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What next?

3K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Emeraldsprings 
#1 ·
When I first got my horse he had been in the hands of a horse trader that didn't like horses. The day we went to look at him my dad rode first and he had a fit but calmed down as he went on. Since he was gonna be my horse I had to ride him. Somehow we clicked and I bought him the next week. When I brought him home he was well behaved but was confused if he was ever asked to do something more complex than follow the lead and stop. He would break nervous and freeze with his head stuck up in the air if you made the slightest move towards him. He now approaches if I hold my palm up to him, lowers his head in the halter, moves his hind quarters if I point at them, and has now become an overall different horse. He wants to learn and be petted on but I don't know what else to teach him. I want it to be something useful that I'd do every day. I would like to keep things interesting for him and give him a challenge any time I can. I can only do ground work, no round pen, any ideas?
 
#4 ·
I do a little game with my horse when we walk to help her learn where to walk. I walk with her head by my shoulder. I will then say "1,2,3,whoa" and she has to stop at the correct position or she has to go back 3 steps. For her to go back I say "fix it". I also walk along and will say "Go Slow" and then walk very slowly and she has to keep time with me. Another thing is to teach them to lower their head.
 
#5 ·
I can't ride since it's cold and I have nowhere to ride other than up the road and back. I do something similar but since he walks behind I'll just randomly slow down to a stop, he usually stops then takes a step back to give me room. I have taught him to lower his head, it's a life saver for a tall horse lol.
 
#6 ·
More information?? His age & apparent training? Your desires for him? I don't understand why 'it's cold' is a reason not to ride, but if you only have up & down the road to ride, will you be having more later? And you can still do stuff on a bit of road if you want... depending on traffic of course.

I'm guessing that this horse is very green/little trained, and I'd effectively start him from scratch. First teaching him to yield(move from softly, reliably, with understanding) to pressure in all sorts of ways, and with different parts of his body, so he is controlled and movable in any direction on lead, with reins, and as a preparation for using leg aids when riding. Then just get him out & about, doing/experiencing different stuff, see how he handles stuff, get him comfortable/confident doing stuff with you. Then take the saddling & riding one small step at a time, just see where he's at, don't expect him to know everything, so aim to teach him what you want in small, easy lessons.
 
#7 ·
@loosie - I don't know where the OP lives, but here the ground is rock hard (frozen and lumpy) and slippery. It's cold, but we have no snow that stays. I only ride out, or in the garden - now that my knee is still weak from an accident and my mare is not ready to go back, so right now riding is out of the question.

OP - Have you tried ground poles or little jumps?

I teach the horses I work with regularly a solid 'stand' - whether at the mounting block, ground tie, or when I take the head collar off and they are to stay with me until I say "Off, Pumpkin/Spyro/Fazerina".

How broke is he? Is he used to rope, or tarp, touching his body and feet, and things like rope slammed next to him - a great exercise to build trust.



I love that mare on the video, she is exactly like the TB version of my Talila. She was like that when she came to me. And the head would go up (shaking nervously at first) every time you touched her face, or took the head collar off. So nervous, so sensitive.

Here is my much more relaxed, but at times reactive, mare.


Btw, where are the pictures of your boy??
 
#8 ·
He is a 4 yo twh, he is broke very well and knows how to handle himself in the woods. He is to be my trail mount and possibly show (doubt it tho). I have worked with tossing his lead across his neck and back and around his feet. The ground is wet, muddy, and slick so I have to take things slow. We don't have poles or jumps :/. Right now he is in the barn to stay out of the rain since he has a mild case of rain scal. Idk how I will try the tarp since we don't have a round pen. All we have is cross ties.
 

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#11 ·
Well it doesn't have to be a proper shop bought mounting block, (we just use a convenient box or little steps, a chair etc) you could maybe just teach him to stand still at different places as if you are going to mount him. It's definitely something you will need him to do in the future.
 
#12 ·
I grew up with lots of horses and not much money. My sisters and I showed in 4-H and we made obstacles to practice barrel racing and poles out of just about anything. We have pics of us practicing poles with branches stuck into the ground.

Where there is a will there is a way. A turned over bucket can be a mounting block, a trash can becomes an obstacle to trot and bend around,

I also do not have a round pen or an indoor. I ride and work in my pasture and have improvised with a towel to desensitize my horse, a hay bale with an old fence post is my trot pole.

it does not take fancy equipment to help train your horse, just time and imagination. Your gelding is cute - good luck!
 
#14 ·
Do you have a step stool, cinder block, stump, or a picnic table? Teaching your horse to be mounted off a number of different items is great for on the trail. Basically you want him to line up to whatever you want.

If you have anything like a tarp or some plastic sheeting, you can teach him to walk across or drag it, or have it placed over his head.
 
#16 ·
Desensitization to everything :) tarps, flags, cap guns. Sounds, feels, sights...anything and everything.

Lunging. Lunging is endless and has so many options. Running them in circles is not the point. Work on strength, balance, transitions, poles, sidereins, etc etc.

Teach him tricks!

Liberty work is also great (if you have an enclosed space). Leading at liberty, lunging, obsticals, so much fun to be had!
 
#18 ·
How does mounting from the ground hurt their backs? I used to mount my old 28 yo bareback and just jumping. Any horse we've ever had was mounted from the ground with no ill effects. I just don't understand how it would hurt them? Today I got blow dried him, so that's one thing new.
 
#22 ·
It pulls their spine right around out of alignment.

It's easier for them to have your weight higher off the ground, just like it would be easier for us to lift something heavy, say a massive backpack, from a bench than picking it up from the ground.

Here's a slow motion video that lets you see what happens.


It also makes it easier for you not to have to pull your bodyweight up as far, easier on your joints too.
 
#19 ·
Nice boy you have :)

My mounting block is this, before I just used a garden chair. I don't have a round pen either, and neither did my workplace before.
I have built small obstacle with tiles and a broom. You can use all stuff to desensitise and work your horse.

Mounting from the ground puts an extra strain on the horse's back. The worst is to do it from one side only.

The truth is that many people can't see if there is some problem with their horse's back, muscles, and the way they carry themselves.
 
#21 ·
Aha! Thank goodness the council does twice yearly 'hard rubbish' collections around here ~ saved us some money over the years, upsizing kids bikes, while the littler ones were left on our pile for someone else's kids, for eg! Just scored me another lightweight, sturdy mounting block! Had 2 of these, found off a previous hard rubbish. Had one at home, one at the paddock & someone stole the one at the paddock!

And I've bought me a stock crate(to fit all my horses, way cheaper than a horse float), but I need to build a tack cupboard on the front & put dividers, etc into it. Was going to buy some steel tubing. But then I saw a steel bed frame on someone's hard rubbish... So did the rounds & now have well enough to do all I need, including enough left over to make a portable yard for when we go away!!
 

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