how do u make your....

[squid_is_ace]

how do you get your horse to stand still

i have had someone holing him and he still moves round in circles!!!

[belle]

Do you mean when you are trying to get on?

[squid_is_ace]

yes!!

[lamprellsarah]

he may have a physical problem he could be cold backed or have a sore back and is uncomfortable.

or he may not have been taught properly, to get this back you have to go back to basics and teach him to listen to you.

then practise standing at the mounting block for simple things, and give him rewards when he stands still, don't start mounting for a while until he stands there quietly while you walk around him, and check things, if he moves move him around or back him up, he will learn be persistant

[squid_is_ace]

what does cold back mean sorry i don't know this stuff

[lamprellsarah]

it's a bit of a strange thing really, it's like they flinch or move away from having anything put on straight on their back, you have to warm them up slightly first so their muslces loosen up and relax and then they accept it fine!!

[Crazy_Jumper]

Yes, usually the problem is a misfitted saddle or a pinch somewhere. However if they were not trained completely to stand still when mounting or if a rider let him/her get away with moving when the rider is trying to mount. You could have someone hold him while you set the mounting block close to him. If that bothers him, he may have had a bad experience with mounting blocks so you may want to get him to where it doesn't bother him anymore. If that is not the problem, stand on the mounting block and if he is standing still, give him a treat. If he cotinues to stand still, give him another treat. Then, when you try to mount, if this is when he starts to move around, there may be a problem with the saddle or he may be sore. Goodluck! :p

[squid_is_ace]

thank you for your help i will try all your ideas!!

[Lancashire Lass]

Another one to try, if you were in a school for instance,...is to put your horse into the corner before mounting so that when you do mount, he can't walk forwards! Of course, I'd prefer a leg up as it does save on the saddle and girth movement when you are mounting up, it's just kinder on the horse that's all!

I would be inclined to check his saddle/back and that he is indeed not a little 'cold backed' and other have suggested, just to be sure that it is a 'little habit' that he's picked up and been used to getting away with;)

[Rachel C.]

Just a word of warning, about the label cold-backed:

I can't remember who said something along these lines, but I know it was some serious expert on horses backs. She/He said that there is no such thing as a horse being cold-backed, it is a case of the horse either having a misfitting saddle/a back problem/ tenderness around the girth area, or anything similar, that caused the horse to look "cold backed" but the case is that when the horse has warmed up, he has strted to "cope" with the pain and has worked out a different way to hold himself so it is a little less uncomfy.

Don't quote me on this one.... I'm sure there is a thread all about it somewhere but I can't remember where!

But I am inclined to beleive this view. It makes much more sense than the traditional school of thought does.

Rachel

[lamprellsarah]

hmmm interesting never though of it in that point of view, but surely if you had this prob and got a saddle fitter out and a back specilist this problem should go away!!??
yet the vet still says it's cold backed!!!
but i will keep that in mind when someone says it's cold backed!!

[squid_is_ace]

thanks for your help every1