Bargy/strong youngsters

TallyHo123

TallyHo123

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Hi guys, calling on your expertise here!
Helping out a friend with her new 3 year old who unfortunately knows he is much stronger than any person! She just pushes you put her way etc. She's fine to lead but moving her sideways pr backwards is a no go ATM. She's also very bargy in the stable.
I have showed her using your elbow in the chest etc to push her, swinging a rope to back her up, pinching her chest to back up bit nothing works.
Any ideas?
 
Having tried the pinching years ago I'd never do it again... ended up with a 'chest-shy' horse who felt more like going up than back ;-S

It may be that, if leading is fine, horse simply isn't sure what/why you are asking her to do with sideways/backwards.

I teach (well, use, and they learn) 'back, back' and 'over, over'. Make sure she knows 'good girl' first though... Seriously, do a bit of in hand leading with halts and forwards walking as they are easy. Use 'walk on', 'whoa' and 'good girl' (with treats and pats to start with if necessary). Then, from halt, ask for a step or two back. Don't make a huge deal if she doesn't 'get' it straight away. But as soon as she takes even one step back do LOADS of praising and then walk on. Similarly with 'over' (use a hand on her side where a leg would go on ridden with the voice aid to start with.)

It should transfer to the stable and so forth but I'd start in a school/other open area and set aside some time for it rather than getting annoyed when you're trying to go about daily chores etc.

No harm in a ground work 'lesson' either.
 
Having had a very bargy opionated in your face youngster when it came to groundwork I found finding methods to get them to move their feet was the best... That meant anything from phsyically lifting her feet and moving them back to tapping her under the knee with my foot or a whip to get her to back up or move anyway but forward... i would increase the pressure of the tap until she moves... Now if she is chancing her luck I just lift my foot towards her and she backs up.
 
Tickles said:
Having tried the pinching years ago I'd never do it again... ended up with a 'chest-shy' horse who felt more like going up than back ;-S

It may be that, if leading is fine, horse simply isn't sure what/why you are asking her to do with sideways/backwards.

I teach (well, use, and they learn) 'back, back' and 'over, over'. Make sure she knows 'good girl' first though... Seriously, do a bit of in hand leading with halts and forwards walking as they are easy. Use 'walk on', 'whoa' and 'good girl' (with treats and pats to start with if necessary). Then, from halt, ask for a step or two back. Don't make a huge deal if she doesn't 'get' it straight away. But as soon as she takes even one step back do LOADS of praising and then walk on. Similarly with 'over' (use a hand on her side where a leg would go on ridden with the voice aid to start with.)

It should transfer to the stable and so forth but I'd start in a school/other open area and set aside some time for it rather than getting annoyed when you're trying to go about daily chores etc.

No harm in a ground work 'lesson' either.
Click to expand...

I do this too and it's working. Mine's not a youngster though, he's 10yrs old! He's a very chunky, 17hh, strong ID who came to me with no manners (walked all over his previous novice owner who bought him as a 6yo!).
 
Well mine is a big strong youngster - 17.1 ISH who while a very sweet horse is also one to chance his luck. Yard stuck him in a chiffney to lead out for a couple of times and he stopped barging. He is tied up outside his box when I tack/groom and has learnt to move over at command. He tends to dance around a bit so you do have keep your wits on but the above worked. I will, however, caveat this with the fact that, fundamentally, my horse is actually really kind (and I have been around long enough to know the difference) so doesn't take much to put him straight. As he is only 5 and green I accept he will keep chancing his luck and will keep coming up with new tricks but hopefully he will grow out of that. I am also fortunate that I am in a yard with pretty unflappable staff who are very used to youngsters so there is no hysterics at his party tricks. More of a "whats he up to now". One of the girls only has to growl at him and he behaves (never hit him either) and he has more respect for me after I did an excellent impersonation of Rumpelstilskin after being knocked flying!
 
I also use voice aids alot. I also do alot of "respect my space" work.
Leading them and making them stop when I stop. If they don't stop I make them walk backwards with the command of "back". If they don't walk backwards I make noise (Bang on my coat if I have a rustly coat on, stamp my feed, swing the leadrope, poke the chest).
Then I move on to asking them to go sideways using the word command "over" and poking their side (Well touching it until they get the idea).
In theory if you are able to move them around like this you have alot more control and the "rules" are very black and white. I.e They are not allowed to simply walk ahead of you because you make them move backwards out of your space.
I use this training technique because when the horse drags you you make them stop and back up. They soo get bored and it then transfers to stable manners. Hope this helps :)

P.s Obviously when I do this with a youngster I wear a hard hat and use a lunge line.
 
I wouldnt be without my rope halter with a bargy horse, they need schooled to it and i like how Richard Maxwell instills manners from the ground using it
Ive had really good success with his style on a good few horses who were bargy gits that lead really well now and respect your space
 
The horse needs to understand how to yield to pressure. At the moment she is just pushing through any attempts at restraint. Once she learns about pressure and release, you will have no need to try to restrain her.

The horse's natural instinct is to lean into pressure. If a handler has no sense of feel, and doesn't understand how to apply and release pressure, with good timing, the horse will resist pressure. Until he is taught how to yield, by a handler who has learned how to manage his resistance, basically by timely release of pressure on any offer of compliance from him, the horse will continue to offer resistance.

Your filly will change dramatically for the better if she is taught to yield to pressure, and handled fairly at all times. Gentle pressure on the halter to ask her to do something, say, turn her head to the side slightly, then release as she turns her head, then ask her to do the same until she turns her head and keeps it their, will teach her to yield to the pressure. You can then teach her to step forward, back, to the side, and to stand when you walk away, all by using the same pressure and release principle.

Ask with the halter, release on the first sign of an offer from the horse. Release the pressure on the offer, and the action will follow. Even if the horse gives an incorrect response, you must release the pressure. This will allow him to try again when asked, without being afraid. Any extreme resistance will be due to too much pressure, so you must adjust and adapt to get the best from the horse.

The halter is for asking something of the horse, not for reprimand, control, or punishment. As soon as she gets it right, praise with the voice.
 
marydoll said:
I wouldnt be without my rope halter with a bargy horse, they need schooled to it and i like how Richard Maxwell instills manners from the ground using it
Ive had really good success with his style on a good few horses who were bargy gits that lead really well now and respect your space
Click to expand...

my youngster was very bargy and basically ran through you to avoid you, got the above (rope halter and a 12 ft rope line) and after 5 mins she was like a lamb, no bargy bargy or pulling away. she is still good on the ground now, even when the vet came to rasp her teeth she stood like an angel, they have such respect for them.
I rarely have to remind her about mannors now
 
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