Can I pick your brains please? A few questions about youngster

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magpiesyard

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Ok, thanks in advance as I think all your advice is fab!
Have been training pony since August he's coming up 5 and going really well so far, mainly hacking out currently.

1) He seems to only be able to walk in a straight line when he is hacking out with other ponies? When he hacks out alone is weaves left and right like you wouldn't believe! What can I do to help him or stop him doing it. Seems perfectly capable of walking straight whilst in company whether in front or behind.

2)After introducing canter on hacks I decided to introduce canter to his lungeing sessions, however he finds leading on correct leg difficult on one rein and also rushes his trot before breaking into canter, how can I correct these 2 problems? I wanted to get him cantering on the lunge before i start schooling him in canter so he is bending better.

3)He lacks confidence when hacking out alone, he shys at so much when he is on his own but seems much more relaxed when in company. When I am hacking out alone and he shys at something he wouldn't normally, do I tell him off or reassure him? I'm not sure how to give him confidence on his own other than keep going out alone? He is intended for my daughter eventually so I would really like him bomb proof!


Thankyou for all your help, you have been great in the past!
Happy riding
xxx
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He was long reining out prior to me backing him in Aug, he long reined out perfectly - shyed at nothing! seems he has lost confidence with rider on board. Have hacked out more in company than alone, but he has been going out alone once in a while since Aug (although I work full time so over the winter time was an issue) it was weekends only. He's going out most days now.
 
He doesn't sound ready to be on his own yet. Others may disagree - but the youngsters at my place hack out in company for quite some time before going on their own. They have all grown up to be 100% in traffic and go happily in company or alone.

Once they get a fright on the road it is very difficult to get them back - and there is nothing worse than a horse that you can't hack out alone.
 
My only advice would be absolutely NOT to punish him when he shy's as you would only be reinforcing his action that there is something to be frightened of and shy at. I think you have to take into consideration he's only a baby and hasn't been hacking very long so his shying is probably more him telling you 'what the hell is that' than just plain naughtiness.

He is obviously trying for you but maybe you could work on building up a stronger trust/ bond with him and him seeing you as his leader so that he has the confidence in you that objects aren't scary when out hacking. That way you can stop, let him look at whatever it is for as long as he likes, give him a little reasurring stroke before asking him to walk on again. I also find if he shy's get off and walk him past it, maybe touch whatever it is and keep walking past it back and forth until he see's there is nothing to worry about. This will be so much easier if he has built up a good trust in you.

Hope that kind of helps!
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1) Does he walk in a straight line in the school?

2) I would try cantering him in the school when your on him

3) Just keep at it, he will get more and more confident the more you do. As for him shying, it depends I spose if he is just trying his luck, in which case tell him off, or if he is genuinely unsure, in which case he needs you to tell him its ok.
 
Thanks, thats great advice, I know i'm probably expecting too much too soon, it's just that hes not very consistant at the mo.
As for walking straight in the school - not really, he does it perfectly through poles but my school is just a misshapen field so have no "track" to follow as such which I don't think helps.
So cantering him in the school before him acheiving it on the lunge would be ok you think?
 
Initial and quick thoughts...
The weaving when hacking alone and the spooking would suggest lack of confidence and being unsure of himself possibly...when you hack with others do you take turns being in front or riding beside each other?
I would reassure in the first instance as opposed to telling him off as you could just make him more unsure and as if he is doing something wrong...I am sure there are some exercises you can do in the school to improve his straight lines...tho it may be difficult if he is fine in the school in straight lines.
Tho i think building up his confidence and balance would help him.

Cantering on lunge will require far more balance than cantering whilst out hacking. Maybe long reining would be more helpful to him. I would do large circles initially so he has a chance to get the canter rather than feeling he has to rush trot in to it so he can manage it. Lots of transition work may help him as well.

He is still learning this working lark really...so it may take various ways of doing things to find what he needs working on and how he improves as you go along.

Just a few thoughts I had when I first read your post...
Good luck!
 
I hope it helps!
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When you can't ride in the week I really would spend time building a good bond / trust with him even if it's just 10mins a day through little exercises and it makes all these sorts of hiccups much easier to overcome later on.

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I'm going to see a monty Roberts demo next week so hoping that will help give me some pointers building up the bond - we do have issues there - particularly with my daughter. - Any exercises you can recommend without taking up too much more of your time?!!
Thanks again!
 
Oh he's doing his UK tour at the moment isn't he, I thought about getting ticket's for the demo at Tonbridge!
To be honest I'm a big fan of him and Kelly Marks and if you've ever read any of their books (Kelly's Perfect Partners/ Manners/ Confidence books) they are full with loads of advice, exercises and tips! I would also recommend Monty's 'From my Hands to Yours' book too, again full of information and exercises to try. They are really are worth a read if your interested, I have a yearling and I refer to them all the time, I already do and will be doing all the exercises and advice given in those books and I have to say already he is a little star. I am gently spook busting him at the moment with just with the simplest of things which may seem big and scary later on. The Intelligent Horsemanship thing isn't to everyone's taste but I personally think they speak alot of common sense in getting the best from your horse.

Don't be silly, no trouble at all, I really hope everything goes well!
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...Oh and I cuddle and stroke my little'un to piece's in the field/ anywhere. I waste hours doing this and it works wonders for our bond! Something easy for your daughter to do too!
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My haflinger is going to be 5 this year so the same age as yours. Walking in a straight line is just something that will come with time as his balance and confidence improves. Mine can walk in a perfectly straight line on a long rein but is still a bit wobbly on a contact. I found that it was much easier to get him cantering out on a hack than in the school because he found the corners tricky. Try to find somewhere where you can get a fairly long straight canter to give him time to work out what it's all about. It will be much harder for him to achieve a balanced canter on a circle in the school although he might be naturally more balanced and coordinated than mine
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I agree he does sound like he needs a bit more confidence out and about. I have known a lot of youngsters that weave down the roads when alone and it was just nerves. I would keep hacking with company and ride in front then try really short hacks from home. Almost so he can still see home. When that is ok a little further etc etc.
As for the cantering if your school/field is big enough I would canter on him as it will be easier than cantering a circle on the lunge.
 
Have known alot of people that ride with two schooling whips to help with straightness,i had to do it with my lad when he first started hacking out as his butt was all over the place,lol,helped a great deal!When we used to trot on the road he would trot with bum facing one way or other,or all over,lol,schooling whips were used to back up my leg aid on both sides thus helping straighten bum!!(just gentle taps are enough,it almost gives them a line to work with as they can see both!!)
 
Re the cantering on the lunge issue - have u had his back checked? It's quite unusual for a horse to strike off on the wrong leg on the lunge if the bend is right. The reason I ask is my mare had a similar problem but she had back problems.
 
I can only respond re: the hacking out. My backward 5 yo is hacked out alone and can be very spooky and lacking in confidence. I do hack out in company also, but as I expect him to be able to hack out alone for the majority of his time with me, I am starting now. I have found that he has benefitted from walking out in hand, progressing to being ridden out with a 'hand holder' on foot, to being ridden out for short hacks alone quite happily. I only ever go on hacks I know are 'safe' with no known spooky points. I do not punish him for spooking, he has a tendency to whip round at the most trivial things and I find if I sit still and quiet and do not make a fuss of it, he calms down and walks quietly past whatever it is that has attmpted to kill him. Do not be put off by what other people say either, I have been frowned upon but as I see it, he's only a baby for a short while and patience now will pay off in the long run.
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On the plus side, he is donkey-boy in company, which bodes well for his future solo expeditions
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