Green Broke Mare - Wont Trot - Lazy Stubborn or Clueless?

Thank you and I realize that I live in an area where this has been practiced for a very long time and what is very common for us might be strange for others.

The lead horse has to be chosen and matched to fit the training and sometimes a good place to start is just having the young horse in a pen next to the older one.
Some cases a handler might put them in together for a bit so that they can kind of work it out.

I would suggest that a person that has not done this before not wrap or dally the lead rope around the horn or tie it on to anything.

The lead horse may become a bit irritated with the young horses lack of enthusiasm and squeal,cow kick,or nip,so a handler should always be on the lookout for bad behavior.

Think of it like a very small trail ride that might only last 10 minutes.

It is best to start out in a small pen and not get all hung up about the lead rope at first.
Just with being there with a second horse will inspire more movement from the young one in most cases.

If there is any nervousness the young one will lock on (just like they do in the herd) and track right along to gain comfort.

The young horse will aquaint themselves with seeing a rider above them if they have not been ridden yet and the second rider can "Circle up" (just like they do in a herd)the young one if you are riding the young one for the first time and loose some directional control.

These pictures are of a young three year old that we were "Inspiring"...Ha!

Marecare has it right. I often forget how many miles I ponied my young horses on a lead. Probably as many miles as I walked behind them with long lines.

I worked about 400 acres on the dairy farm with 300 of that contiguous acreage. I would take my older quiet horse out and when we got out back where it was perimeter fenced and take the young horse off the pony lead and allow the young one to tag along (which, being herd animals, they did). Got the young horse used to all sorts of stuff.. from various footing and terrain to wildlife (including turkeys flying up in our faces etc.) and cattle.

I never had another horse give my youngster a lead to get into a trot when we were doing first rides because no one else rode except me. I have had a lead when I was a very beginner rider about 40 years ago (where did THAT time go!).

We have about 2 feet of snow where I am and ice so I wont be able to give ponying a try just yet. We do have one mare that bonded really well with my horse that I ride frequently. She is defiantly the lead mare in the heard and my horse is about as close as anyone to her. The only thing is that this mare (even being 22) is VERY hot. She just about as big as a pony and pure Arabian out of Scottsdale on fire. She use to be a barrel racer and it takes a good 30min ride to get her calmed down. My only fear with the pony thing is that my horse mite pick up some bad habits from the older mare. Or not even try to keep up. I free lunge her sometimes in the arena with an older grey mare and my horse will more or less just stand in one spot while the other horse trots/runs around. I’m not afraid of any kicking or biting between the older mare and my horse but I think another horse will just complicate our situation. She is much more focused with another person in the arena with me than another horse.