Joining Up! help!

[Hoof-Prints]

I thought i'd try join up with my mare, I had a go with my last pony but it didnt seem to work, he showed all the signs and stopped and turned in, he took one step towards me and then just ate the grass (i dont have a pen or anything like that to use) He did seem to create a bit of a bond with me and would nicker when he saw me (but not anyone else, although i duno if the join up had anythin to do with it), but it didnt go as it is supposed to go.

I want to try it with my mare but i don't want it to go wrong, because i feel she needs to build up trust with me as she is young and needs the trust to help with loading and other new things she is going to have to get used to.

Has anyone done it? and how did you do it to make it work? I only have a fairly large paddock to do it in, i really feel this is the way forward for her and i really dont want to mess it up!

 

[Crystal Fire]

Why do it at all? It would be easy to mess it up, particularly with a young horse, if you haven't been shown how it should be done.
How old is your mare? You will get her just as hooked on to you if you get some good groundwork in place. But it depends on her age how much you should do. Believe me, I've never bothered with Join-Up, but my horses are like limpets.

 

[pedilia]

Have you ever had someone show you how to do join-up correctly?

It is very easy to do incorrectly, you could be sending out the wrong signals, reading your horses signals incorrectly or reading his signs to early.
If it is something you really want to pursue I strongly suggest you find someone experienced to show you

Good Luck

 

[Hoof-Prints]

.

ok, well i cant think of anyone who could show me,

she is 5, she has been havin trouble loading but today we just stood with her for over an hour at the ramp of the trailer, she chewed it and pawed at it and in the end with a little nudge she went straight in. before she would refuse and go backwards to get out of it.

So maybe this will work, i dont know - hope so

 

[LeftBrainer]

I know this is off topic in a tincey wincey way but if we're talking join up rather than specifically using monty roberts techniques to get it... I first got the boy from rather dubious dealers about three years back (it was a hunch about a good 'un that paid off) He had back issues. He convinced me he couldn't possibly be ridden even in the nicest specially fitted saddle, even after several months of back lady visiting him. If I was ever in any doubt he'd buck and rear off the mounting block the moment my weight (i'm only 10 stone and he's 15'3' irish draught) landing gently in the saddle. So determined not to have wasted the money I treated him like a big dog. I put the dually halter on and a lunge line (just in case) and went for miles and miles of walkies through lanes, along roads, across fields, through any stream I could find. Up banks and down banks. Even up and down some steps on a public footpath. Sometimes I talked to him, sometimes I sang songs (badly). After about 2 months he was following me around the field without us being attached. He'd break into a trot if I ran. Head down on the ground behind me lip licking etc. I thought we'd been exercising. He thought we were joining up - and he was right. I saddled him up and off we went on a long chilled out ride, no bucking no tension no resistance - just nice relaxed horse and rider. He'd do anything for me now and I for him. It's worth a try...

 

[jinglejoys]

Go to Kelly Marks site look up the list of RA's and find the one closest to you

 

[Chukka]

I did join up with my horse but loose schooled him first thats how we ended up joining up. I think yours is distracted by the grass as I did join up in a school.

Its interesting as I used to loose school him in a head collar and then we would join up and he would walk behind me for ages. Whenever I took his head collar off he thought sod this and used to walk towards the gate and think his session was over so whether he thought it was part of his schooling session I will never know.

 

[laurablenkinsop]

I use similar techniques when training and breaking. I have just broke a 6 year old 12hh in never been touched would not even walk on leadrope. I put him on a lunge line walked away if he did not follow I chased him. After a while he started to follow but I would keep chasing him away. Now after about 5 or 6 times he can now lunge and be ridden. If you want to know anything else let me know but just try have a try on the lunge. Where do you live?