Trot in-hand!? He wont!?

[danni_at_69]

I have a Welsh Sec D. He is a fantastic mover, and i mean fantastic. He has just been broken and is going as well as expected in 3 weeks.

Problem!? HE wont trot in hand. He eithr stops, turns and faces me or starts to lunge. I dont think he doesnt understand! He knows what i want as he has done it a few time but most of the times acts up, typical welsh.

I have done alot of showing with arabs, hunters and coloureds but he is totaly different!

ANY IDEAS are welcome as i would like to take him to a show this year! he he

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.:confused:

[KateWooten]

He doesn't understand yet, that's all, don't worry.

I start 'trot in hand' from a lunge situation - they feel less confined and intimidated by it that way. Get him trotting round you in a circle - needn't be a whole circle, needn't be a big trot. Just get him going well off the 'trot' command - whatever you choose to use for that cue.

Then, it can help (you) if you put out a little obstacle - a tiny jump, or a pole on the ground that he has to cross ... or alternatively, a corridor made out of two poles on the ground that you are going to 'send' him down ... or just anything really to direct your attention to... Then on one circle, you start striding along so that he is sent over the obstacle. You're going to extend your circle in to a big oval by focusing all your attention on directing him over the chosen obstacle. Don't make the obstacle too far out on the first try. Just position yourself so that you have to send him just a little way in a straight line in order to reach it.

Of course, once he's done that, he'll then get confused and turn in, or try to run around ahead of you ... but that's ok, you've taken the first step... PAt yourself on the back and call it a day if he's trotted even half a stride on a straight line. Now all you have to do is get that solid over a number of sessions.

Once you're solid with just extending the circle to an oval, you can start making the long side longer ... by extending the 'corridor', or moving the obstacle further away. Then you can make it more like trot in hand by gradually reducing the length of the leadrope.

I find once you've got the 'send' principle really solid the rest of it comes very quickly. Or you can just run alongside him tapping at his heels with a whip. That works too, but I don't really enjoy it much.

[danni_at_69]

He already does that.
He will partly do it and has for a long time and is voice commanded on the lunge. I did what you said and ran down the long side with him but he wont let me closer than5ft and turns in towards me rather than away as he would in the show ring.

Cant use whips as he was beaten as a youngster!

Cant lunge him in the same direction with me on the outside which is where the problems come if you know what i mean!?

[KateWooten]

Ok, so when you run him down a long side of an oval ... he can do that ok, as long as you stay away from him, yes ?

Then, what does he do when you shorten the line, so you are closer than 5 ft ? Is that when he would turn in ?

OK, IF you were to LUNGE him, shorter than 5ft, would he turn in then too ?

If you set it up so that he turns in ... what is your next step ? How do you let him know that this is not what you want ?

My way of communicating it to him would be to point forwards with my leading hand, in an obvious way, and to add some drive with my other hand. If he's going to find a whip too much, then I'd be use a long leadline initially to work on all this, and I'd use the free end of it to drive him forward when needed. Also as soon as he turns in, as soon as he thinks about it... I'd react very quickly. Step towards him, make yourself big and drive his forehand out again.

From where you are with him, if you're able to have him circle you and respond to voice commands, you should be really close to getting the trot on in hand. From here, it's just a question of getting the balance between directing his movement forward, and driving him out of your space.

Now, you lost me here ...
Cant lunge him in the same direction with me on the outside which is where the problems come if you know what i mean!?

Are you saying he's not OK lunging on both reins ? Because if that's the case, I'd start there ! But no, you said he's good at lunging both ways. Explain again - I can be a bit thick :o