New here... round pen question!

Hi there, I have a 2.5 yr old QH filly that I am training. I have only owned her for about a month and we have recently built a round pen and I am eager to start her training.

She has a very quiet dispostion and has had a lot of ground work done by her prior owners.

My problem is getting her moving in the roundpen. She just stands there. And even if I get her moving it isn't for long. I've waved my arms, used my voice, tossed the lead at her hind, tryed a whip (although I don't have one that 'snaps'). I would like to avoid using actual physical contact.

I'm not sure how to progress with round pen training if I can't even get her out on the rail... any advise would be great... I'm new to training and using a roundpen... although I have ridden most of my life.

P.S I am pregnant and want to avoid getting too forceful with her back end, she's very quiet but she is a 2 year old after all.

Thanks!

I probably shouldn't reply because I may not make complete sense ( its 2.10AM here at the moment).

Have you tried:

1. Pushing her head away from you and clicking your tongue?
2. Telling her to walk on/trot on?

Sorry, that's all I have for now.

Everyone is going to get sick of my pushing this, but look into Monty Roberts and his join up methods.

Why do I push it so hard? I've used it dozens of times and its NEVER failed me yet.

Good luck with the horse, and the pregnancy!!! :)

Hi! It's excellent that you want to start your filly's training in a round pen.

My advice is to get a lunge whip that snaps

Are you aware of your body position while trying to lunge her? She could be stopping because you are in front of her driveline.

I realize you want to avoid making physical contact BUT...

If you have a real lunge whip (the one that snaps, lol) you are far enough away from the filly to keep you out of harms way (I understand you are expecting, congrats!) and if she simply wont go she does need to be "spanked." One good wallop on the TOP of her rump usually does the trick. Then take the whip away.

There is another user on here who just got a roundpen and I posted a reply for her: http://www.horseforum.com/viewtopic....036&highlight=

Maybe my advice there might help too.

Good luck, hope some of this was helpful!

Get a lunge whip that you can snap, a lot of times that is enough to get her to respect it, and in the future you wont always have to be so forceful. If it doesnt work, you may need to make contact. Some horses need the reminder that the whip can, and will if necessary, hit them. Not that you have to beat her, but sometimes even letting it "tickle" her will get them moving.

Another thing that seems to work is attaching a plastic bag to the end of a whip and shaking it. Usually they have no problem understanding to move forward with that chasing them.

I am pregnant, too... when are you due? I'm pregnant with my second, and continued to ride with my first until I was 8 months pregnant. I'll probably stop a little earlier this time...

Thanks for the help, I will try those suggestions. I would really like her to just jog around the round pen until I say otherwise, but right now it is a learning experience for her and I.

Hrt4Dressage... I am due at the end of March and this is my second pregnancy as well (I have a 20mth old daughter). I started riding with my first pregnancy but took a fall off our old reliable horse (he didn't try to get me off, he just fell and so did I) so because of that I will not be riding this pregnancy. However it works out, because my horse isn't broke anyway! Haha, it's ground work until next summer!

This is my 2 yr old QH.

My mare was the same way when I started lunging. She wouldn't move and wanted to be with me. I sent her out and when she'd start slowing and stopping I smacked her once with the whip on the top of the rump and said keep going. Ever since then I can just say keep going if she slows and snap the whip and not have to hit her. She knows I mean it if I say it. You may have to use the whip once on your mare to show her you mean it. Then maybe just snapping it after that will be enough. I know all horses aren't the same but it's worth a try.

I agree with everyone about the whip. Get a long one, where you can tap her from the middle so you don't have to chase them around, and make sure you cluck a couple times. If she doesn't go, cluck again and then tap her with the whip. She will get the picture that if she doesn't move forward for the cluck, she will get tapped.

Great advice valleychick121- I agree!!!

I was so busy talking about the whip I believe I left out voice commands in my last post... very important!