I am responsible for (re)training a 3 year old. I say retraining because he was already started under a western saddle with a snaffle bit, but I don't feel like that is a very good way to start a horse (without any backup training of course). The gelding is dead quiet, except when he decides to spook and buck (which is to be expected from time to time, and he never gets carried away, very good boy). He just isn't forward moving. I'm young for a horseman, and inexperienced, having less than 10 years training horses. I have managed to work with quite a few horses, and they always have the opposite problem, too speedy. From what I've gathered, a horse has to know what you're asking from it before you can expect it to perform accordingly, so just shoving a snaffle bit in his mouth and strapping a saddle to his back until he's quiet isn't going to make a good sensitive horse.
I took the snaffle away and rode him with a rope halter for the time being. He seemed slightly more eager to go forward, but he is a pokey little fellow and never seems to put any effort in his strides. All I'm really asking is for forward movement at the walk at this point (haven't got to trotting yet), but that seems to be the most difficult task for this horse! I checked how the saddle was fitting before the ride obviously, but I will admit it isn't a custom fitting saddle, although it seemed fine and had good padding. Just incase i took it off and rode him bareback with the halter. Still not a lot more forward movement! I also understand that back muscle, endurance and confidence take some time to develop. I'm really not trying to push him too far, so I separate our riding into 2 or 3 half hour intervals a day with plenty of untacked rest in between.
When I ride with other people he is willing to follow at a decent pace, but he seems to lack either confidence, muscle or both. I have been trying as hard as I can to ride alone, without anyone to follow, but I usually get a similar result without any horses to keep him company. When we do ride together, I make him go in the opposite direction of the pack, weaving in and out of trees away from everyone. My greatest issue is when facing scary obstacles, or when walking past the exit when in the riding corral. He plants his feet and refuses to move forward, EVERY time. What I have been doing is the tiny pressure of the legs, which increases steadily when I don't feel a response. I'm afraid that even this could not convince this guy to budge. If I were to increase the pressure any more, I would be outright kicking his barrel, and where is the sense in that?
I don't live with the horse or I would be working with his several times a day, but I do get out there a few times a week and I don't see a big huge improvement. Should I carry a crop? I don't want to desensitize this sweet little guy to the point where he ignores rider commands. I want him to want to move for me, but I also want to do the right thing so I'm not creating the bad habits I am trying to break.
Any suggestions? Criticism? My mind is a sponge!What do you do when your horse won't move forward?
You don't go into how much ground work you have done. My horses are all lunged, free lunged, ground driven and often driven to cart before I ever get on them. They know voice commands of ';walk/trot/canter/whoa/backup'; and perform them readily before I step in the saddle. If they get ';sticky'; and won't step forward, I will turn them one step left or right to get their legs unplanted, but by the time I get on, my horses are all well versed in who is in charge and what it is I am asking. I can then use the voice commands to train what leg cues mean and slowly decrease the voice.
My groundwork usually lasts at least several months, and I don't get on my horses until 3 1/2 or 4 years. All my guys, even the 20 somethings, get lunged and ground driven/double lined at least twice a month. It's the best way I have found to get collection and impulsion at the same time, and I work on piaffe and passage as well first from the ground.
Groundwork cannot be shortcut. I think you need to take a step off the horse and teach him what you want from the ground.What do you do when your horse won't move forward?
i used to ride this appaloosa that used to do the same exact thing!!! and it was so annoying he wouldnt budge at all and it would kill me lol or he would start to walk a few paces amd then stop when ever i felt he was gonna stop i would quickly spin him to the left or right what ever is more comfortable for you.. and ask him to walk on again if he didnt go again i would spin him the other way i wouldnt give him any breaks with in about 2 or 3 weeks i got him to walk for as long as i wanted him to until i ordered him to stop with time i was able to do the same with just about every gait besides the canter he would go a few strides and then slow into a very fast rough trot and then go back to a canter but i dont ride him anymore i hope i was able to help
You are right. Just because you can put a saddle on a horse and get on it, that doesn't translate into good communication and proper impulsion under saddle. You should train this horse with lots of ground work. Teach him to move forward on the ground (with your good rope halter and lead). Teach him the cues, add verbal if you want, to move forward. When you first begin, even if he just takes one step, release the pressure (that is his reward) so he knows he did what you wanted. Horses learn from the release and you should perfect your timing so he does not get confused. How unfortunate for him that he has no good foundation at such a young age, but I've seen horses in their twenties that have no foundation. Move him left, right, forward, back, release the hind and fore quarters. Remember to push your horse to move him, not pull. You seem to be intuitive about horses with your change from the bit to the halter and your general desire to help this horse. All horses are lazy by nature, but good communication/language will earn you the horse's respect and trust, totally remove the fear factor, and enhance performance to the ultimate. Forget about the crop as it is not the answer. Use your seat, your whole body, as well as your legs for communication. Reward the slightest try. Make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. Horses learn quickly, but the biggest hurdle will be for you to develop your feel, timing and balance. Most horse communication problems is with the humans. You have good ideas and seem very aware of what you do and do not want to accomplish. Education is the key. Maybe get some colt starting videos/DVD's. This is information that will be with your for the rest of your life. Once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to accomplish anything with horses. You will never stop learning, but having a good place to start is essential. Best of luck. I'm sure you will be fine. This is a lucky little horse to have you in his life at this time. Maybe your influence will help him have a better future.
Sounds to me as you are already spoiling him if you have let him stop with you and take you to the gate.
Yes if you are a good enough rider to whip his hind end for stopping you should take a crop and use and use it hard when you do, none of those little mindless taps that only make a horse resent you!!
The reason your horse is trying to take you to the gate is because you have riden him to the gate and out. When training a colt you shouild never ride them to the gate or get off at the gate. or they will always leak toward the gate. lYou should always work them when they do things right for you, you should let them rest at the other end of the arena or somewhere else in the arena. Never at the gate, then get off and lead them out.
First, I'd suggest going back to ground work. You didn't talk about doing any groundwork, so to me that says you probably haven't done as much as you could or should be doing. Groundwork is your foundation. Your horse should willingly move out and away as you ask. If he won't do it on the ground, he'll never do it well under saddle. People always go on about how spending so long on groundwork isn't training, but if I have a week to get a horse going, I would probably spend five of those days on the ground.
Anyway, what you need to apply in every situation is 'ask, tell, demand.' First you're going to ask him to move forward.. In the saddle, asking is gently squeezing his sides. If he doesn't move forward, tell him too.. My telling is squeezing and clucking (or kissing) at my horse. If he still doesn't move forward, I demand that he moves forward. This means smacking or spanking your horse, as hard as necessary to get the job done. I usually smack on the shoulder area with my rein ends. Don't nag him by using taps. If you smack once and mean it, it'll mean a lot more to your horse than 5 taps that just annoy him. This needs to be done in stages.. Your initial squeeze should be as hard as you ever want to squeeze him.
Kicking your horses sides will get you nowhere. Its useless.. And if he is moving forward and you're kicking him to get more, you'll only succeed in shortening his strides. Kicking = shortened strides = slower horse. Also, if you can only work with him a few times a week, its better to work with him three days in a row than splitting it up. Horses need repetition and if you're going days between sessions, he'll have forgotten everything on his days off.
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