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HorseAdvice.com » Training, Behavior, & Conditioning Horses » Behavioral Problems » Resistance to Forward Movement: Go Problems » |
Discussion on Bad Attitude | |
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Posted on Saturday, Sep 9, 2000 - 9:04 am: Hi, I have a friend that has problems with a horse she has had for a number of years now.They mostly ride and train in dressage,and unfortunately has no choose but to ride with in the same area mostly. What the horse does is , when she asks him to move forward into walk,trot or canter he stops, and refuses to move forward. She has tried lots of different things from carrying whip,to backing him first, changing activities and so on . He isn't always naughty, but when he puts his mind to it, he's a real test. Does any one have any suggestions. |
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Posted on Saturday, Sep 9, 2000 - 9:43 am: Hi Sandra,I had the same problem with my gelding. He even reached the point where he would stop and plant himself firmly in place the very moment he even SUSPECTED we were headed for the ring! I believe the doctor would agree that your friend should first have her vet rule out any medical problem, particularly mouth, feet, legs, and back. Even minor aches and pains which might not necessarily show up as lameness can make a horse sour about his job. She may also want to have her trainer make sure that she has not unconsciously changed her riding style in any way - i.e. riding with a heavier hand, etc. - without realizing it. If the above check out negative, your friend may find that she has the same problem I did - her horse may simply be bored with the ringwork. My gelding simply hated going round and round over and over regardless of gait changes, routine changes, exercise changes - especially if we were in the ring alone. Although his behavior did improve temporarily if we had company in the ring, he was infinitely happier outside of it - even sometimes just working around the outside perimeter of the arena made a major difference in his attitude. Continuing to work as many "outside the ring" activities as possible into her routine will probably be her best bet - or maybe even a brief turnout vacation. One thing I can say for sure - using a crop, backing, or any type of force did not work at all for me - just seemed to convince my horse further that ring work was terrible. Good luck - let me know if your friend succeeds with any particular routine - I can always use more input. Bonnie |
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Posted on Saturday, Sep 9, 2000 - 12:09 pm: I second Bonnie's advice. Get that horse out of the ring now and then!Have your friend check the fit of the saddle her horse is carrying. I recently spent a few days tagging along with a saddler. I could not believe how many sore backs there are!! And these were horses who were wearing expensive, well-made saddles--which just didn't fit the horse or didn't properly distribute the rider's weight. If your friend doesn't know HOW to determine whether a saddle fits (and most people don't know), convince her to pay the $50--$75 it costs to have an expert do the job. |
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