At 01:59:22 on 20.07.10, kibby wrote:
i read a thread in here once talking about horse personalities.. My horse seems worried. all the time, he gets so easily flustered and worked up.. he scares himself most of the time.. at a show, if something goes wrong he continually worries about this.. i fell off him in the warm up arena one time at a jump, and for the rest of the day in that warm up arena he was constantly worried. and couldnt relax and listen to me. Does anyone have any advice or sugesstions on how to encourage him to relax..

At 11:50:53 on 25.07.10, HUNNYMUNSTA wrote:
It sounds as though possibly right brained introvert / extrovert but mayb left brain introvert... difficult to diagnose, would need more info!! but, re problem I'd do as much desensitisation at home as poss can, you walk your hore around his paddock with you by his shoulder, so your not leading him, but asking him to move forward with you, whilst you walk (in the saddle zone?). if he can calmy do this (you'd be suprised how many peope cant achieve this) then thats good, can you then, ride him safley calmy around his paddock in walk? around the permiter (fence)-walking the rail? preferably with his field mates in the field!! i.e if he trusts you to be his leader and keep him safe this will be a nice steady calm easy walk and you can fend off any hasslers!, then you are a safe good leader to be with. Can you walk him over tarps? rub a sack or huge pastic bag around him? (what about on a windy day?)if no he's not ready for the big wide world, (in my opinion!) can he walk over stuff like tyres? put his feet in them and think about getting them out?can he walk through puddles? if yes, he does all this, whats he like if you walk him out in hand? can he calmy walk or trot where you suggest? then why not walk him in hand at show literally go for the day but do nothing he'l learn there is no expectations or PRESSURE on him. This is where I would start! then build up to ask more when u feel he is ready.

At 11:53:49 on 25.07.10, HUNNYMUNSTA wrote:
you could always strap a "dummy" rider to his back! preferably by showing it to him first let him sniff touch paw it etc! and rub him all over with it etc, then attach a long lead to the dummy man, and lunge/circle game him and make it keep falling off till he accepts strange things falling off him!.

At 12:20:35 on 25.07.10, kibby wrote:
i will start all this.. thank you for replying.. We have decided he is not going to be under saddles anymore at shows for some time.. until he is relaxed and calm.. extra info: Some shows he starts so well, relaxed and calm, until something happens or something changes, one time someone rode almost ran into us. he panicked again for rest of the day.. another time my friend needed a horse to ride for presentation so she jumped on. he couldn't handle the change... When he gets stessed he needs to move his feet. he is very friendly, but obviously gets very nervous.. will never and has never bucked or reared.. he runs.. any of this more use..

At 18:10:59 on 25.07.10, HUNNYMUNSTA wrote:
sounds like right brain extrovert to me! they are the runners, the need to move hooves! obvious exsplosions, scary to some, fun to others!. my mare is left brain intovert - mild, left brain extovert mild, and extreme right brain extrovert!! im therefore working on this at present i.e windy days white eyes, gallops around, tries to run off, turns and runs in fear.... I have to match her right brian energy when shes wild and act low energy at other times to keep her calm!, as high energy people terrify her.So, so hard to do! i find left brain horses v easy, cus Im a left person, (this actually does matter, as some peple have to be matched to their horse as in the right personality to horsenality )this is applicable to people, i.e Linda Parelli is a right brain high energy gal. luckily my mare is left brain 95% the time. a well balanced horse should tick mild all over the horsenaltiy chart in each section , (the middle section of the char),.Right brain intoverts are quite dangerous, as they lock it all in and explode literally, all the signs will be there if you can read them... this cud stop a lot of people being hurt if only they knew what to look for. so to have a right brain exrovert, who basically where their hearts on their sleeves, or should I say flanks! is good - they will show you everything they cannot deal with, this is actually easier in some ways and hey at least this type go! as in move ! a good exersize would be trotting the rail, this will be a great way to learn to control a right brains impulsion and get him fit could do with learning the touch this sniff that object game where u pointy at stuff and encourage him to go with u investigating! u cud hide treats under cones or on barrells, my mare like to find banana skins buried in the snow (i swear she was a blood hound in a previous life!) from your car, your hat, glooves,stables, to the tree in your filed, a bush, or plant pot, to develop the securty in being curious will make him brave, all on a long rope so he can drift and take you where he needs to go, you might be suprised some people have never let their horses sniff and mooch round there yards n stables. Also learning the patterns, i.e riding clover leaf shapes around barrels or cones , will create controlled impulsion, as horses love pattens and will actually walk their own created patterns in the wild and in their paddocks, this is most obvious when you see prints in the snow. Eventually he will learn patterns off by heart, and this is good as you need no legs just lift the reains and go! but they also seem to increase confidence and enable the horses to think rationally. There's laods of them in western riding and in their competitions you could look into, and theyl get your horse fit.Hope this helps a bit!

At 23:36:10 on 25.07.10, kibby wrote:
This does help. But what would you suggest at a show, because is quite confident at home. How can i get him to see shows are not scary when ofter something happens and scares him. My other mare is a right brain extrovert, and what is really strange is i am beginning to see sam show some of her behaviors, is this just learned behavior from being with her and watching her.. I am a very high energy person, i think thats where sam and i clash the most, i need to be high energy on phil to get past her moodiness, otherwise she just wont work, so while with sam i should always try to remain as calm as possible? thanks hunnymunster this is helping a lot..

At 11:01:12 on 01.08.10, HUNNYMUNSTA wrote:
Hi if you are high energy you will need to concentrate on bringing all your anergy down, act lower, to calm the horse. Left brain horses are generally chilled out! and because im a left brain low energy person, my mare falls asleep, literally in my arms a lot. i suppose she trusts me too! if you do all these de sensitisation exersizes at home and your horse is calm then he's ready to attend a show. he will be calm if the prep is done right, when you get there. You should try upping the anti to make him go right brain to practice bringing him back to a happy calm place. when you arrive at the shows, let him move his feet, go where he need to have a look, do not hold him tightly let him drift holding horses tighly will create tension, and if you are tense at show he will be too.the more you do at home he'll be secure in himself at the show. Good luck and be patient every horse takes different time lengths to come right be prepared for it to take ages and it will happen sooner! I know you said he's calm at home but not at the show, whats he like out of your yard in other places in general? can you borrow a freinds manage or field away form hom to do exersizes in? because a lot of horses are secure at home but once they leave, the s**t hits the fan! can you go to a show a small local one and go to a corner and (i would do parelli i.e) lots of friendly game when he goes right brained, rub bags over him etc go to scary things that freak him (touch this sniff that game) and the best; advance and retreat, lookn at whats scary as close as he can handle the object or situation or area, then go bak to happy safe place i.e a he likes standing sometimes the trailer or a nice grassy spot at the show away from people! sounds like the best thing is to work outside his happy comfort zone place but when hes good reward him by poutting back there asap.Hope im not talking too complicated here!

At 11:57:33 on 01.08.10, kibby wrote:
No this sounds good.. Thank you.. He worries outside too. I took him down the road for a ride to the local sporting/rodeo/pony club grounds, he was quite nervous. but after i just played around with him, in and out of this water type thing.. just a ditch you can jump in and out of that fills with water, after that he had relaxed quite a bit..

At 09:39:37 on 02.08.10, HUNNYMUNSTA wrote:
cool! concentrate outside his comfort zones! :)

At 09:43:32 on 02.08.10, kibby wrote:
will do.. thank you for your advice :)