Joining-Up

let us know how things go. when she runs to the gate keep moving her on, dont give up or she'll keep doing it.

ok thanx again. Thats exactly what i plan to do. ill let you know how it goes. :)

Are you using a round pen?

Make sure you are cueing her properly. If you were, she wouldn't be stopping at the gate. The idea of join-up is to keep 'er moving. Slap the lunge against your leg, make your appearance bigger with your arms, stare at her in the eye, walk towards her in an assertive way.

Good luck!!

Thanx Hali. Let me refresh your memory incase you misunderstood my very first response, sometimes i dont say things right the first time lol...actually most of the time but i'm a blonde so go ahead and make fun haha. Last week i tried to just free longe her for the heck of it, i was not trying to do anything whatsoever with join-up I wasnt in a round pen whatsoever. It was a pen that is in the shape of and L and the other 2 horses were in the other pen which is round and a lot bigger. When i tried to longe her, she went all the way around and would stop at the gate to see the other horses than when i caught up with her she would bolt off in the direction i told her to go and back to the gate. I have to say that it was quite difficult working in this pen because im used to the round pen. I should have put the other horeses away too i guess to maybe keep her attention focused on me. that was probably the major problem.

Ahhhh that makes sense! For whatever reason I misunderstood and thought it was in a round pen.

yea well once again hali i noticed after i looked back im like "why dont i make sense here?" lol sorry again. But i woulda thought she would stay around me cuz i had just taken off the longe line and im like "ok lets see what happens." by the way i did not get after her because i knew it was the other horses dragging her attention, of course when she ran over to the gate i would urge her in a different direction though. I'm not sure where i'm going with this...lol WAIT!... were you saying "AHHHH that makes sense" after i said i was blonde?

Sounds like you understand the basics of join up and have done your research somewhat...but please don't try join up in an L shaped pen...it's not going to end the way you hope. You need a proper area to do join up. That's like trying to practise diving into a sandpit...wrong tools so bad outcome. As for the gate, you need to give her an extra push right before the gate. Then let her go a lap and see if it still has her attention...you need to get her attention solely on you and you do that by driving her forward. I've never used a whip of any sort while doing join up, at most a lead rope for in my hand.

I have to disagree with Hali though - you can't drive a horse forward if you're looking in front of them. You need to keep your shoulders square with her hip, eyes on her rump, obviously watch the rest with your periphrial (sp?) vision, and drive from behind with the appropriate arm. If you look ahead of her or move your shoulders forward, she'll either stop moving forward or turn around and go the other way because you're blocking her path.

Let us know how it goes and try to find a round pen to work her in for the best results. I'm all for being thrifty and using what you have, but by the sounds of it you do have a round enclosure at your disposal to work her in and you'll get the best results in there.

thank you eveningshadows! yes i do have a round pen...but i wasnt trying to do the join-up in the L shaped pen, just messing around at that time and just free longing. Yea i wont use a whip when i do it either, just the longe line. I have seen many different videos on youtube and its funny to see some younger people trying this with their horse and they are doing it totally wrong, than they just turn around and wait for their horse to walk up to them thinking they have accomplished it, i feel bad cuz i know it didnt work and they got all excited waiting for them. I will do it exactly as i have watched the great monty roberts do it.

Just so everyone knows: I have done Join-up in a 70 ft x 120 ft arena, outdoors, with my horse on a lunge line.
It is very possible. We don't have the round pen, so I make use of what I do have: Body language, and patience.
I have joined up with my boy, Zip, this way, and now, it's a regular exercise for us. [Once monthly, at least] He and I bond really well, and it just strengthens his respect for me.
The other horse I have used join-up with is an over-weight, agressive, Alpha mare. She's over-weight because her owner is not a horse person, and I asked for permission to work with her, because I couldn't stand seeing Lucy waste away in the pasture. Join-up does not mean "free lunge and it's not possible to do it any other way." You're lucky you have the round pen, but if it isn't available, make use of space you have.
It's a powerful connection between horse and rider/owner/trainer/handler, and I hope you appreciate it as much as I do, every single time. =]