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stuck in reverse

875 views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Smilie 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a 17hh ten walker/racker that hasn't been rode in quite some time an I been trying to get her back with me first of all she is hooked at the hip with my gelding too leave the barn is a fight in reverse I was told three different things to do with her CONFUSED one was to the one rein stop then bring her back to where I started an try to walk off again an continue this till she decides reverse isn't going to work second is let her back up an when she stops make her back up more third is to make her back up so fast that she will fall backwards im not too keen on that one I can see the point but she can get hurt an I can get hurt 14 stories is along way to fall lol I was told this by real cowboys that ride herd so ok guys need your opinion or answers please I posted a simililar post an had one response but my system wont let me open it or something is wrong on that end I would be greatly appreciated :cry: any help !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#6 ·
You need to teach her to go forward....first, on the ground, leading. Hold the lead rope in your left hand, and the crop in the right, resting your right hand as far up as you can reach.
Tell her "WALK", and tap the crop lightly on her croup. Tap progressively harder, if neefed, and then AS SOON AS she steps forward, quit tapping. Repeat the lesson a couple of times a day, for a few days.
I would not ride during this time.
After a few successful days, saddle up and use the crop the same way. Be careful not to pull on her when she goes forward. You might even need someone on the ground to lead her, while you concentrate on making the lesson clear to the horse.

Good luck!
 
#7 ·
Seems like a pretty big issue and your advice is interesting. #1 doesn't make sense to me and sounds like it anything it would make it worse. #2 has SOME basis, but you would need to turn her away in the direction you WANT to go (so she is effectively doing what you want) and clearly she is fine with backing up, so I wouldn't use that method, #3 is flat out dangerous and absurd. Yes let's teach a horse the worst case scenario so she can practice and perfect! Now you have a horse that backs AND flips! Yay!...

Agree. She needs to learn forward and that backwards is NOT an option. Ever. (I would go so far as to make a point of NOT backing her whenever possible until this is 110% fixed.

Starting on the ground is good but she may be difficult under saddle still, you may need professional help, if you push too hard she may fight back.

While that's a major training issue I would also work on the buddy sour issue as that seems to be the cause of all of this and is a huge issue on its own. Work on that on the ground and look at management practices. There are lots of good threads on here about handling that.

I would work on forward within her "happy zone" to start and handle the issues separately to begin with.
 
#8 ·
DO NOT BACK A HORSE as punishment, that already is escalating balking by backing
Whoever told you to back her fast, so she will fall over, all I can say, bad advise!
Horses that balk by backing, learn all on their own, to often run backwards, not carrying where they are going
You have lost 'forward\, and have to get that, even if starting from the ground.
 
#9 ·
We call what she's doing 'napping' in the UK
Backing a horse up when its doing that is a very bad idea - you certainly don't want a horse coming down on top of you. Horses that 'nap' often turn to rearing as a Plan B and backing up puts the weight on the rear end in a great position for a rear
Quite often using a whip or spurs forcefully on a napping horse will result in a bucking and rearing episode but I have found that if someone comes behind them with a lunge whip that can work
Using the one rein stop technique to bring the horse round and round in a tight circle is about the best thing I've ever found to work
You can also try sitting it out and hope they get bored before you do - listen to music or an audio book!!!
 
#10 ·
A horse that learns to run backwards, is as dangerous as a horse that learns to rear or buck, when resisting the cues to go foreward. Maybe not such a bad thing, when you have lots of even open ground, but dangerous when you are near a drop off!
When a horse is evading that forward, by backing, he is not concerned as to where he is backing.
Your horse does not sound where it is at that level YET, or learning to run backwards, so I would fix that vise, just like rearing or bucking, and that means to instill forward. Some horses that have learned to run backwards, will actually just speed up, when some aid is applied, like a legs or bat. You can control the speed and direction of that back up, moving those hips, if the horse is responsive to aids, but I would start on the ground, and get that forward, each and every time you ask for it
 
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