leading difficulty

[jaffacake]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone can give me some tips on leading my 16hh TB/Ish as he quite big compare to me ,and seems to take the mick and not move when i ask him to move forwards, for example getting him out of the field he seems to lock his legs and i have to pull him and go back to him and almost push him now ...and he seems to be getting worse as he has started to stop before loading I'm not sure why ??

Thanks

[desktop]

Have you tried using a pressure halter?

[jaffacake]

no but that is a good idea

[speedysally]

have you tried working with him on the ground as supposed as just riding? it helped alot when i got my ex racehorse as it taught her how to respond to me on the lunge and listen to me more and have more manners and most of all respect for me (as she was always far too bargy and never wanted to walk forward in the field like yours when i was leading her!) hope this helps and you find a solution :-)

[sarahk]

When my horse plants and refuses to move being led usually into the stable i walk to end of leadrope and stand there facing fowards not looking at him, he has a think then makes his mind up to follow me. I use same technique loading

[ashleigh19]

Sarahk, this is exactly what I have to do...When we bought our Section C he was in the same stable as bought of our yard, but all of a sudden refused to go into his stable when we took him over, I try the mean hard approach and he wasnt fazed, then I started using a lick to encourage him...now i know hes not scared just stubbern I just turn my back on him and leave him. And the same with the trailer. He soon gets bored as hes not getting the reaction/attention he wants. Jaffacake I would try a dually halter or something similar maybe.....should work as he will learn that when he walks forward and leads nice the pressue is released

[onlineforequine]

A fab piece of equipment is the EHRA Equibit. It is a polyeurathane chifney style bit which improves your horses obedience in hand and on the ground which is perfect for improving manners and obedience. It is designed to be far more ethical than the chifney as it does not contain a port and therefore does not cause compression injury to the lower jaw.

Have a look hun, really helps with loading my mare

[libbigail]

I'm a fan of the dually headcollars (when used correctly), seen them work wonders on several horses including my own. Also lots of groundwork exercises, possibly even with an instructor to get him listening to and respecting you.

[workingcob]

Apr 22, 2012 13:42:33 GMT onlineforequine said:

A fab piece of equipment is the EHRA Equibit. It is a polyeurathane chifney style bit which improves your horses obedience in hand and on the ground which is perfect for improving manners and obedience. It is designed to be far more ethical than the chifney as it does not contain a port and therefore does not cause compression injury to the lower jaw.

Have a look hun, really helps with loading my mare

Personally, I'd rather see someone try to resolve ground handling issues with a dually or similar pressure halter than any kind of bit, let alone one in any way related to a chifney however ethical. Used correctly, a dually can transform a horse's behaviour just using simple pressure/release - even the biggest, most unruly characters.

Every dually comes with a DVD explaining how to use it and is one of the most useful bits of kit any horse owner can have. We use it regularly - poor loaders, pushy horses who don't lead politely, long reining, young horses more comfortable to work without a bit etc. About £40 and well worth it, IMHO

Modified to add, for OP's horse I would use a dually and do some basic work on moving your horse around - getting him to step back when asked, lateral work etc, perhaps walking him over plastic sheeting, backing up through L shape poles on the ground. His behaviour in the field sounds like he is testing you to see if you are the lead partner in the relationship - he is having some doubts perhaps that you are totally in charge of who does what. Using the dually and correct exercises on the ground - exercises where you dictate where his feet go - helps reset the relationship between you and your horse

[onlineforequine]

Apr 22, 2012 19:17:53 GMT workingcob said:

Apr 22, 2012 13:42:33 GMT onlineforequine said:

A fab piece of equipment is the EHRA Equibit. It is a polyeurathane chifney style bit which improves your horses obedience in hand and on the ground which is perfect for improving manners and obedience. It is designed to be far more ethical than the chifney as it does not contain a port and therefore does not cause compression injury to the lower jaw.

Have a look hun, really helps with loading my mare

Personally, I'd rather see someone try to resolve ground handling issues with a dually or similar pressure halter than any kind of bit, let alone one in any way related to a chifney however ethical. Used correctly, a dually can transform a horse's behaviour just using simple pressure/release - even the biggest, most unruly characters.

Every dually comes with a DVD explaining how to use it and is one of the most useful bits of kit any horse owner can have. We use it regularly - poor loaders, pushy horses who don't lead politely, long reining, young horses more comfortable to work without a bit etc. About £40 and well worth it, IMHO

Modified to add, for OP's horse I would use a dually and do some basic work on moving your horse around - getting him to step back when asked, lateral work etc, perhaps walking him over plastic sheeting, backing up through L shape poles on the ground. His behaviour in the field sounds like he is testing you to see if you are the lead partner in the relationship - he is having some doubts perhaps that you are totally in charge of who does what. Using the dually and correct exercises on the ground - exercises where you dictate where his feet go - helps reset the relationship between you and your horse

I think my issue with a dually is that the pressure is applied to one side and therefore causes uneven pressure on the face; I do however know of many people who have had huge successes with them.

I agree pressure halters are fantastic but when horses are very heavy to begin with sometimes working with a bit, then modifying it to a halter, then a head collar ensures the training is embedded thoroughly.

[sarahp]

It's just a shame more horses, especially big ones, aren't properly schooled to be polite and handlable when babies and more manageable.

[kilnstown]

May 9, 2012 7:33:22 GMT sarahp said:

It's just a shame more horses, especially big ones, aren't properly schooled to be polite and handlable when babies and more manageable.

I agree, sometimes I think there is still this old fashioned attitude about over handling youngsters, and they are not taught correctly to do the basics, which then results in this sort of problem.

[sarahp]

They learn really quickly as weaned foals and once done over their first winter it sticks, after that mine only come in for farrier etc when required and often aren't touched except for checking for weeks on end.

I do agree it's possible to over handle foals, but that to me means allowing them to get too familiar and over confident and hence cheeky - if always taught their place in life, ie below humans in the pecking order, and that when they are with humans they are expected to behave properly there should be no trouble at all. Far better than trying to instill manners into some huge adolescent too full of its own importance!

[catkin]

Hooray for SarahP's approach. A well handled foal is a joy, an over-handled foal lacking respect is definitely not and I do believe this translates to their ridden work at a later stage. Nip it in the bud NOW!