Scared of the saddle...

Crookedblaze · 08-20-2008, 02:02 AM

(Not quite sure what catagory to put this under)

Well, today when I was tacking Stormy up I noticed that she seemed....scared of the saddle.

The rescuer that had her before me said that she "buffalos", moves away when I try to put the saddle on...but it seems like something else to me. She drops her hip that is closest to me, and her back leg starts to shake and she'll scoot away. Her ears were going a mile a minute back and forth and her eyes were all bugged out. I tried a good girl and she stood quiet, but her hip was still dropped. I let her sniff the saddle pad and patted her and told her good girl, but she still had her hip dropped and her leg shaking. Once I got the saddle on her everything was fine. She didn't care about the noises it made, or the stirrups coming down or me cinching her up. She put her head down, cocked a back foot, and just chilled out. The whole ride (only 15 minutes, but we're starting with baby steps) she was fine, and taking the saddle off she was fine...I even accidentally dropped it and she stood still and just stared at it.

This is a new one for me.

What should I do?

mlh619 · 08-20-2008, 02:17 AM

Just keep putting it on and off she will get used to it. My horse does the same thing if I don't rider her frequently. Give her a few days off and the pad and saddle and girth become very real horse eating objects.

**gbarmranch** · 08-20-2008, 05:23 AM

My first reaction would be to check for pain in her back or hip area.. then to make sure that when you do get the saddle on it fits her correctly..

If those two areas are fine, then you just go nice and easy, put it on and off as was stated, and cinch her gently and a little at a time.. You may want to saddle her up and just groom her - no riding - at different times.. or feed her grain once she is saddled.. make it a pleasant experience..

Who knows how she was treated before.. the entire saddeling process may have been very unpleasant for her in the past..

DappleGrayMyWay · 08-20-2008, 10:12 AM

With my gelding, Tule, the saddle is alternatively the Worst Thing In The Whole Entire World, or no big deal...depending on which way the wind is blowing, evidently. Sometimes I think he'd rather eat breakfast with a tiger than deal with the saddle. Then other days he seems to welcome it as a fun toy.

Since you have little to go on as far as the horse's history, your best bet is to continue slowly. As Gbar said, associate it with good things like grooming and food. Get her all tacked up, walk her around the barn, then take it all off again. Get it out every time she's not in her stall so she can see it, put treats on top of it for her to find, and so on.

Good luck!

EquineAlberta · 08-20-2008, 10:28 AM

I would try a different approach. I would approach with the saddle and watch for the first signs of anxiety. As soon as she looks at all worried, back off with the saddle, wait a bit and try again (approach and retreat). I would also leave the saddle just inside her zone of discomfort while brushing and slowly move it closer. During this time you won't be able to ride her though.

I have two horses that are/were afraid of the saddle. One I have no idea why, and we just went with the praise him for being saddled method, but it never resolved the issue. With the other, I know why he was afraid (rough trainer who supposedly hit him with the saddle if he moved away), so I did the approach and retreat method and was able to resolve the worry.

Karen

SunnyKS · 08-20-2008, 10:38 AM

I would also like to offer that once she is comfortable with the saddle in her space make sure that you place it on her back not toss it up, drop it and let all the off side stuff slam into her. NOT that you do that but many people do and that can be scary and painful.

**taelesean** · 08-20-2008, 10:44 AM

Could be sometime in her past there was a saddle that hurt her, so now she is aprehensive about any saddle until it is on her back and not hurting her. If this is the case, there may not be any fix except making sure the saddle and pad are free of anything that might poke her or rub wrong and just time - but certainly some of the suggestions above for desensitizing her to the presence of a saddle are good too.

Bonanza · 08-20-2008, 10:58 AM

That reminds me of Beau. You may have seen my post about my son's first lope on an awesome 18 year old arabian gentleman named Beau. This horse is the ultimate kid's horse and will do everything you ask him. Not a thing you can find that bothers this horse.

EXCEPT:

Its the oddest thing. When you approach him with the saddle he gets this wild look in his eye as he looks at it, and may even step away. BUT if you touch him on the withers while you place it on his back - he's okay - and after that he never gives it another thought...

I was really puzzled at first, but this is just his "quirk." People and horses - sometimes you just can't figure 'em out

Crookedblaze · 08-20-2008, 11:59 AM

Thanks everyone! I'll use baby steps to get her used to it.

