rushing through stable door?!!!!!!

[michelle c]

a friend of mine has asked me to work on a pony that rushes through places like the stable door way, the field gate, the indoor school entrance ect. so i was wondering on what peoples oppinions are on how best to fix this.!!!! :eek:

i dont know any history on this pony but when first told this i immediatley thought that the pony was claustraphobic, BUT i then saw it load into a wagon calmly and not bother that it was enclosed in a partition; SO i then thought maybe it has had some trauma with gates or stable doors. :rolleyes:
once it is in the stable it looks settled and eats.

i was thinking of doing something like the squeese game between me and the wall first, then making a fake gateway in the school that is very wide, leading the pony through it until it is calm and then slowly making it narrow each time the pony is comfortable with the new size. i also would be working on getting the pony to pause inbetween the posts so it works out that it is fine to do this and not pannic. :p

what doyou think of this plan and is there any thing else i could do to help this poor chap?

[flintybaby]

I think you plan is a very good one. We had a pony who was quite nervy when going in the stable and we did lots of cuddles and nice words and walked him in and out until he soon realised it wasnt going to hurt him. Then when he realised that was nothing to be frightened of we managed to make him stand in the doorway and gave him lots of nice attention when he was good.

Good luck!

[Joyscarer]

Funny you should mention the squeeze game because that is precisely what I was going to suggest :D

Let us know how you get on ;)

[michelle c]

well i have done parelli level one and parts of two, so that has gave me some good ideas, but i do clicker training with my mare now.

i dont feel that i can do clicker training with this pony as it is intended for children (once the problem is fixed) and although in clicker training you teach food manners if other people are not consistent the pony could turn into a biter , AND as i said before it is not my pony to be feeding, though food helps relax horses!!!!!:rolleyes:

[Rea]

This should teach him that by rushing through a gap he actually wont get through it and away any quicker.

The pony had probabily had a gate or a door shut on it as it was walking through, so make sure when you start using doors and gates in your training to make sure then are fastened well back and do not move at all.

If you start playing the squeeze game in a field or school away from the gate, use jump wings or barrels to create a gap, this should show you if it's narrow spaces the pony is scared of or wether it's gates/doors. Do lots of squeeze game with friendly game inbetween if he needs calming down, dont worry if he rush's through at first, if you do it enough he will figure out eventually that nothing bad has happened and he should start to take his time. Dont over do it when you play with the pony, if he startes to slow down and do well give him a break and do something else or leave it and do some more the next day.

It might also be an idea once you get the pony going a bit slower through a gap it to play the yo-yo game getting the pony to come through the gate or gap a bit them back him up them bring him through it a little further then back him back up again.

[jembo15]

My last horse was like this, I traced back previous owners and he was hit by a swinging gate when he was a baby.
Rea has suggested the jump wings which is what I did. I started with them really wide and put them in different locations around the yard. I did inhand work and ridden work. I gradually moved them in and he really improved.

As I knew it was a gate hitting him I made sure at all times the gates where held back and the stable door secured before doing anything.
Good luck - time and lots of patience

[capalldubh]

as i said before it is not my pony to be feeding, though food helps relax horses!!!!!

Don't forget positive reinforcement doesn't have to be clicker training - if food happens to be sitting in the sticky spot, and helps to relax pony and build a positive association with standing there, that's certainly going to help and won't involve treats ;) Possibly a bucket positioned a few feet in front of entrance, then next time a little closer, then a little closer again, then actually in the entrance... just to get pone in the habit of stopping for a wee snack (hey, it's just like grazing... you could use a little trail of carrot pieces). Not as a lure, but just a little exercise in stopping in certain spots. Would be most effective, though, if pone wasn't focussing on the food, but it just miraculously appeared on the floor when he was standing still in the right place...

[michelle c]

thanx everyone, rea when i said i was going make a fake gateway i was going to use blocks and jumpwings to do it (i am not a fencer lol):p i did similar things with my mare although she was not frightened of going through gaps :p

i would have to adapt the friendly game to scratches and stroking as this pony doesnt have months of my time as he is only at the yard for a short time and i only have 3 days a week to share.

capalldubh i think i will use a few pony nuts or polos to help as it will only be used in that situation. :D

[michelle c]

had first training session with the little pony!!!!!! i have managed to get him used to going in and out of the indoor school calmly, this did not take long at all, in fact i was very supprised at how quick this was, about 10 mins.

BUT i have come to the conclusion that he may have been banged on his hip and that is why he has developed this problem!!! :mad:

he seems upset with the stable door way, and i think this is going to be the biggest obstical to get over.

i worked on walking up to the door, stopping, treat, then back up until he was walking calmly to the door, THEN walk up to the door one foot over the door ledge (the frame that the door is connected to) stop, treat and back up, he got to where he would stand with both front feet about a foot over the door, but when asked to go forwards one more step so his hips were level with the door he would just pannic and bolt out of the door!!!!! :eek:

has any one got any tips on what to do other than what i have been doing?

[ohiowhitetail]

I think you're on the right track. Without a doubt. Just keep it up, and keep it consistent. Work on it every day until the pony "lets down" and stop the lesson. Make this the last thing you do with the pony every time you work with it. If you do this every day for a week and the pony has all day to soak, this problem will go away seemingly on its own. I had a horse like this, and I spent alot of time in one week in and out and in and out of her stall door. Drive through, yield the hindquarters, drive back through, yield the opposite direction, etc. etc. etc. Once the pony is perfectly accustomed to that, then move on to other similar openings and do the same thing. I would say your last step would be to back the horse through the openings as quietly as you can. I was amazed at the difference this made in this horse's trailering and unloading from same.

[michelle c]

well, i was talking to the person who rides/looksafter the pony and after one training session, they said that he was much calmer in the school inall respects (normally takes a while to calm down when ridden). and coming out of the stable is not as bad,but still not too sure of going in, BUT apart from that i think this pony is a quick learner!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D

[connieD]

my mare does this and i have tried every training technique i and others can think of to no avail - the only one that has had any effect is feeding her a polo as she is walking out. i rustle the wrapper and it seems to take her mind off it!!:D:D

that said, this morning i tried to turn her out pololess and she cantered out the door, wedging me in the gap and then knocking me flying and getting loose:eek::eek:. note to self, even after 13 years dont get complacent!:o:o

good luck:)

[michelle c]

oh sorry to hear!!!! i have taken things for granted with my mare in the past and nearly been in bad situations :o i think it is only when you are with a horse you dont know that you are very cautious coz you dont know what it will react to!!!!! :p