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Re: [RC] Help with kicking leaping bolter - rides2farYou need to > bust him down to "private"...hard...and you do it with GROUND MANNERS. Well, I'm trying to figure out where you got the idea he's got bad ground manners. This is a horse I can walk up to in the field anywhere with a halter & lead. He stands quietly and lowers his head for the halter. He walks very respectfully at my side on a loose lead. He stands very nicely for grooming letting me handle him pretty much anywhere. He does act touchy about his rear feet but has never threatened me, just jerks them up kinda nervously. He doesn't drag me around. Ponied well right off. The only thing he's acted like he didn't care for was tightening the girth but he just makes a face. No aggression. Out of 4 horses he's 2nd in command in the field so he's no pushover there, but he hasn't shown me that side. I don't quite get where everyone seems to think I'm hurrying things just walking him down the trail after 3 mo. under saddle. I guess never having had an arena it seems very normal to me to break a horse on the trail. To me an arena is a great big area for things to go wrong and it's hard for a horse to grasp the concept of moving from here to there, whereas following another horse down the trail and doing what he does is a very natural sort of thing. The horse ahead stops, the reins tighten and you stop. Next time the reins tighten just before the horse ahead stops. The horse associates the tightened rein with the stop. If he gets stupid there's a mentor's rump to bump into instead of an arena to buck across. This horse has been the most willing one I've ever started. He enjoys going out on the trail and does a good job of looking obstacles over carefully and proceeding. He's been very light on the bit, moved off my legs well from the beginning. Stands quietly tied to the trailer even when taken away from home. No neighing. Sometimes paws when waiting to be fed but never when I'm fooling with him. He accepts things very well if given the chance. I think he's very intelligent. He has had one type experience which could contribute to some panic behavior. I have to tie him higher than his head because he has a habit of getting his head under the rope, trying to raise it then panicing if the rope's behind his ears. Some horses do this a time or two by accident but he's done it practically every time tied to a post at nose level. If tied higher he's very relaxed and has never shown any tendancy to sit back on a rope. When it's behind his ears he pulls back very dramatically and when it comes off he stands quietly again. He had no problem at all with me introducing the crupper. I put it on almost from the beginning and he didn't even mind the first time it tightened up. He isn't opposed to having his rear end groomed at all. He genuinely seems to like people. I saw him bounce his rear end up at Kaboot *once* and Kaboot chased him for 50 yards biting his rump. Maybe I should pony Kaboot from him? >g< If having somebody rope his rear foot would suddenly cure him I'd love to try that but have no doubt my horse would rip a muscle that took 2 years to heal. I am reading every note you guys are sending and appreciate every one. New good ideas and interesting experiences just keep coming. If I don't manage to answer you in depth it's because I'm a little sick (stuffed up nose, headache, not sure what achiness is from fall or sick :-P) I wondered yesterday if I'd have a problem wanting to get back on him but today I can't wait. Wish I'd felt better and it hadn't rained. I'm encouraged by how well he accepted the stuff in his tail. He'll get ponied with everything under the sun on him over the Thanksgiving Break (two day week YEAH!) Angie ________________________________________________________________ Juno Platinum $9.95. Juno SpeedBand $14.95. Sign up for Juno Today at http://www.juno.com! Look for special offers at Best Buy stores. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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