# What Caused your Horses Napping and Did you Solve?



## Parkranger (7 June 2008)

Hi,

Just after some ideas of what causes nappiness and whether it can be solved - appreciate your input....


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## Sunny_Star (7 June 2008)

My old horse was nappy, really bad so that once I was doing handy pony, tried to go and jump the little jump and he refused to actually move away from the other horses. A girl who had her A test even struggled with him, he was so strong-willed.

We sold him as the nappiness was an issue and he just didn't have the right mentality to go anywhere competition-wise.

I don't know if there really is a way to cure it, the best way is to try and prevent it happening in the first place as it can become a habit that's very hard to break.


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## reynold (7 June 2008)

none of the above - he was just a young horse  5 yr old and chucking his weight about when on his own - sometimes he'd go and sometimes he'd just refuse - cross between 'oh I'm on my own' and 'I'm just not going to do anything you want me to'

final straw spent well over an hour yet again on a quiet country lane not far from yard trying to get him to go forward without success so went back to the yard - this was on a ride he'd done loads of times on his own

put a good rider on him and then followed him to the spot in car wiht a lunge whip and before the brickbats he was NOT hit with it - just an extra encouragement to go forward in addition to the rider on top as it was a lunge whip with a good 'crack' in it (similar thing I suppose to the hunting whip used at the start of NH hurdle and steeplechase races)

from that day onwards he never napped again seriously - he tried it a bit but never went thru with it and he became a model citizen and was ridden by even novice friend out on his own


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## badgerdog (7 June 2008)

When I got my new horse he started napping about 3- 4 weeks after I got him.  I think it was a combination of him just trying it on and  being a bit anxous.  He was so bad that on one occasion I had to get off him and lead him past a farm house and that still took ages.  Most times I just kicked him on and gave him a tap of the whip.  After a few weeks he stopped and now all he does is occasionally stop to look at something but then he walks on when I ask him to.  I think we've gradually built up a relationship and he trusts me more.
After reading up on it I think it's quite common for people with new horses having this problem and patience and persitence works in the end but I'm not sure what the answer is to the horse that has a long established pattern of doing this.


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## Parkranger (7 June 2008)

OK so why would a horse nap, then be solved and then start again worse than he was before?  very odd!


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## custardcream (7 June 2008)

None of the above! Sheer bloomin' stubborness and bad manners! Had been allowed to get away with murder with a previous owner and was trying it on. She would refuse to leave the yard, plant her feet and reverse. 6 weeks of having someone walk behind her with a lunge whip she now hacks beautifully and doesn't nap.


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## gina2201 (7 June 2008)

I had to choose don't know when actually it was the previous owners lack of confidence. The horse would stop and she would be too scared to ask him to move on so she'd take him back to yard, feed etc, and a vicious circle began.

I bought him and was very patient, just give him encorougement, sat there whilst he also stood there. After a few minutes he decided forwards was the way to go! Or, I had to turn a circle and immediately trot off in the direction of travel, then he would settle.


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## Firewell (7 June 2008)

I think napping thats caused by pain shows up in all areas of ridden work. eg wont move off your leg/naps in school as well as out hacking, jumping etc. Even lunging. If they are absolutly fine schooling ect and its just out hacking I think its naughtiness or insecurity. 

My mare used to try napping out hacking, if it was at something scary I would just sit there quietly not letting her move backwards/sideways for as long as it took until she decided to go forwards, or i would turn her in lots of circles. 

Occasionally ive had to give her a hiding if she is being naughty (and i know her so well i can tell when shes scared and trying to look after us both or just plain trying it on) that usually ends up with us flying along the road at a canter for a few strides but I dont care as long as she is going forward in the direction I want! 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Anyway she hardly does it now. I think its a lot down to the relationship you have if its not pain related.


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## sturgo (7 June 2008)

I had a young pony who napped when trying to leave the yard hacking but it got better as she got older and more experienced / confident


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## The Original Kao (7 June 2008)

QR none of the above, 1 napper i dealt with and sorted was a 4 year old and had just been backed. she would stop dead and refuse to move, then would try and turn for home.
i found just keeping her pointed in the direction i wanted to go and she didn't and just waiting it out worked. 1st time i sat for a good half hour, the times soon got shorter till she stopped all together. i also would make her turn if she tried to turn for home.


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## malibu211211 (7 June 2008)

Monty naps really badly in the school, he shoves his head in the air and there is absolutely nothing you can do 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Instructor advised that I push him forwards and not let him stop then circle him back round and carry on with what I was asking of him. It does work he gets fed up eventually 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Some days are not as bad as others 
	
	
		
		
	


	




He does it because he has got away with it before and because he's a work-shy beastie


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## ajn1610 (7 June 2008)

You haven't got a box for being a d1ck! As others have said youngster trying it on in new home. He had a lovely rear, spin buck and bolt combination going on. Also a Welsh Cob who could canter backwards...interesting!
Got through problems by not giving in. You don't need to batter a horse but you need to be 100% committed if there is any doubt or fear they sense it and you'll never get the upper hand. Don't take on a fight unless you are definite you have the time and ability to win it. IMO it's all down to your attitude and most problems occur because the horse has psyched out the rider.
Not all problems are down to pain, almost all horses I have encountered have tried it on at some point in the first few months in a new home. This can vary from going into plod mode and refusing to move to throwing full on fits depending on temperament.


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## Grumpy Herbert (7 June 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
OK so why would a horse nap, then be solved and then start again worse than he was before?  very odd! 

[/ QUOTE ]

Has the horse in question had some time off the activity that he naps in?  I ask, because when I took my lad out hacking for the first time in months, he napped a bit because he didn't want to leave the yard.  I managed to get him to go on just by putting my legs on quite firmly, pointing him in the direction I wanted to go and using my voice.  

