We have a 9yr old 12.2hh Exmoor cross which is a solid and very safe child's pony in almost all respects except she is relunctant to leave the yard on her own when ridden and particularly in a trailer. Once she's actually out of the yard she is very obedient, hacks out well, and is well behaved at pony club events and shows etc. She doesn't seem to have a problem travelling in the trailer and loads easily to come home. She naps when leaving the yard but will go forward when someone encourages her from behind with a lungeing whip. Loading her into a trailer is more difficult... When we first had her I was advised to use the same principle for loading and have someone behind her with a whip, she became more and more difficult and dangerous each time and escaped from me several times - no joke when you've young children around. I resolved to re-educate her and spent many weeks just walking her through the trailer and rewarding her well but not taking her anywhere. This worked very well. I also removed all her travelling clothes as I found as soon as I put boots on her she became anxious and on her toes. Last weekend we wanted to take her somewhere, although I tried to keep to the same routine as I have recently been using, somehow she seemed to know that we were going somewhere and although she loaded first time and wasn't as bad as she has been I feel she could become very difficult again very easily. Am I fighting a lost cause? She just doesn't seem to want to leave her friends and its not always possible to take another pony with us. Any help would be really appreciated, I'm a Mum of 38 who would like to take our pony and young children to more events.
Won't leave her friends
- Thread starter SJ
- Start date
Are you familiar at all with John lyons? Well he does wonders with trailoring horses, And I'll try to inturpret some of his methods to the leaving the lawn problem. You said she's fine once she leaves the lawn, so maybe you should just spend time teaching her to leave the lawn. I'd take her as far as she'd go, then cricle around, if you think she's going to bulk, you turn her first so that she's doing what you want her to do. Another thing to teach her, wich will help with trailoring, is the go forward cue. You take a dresage whip, standing holding the lead in one hand and the lead in the other and you tap them on the hip, and basicly bug them until they take a step forward, then you stop instently. At first you'll want to stop for even a thought about step forward, but each time ask her to respond to a lighter and lighter cue. I had my mare trained so that if I even pointed the crop toward her hip she'd step walk forward. You want to keep working her I worked for a week in 15-20 min lessons. John Lyons methods are to get control of the horse and teach him that he has to do what you want him to do without force, but my repitition and pratice. You can use the go forward cue from the saddle and try to use that to get your pony out of the lawn. When she leaves the lawn, no matter how hard it was to get her out of it, prase her, let her stand a moment, and then walk her back into the lawn. then repeat until she'll walk quitly out of the lawn. Repeat the next day, and so on until when you get her out, she doesn't hesitate to leave anymore. Now the trailoring. I would put all the equipment on her and work on the go forward cue, don't even wory about her getting on the trailor the first few lessons, just get her listening to you insted of worrying about where you're going to take her. Once she's calm with all her equipment on, I'd take her where the trailor would be for shows, and just work with her there, once she's calm with that, and she has the go forward cue down pat, you can open up the trailor door, and ask her to go forward, this will be like starting over, you want to take it one step at a time. First you just want her to approch the trailor. If you see she's going to stop, you stop first, let her stand there a moment, then walk her away and start again. after a while, she'll get closer, she might stick her head inside and smell the floor, she might stick a foot inside and paw the floor, she might put one foot on and then take it off, let her. Keep the repitition until you've had just one foot in the trailor 30-40 times and she'll stand there without a care, then ask for the next foot and repeat. It takes a long time, and but most you'll be teaching her that there's nothing to be afraid of, and that she has to do what you tell her to do. once you can load her on the trailor and she'll stand there as long as you want, you can take her for a ride, just pull out of the lawn, go down the road some the turn around and go back to home, unload her and let her walk around a bit, then you can load her again and not take her anywhere. then maybe the next day take her for a little ride and take her back. John says that after the horse is taught to load, they will eventually test you, and it'll seem like you're starting all over again. he says that you just have to reinforce what you've taught the horse, the go forward cue, the one leg on and so on, though you should be able to go faster with them this time. If the horse backs up at anytime, keep taping the go forward spot until she stops and then let up a moment, then start taping again to get them to go forward. hope I've helped. Good luck
I also like John Lyons' methods. They take a long time to do to the first time, but the nore you do it, the quicker the response, and it seems to work. He has a website at www.johnlyons.com
Allie
Allie
Many thanks for your advice. I hadn't heard of John Lyons as we live in the UK, but will definitely check his website. I think your're right it's a question of time, patience, hard work and getting the required obedience. Unfortunately, she doesn't just dig her toes in but whizzes round and plunges about which makes it harder to nudge her forward - especially when you have a small child on top. Also I work so it difficult to school her daily until the summer. I like the idea of turning around before the pony does so herself, therefore keeping the upperhand and hopefully remaining in control. I'll keep you posted.
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