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problem lunging

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  regardinghorses 
#1 ·
hi there,i have a 17.3hh idxtb who had a very bad start in life i bought him september 06 he was a nervous wreck boney and would not even take treat from your hand,he is now up to weight,muscle and eats like a horse :lol: i backed him etc and is 100% on roads but am now at a new yard with a indoor and outdoor school and he needs schooling.I have one problem tho,he wont lunge on his right rein without rearing yet will go round on left rein with side reins and looks stunning,does anyone have any advice? :? mel xx
 
#2 ·
You might try taking him back to square one on that side...get a helper to walk with him when you are going to the right. When he's going well at a walk/slow trot, remove the person. He is also probably very stiff on that side, causing the reaction because he feels unbalanced and uncomfortable. There are stretching excercises you can do with him while he's standing still. Also, lateral work in the saddle will help.
 
#5 ·
I've recently gotten interested and began learning the Parelli Natural Horsemanship method. It's great for all horses, but especially those who are nervous because of a rough past. There are different "games" that you play both on the ground and in the saddle that are geared towards establishing you as his leader as well as desensitization. Parelli does everything on both sides of the horse, including mounting, for that purpose. Sounds like something that would be very helpful and rewarding for both of you if you are interested.
 
#6 ·
Hi there,i have looked on parrelli website and it looks brill,he does already do some of the games as i backed him nateral but he still is nervous.I have someone working on him to see what he does tomorrow!What horses do you have? Have you done any parrelli? mel xx 8)
 
#7 ·
I do Parelli as well, and I can guarentee you that it will help your horse tons if you decide to do it. I found this quick little article Parelli wrote about horses that are one sided. It might give you a few ideas.

One Sided

Because horses are prey animals they have bi-lateral vision. They see things out of each eye in distinct ways and when they feel unconfident or nervous they can overreact when you switch from one side to the other.

Humans tend to be creatures of habit and ritual, and one of the rituals that has evolved in modern horsemanship is to do things from the left side of the horse: approach from the left, put the halter on from the left, lead from the left, saddle from the left, bridle from the left mount from the left, dismount from the left, unsaddle from the left, unbridle from the left...get the picture? Unwittingly, what this does is cause the horse to become one-sided.

When we start with young horses in Parelli, we do everything from both sides so they do not become one sided. When we get mature horses that are already one-sided, we do more from the other side until it’s balanced out.

The more you can think like a horse the more you’ll understand what his needs are and how to balance them out naturally... mentally, emotionally and physically.
 
#9 ·
I'm still really new to Parelli; I've just started working with two foxtrotters and an appy/arab. The foxtrotters have been doing Parelli games for a few years, so they're more teaching me than anything. I'm going to start with the appy/arab though, and she hasn't done it at all. One of the foxtrotters is a pretty nervous, highly-sensitive horse, and the games have done wonders for him. It's taken a while though ... months and months before he really settled into it. Even with just these few horses it's obvious that they learn at different rates, so don't give up! My 18-year-old tb mare is also very sensitive and more than a little flighty. She does much better with my mom and I because we have worked with her very consistently for years and she trusts us. She still spooks at times, but she trusts us to take care of her. Being patient and building up a relationship are key!
 
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