How do I teach her to walk once saddled

[Gypzywingz]

Ok, so my horse Breezy can lead great, stands still when I saddle her, she has some resistance when I bridle her, halts even when I am leading her and I stop she most always stops on her own behind me, all in all she does great with everything. Just today she walked right over our tarp on the ground like a champ. I put her saddle on and her bridle and knew today was the day I would ride her without anyone holding on to her with a lead rope. She did great I gave her the cue to walk and squeezed my legs and even gave her a little click and she walked ok everything going good. Well she just stopped and she wouldn't go forward no matter what I did. I am very very new to this and thought maybe someone could offer me some ideas. Would it be better if I worked more with the lead rope and have someone walk on the ground with us and I give her all the cues and walk command at the same time she is told to walk from the ground?

Thanks for any help at all.

[BabaraTheMonkey]

Are you using consistent and clear voice aids? I find it's best to get these fully established first. Then you can give her the voice aid and a squeeze at the same time.

[Gypzywingz]

She is consistant on the ground with them. Once she does walk she does stop well when I ask her too, I guess it will just take lots of patience on my part and a lot of work. I did find a good article by Pat Parelli last night after posting this in Junes Horse Illustrated so that gave me some ideas on how to work with her so I will try those as well.

[galadriel]

It'll take her a while to work out how to carry your weight and balance at the same time. Don't worry too much just yet :) but do praise her VERY much when she walks on command.

Remember that the leg squeeze may actually confuse her, unless she's been taught to respond to pressure in just that spot already, from the ground. So it'll take her a little while to figure out just what you're doing with your legs, and until she does, she may just get confused and stop for a while.

Sounds like you're already being very relaxed and undemanding about this, and taking things at a good pace. You'll get there :)

[Gypzywingz]

I think the most important part is patience and actually understanding that it is me that isn't giving her the cues broken down enough for her to understand. Basically it is going to be baby steps literally. One step, release pressure, praise her for that one step and ask for the walk again, and again, and again until she realizes that hey I guess I need to keep walking :)

[shirley]

Does she understand your voice to walk on, stand, halt, etc. If she does use this as the predominent aid for the moment. When you ask her to walk on, squeeze your legs, eventually because she is clever she will associate squeeze of your legs to move off to walk, up to trot. You will then be able to drop your voice for these. But keep working in hand with walk on, stand, halt etc on the ground just to re inforce them when you are on her back.
Must have been a great sensation going "solo" on her for the first time. Makes an ordinary day into an extraordinary day!!! Well done you!!!!

[Tharg]

Do you have a trainer to help and assess you on the ground?,

[Pickles]

Can you get someone to help from the ground?

They don't need to be leading her if she is calm with you on board, but it may help her to understand what you want if they give the normal voice aids as if you weren't there to begin with.

Then add the normal leg/weight aids with the voice aids from the ground until it clicks what you are asking her to do.

[Gypzywingz]

I don't have a trainer..yet. I would like to find someone to come to us so we can work together. That is the hard part. There is a lady down the road that has offered for me to bring her down to her round pen and she would help me. I just hate asking or calling out of the blue so next time I see her I am going to talk to her a little bit. There is also a young girl that helps my fiances little sister with her horse and training in halter classes that I may see if she could come down and work with us some.

That is a good idea with the voice commands while someone either holds the lead rope or even walks next to us and gives her the commands I will try that and see how that works. He has been raining here the past 2 days so I haven't been able to get back on her to try out some ideas :(

[Greentchr]

There is a lady down the road that has offered for me to bring her down to her round pen and she would help me. I just hate asking or calling out of the blue :(

I have found a surprising number of people who have offered to help me along with my unschooled ponies. I have found that these people do it out of love for what they are doing- they love horses, and they love to help others develop the same feelings. If the lady has offered help, by all means call her and accept! She would not have offered if she did not mean it, and you can be confident that she will think all the better of you for showing the initiative. I have made similar offers in other arenas (I am a musician), and I have found that the sooner someone accepts my offers of help, and the more forward they are about contacting me, the more serious they are, and the more time I am willing to invest in them. It may seem forward to call, but as she has given an invitation, you would be wise to accept! You may discover a wonderful friend and mentor.

[Gypzywingz]

Thanks Greentchr, I am sure you are exactly right :D and I am itching to work with Breezy all that I can. She is such a sweet, beautiful, wonderful horse and I know she has so much potential just by watching her and her attitude that it would be such a shame not to give her that. Yes, I am totally in love with my horse :p