Manners

[reachforthestars]

I wondered whether you could all help me:

How can I Teach my boy to have proper manners? He has them when he wants them but in hi mind when he wants to do something he will do it! I'm strict with him and don't let him get say with things but he never learns!

When we go places he goes in his bridle and when we go up to the field or whether because he has some respect with it, but I want him to respect everything.

I do ground work with him and he can be good with that, he jut tosses his head every so often. But in his stable and new places everything good he knows goes out the window. He looses his manners and his patience and will not wait for anything!

I don't quite no what to do, as I can tell him no! And that he is being a naughty boy but he is so naughty and sometimes it's cheeky, that telling him no doesn't work.

What can I do? (Please no crit as I'm just asking for advise)

[gillwales]

for your own safety make sure you wear gloves when you lead him and suitable footwear, maybe even a hard hat . Be certain you are consistent when you handle him. It would be useful to know how old your lad is, how big, his breed and colt, stallion or gelding? How big are you? Not being personal merely if your lad is big and you are small you will need to be very firm.

[reachforthestars]

Okay thankyou

He is 8 but very immature, 15h, tb x welsh, gelding.
I am about 5'8/9

[sometime]

I would go back tot he ground work in a suitable halter not his bridle and get respect from the word go dont give an inch or he will take a mile be very firm but fair and very quick to release pressure when he gives. start with simple achievable aims
walking calmly for a few yards stopping starting and always make sure he is out of your space by pushing him back if he gets too close. Then progress onto turning him away from you never towards you a lot of people make the mistake of turning a horse into themselves ie to the left all the time always turn him to the right and again make sure you control his feet and keep him in his own space. When he is confident and happy to walk quietly an arms length away from you you can start to take him out and about again make sure he always stays out of your space. If you are not sure what I mean look up your local Intelligent Horsemanship recommended associate who will come and give you lessons in the best way to get control of your boy.
There are other ways that involve holding a stick in your hand or lots of other methods but I prefer the former and start that way with all my foals who now as adults are often commented on for their good manners

[reachforthestars]

That's brilliant thankyou! I will start that tonight

[sarahp]

Likewise sometime!

[lulah]

Good advice from sometime. I prefer to use pressure halters like the month roberts dually halter as opposed to a bridle. Good luck and praise him when he gets it right.

[sarahp]

Likewise, halters all the way. I use the ordinary rope ones, only because I always have since long before Monty Roberts and IH, and I haven't bothered to change. And they can be adjusted to fit all sizes, useful at my place where they will be on anything from A foals to adult Ds.

There's a Richard Maxwell one too, and I've heard tell of one, but not seen it, that has metal studs all round the inside of the headpiece, I'd avoid that like the plague!

[sometime]

Metal stud one is the be nice halter and yea avoid that one. I use a Richard Maxwell one with a long lead rope

[reachforthestars]

My friend has a monty Roberts one that I use sometimes. I've been doing the Inhand things with him, making him walk at about the distance of the lead rope from me. Just to check I'm doing it right, when he tries to come over to me I tell him no and push him back and away??

[sarahp]

Sometimes I do it that way, but if I have one causing a particular problem that insists on running its shoulder into me when led I hold a key out toward him in my right hand so that if he comes over he runs into it, with no reaction at all from me, he needs to think he's done it to himself. Someone on here uses her long fingernail the same way, great and always available but mine are too short. It needs to be something like that that is sharp enough to be unpleasant but not sharp enough to do any damage.

Do forwards, backwards and turns on the forehand until he is very light and obedient in all directions. Then you will be able to move his feet around where you want them just with hand signals. Stand back in the box while you put feed in? Easy. Move his feet into the correct position to be looked at by a judge while showing? Easy. Move over in the box? Easy. Your body language is very important - pressure on without fighting, and release halter and huge praise at the smallest obedience. I'm currently doing three foals here and they learn really quickly at that age.

[sometime]

As Sarah says that is the correct way you need to have control of his feet so make sure he always has his feet where you want them to be and be very quick to release the pressure. The dually is a good tool too just a variation of a halter. As long as he respects your space and will stand in his own on his own then you are making progress. You do need to ask more and more of him so you can correct him it is no use him always getting it right he needs to get it wrong sometimes so you can confirm the rules. Adding the pressure of new places and new things like weaving poles, tarpaulins and small spaces will increase the pressure on his training but you can still do them in a confined space like a school. If he loads on a good weather day load him up and take him to a different school they are easy to hire and work through your spacial awareness in a different area. In time try at a show in hand and then try a ridden lesson away from home and eventually a ridden show. His manners should at that point be second nature and nothing will phase him