Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

 I am asking this here, because Scout is half arabian, and there are 
differences. The other half is racing appendix Qh. And arabian people  , 
well, ah , have arabians......
  At 3 I am working on his leading(like with a halter).He was pretty much 
left alone  till now with  our little herd. He is gentle, and will back from 
hand pressure and move his hip over. I did some leading last year in his 
stall and give to pressure work with his head down for haltering, and to get 
him to back up or to move over in a stall. He comes when you call him to eat 
and goes into his stall following you. I can also blanket, pick up his feet 
and clean them and bathe him.
   I had gotten him to lead by disengaging his hip when he balked. We were 
doing ok, though intermittantly working.  Well ,now-- he is mouthy, and the 
rubbing mouth hard  he likes , so it isn't  a deterent.He chews on the 
leadropes, whips, my boots if he gets a chance, etc.
   I was using a "go forward " cue system Of tapping on his hip and 
increasing the pressure strength till he moved ,then he got rubs and praise. 
 It was working. We were making progress. But thru my fault or what --- he 
began to mouth at and begain to bite at the whip , when I increased the 
tapping. He was balking.I made noises at him, and he'd quit, but  he is 
acting like "that  is annoying , painful I will bite to stop it."--along 
with a couple days later, I was giving him  pressure from knuckles in the 
side to get him to move over in stall and he acted like he was going to bite 
my hand, and since he opened his mouth a few inches away, he got a 3 second 
kill act, only time I have ever done it. He moved away, sort of taken aback, 
and I did have to call him over and pet him and start again as he seemed a 
bit scared (sort of the idea).
   So , now the last two times, he instead of moving forward  about 1/3 of 
the time, he turns to bite at the whip(or maybe my hand?)-- He  and Rascal 
and the donkey do some bitey stuff, so I'm thinking he is trying the same 
thing with me.
  Any tips? I haven't smacked him ever with a whip, not sure if this would 
help or harm the problem.He has no fear of humans, sort of the puppy  
syndrome.
   I may just have to persist and do what I am doing, as this looks like a 
challenge. He has never been hit or whipped or any force other than 
persistant pressure .He has never had any vices. Just been  growing up in 
the pasture with the other 3.
    I am trying to use the 'go forward' cue so when we are leading and he 
balks, I can use it  to get him unstuck. It has worked before, just not sure 
if this is a learning cycle (bad) , or if it is a challenge. Or if I took 
the wrong tack ,by tapping too hard, too fast and he is letting me know I am 
being unfair.
   I am trying to get on a consistant weekly schedule working with him...
   He is not fearful, or mean, and pretty mellow, with maybe a stubborn 
streak or maybe it is just the 12 year old boy inside him.......

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