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08-20-2008, 02:02 AM
Crookedblaze Started Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,441	Scared of the saddle... (Not quite sure what catagory to put this under) Well, today when I was tacking Stormy up I noticed that she seemed....scared of the saddle. The rescuer that had her before me said that she "buffalos", moves away when I try to put the saddle on...but it seems like something else to me. She drops her hip that is closest to me, and her back leg starts to shake and she'll scoot away. Her ears were going a mile a minute back and forth and her eyes were all bugged out. I tried a good girl and she stood quiet, but her hip was still dropped. I let her sniff the saddle pad and patted her and told her good girl, but she still had her hip dropped and her leg shaking. Once I got the saddle on her everything was fine. She didn't care about the noises it made, or the stirrups coming down or me cinching her up. She put her head down, cocked a back foot, and just chilled out. The whole ride (only 15 minutes, but we're starting with baby steps) she was fine, and taking the saddle off she was fine...I even accidentally dropped it and she stood still and just stared at it. This is a new one for me. What should I do? __________________ Owned by Rocketman, a 17 year old AQHA and Stormy, a 10 year old Peruvian Paso x Arab

08-20-2008, 02:17 AM
mlh619 Weanling Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sask, Canada Posts: 496	Just keep putting it on and off she will get used to it. My horse does the same thing if I don't rider her frequently. Give her a few days off and the pad and saddle and girth become very real horse eating objects.

08-20-2008, 05:23 AM
gbarmranch Administrator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 29,229	My first reaction would be to check for pain in her back or hip area.. then to make sure that when you do get the saddle on it fits her correctly.. If those two areas are fine, then you just go nice and easy, put it on and off as was stated, and cinch her gently and a little at a time.. You may want to saddle her up and just groom her - no riding - at different times.. or feed her grain once she is saddled.. make it a pleasant experience.. Who knows how she was treated before.. the entire saddeling process may have been very unpleasant for her in the past.. __________________ Quality FoundationQuarter Horses http://home.earthlink.net/~vpgann Minds are like parachutes – they only function when open – Thomas Dewar

08-20-2008, 10:12 AM
DappleGrayMyWay Yearling Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NC (Asheville) Posts: 880	With my gelding, Tule, the saddle is alternatively the Worst Thing In The Whole Entire World, or no big deal...depending on which way the wind is blowing, evidently. Sometimes I think he'd rather eat breakfast with a tiger than deal with the saddle. Then other days he seems to welcome it as a fun toy. Since you have little to go on as far as the horse's history, your best bet is to continue slowly. As Gbar said, associate it with good things like grooming and food. Get her all tacked up, walk her around the barn, then take it all off again. Get it out every time she's not in her stall so she can see it, put treats on top of it for her to find, and so on. Good luck! __________________ My sanity is with my horse, and if you see them, please send them back to the barn. Tule Pepper

08-20-2008, 10:28 AM
EquineAlberta Seasoned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 4,465	I would try a different approach. I would approach with the saddle and watch for the first signs of anxiety. As soon as she looks at all worried, back off with the saddle, wait a bit and try again (approach and retreat). I would also leave the saddle just inside her zone of discomfort while brushing and slowly move it closer. During this time you won't be able to ride her though. I have two horses that are/were afraid of the saddle. One I have no idea why, and we just went with the praise him for being saddled method, but it never resolved the issue. With the other, I know why he was afraid (rough trainer who supposedly hit him with the saddle if he moved away), so I did the approach and retreat method and was able to resolve the worry. Karen __________________ Hillside Stable, Ardrossan, AB Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...is it really that hard?

08-20-2008, 10:38 AM
SunnyKS Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,462	I would also like to offer that once she is comfortable with the saddle in her space make sure that you place it on her back not toss it up, drop it and let all the off side stuff slam into her. NOT that you do that but many people do and that can be scary and painful. __________________

08-20-2008, 10:44 AM
taelesean Administrator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 5,671	Could be sometime in her past there was a saddle that hurt her, so now she is aprehensive about any saddle until it is on her back and not hurting her. If this is the case, there may not be any fix except making sure the saddle and pad are free of anything that might poke her or rub wrong and just time - but certainly some of the suggestions above for desensitizing her to the presence of a saddle are good too. __________________

08-20-2008, 10:58 AM
Bonanza Long Yearling Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,029	That reminds me of Beau. You may have seen my post about my son's first lope on an awesome 18 year old arabian gentleman named Beau. This horse is the ultimate kid's horse and will do everything you ask him. Not a thing you can find that bothers this horse. EXCEPT: Its the oddest thing. When you approach him with the saddle he gets this wild look in his eye as he looks at it, and may even step away. BUT if you touch him on the withers while you place it on his back - he's okay - and after that he never gives it another thought... I was really puzzled at first, but this is just his "quirk." People and horses - sometimes you just can't figure 'em out __________________ It's hard to stumble when you're on your knees.

08-20-2008, 11:59 AM
Crookedblaze Started Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,441	Thanks everyone! I'll use baby steps to get her used to it. __________________ Owned by Rocketman, a 17 year old AQHA and Stormy, a 10 year old Peruvian Paso x Arab