I solved that one, sadly we have many, many other problems.


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## vieshot (7 June 2008)

Non of the above- he was just a s*** and now with a strong leader he is perfection.


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## Lottiesluck (7 June 2008)

My haflinger used to throw himself around then ground himself an refuse to move, specially as we tried to leave the yard 
	
	
		
		
	


	




. i had my back man out to see if there was any problems he said nope, but he advised i tried filling a bottle with some stones and when he stopped to shake it ...he said it worked miracles on his halfinger and it worked absolute wonders on mine. Only had to take it out for a week or so now he goes off the yard keen and willing


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## Ahrena (7 June 2008)

My mare got very nappy because she wasn't getting enough energy from her feed. Fed her more and she stopped! She did try it on around Christmas but I confess I have her a sharp smack and she hasn't done it since.


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## RachelB (7 June 2008)

Berlin's nappiness is presumably caused by all his past issues - back/saddle problems, illnesses, all his mental insecurities, along with his general stubbornness and lack of trust in his rider/handler. He will stop, back up, spin round, buck... he hasn't reared yet but I wouldn't put it past him. The rider has to be 100% confident (or trick him into believing you are 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 ) and he will eventually get over it. If I'm not feeling totally confident I wear spurs, funnily enough this cures it (he has no other issues any more, his nappiness now is caused by stubbornness and habit!) 
	
	
		
		
	


	




His owner was advised by a great number of people to sell him as he was too much for her. She didn't, she persevered, and finally after years and years of problems he is finally coming right and beginning to work properly 99% of the time. I am a nervous rider at times and I was set to give up after Berlin's last proper napping fit as it scared me quite a bit. I stopped hacking (not a problem though as owner still hacked) and did a lot of work in the field with him. I then took him away to riding club camp for four days (he'd never been away to anything more exciting than a saddle fitting before!) and we both turned a corner. He discovered that the big wide world is really quite fun, and I discovered I can ride him after all. We both have confidence in eachother now, and like I said if I'm having a bad day and am feeling less than confident, my tiny spurs do the trick.


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## TarrSteps (7 June 2008)

Shouldn't there be an option for incorrect/incomplete/misunderstood training?


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## Shantor1 (7 June 2008)

A load of mooing calves caused my horse to nap.  Got him passed with a lot of cajoling but he didnt like being made to go forward.  He tried to nap back towards his stable mate.   He was getting so stressy we had no option but to give him a lead.  He was OK after that.


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## kanter (7 June 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Shouldn't there be an option for incorrect/incomplete/misunderstood training? 

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. Most nappy horses are created by inexperienced riders.


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## Hollycat (7 June 2008)

Agree with Tarrsteps and Kanter!  Also overpressurised horses that are worked too hard at too high a level too soon can throw in the towel and become very nappy.

My own horse can be nappy when schooled if asked for too much collection when he isn't really fit enough, or if worked too intensively without enough rest periods.  Rider error on my part. The 'traditional' methods of forcing him forward don't work, instead a bit of sympathy and letting him voice his unhappiness (by stopping and standing stilll)  and even horror of horrors letting him know its ok by a pat works best. Instead of becoming very angry and resentful he relaxes and then will move forward happily whenn asked. A long unreasonable nap would get a slap - which will send him forward but he will get very upset and tense and will then take ages for me to calm him down (and usually LOTS more napping) and get some nice work from him again.

So I think the reason for napping needs to be understood and dealt with appropriately


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## YorksG (7 June 2008)

My old appy was the nappiest creature in the world. The only reason was that she was the strongest willed animal in the world. I eventually managed to partially cure her by spinning her in circles, so small that her nose was on my boot. The day when we cracked it (well as much as we ever did) she nearly fell in the river as I lost my temper and carried on making her spin, past where it was safe. The mare had more sense than me and walked on with no problem. 
The current Appy was nappy when her neck was out, she is only nappy now if ridden in the field and I am not sitting centraly and sitting up absolutely straight.


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## jenmac_85 (8 June 2008)

Tyler would go so far from the yard then refuse to go any further. Water was another issue which he would refuse when being ridden. 

We solved it with lots of in hand work and encouragement (although there were times I could have chucked in the towel big time!!)


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## Parkranger (8 June 2008)

Understand that novices can make horses nappy and I'd like to think that I'm a little more than a novice now....I think aslong as you're willing to get help you can sort them.....although I may eat my words after my hack today!


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## TarrSteps (8 June 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Shouldn't there be an option for incorrect/incomplete/misunderstood training? 

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. Most nappy horses are created by inexperienced riders. 

[/ QUOTE ]

True, but only partially what I mean.  I've seen horses made bitter and resistant by excessive/inappropriate/uncomfortable work by quite high calibre riders for all sorts of reasons.  

One of the worst I had to sort was a fantastic horse that had the misfortune to win a big 4 year old jumper class and then got absolutely pushed by his enthusiastic owner and the professionals producing him.  He got so bad he would throw himself over backwards - not rear, literally flip over - when he got stressed.  It took ages to make him okay with any kind of pressure and getting him back into the ring without having a breakdown was an adventure.

As in many things, if a little is good, more is not better.  Even proficient work can be overdone or mistimed.  And the "right" handling for one horse might not be right for another.

We forget that horses are individuals - one horse might deal reasonably well with the same levels of stress or discomfort which would drive another one to madness.  It's not simply a case of following a set of rules, it's training with "feel" (empathy, strictness etc.) - which in not always a function of simple achievement in the saddle -  with some horses being more tolerant than others.


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