Getting Fearful of My Dressage Horse?
I love my horse to death, and we’ve come a long way together. When I first got him he had some shit ridden into him (too much in the face- harsh bit to control his speed instead of seat and half halts) and that can’t be ridden out of him no matter how hard you try, that’s just how he is. He was ridden that way for probably 7 or so years, because he’s 11. So, what he does and always has done according to people who know the horse is, he runs off if the work gets too hard or if he sees or hears something he doesn’t like. He bolts a lot less now than he used to though. Does that make sense? I hope so.
The reason I got him was because I want to get as high in the dressage levels as I can- and I’ve been riding dressage for 4 years, so my trainers suggested I look for a warmblood to learn more on. My trainer found this guy and sure, he’s a really hard ride but I’ve learned a lot and so has he in the year I’ve had him.
HOWEVER. I just got back home from a weekend of riding him a couple hours from my home town, and the first few days of the clinic were good, but towards the end he got tired/overwhelmed and did his bolting thing again. and again. and again. Problem is, even if he isn’t bolting and just throws his head up, I get nervous and my automatic reflex is to grab the reins (then he gets mad at me and bolts, obviously) and I know it’s wrong, the instructor was trying to help me through it but I’m scared to death of this horse. Dont beat on me for resorting to the reins. I know very well that it’s a terrible thing to do. why else would I be asking for advice?!
How can I get over this fear? It’s my fear that’s driving me to use my reins so much. I feel horrible about it and don’t want to hurt him. I’m not like this on any other horse.
**My horse is in a training program with a professional and HAS gotten better so dont tell me to send him to a trainer- I did right when I got him! I ride him when I can which is usually 2 times a month because he’s no where close to home!**
Sorry for writing a novel about it!
~Thanks, no rude answers please because I do want to change and am trying my absolute hardest!!!
I never ride my horse without an instructor present for that reason. Everyone who’s gotten on him has had trouble. I dont expect to show him, I just want to learn to use my body and aids properly and that’s why I got him. Sorry for not clarifying that earlier! Thank you for your answers thus far.
Im familiar with the clinician, she was the one who directed me to the horse so she, and everyone at the barn, understands how hard he is to ride. I was a little embarassed that I couldnt grasp the concept she was talking to me about, so that could have been a link in it too, I suppose. Thanks again!
Onlynatural, I live 2 hours away from him and I go to school. I dont have a driving licence, my mom has to drive me. She isn’t willing to drive me every week! I have horses at home I ride safely, he just has to get ridden often so thats why he’s in training over there.
I am sure most people will tell you to stick with him and work to improve your riding skills and his training. It sounds like you are usually able to manage to ride him, and he sounds like a talented horse. I totally understand where you are coming from, and I’ve been in your shoes. I am also a dressage rider, and even do some instructing. But I’ve been in the horse world for a long time, and it took me a long time to realize that when your horse makes you feel like this, it’s just not worth it. It’s so common in the dressage world to see riders mounted on horses that are too big, too strong, and too difficult for the rider. Usually the rider has a very talented Warmblood that the trainer thinks is nice, but the rider is scared of the horse.
I know you can work to overcome your fear, and you’ve proven to yourself already that you can keep getting back on and working with him. But do you enjoy it? I’m sure you love your horse, but it doesn’t sound like you love RIDING him. It’s not your fault either. He had issues already when you bought him. I’m sure you’d feel guilty selling him and it would feel like admitting defeat. But think how happy you would be if you had a horse that was not so frustrating and difficult to ride. A horse that you totally trusted so that you could relax and ENJOY the ride. And your horse might be happier with a more gutsy rider who can handle his antics.
Look, I’ve ridden big fancy warmbloods. I even leased a retired Grand Prix horse for a year. But now I have a little 15 hand QH/Morgan cross and I’ve never been so happy. He was green broke when I bought him 9 months ago, and we just went to our first intro level show last month. He’s actually a nice mover and there’s no reason I can’t go up to at least 3rd level with him, but since I board at a fancy dressage training barn he’s definitely the least fancy horse in the barn. However, I have more fun on him than most of the other boarders. He’s so trustworthy that I always have an enjoyable time. I can trailer him to a new place count on him to step off the trailer quiet and sensible. After a week off and I can just hop on without lungeing him first. He tries really hard to please me, and I feel like we work as a team. It’s so nice to ride without anxiety or fear.
I would never go back to riding a horse that I am afraid of. Life is too short. It costs just as much money to pay board, training, and vet/farrier bills on an enjoyable horse as you are currently paying for this horse you don’t really enjoy or trust. I say sell him and buy something less fancy but more suitable to learn on. I know the market is tough and it’s difficult to sell a difficult horse like yours. You might even want to consider a trade. Perhaps a professional would want to take him on since he’s so talented, and trade you a horse that is older or less fancy but quieter. But I honestly think you might be happer if your boy found himself a new home, and you found a more suitable partner.
You have to retrain yourself to react in a different way. I know, easier said than done. You also need to realize that even if he does bolt off, where is he going to go? As long as there isn’t a highway or cliff nearby or barbed wire fencing – - just think it through. And mentally practice sitting deep and pulling him around with one rein only until the circle is so small he has to walk. I’ve had many, many horses bolt on me in my long history of riding (mostly thoroughbreds – but also a warmblood or two with "behaviour problems) as an exercise rider I really have no fear of speed, so that may help but really, as long as you can stay on, and he doesn’t lose his footing, you have nothing to fear.
PS I realize that at a clinic it might have been a little bit embarassing, but know that the really good and experienced riders there HAVE been bolted off with before, and anyone who is critical just hasn’t ridden enough horses (or challenging horses) yet, so their opinion doesn’t matter.
