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Horse Behavior and Training

unwanted spinning

By:

doe

Date:

2012-Aug-06 at 02:51AM

I was speaking with a woman who has a very talented show hunter, when he is good that is.
His problem is spinning. Although I have not see this happen in person, I have heard her describe it. When he is going just fine, suddenly he will drop and spin and end up running the other direction. She has had him vetted for any type of medical problems, yet it sounds like it is more of a training issue. Would love your thoughts, as I am going for an interview to work with her 12 horses and some insight would be great. I am accustomed to working with young 2 and 3 years olds and know that sometimes they may see something that scares them and makes them want to run the other way, or get spooked at something.
thanks for your input~ Doreen

Kicki -- Sweden 2012-Aug-06 at 06:55AM

With no more knowledge than you've given here, it sounds to me too as a training issue.
Whatever happened the first time, he got away with the trick, and so he keeps using it until it becomes easier for him to do something differently. He might even try to extend it to all sorts of "uncomfortable" situations just because it works for him.
I don't have any great ideas on how to accomplish a change, though. I guess you need to find out what sparks the behavior and work from there.
Maybe, if he spins, keep him spinning - or make sure there is no way he can start doing it and, as soon as he desists and stops, gets a huge reward.
Good luck with the interview!!!

MaggieF, Melbourne - Australia 2012-Aug-07 at 03:35AM

Yes, I tend to agree with Kicki. This is something he has learnt to do during his training and it now needs correcting. When my Uggs was young he used to buck really badly so if I felt he was about to buck I would spin him so he couldn't do so. It wasn't long until we would be cantering along and if he felt like a buck he would spin instead which was equally as disconcerting so I had to go back to just training him to canter straight lines and he stopped bucking in the canter too. So.. When you are riding this horse keep riding him forward in a straight line and try not to let him take the reins and spin. If he always spins in the same direction as Uggs did then it is easier to correct. If he does spin make him do a full circle so that he ends up going in the same direction as previously - no reward!

Certified Instructor Ann Lindberg/Sweden 2012-Aug-22 at 02:29PM

Hi!
Would you think he has been wiped? Many showjumpers has this behavior due to wipe unfortunately.
I would also check the teeth and neck with a chiropractor and the saddle - if every thing was black and white in the horses mind, life would be very easy to solve problems - here it is a matter of figuring out the symptom and work "backwards" so to speak to figure out the real problem!
Good Luck and the more info you get - just keep posting and I will help as much as I can!
Warmest Ann Lindberg/sweden CI