Advice please, horse won't budge?

E

Eamoose77

New User
Joined
26 January 2014
Messages
3
Visit site
I'v had horses for years and had this one since August. He's been coming on leaps and bounds on the flat and jumping but being winter he's in 24/7 with a turnout in the school daily. He's been out and about for lessons and a couple of shows since august and went out twice last weekend so he has no reason to be bored. He is schooled 3 or 4 days a week always with a variety of stuff from poles to jumps and hacked 1 or 2 days with 1 day off.

Recently he has been refusing to walk down to the school (about a 35ft walk from the stable). No matter what i try he will just stand there, if i try and ride him down he will walk backwards, i have to get someone to walk behind him to make him go there. When he's in the school he works well but sometimes seems reluctant.. Any ideas?

He will just stop and refuse to move? He was cut late so maybe just being over dominant and naughty? Back and teeth fine, all tack fine, is he just being cheeky and is he bored? When spring comes and he get's daily turnout again does anyone think he will get better?

It's getting very boring having to have someone to help me get him into the school, every day! Note he only does this when he's tacked up or got a bridle on to lunge.. he knows that when he has a rug on he's going in the school for turn out.. too clever? Any ideas!?
 
Horses don't do dominant and naughty - there is some reason he associates with the school which has been unpleasant for him. Reinforcement training will work really well in circumstances like this - so long as you don't PULL and rush him.
Start just before where he puts on the brakes and ask for ONE step forward, when you have it give him a treat which he will love, such as a polo, bit of carrot, apple etc. Then ask for another step - when you have it treat again.
Next ask (just ask, don't pull) for two steps - ditto, treat, then three, then four etc until he is happily walking where you want him to go. And THEN, treat him and take him back to the start. Regard each chance to start again as a new learning opportunity.
When he will do it willingly you have cracked it. Then make sure you aren't making him do work he is unhappy about - treat him for standing to be mounted, standing while you dismount. You are basically replacing bad associations with pleasant ones, and we have had reluctant loaders RUNNING onto transport doing it this way.
Good luck and regard it as fun!
 
My first guess would be pain or discomfort.
As he's been in for a while, has he got stiff and tweaked himself when exercising ? Has he got thrush because even with the best stable hygiene, it's difficult for them to avoid standing in urine or poo.
Has he changed shape making his saddle uncomfortable ? Has he any signs of a mild viral/respiratory problem ?
 
Thanks MerrySherryRider, can see where your coming from, could be viral doesn't seem to have any signs however will look out for it. Saddle recently checked and fit's fine, doesn't seem stiff always make sure he out of the stable for at least 1\2 hr morning and evening
 
I would get a physio to check him, "not seeming stiff" and "not being stiff" are two different things, so I'd want to check this for peace of mind. I also agree with susieT more hacking and less schooling for a while. On the days you do school, I would open sandschool gate, take him for a five or ten minute warm up hack down the road and back, trot into the school so he doesn't (hopefully) have time to put the breaks on, go straight into some schooling and take him down the lane to cool down again. < I would only do this after I'd got the physio out and the all clear.
 
Sounds just like the problem I had with my girl fir the last 2 years. Had every back, tack and vet check under the sun and nothing helped until Michael Peace came out to me in November.
He literally hopped on and off they went!
The problem was me, I was being too strong with my girl and needed to be more subtle.
His advice: drop the whip, just carrying it shuts my girl down..
Lots of random changes of direction and pace
Keep my chest and hands up
If she is being sluggish give a flick over the shoulders with the reins.
Generally keep my energy up, keep it interesting.

Of course if you think there is a medical problem you must check it out. I too was a firm believer of 'they don't behave badly for kicks- they must be in pain' and spent a fortune on vets tests. My mare wasn't in pain but was doing her best to tell me I was riding like a prat.

Good luck- I know how hard it is to keep things fun on a horse that refuses to move.
 
I don't know if I am just being naive here but I'd follow JillA's lead but use a rope halter and pressure and release or (knowing me!) I'd be stuck with a planting horse with the treats left back in the tack room!

I've seen a couple of "been around horses all my life" try to lead some of mine who resented being dragged. I didn't feel I should correct the 50yo who was expecting my 2yo gelding to respond to soft talk ("Come along dear, there's a good boy!") but just a few seconds with the 12yo and a similar aged filly, showing how to immediately release pressure the moment the pony responded, had her all smiles again and highly delighted to have learnt something new. The filly was a bit relieved too!

Perhaps just one of those things where less is more? "If something doesn't work in training, go back a stage and start again".
 
Sorry but I don't get the bored thing - that is us transferring our emotions. What could be more boring than mooching round a field all day and all night, nibbling a bit of grass, yet that is how very many horses spend their entire lives, very successfully. I have never seen one refusing to do that because it is bored!Much more likely that he really dislikes some of the stuff he is being asked to do - and if you assume he is bored you will end up asking him to do more of the stuff he dislikes!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top