Conformation Judging

[mad4whp]

Doing an rihs M&M whp qualifier in Feb and have been practicing trotting up in hand but my pony is reluctant to go forward. Any tips or techniques I can use to help him go forward a little more??

[pipandwill]

I know it seems easy to 'drag' them, which im not suggesting you do. But he will resist more if you do that. While practicing at home just get someone to click/clap behind him a few times, usually after practicing like that a few times they get the idea.

[snowflake]

Try up a road where he may be more alert or forward; really reward him when he does well. Try running him along a wall/fence/hedge as it helps to keep them straight when you're running them up.

[sectiondcrazy]

I find that as I turn my section D back towards the judge I have to give him a quick flick with my cane or he won't go foward and goes sideways!!!
Xx

[soxsina]

This sounds awful, but you tend to only need to do it once and it works. When you turn, have someone stood with a schooling whip, ask the pony to trot (give it the chance) and if it does not respond immediately, the person with the whip should give it an almighty crack. Repeat it several times with the person still there in case it hasn't learnt its lesson first time, then remove the person to ensure the pony trots up without anyone standing there.

[kayjayem]

Feb 1, 2013 13:53:01 GMT soxsina said:

This sounds awful, but you tend to only need to do it once and it works. When you turn, have someone stood with a schooling whip, ask the pony to trot (give it the chance) and if it does not respond immediately, the person with the whip should give it an almighty crack.

Oh dear

[lfd]

Feb 14, 2013 14:49:00 GMT kayjayem said:

Feb 1, 2013 13:53:01 GMT soxsina said:

This sounds awful, but you tend to only need to do it once and it works. When you turn, have someone stood with a schooling whip, ask the pony to trot (give it the chance) and if it does not respond immediately, the person with the whip should give it an almighty crack.

Oh dear

i thought the same

[pencaedu]

Not sure if she meant crack the horse with the whip, or make the cracking noise with the whip?

[rightrein92]

Feb 1, 2013 13:53:01 GMT soxsina said:

This sounds awful, but you tend to only need to do it once and it works. When you turn, have someone stood with a schooling whip, ask the pony to trot (give it the chance) and if it does not respond immediately, the person with the whip should give it an almighty crack. Repeat it several times with the person still there in case it hasn't learnt its lesson first time, then remove the person to ensure the pony trots up without anyone standing there.

If you mean just flicking the whip to make a whooshing sound then yes but it works better for someone to click or clap nobody wants a whip shy pony that eventually will leap forwards when turned to the judge in anticipation on a whack

[kayjayem]

Feb 14, 2013 16:29:32 GMT pencaedu said:

Not sure if she meant crack the horse with the whip, or make the cracking noise with the whip?

Can you make an almighty crack with a schooling whip? I sincerely hope you are right

[fanfarefan]

sorry but im going to sound a little condescending now , but why is it that people only start to practice trotting their pony up when they want to start showing , surely it is basic inhand day to day training to get your horse/pony to trot up, there are allsorts of situations where you need to get a move on , and trot on , ours are lead in and out of the field everyday , and the training starts there , as for cracking the whip , soundwise , or physically is not the way to get an animal to trot up , that will just give them a fear of the stick for the future , a tap with the end of the rope on a day today basis will soon teach what you want, shoot me down if you want , but as far as i can see its common sense !!!

[sarahp]

I have two reasons for not teaching trotting in hand early - first I hate them jogging so want to insist they learn to walk out properly before adding on trotting, and second I have arthritis and can't run! Well not much anyway. No excuse for not having addressed it long before showing though, although I do tend to forget which of mine I've taught and which I haven't, resulting in a very embarrassed daughter at one baby's first show.....

Those I do get round to teaching I do have a technique for. As I'm a one woman band I have no-one to go behind, so walk them down the garden and on the way back, which is the way they want to go, either to feed or turnout, I lengthen and speed up my walk until they have to break into trot to keep up (Welsh As so not big) and then praise hugely and trot on myself. They catch on very quickly. If you try trotting yourself while they are walking I find they panic, roll their eyes and stop, not helpful! I find trying to use whip or rope behind yourself tends to make them swing their quarters out and worry.

[wizzyw]

I'm sure it was Katie Jerram that suggested running a lunge line from the bit ring on the offside,around the horses hindquarters into your hand so that you can 'crack' it around the horses hindquarters? I find that using a whip either causes the horse to go sideways (if in the leaders hand).

[angelena]

I tied a plastic back to my whip as a training aid. Give it a few shakes and off she went. Only used it twice, once up yard and back again never needed it again and can I add she certainly isn't scared of them it's the noise that does the trick

[paige1316]

Stand at the shoulder and if it helps to start up with get him to follow the wean him off and make him go forward

[mad4whp]

Thanks everyone he is much better now, in the trot up and generally in hand