Loan horse keeps napping, won't leave the yard

[Dazzle]

I've been part loaning for about 3 months now. A couple of weeks ago his owner moved him to new a yard. Up until today I had only ridden him at the new place with friends walking out with me as I didn't know the area at all. Today was our first time alone and he point blank refused to go down track which leads out of the yard. He kept stopping and then whizzing around, heading back. I managed on about 3 occasions to get him to turn around again but then after a few steps he do it again and start moving at speed back to the yard. All in all I think I spent anout 30 minutes trying to get him to go down the lane. He was getting really agitated and was starting to buck.

He loves his new yard, he is in a field with 5 other horses. Previously he was indoors all the time on his own. His owner tells me is fundamentally lazy and that has been my experience of him but I never had any problems like this with him at his previous yard. I decided that I would jump off and lead him down the lane - so not to give in to him. We got to the bottom of the lane and I had just managed to get my leg over and partly mount when he took off cantering back up the lane! So I got off and walked him again - was that the right thing to do? This time I walked him quite a way and then mounted again - same thing happened, he spun round and cantered homeward with me still trying to mount! All in all a frustrating experiece. I am desperate for advice as I don't want this to become a habit. I asked his owner but she said he never does that with her and that I should use the whip more - but that's just going to make him buck more surely?

 

[Trewsers]

Have you anyone you can ask to accompany you? Maybe he might feel happier following another horse until he's settled in? He might seem settled to his owner, she has known him longer than you. Maybe it is just he needs to build trust and more confidence in you for a while longer?

 

[Dazzle]

Have you anyone you can ask to accompany you? Maybe he might feel happier following another horse until he's settled in? He might seem settled to his owner, she has known him longer than you. Maybe it is just he needs to build trust and more confidence in you for a while longer?

Thanks for your reply. There isn't anyone else to ride with unfortuntely, it's a very quiet place, I'm always there on my own. I hadn't thought of it as a confidence issue, I just assumed he was playing me up because he wanted to go back to his friends in the field and I'm a bit of a soft touch! It would explain why things were okay when I had friends walking out in front of us. Should I get someone to walk in front of us for a few weeks or should I just walk out with him on a lead rein and try and ride home?

 

[Mary Poppins]

I would start by leading him out in-hand with no intention of riding. In my experience it is rare for a horse to 'play up' for no reason. It sounds like the horse is lacking confidence and it's natural reaction is to go back to a place where he feels safe. I would take him out in his bridle and get him walking nicely with you the whole way round. When you have mastered this, I would lead him out in-hand, and then get on him for a short period, and then get off him again and lead him home. By doing this frequently and gradually building up the time to you riding him, you will hopefully both gain confidence in each other. There really is no rush to do this. By taking your time to do things slowly and calmly, you should see an improvement. I do not agree with the owner to use the whip. I agree with you that this approach is likely to see you being bucked off!

 

[Star the Fell]

How was he when you took him out from his old yard on your own? Did he attempt the same thing there? If not, then I agree that it is lack of confidence. He doesn’t want to leave his field mates to go out in a strange area with someone who he doesn’t really know and tryst three months isn’t really a long time for him to build up trust in you. His owner has no trouble with him as he knows he can rely on her.
If that’s the case then using the whip is completely the wrong thing to do.
I agree with everything Mary Poppins says and think this is the way to build his confidence in you

 

[Dazzle]

How was he when you took him out from his old yard on your own? Did he attempt the same thing there? If not, then I agree that it is lack of confidence. He doesn’t want to leave his field mates to go out in a strange area with someone who he doesn’t really know and tryst three months isn’t really a long time for him to build up trust in you. His owner has no trouble with him as he knows he can rely on her.
If that’s the case then using the whip is completely the wrong thing to do.
I agree with everything Mary Poppins says and think this is the way to build his confidence in you

I never had any problems getting him to leave the old yard, we only ever went on short rides alone but he was amazing, a really safe ride. That's why I'm so perplexed and upset by this. Thank you for all the advice, I'm going to follow it, take things slowly and hopefully we can overcome it. It's just unfortunate that there is no school where he is now, I think having lessons with him would probably help as this has really dented my confidence too

 

[Jessey]

I hadn't thought of it as a confidence issue, I just assumed he was playing me up because he wanted to go back to his friends in the field

Its probably a bit of both, he's gone from being stuck in a lot on his own to being out having mates which makes them feel secure (nature of a herd animal) and he's somewhere he doesn't know so a bit less confident than he was a the previous place. I'd stick to someone walking with you, get them to walk in front and gradually drop back to walking beside, then behind and then way behind so his confidence builds about being alone, it might only take a few try's If you really can't get someone to walk with you then walk him in hand until he is relaxed enough for you to mount without him buggering off which as someone else said, may not happen at all in the first few rides. You can do the same as above by changing where you 'lead' him from, start leading, drop back alongside him and then put him on long lines so you are behind

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I agree with @Jessey . Your boy is in a new environment, and one he enjoys, and he can't see the point in leaving it for somewhere new and scary! Walking in hand is a great way to get him to trust you again, and I think it'll help your confidence, too.