Strong minded horse?

[mogadoga]

I need help. Alex decides he wants to catch up, or go with the other horses. Which i know is natural, but if i hold him back to go at my pace he gets wound up, bronking and rearing. Its really getting me down thinking maybe alex is with the wrong person. Me. But i would never want to part with him.
I can seem to stop him doing this, hacking alone is no fun, plus no hacking will wind him up. So avoidence deffo wont work. I can feel myself loosing confidence thinking 'what if i fall' after my accident last year with my back im extremly concious of hurting it again.
Help!

[carthorse]

To be fair a lot of horses will object if held back from a group of horses, the herd instinct is very strong. Is there any reason why you want to keep him back to your pace? I could understand it in an emergency, say people getting run off with, but as a rule it doesn't seem worth deliberately winding him up.

If you're losing confidence could someone else hack him out for you for a while? It might also help if there's something really safe & steady that you could hack out on a few times, then maybe hack Alex out with one or two safe reliable companions who'll help your confidence (if you have lessons maybe your teacher would take you for a few hacks?).

I don't know what happened to your back last year but would wearing a body protector make you feel more confident? Or try learning something like judo which will teach you to fall in a controlled way so you're less likely to hurt yourself.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll find a way around this :)

[KateWooten]

If you want to invest in the one-rein-stop, it will put and end to all that.

[mogadoga]

To be fair a lot of horses will object if held back from a group of horses, the herd instinct is very strong. Is there any reason why you want to keep him back to your pace? I could understand it in an emergency, say people getting run off with, but as a rule it doesn't seem worth deliberately winding him up.

If you're losing confidence could someone else hack him out for you for a while? It might also help if there's something really safe & steady that you could hack out on a few times, then maybe hack Alex out with one or two safe reliable companions who'll help your confidence (if you have lessons maybe your teacher would take you for a few hacks?).

I don't know what happened to your back last year but would wearing a body protector make you feel more confident? Or try learning something like judo which will teach you to fall in a controlled way so you're less likely to hurt yourself.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll find a way around this :)

This is when i hold him back, not all of the time , sorry for not being clear :)
I wear a body protector but tbh im more confident if not wearing it, as i cant move naturally, but then if i dont wear it il make my back worse (fell off last year, not alex's fault, flopped off the side lol and chipped my spine, ive struggled sinse tbh)

I hack with calm horses and he is fine, well not really but not as bad! Then i brave going out with others, relaxed , having fun, then band. Bronk leap i want to go.

Do you think letting go will help? When he does it i fight him to stop/slow and he fights back...should i try just giving him the reins...but then this is teaching him its a good thing. Im confused! I think im possible stressing over nothing as im prett stressed atm so everything seems probably worse.


Id love to learn the 1 rein halt but i didnt understand when i read about it lol im a bit slow lol

[KateWooten]

It's pretty straight forward. Just pull on one rein til the horse's feet stop, and then ask him to straighten up by pushing his back end around one more step so his butt is behind his head again.

[mogadoga]

Now thats my language. Hmm will try that one. Thanks

[KateWooten]

Ok, now you've been hooked, here's the complex stuff. You can't just haul him around without notice, you'll kill yourself.

Start in the school at a walk. Do it a hundred times. Think more about how little pressure can you put on that rein, and still have his nose round to your boot and smoothly step around to a halt... one two three halt.

When you've done it a bazillion times perfectly from a walk, do it from a trot. Only let him get three steps of trot in and then bend to a halt. You'll actually see him roll his eyes and groan as he recognises it. Do it a gazillion times at a trot.

Then very important, put on your knickers of steel, and go for the canter. In the arena it's easy to know which rein to pull on - the inside rein. Practice it both ways over and over. The first time, do it sooner rather than later - don't allow him to build up speed first. By now you should be getting a good feel for it, and can smoothly bend him to a halt (because this is at least 3 weeks into the training by now).

Now, having practiced and practiced, the first time you have to do it for real, you will need those iron pants again. But use it for the very first thing he thinks of doing - jogging to catch up is an ideal one. And you just keep one-rein-stopping him then as soon as he's stopped, relax the reins, give him his head and allow him to make the mistake again. Let him start with the grabbing the bit and jogging again.... but immediately stop him, relax the reins ... stop him again.

As a guide, when joePony got joggy that week, and I had no control, and he was all bouncy ... by the time I figured out what to do, I must have o-r-s'd him a dozen or more times in 20 yards. The timing is important. You MUST let him make the mistake - no hangng on the reins 'in case' he takes off. It's very important that you and he both agree - it's his choice to take off, but you have a cast-iron 'hand brake' to pull each and every time. And that it is fail-safe.

The problem with shortening the reins and hanging on is that there is no release for him, and therefor no incentive for him to stop jogging.

[carthorse]

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought it seemed odd to ack out with a group then try to keep him behind them :p

My honest opinion? Hack with the calm company, not the others.

I know exactly what you mean about body protectors, I just cannot ride in mine despite it being properly fitted. Hate it!

I wouldn't just let him go unless you're absolutely certain you can get him back in a couple of strides. Maybe send him forwards for a few strides if he starts to bunch up but then slow him again. Try not to get into a pulling match though because then he'll just set against you & you'll lose, keep some movement in the contact.

I hope whatever else is stressing you gets sorted out soon, maybe this won't seem like such a big problem if you aren't worrying about other things.

[carthorse]

LOL at "knickers of steel"!!!!!!

[mogadoga]

No im not totally loopy carthorse :p
i can get him back a few strides ahead of the others, as he realises he is alone in his conquest to demolish all in sight.

Ive saved that info kate. Its a must for our training as 16hh beasty cob tanking off is not a fun option.

Also thought i might add it is not a bitting issue, he is the same in a snaffle as in a pellham. I know someone might suggest this, but ive tried this route *rolls eyes*