Leading probs

[iccle_me]

hi all i havnt been around for a while been sooo busy.

any way jenns been doing fine and has got herself a new boyfriend. ive recently aquired a 2nd horse. his names buddy and he's a 15.2 showjumper to be (we hope)

however he's got some big problems. he suffers terrible seperation anxiety and although this has got better as his settled in the main problem is leading. i cant lead him anywhere without anouther horse. if i try he thros his head up as high as he can and runs backwards untill he's pulled himself free then bolts off.
unfortunatly me being only 4ft 10 this doesnt take much doing!!! he's fine under saddle its just getting him anywhere. id love to try some join up with him and get some ground work basics done but i cant even get him in the school by himself!!

ive tryed a pressure halter but he was even worse with that and he's had his back teeth ect. checked and thats all fine. he doesnt mind you touhing him all over either.

any suggestions as to things i could try?? he's such a loverly horse but if i cant lead him anywhere i cant ride him and i dont see h ow im going to be able to keep him.

sorry its such a long post :o

[Amber Hughes]

my new one is the same except he rears and doesnt mind landing on people he is new to the yard and apparently never used to rear he wont leave without this other horse in particular, he rides perfect apart from a bit of napping but i stil need help too ive been told to use abridle to lead which seems to be working but is still very hard work and he is strong

[flashy33]

i always teach my youngsters to follow me just a few nuts etc in my pocket have them on a lunge rien and get them to come to you give a reward then walk away if they follow another reward if not just start again most learn pretty fast and then being led just cmes naturaly

[iccle_me]

ive tryed leading him in a bridle and he got away just as quick. he gets so worried about leaving the others he doesnt care whats between him and them. ive also try bribing him with feed and keeping him on a lunge line so i can lunge him when he bolts off, but as soon as i get him next to me a start walking forwards again, up and backwards he goes and we have to start again

[mayoguinness]

Mayo was the same, still is worried most of the time about leaving his mare, if it wasn't for him having such good maners now he could easily get away but he's very sensitive to my rope halter, when he used to run backwards I'd just run backwards with him, when he used to turn and run I used to run at his rear end and yield him round, when he used to plant his feet or rear I'd just back him up hard;) He's tried it all but thanks to NH techniques he knows he has to come with me and now trusts me enough to know that he's not leaving his mare forever:)

[iccle_me]

no doubt that would work fine if i could keep hold of him for more than 2 secs. ive been debating wether to try a chifney with him but id rather use something so severe as a last resort. ive tryed pressure halters an anti-rear halter and leading in a bridle and nothing so far has worked, any thoughts on anything else to try anyone??

[Joyscarer]

I think you have it down pat in your opening post. Groundwork is the way forward. Teaching him about presure and release, personal space etc.

I don't think there is going to be any quick fix. Even if you take both horses into the arena or wherever you are going to train and leave the other one tied up whilst he learns the basics. :)

[suneanarab]

this horse is starting a habit that needs stopping now before it gets to a point where you can't do anything at all. why try to hang on to a horse that is always going to win a strength competition? there really is no need. as mayo says the best thing to do is go with him and then give him the comand to go back. you need to turn it in to your idea and not his. the other thing you could do is ask him to go back before he starts to do it him self.

you could also try making him face the horse he doesn't want to leave and ask him to go back from there. most situations like this is actually nothing to do with being taken away from the other horse. if he chose to go somewhere he wouldn't care if the other horse was there, coming with him or not. most of it is the horse not trusting you, or trying to see what he can get away with. horses that back up often soon stop it when asked to do it for real.

it will take a little time, but have him on the lunge and don't resort to a chiffney as this could break him jaw and won't solve the problem.