PPS As you’ve sorted of hinted you know, this bolting he does is a fear/anxiety response – sort of like a panic attack, and it can be caused by all sorts of bad riding by previous riders. The main thing to do is to be able to remain calm and in control when he bolts, and to use the proper aids (in this case, a one rein circle) to calmly get him back under control, so that he will begin to realize that he has nothing to fear. When you freeze up in panic and pull on the reins, your are essentially confirming his worst fears. So it really is a mind game with you, to stay mentally calm and in control. It makes me really sad and angry when I hear of problems like this that have been created by people who should have known better. Poor horse. Many of the TB exercise riders and jockeys have dreadful hands and are very strong and absolutely destroy a horse’s mouth and his confidence and trust as well.
Good luck with this.
If your Instructors were trainers they could retrain this horse and it can be done I do it all the time, He needs 90 days off the bit in a bitless bridle and when you start using a bit use the softest bit available, he will work like a different horse, but what you have are not trainers, if they call them selves that then you are their animal, you train animals and teach humans.Once your horse is straightened out you will conquer your fear.
I understand, but to me it just sounds like this horse is above your level. You can have a horse behave perfectly for a trainer, and put a novice on (notice not beginner, just not experienced) and the horse takes advantage.
I feel like YOU need to ride this horse w/ an instructor present teaching you how to correctly react when a horse does something to you like that
First off, your horse is not bolting with you, he is hooking off., running away but not bolting. Bolting is when they take off in sheer panic and just go in a straight line through anything that is ahead of him.
However, just being out of control can be frightening so, what to do when he does hook off? You already know that pulling and grabbing at the reins is making matters worse so, what I would do when he did this would be to give him a good kick, send him even more forward but take it onto a circle, keeping the inside rein tight for guiding but without pulling back. I would sit heavy on my seat making it harder for him and keep him on a 20m circle until he wanted to trot and then I would make him go faster until I said he could come back down to first a trot and then a walk. All transitions would be asked for in a correct manner and after walking half the arena I would ask him to perform whatever had set him off in the first place as if nothing had happened. If he reacted the same way then I would do exactly the same thing until he caught on that running off was hard work and it would be easier to try what you were asking. When he does try, even if it is not exactly what you wanted, praise, walk on a loose rein and try again.
Just remember that he is unlikely to go anywhere as you are in an arena so, go with him and do as said above.
I have ridden many racehorses that are with me for teaching to be riding horses rather than racehorses and many panic when they do not get the pull they are use to and hook off looking for it. I do as I have explained and they might race around in a circle for twenty minutes and then come back to a fast trot still looking for the pull, get their breath and go again. It takes a lot of determination to not snatch at the reins but, they do stop and think about it and start to learn that there is no pull and there is no need to race off.
You can do it, and each time it happens he is going to make the circles less and less until he eventually stops even thinking about it.
well i don’t know exactly how to help you get over your fear, but how about you have somebody lease him if you do not want to give him up. make sure they are decent riders though, and then when you ride him, he won’t be as bad because he gets out more often.. OR get him closer to you =)
You know you should not be relying on the reins and yet you still resort to it as if that is going to somehow save you. This is instinctive in you just like the horse has his instinct that is causing him to slip over to the wild side every now and then. The stresses of the clinic brought it out again.
The favorite phrase around here is "take him to the edge but don’t push him over". Being a dressage rider I am sure you have heard that advice over and over again. Don’t beat yourself up for making these mistakes over and over again but if you are putting yourself and your horse into ‘pushing him over his limit’ mode you must stop it. Don’t push him through it but don’t go mamby-pamby on him either or he will not look to you for guidance. He will continue to dislike the way you handle him when he gets upset which will turn into resentment. I’m not saying you will regress but like all things in horseville, ‘if you ain’t progressing you ain’t staying where you’s at’.
Lastly, twice a month does not a serious dressage rider make.
He doesn’t get mad at you when you get scared, he picks up on your fear and his fight or flight response kicks in & he runs because you are scared he is thinking what is there to be scared of? I can’t see the danger , but my companion is scared so I need to get away from the danger and he runs. This is how horses behave in the wild and in a domestic herd in a field. If something spooks 1 of our lot they all run wether they saw it or not so it doesn’t get them. So you need to build a bond and trust between the 2 of you, maybe join up would be a good idea? Could you move or move him closer to you? That would really help you bond and you could ride him every day. Is he ridden the rest of the time? He really needs to be , it will help.
Reasearch Linda Tellington-Jones TTOUCH method.
This woman is a GENIUS.
There you go! You only ride him twice a month. If I were you, I would try very hard to move him closer because you guys will never click if you don’t spend more time together. It’s nice that you have trainers working with him but he is your horse, not the trainers and your trainer’s work with him will not translate to you. I’m sorry to be so frank
I am trying very hard to hold down my he’s-too-much-horse-for-you relfex, so bear with me.
Do you warm him up before rides? Try lunging him before you do anything. Also, get yourself a grab-strap to attack to the front of your saddle so you won’t have to grab the reins and you’ll have a place to go when you feel uncomfortable. When you feel that he is going to run off with you, you can take him into a circle and gradually make it smaller and smaller until you are turning on the forehand (that usually works for me, but every horse is different). Be calm! Being terrified and dreading your ride is probably one of the main factors in your trouble with him. Breath down to your toes as if you are a balloon. Even if he runs off, stay calm, deepen your seat and ask him to turn into a circle until he regains a steady gait.
Obviously, what you and your trainers are doing is not making a huge impact on him, so mix it up and try something different. Try doing some groundwork and trust building activities. Also, try bomb-proofing.