maybe try doing a dressage school at home, then heading out on the trail and see if it makes a difference[/QUOTE]

[BEARCAT]

I hand walk mine all over first. If they get worried about stuff, we might do some exploring, take a closer look, show them it’s no big deal. I don’t make them “do stuff.”
I want them to gain confidence in themselves and trust in me.

[cloudy18]

I hand walked mine a lot in the beginning last year, our first year together. This year she seems to be more spooky at times, so when the bugs die down I will be doing more hand walking. It sure won’t hurt to do some groundwork or other schooling in the arena before you go out as well.

[Rackonteur]

this trail stuff is all new for me

I love Morgans! and the foundation-type ones are especially nice IMO.

Could it be that you are unconsciously tensing up and she’s feeding off it? Since you are outside the arena now and away from your home barn? You’re eager and happy to be out on the trails, but maybe you’re also excited and tense? And now, after the times she’s been getting spookier, are you maybe anticipating this even before you get on at the trail head?

Not criticizing, just wondering. I know I would be. I get keyed up even when I don’t “feel” keyed up. I also take something for it, but I’m not recommending it since you’re not only driving but hauling a horse!

[appyparent]

I have a Mustang Draft cross who is a great trail horse now, but when I got him 4 years ago I was told that he bolts and he sure did. He would get tense too out on the trail. (I also do a lot of solo riding.) So we went back to ground work; leading him, stopping and changing directions, sacking him out and just spending time with him on the ground. I also did arena work. When we ventured out on the trail and he started to tense up I would take a deep breath and softly ask him to circle. We would circle until I felt him soften up and give to the bit. Taking a deep breath helps you to sit deep in the saddle and gives you the time to relax, also while we circled I would be softly talking to him which also helped me to be relaxed and calm. If he got to tense where circling wouldn’t bring his mind back to me, I would get off and walk him and softly talk to him, reassuring him petting him and we slowly walk towards the spooking thing (I always ride with a halter and lead rope under the bridle and when I get off and lead him I am using the lead rope and not the reins, so if he tries to get away I can turn his nose to me; that’s where the ground work comes in). There are some great videos on ground work and how it translates to the saddle. Hope that helps. Happy Trails.

[Countrywood]

You got excellent advice above.

I will add a few of my own thoughts…she was only ridden lightly last summer, just got back from 30 days months of pro training, now suddenly (to her) she is being trailored to strange places and ridden out by a rider she is not very familiar with (unfamiliar with you, as a rider, even if she knows you as a person. ) I’d hold off trail riding for a month or even 2 months and work her at home, get her familiar with you and you familiar with her. Also with such a short amount of time under saddle she is not really confirmed as a reliable riding horse even in an arena or home field re she knows the basics but they are not intrinsic to her.

When you work with her at home, install a good WHOA and ability to turn neck and head and soften when you ask so you feel more confident.

You can also, at home add in some spooky things to work with her on them there. Put an umbrella or bags up against the fence, if anyone is home after a certain time have them run by the fence etc. That way you get to learn her reactions to scary stuff on your home ground and gain a way of dealing with them, and get her used to seeing and coping with strange things or sudden movement/noises. work her on ground and then in saddle around these experiences. Do it slowly and not every ride, so she gains confidence.

[Countrywood]

I also agree with another poster who said trot her more at trail. Though it feels safer for us to walk than trot, a lot of horses do better at a slow trot, they are using more energy, go by scary things faster and can’t stop as easily as they do at the walk. Get a grab strap for your saddle. After you’ve worked her at home for a bit and gotten her used to some scary stuff at home, try trotting her more when on trail.

If there are horse folk in area, might be worth it to reach out to them, visit a few stables or put signs up at feed store you are looking for a trail buddy, even pay an instructor from a nearby barn to ride out with you a few times so she can follow another horse.

[CFFarm]

it’s important that YOU stay calm out on the trail. I know a lot won’t agree but I have found with a green horse, riding alone, I pretty much ignore any “looky” spooking. Just ride thru any spooks, turn back around and calmly ask her to continue on. If the object of her nervousness is stationary, bring her up to it and let her “give it a kiss” with her nose if she will. Keep her facing it. Make a big fuss and tell her how brave she is. If she won’t touch it, do the same with every step she will take toward it. She’ll learn the only way to move is forward.

As Countrywood suggested, work at home is necessary too.

Remember a lot depends on how you react. Stay calm and focused and she’ll learn to trust your judgement of a situation.

[Bogie]

Agree with all that’s been said. I’ve had several OTTBs that I introduced to trails and while they were very brave around backhoes and other equipment, ducks, chipmunks and rustling leaves were scary!

I always start by hand walking. I do a lot of mounting/dismounting on the trails so it gets routine. Once I start riding, I intersperse it with hand walking, especially around something new/scary. I stick with wooded trails at first (no big open fields) so that the path is very clear. We trot a lot. My horses wanted to jig when they got keyed up and it was better for them to move into a clear trot than have me nagging at them to walk. I always, always ride with a neckstrap.

Dogs are tricky. Most of the time they are fine, but occasionally your horse has a reason to be scared. I was attacked by dogs this spring out on the trails and my normally quiet mare was noticeably wary for several weeks after. I now carry a hunt whip with me out riding. Next time I start a horse, I’ll start carrying a whip early on so they get used to it. Hunt whips/bull whips are a nice form of protection, but your horse needs to be trained to know that the whip isn’t scary too.

