No idea how to get through this one

[fimacg]

Took Chompy up his stickiest route on Saturday and he was going really well and we headed up the hill to the place where I liveried him for a little while after Fig died.

Well he point blank refused to go, so after a few shinanigans I decided to jump off and see if I could lead him passed whatever it was scaring him, well it started off well and then we got the exact same point and he spun knocked me off my feet and cantered down the hill heading for home.

Some horsey folk saw him zoom by with me running down the road behind, turned their car around and gave me a lift after him... we caught up with him about half a mile along the road.

This incident could have been a lot worse than it was, but the nap was not like his usual ones which I always felt he was open to negotiation about going forward. this was a point blank refusal and it felt like he was in a blind panic and even if his life depended on it he would not go...

I want to get him passed this issue as this road is the only route that I can hack up, to get into the forest and all the off road riding. I don't have anyone to hack out with so I cant go out with a quiet horse and too be honest it didn't feel like having another horse there would make a blind bit of difference, so I need some other ideas as to how to get through this.

[maximum]

what the hell happened to the poor guy? he sounds like he is seriously stressed about it.

Is it a main road? I would long rein him up and if he got to that point and was showing the same symptoms retreat a few yards and just sit about, let him eat the grass, have a wither rub etc til his stress had come down and then move on a yard and same thing. I would make sure I had the whole day!

do you have trailer? another way to go is to trailer past the point have a nice relaxed hack and then come back through the scary area ( have you had same reaction heading home or have you not been able to get past to get back- you know what I mean!!)

Something is bugging him but if you remain calm and stress free (valium?) and be kindly consistant and take time he should get over it. the other horse thing tends to work when the horse in there but at some point you have to do it alone so best do it from the start.

[FirenLady]

That sounds awful! I'm glad Chompy is ok though. Fire is like this with pigs. His eyes would just stand up on stalks. I could feel his heart beating from when i was sitting on him. If i got off and led him he would happily try to mow me over to get away from them. (his manners are usually good) There was no negioating with him, he would want to gallop for home if he didin't feel i was letting him go fast enough he would buck and throw himself around. He just became inconsable.

What i have been working on for a long while with him, is taking him to a distance he is comfortable with letting him look give him a pat and turn him around. And just getting a little closer each time. Using trees/paths/ rocks as markers. I can get him much closer now than what i used to be able to although we still have a way to go. If I feel myself nervous i sing to myself but always remain calm. If he is sticking a bit i Squeeze with my legs have wide reins and ask him with my voice and soon as hes steps forward instantly take the leg off. I have tried to in the past to pressure him forwards and it didn't work, hes half tonne and im just under 8 stone, no prizes for guessin who'd win that one . I reckon its best to build confidence and trust and go slowly rather than try for an instant fix. Good luck with him.

[duckles]

Fimg- I really feel for you. You have done such wonders with Chompy. I was going to suggest the same as Maxi- ie box him past for the moment and if that goes well, start riding/leading him on way back. He may not be like my horse Cori, (who he sounds like) but if he is, it might be insecurity that is causing this. In his mind, you could be bringing him back to this horrible place and leaving him there. So I think the 2 things to work on are- EVEN more trust in you (and I know you've worked yourself to the bone already with this) so I would think don't even bring him near that place at the moment until he chills a bit and also do more in hand leading on the road becasue he shouldn't take off being led in hand.- it should be a safe place (and yes, its happened to me too, its devastating and does undo things a little) and then the second thing would be the boxing to the off road, having loads of fun and gradually start coming home that way. I think once he realises that you are not going to leave him there, he mightn't mind going past it.
Of course, there could be another reason why he hates going past, like the memories etc but if that's the case, new happy memories of having fun in the forrest etc should be the stronger ones.

