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SP28
Junior Member
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
 Posted - 18 May 2005 : 1:49:37 PM
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Hi everyone
I've not visited the site for sometime problems with my internet. Last time I visited when I had to decide whether to have my boy gelded. Eveyone was so helpful and I eventually sent him to the vets that was 18 months ago and I am so glad he is much nicer.
Anyway I am starting to school him but he just will not go forward he is the same lunging I have to chase him round, feels like he has his handbrake on. I've had the usual checks done teeth,back etc and everything is fine. As he won't go forward when he decides there is something he doen't like he just goes backwards. If I get off and lead him he goes past I then get back on and ride him past he goes past Has anyone any ideas I am getting really frustrated with him he is very lively when he is in the field.
Thanks
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:45:39 PM
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Can you hack or ride with other people? Once they get used to going out they start to really enjoy the change of scene, then you find you have to ask them to stop looking around quite so much!
Watch out that you're not putting leg on too much (i.e. a kick every stride or two) because they get very 'dead t0 the leg' and then you have to reschool them with a schooling whip, asking them to go forwards with one squeeze only, then backing up with the schooling whip if they won't oblige.
Someone came to try my Andalusian the other day and while he'd performed beaufully while she watched, when she got on she just couldn't get him to even walk forwards to the point that half way round the school, he just came to a standstill. Her riding style, a habit from her previous horse, was to keep giving a nudge with her heel to keep him going, but with Otan it got quite the opposite reaction. (We soon got her going but she found it hard not to kick). |
Roseanne |
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Esther
Gold Member
United Kingdom
866 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 5:02:09 PM
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You could have been talking about Spider 
Echo Roseanne - don't nag. Less is most definitely more, and I find I have to be very precise with my aids, backing off as soon as I feel the 'try'. He ain't half teaching me to ride. When we first got him, I was expecting a lively nutcase but what we got was an idle donkey  The more you 'get after him' the more walls he puts up. Variety is most definitely the spice of life - lots of transitions, and lots of hacking. He's actually not very confident, which didn't help. If you've got a more 'forward' horse that you can ride out with, it will be a bit easier.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. Spider, by keeping his work interesting and fun, is now much much more forward than he was - to the point where the last ride we took him on he was actually wanting to take the lead and was storming off in front: "right, people, follow me!". Now he is getting the hang of 'forward' out hacking, we've started to sneak a bit more formal schooling on him, and he actually gave us a nice walk trot and canter in the school in our last lesson. |
paranoid horsemother
 
Photo on far right thanks to West End Photography
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Eunette
Gold Member
United Kingdom
629 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 7:33:55 PM
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I have also had the same problem - sometimes if I feel he is lazy and go to kick him on a bit (even flicking him with them whip so he doesn't become dead to the leg) my boy just stops dead and refuses to move unless I completly relax - tell him how good he is etc he will then relax himself and walk on. Recently though because I have been riding at different times when there isn't much activity on the yard - he will decide he doesn't want to do anything (the other horses are out playing or tucked up in bed so why should he be working!) - whether it is riding out - in the school - in the field we will get half way out or round the school and he stops dead - if I put pressure on of any kind he starts backing up and napping to the gate - up to this point he is forward going - almost getting me into a false sense of security. I had no idea how to get round this I pushed him on - he went back. we stood still then tried again - I pushed him on while giving completly with my hands (just incase) he walked back - we stood still and then tried again - firm comands -WALK ON - tap with the whip light contact with the reins - now he is really anoyed - how dare I tap him with the whip! - back back back we go until he threatens to walk into the post and rail - how can I win! different tatic - I nudge him on whilst trying to turn him to avoid going back and to maybe encourage him to go somewhere - anywhere but out of the school - what a joke - he may be a part bred but his nose could be touching his side and he can still walk back oh and have a nip at my foot whilst he is there!!!
Oh how embarrasing another livery has spotted me unable to move my arab from beside the gate! they walk him back to the middle of the school and we try again (i hate having an audience!) - at this point I am wanting to cry! So as nothing else seems to work and as he really doesn't want to move anywhere but toward the gate I just make him stand - not fidgeting while he is standing but standing still after 10 minutes I try again - nope he still wants to go back so I don't try to hard I just stand him. after 20minutes I ask him gently to walk on - no leg required he took himself forward and walked on.
It was a long lesson - but I feel like it was worth it - He tried it on a few times afterwards - once on the road - which isn't the place to start backing up so I just stood him until he realise he went my way or we would stay there all night just standing - watching the world go by!
With some horses it's boredom with my boy he was testing me all the way I just had to find a way that wasn't a battle of will against will - but more like patience I could wait all night for him to go forward - he decided it wasn't worth waiting all night to get out of doing his job for 10 minutes!
Torey |
toreychalk@hotmail.com |
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Judi
Silver Member
England
494 Posts |
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Marie-Molly
Gold Member
United Kingdom
929 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 11:30:19 AM
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Found out something very interesting with my gelding: he is usually the most forward going boy, as long as I ride him "on the buckle". He has the most elongated paces, one is his "turbo jet" trot...
I recently took a lesson to get more "brakes" and was told to ride him with much more contact, and quite shorter reins. I tried that out hacking, result a horse with a very choppy walk, and the trot wasn't much better. Give him more reins, and he was back to his old self again. I guess that's that then! |
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SP28
Junior Member
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 12:59:27 PM
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| Thank you for all your replies I feel much better now that I am not alone. I will keep trying and hopefully we will get there. |
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blue
Silver Member
United Kingdom
275 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 1:21:57 PM
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Your certainly not alone, earlier in the year I posted about my mare Milly "the LAZY Arab". For me she was a shock to the system as I was used to riding my old girl the "typical" all snort and bounce Arabian, where as Milly is SOOOOOOOO laid back she'll fall over .
I am pleased to say that Milly is getting quicker, this I feel is down to doing more varied work (going on different hacks each day, doing some gentle schooling, etc) and the fact that she is getting fitter and more confidant. I broke Milly myself and she has since day one gone out on her own so alot of "scary" things she has incountered she has had to overcome without the support of another horse but we are getting there. In fact on Tuesday night I had to laugh as I said to her  "slow down Mill, you don't want to over do it" as she marched along head down like a woman on a mission
Don't worry, with hard work and patience you'll get there |
Tema & The Girls |
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Eunette
Gold Member
United Kingdom
629 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 2:44:34 PM
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Judi
I am glad I am not the only one! The first time he did it in the school I put it down to boredom so decided we would go for a walk round the village instead - we got stuck on the livery yard car park for 15 minutes him backing towards peoples cars me not having a clue how to sort out the problem. A guy who show jumps his horses found me and rolled his eyes in disgust - asking if needed a hand - I accepted his offer and sat there like a learner on top a riding school pony whilst he dragged us down the lane! The utter shame!
Sally - you will get there I am sure - not every horse is as naughty as mine!
Just reading your original post again - Have you only just started backing/schooling your boy? Did he do much work beforehand?
I have had my boy from day dot and when I first started to lunge him before he was backed he used to stop if he was unsure of what I was asking him to do, he is the same now when I try to canter him and I am lazy with my comands (I sometimes forget he is still learning)he slows right down and then halts as if asking me to help him out a little bit? These occassions are different to the above problem we had out of naughtiness.
Hope that helps
Torey
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