[Countrywood]

My horse, quite frankly, can be a nut case on trails alone (though he’s great with others); there are certain places I ride him and certain I don’t . It’s not just me, I paid a tough minded instructor to take him out alone and she gave up after a few times, said he’s just not the kind of horse that can go alone safely she did not want to continue. When I ride him alone I stay to a few fields and trails he is okay on, and even there I have to be ready for him to go into panic mode (long story why he does but after owning him 4 years, I’ve accepted it as part of who he is)

But what I have done, which makes if gets into panic mode so much easier to deal with , is that I’ve put a great WHOA and pully rein stop into him. I can’t prevent him from panicking, but I can get him to stop soon when he does it. Like he’ll stop within a few strides of a bolt now, allowing me to either get off and lead him, or stay on and work past it.

I think every horse before going out on trail should have a confirmed hard stop WHOA put in them, so if in worst case they start to bolt or ven if they do bolt or get very agitated, you can say WHOA firmly, use a pully rein or one rein stop and get them to halt. Practice it over and over at home so it becomes ingrained in them. Then, when the unexpected happens it’s ingrained for them to do it which gives you confidence and makes things overall safer.

Another thing that works well for me is to keep the bit actively moving in his mouth when he gets nervous and bend his neck this way and that, gives him something to do as we move on and keeps him from going into that siff necked, head up giraffe mode .

[danacat]

Age old tricks that you probably already know: Don’t LOOK at the things that your horse deems scary. Do look in the opposite direction. This will encourage your horse to look where you are looking, ergo: the scary thing is not worth looking at and is thus not scary. This does work!

And of course don’t anticipate that the scary thing will be scary. Look away and walk on by (hopefully!).

I too agree that trotting is a better pace for avoiding potential scary responses.

[beowulf]

How confident are you? Can you trot her on these trails while staying in control and balanced? Some morgans just need to GO.

I find it’s a real task keeping their mind going slower than their legs; but it’s easier to do if you trot or move them out first - get them going and then bring them back so that they learn walking is when the break is.

[Obsidian_Fire]

[QUOTE=luvmydutch;8742884]
Hello! I have a 5 year old morgan mare who is such a little sweetie pie. I rode her lightly last summer, and she just came home from 30 days of pro training. I intend to make her as versatile as possible, and have been trailering her out to different places to trail ride every day that I can. I don’t have any horse friends nearby so riding with an experienced horse is really not an option.

I’m noticing that she is getting increasingly spookier rather than being more confident on the trails. She typically starts the ride off keyed up, ears straight ahead, neck tense as can be, head up, staring into the distance. I ask her to flex her head, do side stepping, walk, halt transitions, all to no avail.

Today she actually spun and bolted with me when she saw a dog (eyeroll). I am sure that I’m somehow making her think she is in charge…although I am asking her to do stuff almost the whole time i ride (at the walk only). I have a very hard time getting her attention on me and not peering off into the distance, stopping her feet at every rustle in the trees.

Any advice as to how to show her I am the leader? I recognize that being so young and green…much of this will dissipate with experience. I’d love to teach her that walking down the trail is a great break, and that being anxious and scared is much harder…i’m just not quite sure how to get my point across.

Maybe get off and do some lunging for respect when she tenses and stops and stares off into the distance?

Thanks guys! I’m a dressage convert so I can get a horse to trot pretty in circles in an arena but this trail stuff is all new for me :)[/QUOTE]

One of the things that stands out to me is your statement of trailering out to different places all the time.

With my greenbeans, I stick to the same trails, sometimes for a year, especially if I have to ride alone. The continuity gives them confidence.

Once they’ve developed confidence, going somewhere new is not a big deal.

Also, picking a trail that you know like the back of your hand, that you are 500% confident in your ability to ride it, helps immensely. Gives you one less thing to worry about so you can concentrate on your horse.

If you have a public park to ride in, one that’s well used by equestrians, that’s a good place to go. That way if you do have a problem, or come off, there’s almost always somebody around to find you. :winkgrin:

Oh and another thing I find useful: ground driving. Because then you are behind and the horse must lead. Another confidence builder.

[luvmydutch]

She has all the basics instilled and could go out and win a training level dressage test tomorrow so she has lots of whoa and go both :). She just is tense and worried on the trails in not worried about her running off with me. Her cowboy instructed me to take her to the trails as often as I can this summer while I’m off of work (teacher).
We did some trotting yesterday and I will say that did seem to help!

As for different places I should specify…we either go to the public riding arena 10 mins away or to the same trails. The trails are where we wind up most days and we both know them well but they get heavy bike and dog foot traffic.

Today my friend is going to walk my brave little mini horse with us to try to help her be more confident …ill let you know how she does!

[Countrywood]

how cute, let us know!

[SmartAlex]

You said you don’t have a riding buddy. But can you find a hiking buddy? That’s what I did with my horse. I remember the first time he saw a ravine. He thought it was as deep as the Grand Canyon until my helper walked down and stood in it then things swam back into focus and he heaved a great sigh and crossed it just fine.