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Re: [RC] Training advice - mjwest02My mare has gotten better, but she is used to be hesitant to back out of the trailer and when she did - she would jerk her head up missing the top of the trailer by inches. I did ground work with her. Start teaching him to BACK - on level ground and on uphills/downhills - At my barn we have a wall with railroad ties - stacked 2 high. I take my mare and have her step UP - stand and then back off. For her, I think it helped her understand that her front feet WILL bend to get her off the edge. Horses will go forward, sideways, up and down on their own, but have you ever seen a horse playing, fighting or just walking "backwards?" It was also suggested that I have her back over obstacles - not only teaching her how to be agile, but also having her TRUST me when I ask her to do something. You have nothing to lose by practicing this.
Good luck to you.
-----Original Message----- From: Marlene Moss <marlene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: 'Ridecamp' <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:52:57 -0600 Subject: [RC] Training advice Ok, not entirely endurance related, but I?m trying to help a friend that is hoping to try her first ride this fall. She has an 8 yo paint gelding. He was just gelded last year and was actively breeding before she got him. He does not have good ground manners and is very strong and bossy.
I?ve given her some things to work on to help the ground manners and in the long run that should help the rest, but he just will NOT back out of her 2 horse trailer. He just bullies his way forward even if you get a couple steps back and will mostly just stand there no matter what you do. I?ve had pretty good successes getting horses to go into trailers and learn to back out calmly ? but I?m used to arabs where creating motion is the easy thing, then you just have to direct it. I am not good at creating motion when the horse does not want to move. Any suggestions?
We worked for a couple hours, but my final advice was to just leave him there if he wanted food or to get to his buddies. Four hours later he was still there. I had suggested that she leave him completely alone, but I think she spent most of the time trying to coax him out. I think today she will try again and ignore him as much as possible.
I was using a crop to tap on the front of his legs, first as a cue, then to annoy him into moving. He might take a couple steps back and I?d stop and praise him, but then next ask and he?d just bully his way forward. This guy is very strong and he knows it. He does back well in hand outside of the trailer ? I just can?t figure out a cue that I can use in a safe place when he?s in the trailer.
Thanks for any advice!
Marlene
Marlene Moss
www.KineticEquineAnalysis.com (saddle fit for the horse in motion)
Available for saddle fitting at
www.mossrockranch.com (sale horses and more)
719-351-5037 (cell)
719-748-9073 (home)
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