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Spooky baby, spooky...

Endurance and Trail Riding
#1

I have been blessed with rockstar trail horses in the past. No trail too steep, no bridge to wobbly, no crack-headed mountain biker too alarming, no wildlife bogeys - just solid alone-or-in-a-group trail boss horses.

Baby-child Dutch gelding just turned 5 and is a wibbly mess on trail. Fine-ish with others, but has stand and tremble moments alone. Occasional “we should turn and head home with alacrity” moments. It’s not relaxing. It’s not terrifying but it’s not relaxing. And he’s not really getting better… Mostly what’s scary is deer in the shrubbery, pampas grass stands (until close enough to eat, then fear is GONE), and the Dreaded California Quail which if you didn’t know are rabid and will kill. Oh and yesterday a bobcat caused us a real moment by springing out from a ditch we were trying to jump. Flipping wildlife!

I backed him at 3, last year he was started properly by me and got about 7 months of light work in until he bucked me off all excited on trail (rotator cuff injury) and this year he’s been under saddle about 5 months and goes on trail once a week.

Someone tell me he’ll get better? I don’t enjoy trail rides anymore!

#2

Did you intend to use this horse to trail ride when you bought him?

I may have no business speaking to your problem since I have no experience with Warmbloods.However I have always hacked my horses (the ones I’ve owned,backed and raised) so I’ll give it a shot.,
As far as I’m concerned, a spook is one thing but a bucking horse is different problem altogether (and to me completely unacceptable).

If this horse is still bucking you are certainly not safe hacking out.

International Grand Prix horses (show jumpers) are allowed by some riders to kick up their heels in the ring but only to the extent that they don’t incur time faults.They may actually earn enough prize money to make the potential medical bills an acceptable risk if you are the gambling sort and can stay on.

Horses don’t (in my experience) “grow out” of bucking unless you make it perfectly clear to them, very early on, that bucking is not allowed. Period.

Good luck and I hope you find an answer. You may need a different horse for trail riding, if you want to enjoy the ride. However someone with with Warmblood experience may have a better answer to the problem than I have.

3 Likes
#3

I’ve trained up several rock star trail horses, and I can tell you that they don’t get that way by riding them out 1 day per week. This process takes hours and HOURS & lots of wet saddle blankets!

Some horses, (although I will say, not as many as people believe) will never be suited to the trail, and will always have some issues on trail. These types are safest as arena horses. But, you will never be able to make the determination on which your horse is by such little time spent at it.

I suggest more and longer rides with seasoned horses, get the horse a little tired so he just goes along with the group when something a little scary pops up. This goes a long way to building their confidence. I have also had some success ponying a greenie alongside a seasoned horse.

Good luck to you, and be safe!

11 Likes
#4

lots and lots of wet saddle pads… and if he is dutch, you really have your work cut out for you… haven’t met too many that made great trail horses, some hack around the well-groomed barn “bridle path” (read: the man-made dirt road that wraps around the facility, not an actual trail).

honestly with the really spooky ones, if it is safe and you are secure enough, sometimes it’s better to just make them GO on the way out and walk on the way back.

I also agree, if he really needs to be better at trails then you have to commit more than just a day a week. You can start small by doing a 10m hack out before every ride, but dutchies can be smart so make sure you aren’t turning around at the same place every time before heading back.

#5

He’s actually not bucked seriously since that event nor even suggested it in the arena really as I gave him a hard time about it. So he’s not a bucker IMO

Also his weekly trail ride is 2 hours up a steep and wild mountain with 2-3 seasoned trail horses. Be nice to do much more but tough to coordinate on work nights.

On the plus side last night we went about 1/3 of the way up the mountain alone. Perhaps he’s just not brave in general. Had a couple stop and stare moments but nobody died :wink:

So, he’s not dangerously spooky. Just not lion brave. Ah, time will tell…

#6

Maybe so and maybe not. Since most light horses are not fully mature, physically and mentally, until past age 6 he’s still got some time. Then he needs experience. This is where an experienced friend with a well broke and well trained horse comes in.

Tincture of Time, intelligently applied, is a miracle substance!!! :slight_smile:

Best of luck as you go forward.

G.

6 Likes
#7

Well a funny update 6 months later.

He’s not had much trail time over winter due to muddiness and darkness, but evenings when I ride he often wants to turn up the trail in the darkness, vs heading to the arena. Odd for a slightly spooky horse, I said to myself.

Last night, friends invited me on a night ride to see the big blood moon. Two sedate mares where to accompany us, so we met at twilight and headed up the mountain, where it quickly became dark. So dark, I could barely see at times - the darn moon didn’t come up for an hour!

Well, wouldn’t you know it, but spooky baby wanted to be in front. Far in front. Head up, to be sure, but no big wibbles, he marched to the top and on the way back he speed walked home. In the lead.

