Ridecamp: Re: [RC] No Go Solo

Hi Dede,
    My advice is to remember that horses are always looking for a leader/head
horse to follow.  If there isn't one, any horse, no matter how low in the
pecking order at home, will become the leader.  In a horse's mind, that's self
preservation.  You are not being a strong enough head horse, so your horse has
taken over.
    Another way of looking at it, it to say that your horse is "taking you for a
ride!"  He would prefer to be back at the barn in his familiar, comfortable
surroundings with his buddies - horses always seek safety and comfort!  Just as
in the first scenario, you have to be a strong and determined enough leader to
convince your gelding that he is safe and comfortable under your leadership to
go away from comfort and safety with you.
    Some horses can be very determined about "getting their own way," especially
if previous outings have been less than happy.  Learning how to be a strong but
not cruel or scary leader is a lifetime proposition.  There are lots of videos,
and books that talk about it.  Lessons are really good, I think because you get
instant feedback.
    A traditional way of dealing with a "barn sour" horse (that's what one like
yours is usually called) is to start with rides that just go a little distance
away from your horse's safe zone then, when your horses sees that he gets to
come back to safety, go a little further, gradually increasing how far you go.
The first few rides might have to be just 15-30 minutes of leaving and
returning.  In other words, if you have a situation that allows it, ride out
just beyond your horse's comfort zone and come right back but then leave
immediately and go the same distance.  Do this a few times until your horse is
relaxed and comfortable because he knows he'll get to come back.  Maybe this is
all you do for the first "lesson."  The next time, same procedure, but go a
little further.  Keep expanding how far you go.  The goal is to teach your horse
that you will always bring him back to comfort and safety and that he can be
comfortable and safe with you, no matter where you go together.
    At the same time, you should be practicing being a strong, confident
leader.  Don't give in to each attempted spook.  The spooks are the way your
horse has learned that he can get his way, he isn't really afraid but he has
learned that he can intimidate you and  convince you to take him back to the
barn.  When he spooks, go back by whatever "spooked" him several times, both
directions.  This teaches him that spooking behavior no longer gets his desired
reaction of going back to the barn but instead only gets him more work - going
back and forth and eventually continuing on down the trail.  Remember, horses
seek safety and comfort.  More effort is not comfortable so pretty soon he'll
learn that it's easier to go on down the trail, especially since that really
means that he gets to go back to the barn sooner.
    Good luck!
Laney
And remember to praise your horse's every effort at good behavior and not to
focus on the bad.  Also, keep your mind focused on being a positive
going-down-the-trail lead horse!

Scott & Dede Johnson wrote:

> I'm really hoping you experienced riders can help me here.  My 9 year old
> Arab gelding does not like to go out by himself.  He's just fine with
> others, but when I take him out here at home by ourselves, he tries to turn
> around (AKA spook and spin) every couple of minutes.  He spooks at clumps of
> grass, gates we've seen 50 times- anything.  He can be very stubborn.  I had
> a similar battle with him loading into a 2 horse trailer (I won that one).
> It's getting very frustrating.  Any ideas?
>
> Dede
>


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