Again, if he's like Cori, and speaking from experience, there is no point in going that route again for a while, he is a seriously upset horse. You have overcome all the other hurdles and you'lll overcome this one too, it just needs thinking outside the box if you know what I mean but I'm guessing you are pretty good at that. I'm always saying Cori needs a shrink!
Have a Karma and please keep us updated.

Please keep us imformed. Giving you a karma.

[fimacg]

thanks guys, the roads around here and where I have been riding are all single track lanes, so usually very little traffic and most of the time pretty switched on to random things happening i.e. loose sheep, cows and the odd horse. Most people also have experience with horses as there are loads about here and would quite happily help someone out in difficulty as per the folk who gave me a lift after Chompy (1st time I had met them too)

I did think about boxing him up to the forest for a hack and then riding back, my fear there is that I would have to come past the place he was liveried at for about 2 miles, as the hill is really steep and the road has a couple of switch backs in it. If I got into difficulties I would have to go quite a few miles back again to get to the trailer there are different entrances into the forest but not that many suitable for leaving the trailer.

Another thought I had was boxing him to the livery yard and then riding straight home, so he gets the idea that he is not staying there. But I don't want to undo everything I have done over the past 12 months by stressing him out. So I think I am going to concentrate on some other routes (all on road) but passing the end of the dreaded hill for a while and take it from there.

I hacked out on Sunday along his 'happy' route and he tried to stick at couple of places where he used to, but he listened to me and we did have a good ride but I can tell his confidence has dropped again...

Why do I have a horse with such psychological issues...?

[fleabitten]

fimacg - I think I have a horse with issues too!...(i.e. the whole stirrup thing - in case you didnt know, when you lose a stirrup or cross your stirrups or if for example she tripped and i let the reins out and then tried to gather them up then she would be running in blind panic - this is unusual as she has excellent manners both on the ground and whilst being ridden - the strange thing is that i dont think its that bad on the ground or even non existent.)

Its a tough one about Chompy - my advice would be (im not saying this from experience as neither Princess or Connie was nappy or very scared like Chompy on the roads) but it would probably be; have fun and get confidence back again on the good routes - maybe take an instructor out with you to help remind you what to do in difficulty (this helped me with Princess as she got spooky on the roads), i found it really helped to have someone telling you what to do and staying calm and taking control of the situation because I wasnt in control and Princess could probably tell.

I would say to avoid the bad route for a long time but you do need to get past it for two reasons: number one - theres great fun hacking once you get past it and number two - you need to overcome it really.

The boxing to the forest idea is good too - maybe then you wont have to hack past the place and just box up there every now and then, which means you wont be deprived of fun stuff but wont have to be stressed out.

[kateflashy]

what i would do is to hack up towards the yard but stop just short before you get to the scary part , then stop make a big fuss of him then go home , do this loads of times and gradualy move closer to the place , if you feel him tense up even a tiny bit turn back for 10 yds then just let him look and fuss him , may take a long time but will get his confidence back gradualy

[brigadier]

some good advice from all- i think the long reining one is the best, also do you know anyone with a bike or even who jogs to give you a lead past the scary area? perhaps with a few treats in a bucket? he must be seriously worried to react like that so slowly slowly catch your monkey.

[ronansmum]

I wish you had another horse/rider combo nearby. I really think you'd get this solved quickly if you had company.

I know that isn't much help as you haven't got a fellow livery, but do you know someone you could trust to maybe ride Braveheart alongsside you and Chompy? Would you trust someone else to ride Brave?

In my limited experience horses help other horses best, providing they know each other and get on ok, of course, so that would honestly be my preferred route.

I know maxi is saying you have got to do it on your tod one day so why not from the start, but the way I see it is that once he has been "de-sensitised " he won't worry about it again and will go by alone. It is obviouly a miserable memory thing so the sooner he has nice memories the better. If you get past it with Braveheart in tow and they have a nice time in the woods on a few occasions I am sure this will push things forward.

Good Luck Fi....he is such a sweetie, I really hope he can get over his fright, bless him...