Could he be LESS spooky in pitch darkness? We have deer and occasional mountain lions - I was pretty concerned one of them would make an appearance, but no. Perhaps it was because all the deadly quail were asleep? :lol:

1 Like
#8

Horses have decent night vision but there IS less to see in the dark!!! He may also have matured a bit. There are many possible answers. Just accept the good fortune and use it!!! :slight_smile:

G,.

1 Like
#9

Have you done any desensitizing? It really helps a horse get a handle on himself and not be so easily scared. Once he is thoroughly desensitized, so some scary object training at home with him. But I’m glad he did good for you.

#10

I was going to suggest this too. Working on obstacles, in hand and in the saddle, even in the confines of the arena, could give the pair of you more of a protocol for working through the unexpected. Teaching him he can be brave and trust you not to get him into trouble.

#11

I had a horse who was just great – brave in all aspects of the trail and trail riding. I moved her to a new stable where she knew only another horse who had moved with her and she gradually became the biggest scaredy-cat in the world. Afraid of everything. I thought it was because she was low horse on the totem pole but I had this fantastic lady trainer come out to give me her advice (my horse had started bolting and shying, two things she’d NEVER done before) and the trainer said she had decided that SHE was the boss of me.

Well, that trainer was right. She used some of Clinton Anderson’s techniques on a lunge line and my horse actually tried to kill her. She would run right for the trainer, rear up on her hind legs and flail at her head. The trainer, without being mean, disabused my horse of that notion and within 15 minutes, had my horse standing all docile and submissive, licking her lips (which means 'I give up; you are the boss").

The secret, the trainer said, is to lunge them at speed in one direction and then MAKE them turn – at speed – in the other direction without stopping. She said this is what a boss mare (or horse) will do to assert her or his dominance and so you must assert your dominance, too.

I used a training whip with a plastic bag tied on the end of it. Every now and then, as you ask the horse to stop and face you, you must walk up to the horse and rub it all over with the bag so that he never becomes fearful of it and/or you, but just learns it is a training aid. The ONLY time you hit the horse with the bag (which makes a crackling sound) is IF THE HORSE tries to hit you with its body OR if it tries to run into you. And even then, you just hit it at the point of the horse that comes closest to you. IF the horse tries to run directly at you, then you will have to use a different method because that horse could be very dangerous and is trying to hurt you (as mine was doing with my trainer. She never did that with me, however).

This worked like a charm for me. My horse is the steadiest of horses on the trail and, in fact, when there is something scary ahead, the girls all ask me to go first because my horse has such a good reputation for being bombproof. But believe me, that has not always been the case.

#12 
    I have to disagree with the statement that :Rock-star trail horses, do not just happen". I think some equines are naturally comfortable and at ease on the trail, I am so blessed I have a mule, a walking horse and a mammoth donkey like this, and on the other I have a fox trotter who is a upset spooky  a nut. Im not saying you can not make one more at ease. It will take time and unfortunately you are probably more stressed when you are riding now that you have had a few bad experiences, so Im sure that your horse is probably picking up on that. I am also a firm believer that using a trail buddy is super helpful as well. Thats how I have calmed my fox trotter down and helped her look to me for reassurance.

Its a long road sometimes, hopefully with ride, age and experience yours learns to enjoy it.

#13

Yeah TBH I think I have residual stress from the one time he overreacted and I got hurt - he’s honestly been very straightforward the last year. He’ll give stuff the hairy eyeball, yes, but no big spooks, or bolts, spins, bucks etc. That said I’ve been careful to give him good experiences and solid equine leaders around him.

I was thinking the other ay that if I had bought him already backed and a bit looky on the trail I’d have a lot more confidence in him getting over it. The fact I started him myself and he once bucked me off means I know he can do that. And I’m sure he picks up on it.

He definitely get s positive reinforcement for good deeds. He now thinks bicycles are treat dispensers TBH… and the other day the roofers left their stanky hot tar melting trailer thing bubbling away by the round pen. He was horrified (don’t blame him!) but when I gradually encouraged his shaking baby self over for a nose bump and he got a treat, he just stood there nose bumping it over and over… he’s smart!

#14

I ride quite often in the dark and my horses that are less than stellar on the trail in daylight are rockstars in the dark. It may be that they can’t see the stuff that scares them.

#15

My dutch harness cross can be nervous when hacking alone. If I am getting out consistently he is much better–just looky. This winter the footing has only occasionally been good enough to hack; I’ve sometimes given him a low dose of ace before I got out (one 25 mg tablet). My vet says that is practically nothing but it helps for a quieter ride. (Although maybe it’s a placebo effect on his rider!).

#16

I had an ottb that was a pistol on the trails, and there were a lot of wet saddle blankets. But what I think really changed the game for us was when I started training for endurance. My focus went from training my horse on the trail, to conditioning. Having a plan from point A to point B in so many hours made us have a goal. Sounds crazy, but it probably was more that I was relaxed about the possible issues on the trail since my mind was on “the plan”.

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