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HorseAdvice.com » Training, Behavior, & Conditioning Horses » Behavioral Problems » Resistance to Forward Movement: Go Problems » |
Discussion on Balking While Leading | |
Author | Message |
Member: Sefiroth |
Posted on Wednesday, Oct 1, 2003 - 10:52 pm: I have a 2.5 yr old pony mare. I've owned her since she was a weanling. She wasnt handled at all when I bought her. I taught her to lead, pick up and hold up feet, and to tie. After a year of owning her my finances grew slim and she was put out to pasture by a friend of a friend for free as a companion to his horse. She was barely if at all handled for the next year. This past month I brought her back to my boarding stable. Started working on her getting used to a saddle.Before she was put out to pasture she led great. I took her for walks all over creation. Cross streams, over bridges, along the road, through the woods, etc. Now she is still fearless, but she just up and decides to stop moving for no reason I can see when ever she feels like. I cant seem to find anything that is frightening her and she doesnt act frightened. She just abruptly stops. Her feet are fine according to the farrier. She's not lame, she does it with or without a saddle, with a bit in her mouth or with out a bit, her halter fits well and doesnt rub or pinch, being led around either in or out of the pasture, around other horses or alone, its just totally random. To get her moving again I have to pull her head sideways. Some time's she'll start moving again no problem, other times it takes a few sideways steps and direction changes to get her going again. Is she just testing me? Is this a stage she'll grow out of do you guys think? Any ideas how to correct this problem? |
Member: Tagloili |
Posted on Wednesday, Oct 1, 2003 - 11:47 pm: Doing circle driving with her when she decides to stop will help her come to the conclusion that coming to a dead stop is not such a good idea and she will want to renegotiate. Same principle is used with a horse that is barn soar - when the horse heads back to the barn, work the horse in circles and head back out after a few minutes and if horse heads back to the barn continue working in circles. After a few episodes the horse finds it is easier to move away from the barn. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Thursday, Oct 2, 2003 - 8:40 am: I would lead with the lead line in my right hand, a lunge whip in my left hand, from the shoulder facing forward. When she stops tap her with the lunge whip while continuing to look forward and with light pressure on the lead line. Tap until whe moves, stop immediatly when she begins to go. It will not take long for her to learn to lead.DrO |
Member: Mwebster |
Posted on Thursday, Oct 2, 2003 - 9:17 am: I'm with DrO, except I use a dressage whip in my left hand. I keep it pointed at the ground, out of sight, until the horse hesitates (any hesitation), then tap the horse on the side where the leg aid would be.M |
Member: Kckohles |
Posted on Monday, Oct 6, 2003 - 12:59 am: Hi Sharon,I think you should keep the pressure on the lead until she steps forward. It might take side to side movement from you but don't release the pressure from the lead. So keeping the lead tight with the pressure you step side to side to break her feet loose. It only needs to be one step and release, teach her she holds the key to her own comfort. Your pony needs to learn to yield to pressure and it might seem frustrating at first to wait her out, but believe me it will be well worth the effort, and it should really only take about 5 times. All she will do her whole life in riding, trailering, leading is yield and you never want her to think that what you asked didn't really mean anything. And I imagine you will want her to yield when you pull back on the reins, :0) it starts here. Ray Hunt says "every time you take a hold of your horse you better have the presence of mind to wait for them to respond." So if you have pressure on the lead wait for her to respond, it might take the side to side like I said but letting off the pressure without change will just teach her that it didn't really matter to you whether she came or not. The whip idea will work but she isn't yielding to direct pressure, it is teaching her to drive. I believe in having my horse participate in our relationship so if I have to do more (the whip) they have to do less. Help her understand that she holds the key, step forward the pressure comes off. Actually she doesn't even have to physically step forward the first few times you see her even think go, let off. The slightest try and the smallest change. The other thought I have about the whip is, that is you doing it to her rather than her doing it to herself. The pressure on her head she has direct control over whether it changes, she comes forward the pressure is off. With the whip you are doing it to her. So an anology that Lee Smith uses: if I were hitting your thumb with a hammer you would get me to stop or do your best to avoid the hammer and me eventually. But if you were hitting your own thumb, you would just stop and not have any lasting resentment for yourself. Keep the pressure on until she responds help her understand that your requests have meaning and really matter to you. If you release without a change in her you will teach her that pressure on her head doesn't really mean anything, and I think that might not be the best thing for a horse that is going to be handled, ever, to know. I have confidence that this will work because I have a TB gelding that came off the track and went to a jumper barn that was so dead on the halter I couldn't believe they could get him anywhere it seemed like he had never been halter broke! I just stuck with the pressure until he made a change and now anyone can lead him anywhere. The one other thing I didn't mention is that I use rope halters because the don't have any hardware on them and horses don't lean on them like they do the nylon web halters. Oh yes the last thing, don't increase the pressure just enough to help her want to make a change, if you increase the pressure, like tugging or dragging you will never get her light. It will teach her that if you really want her to do it you'll force her. Again that is you doing it to her rather than her learning that she holds the key to her own comfort. You job is to always be offering a place of comfort. Yes I know, easier said than done, but waiting for them to respond is a big part. Hope you'll give this a try and let me know how it works out. KIM |