need some advice please!

pixie pie

hi,

I have recently bought a cob 4yr old from a trekking school, today was my first time riding him at home (apart from my trial rides at the trekking centre, where i was on a trek with other horses). at first today i had my boyfriend leading me (as i was unsure as to how he would react in his new environment) however once i was left to my own devices he wouldnt move! i tried squeezing, whipping slightly, clicking my tounge you name it and not a budge from him! I wouldnt be very experienced this being my third cob in 5yrs but he was unmovable! once my boyfriend walked infront of me he would follow him all around the field no problem! He's to keen on trekking! im absolutely mad about him hes a total pet, but im lost as to how to get him going by myself!

any advice please!?

convert

Hi Pixie,

When you rode the horse in the riding centre and on the trail rides, was he always following a horse rather than being the lead horse to leave the yard, to ride in a group, etc. If so, perhaps he has gotten into the (bad) habit of always wanting to follow rather than being ready to go on his own?

doctor evil

If he's from a trekking centre he may never have done anything on his own, where the treks nose to tail types? He's four so he's still a baby. Do you have other people to ride out with on older horses?

pixie pie

hi,
yeah he was always following another horse! to be honnest i didnt percieve it to be a problem until i got him home to my own stable. I dont have any one at the moment to go hacking with its juat around my own fields, if he'd move! hes perfect to handle and is a gem but nothing seems to get him going alone!

MDFM

pixie pie wrote: »

hi,
yeah he was always following another horse! to be honnest i didnt percieve it to be a problem until i got him home to my own stable. I dont have any one at the moment to go hacking with its juat around my own fields, if he'd move! hes perfect to handle and is a gem but nothing seems to get him going alone!

Do you have your own arena or access to an arena? I would try loose schooling him occasionally, just to get him going forward in an open area, with no rider on board, maybe a little lunging aswell? It prob going to take a little time to 'de-programme' him from what he's used to (ie - having another horse to lead him). He's only 4, so with time you should get him thinking for himself, as long as you don't make it too much of an ordeal for him. I'd also try some long-reining with him aswell - least that way you are on the ground, controlling him and instructing him from behind.
I wouldnt worry too much though - as you say, he's only 4, so still a baby, he just needs something to trigger in his head that'll tell him he has a mind of his own and something to give him confidence on his own, give him time, he will come around eventually.

needadvice

I would give him back if they'll take him maybe they'd swop

kick-on

lunge him... and then u ride him and still have him on the lunge (ur bf holding him) then have ur bf stand in the middle and ride in a circle around him same size as your lunge ring.... once you get him moving keep him as straight as possible so that when hes not turning he wont think of stopping... it will take a while for him to cop on that he can move on his own like... he was probably broken and straight into trek rides because hes quiet.....

we had a hunter before who was terrible nappy going away from other horses.... i had terrible rows with her but she got the idea in the end

irish horse

hi it might help if you drive him in long reins for a while.be sure to get somebody to help you.

Theponylady

A bit of natural horsemanship work, to help establish yourself as the leader of the "herd"(the herd consisting of you and your horse at this point in time), will do the trick.

Chances are, he's a quiet type, and was never actually trained. He was sat on, didn't buck, asked to go on a trek, and was happy to follow another horse, as that is what he'd naturally do in a herd situation.

You need to establish yourself as the herd leader, at the same time training him so he knows what leg and voice mean. For all practical purposes, you have bought a completely untrained horse. He's not afraid of the weight on his back, a good thing. But he knows absolutely nothing else either.

There are a lot of DVDs (check out those by the Parellis and Gawani Ponyboy, I think they are the most useful) that will explain how to establish yourself as herd leader, which will sort out the leadership problem.

However, unless you already have experience with training a horse, I'd suggest you send him to someone for a month or so for some basic training.