Cure for Planting?

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Orangehorse

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Asking for a friend who wants a quiet pony now she is OAP. She has seen a nice 5 year old Highland that has done lots and lots of groundwork, clicker training, etc. but is very slow and reluctant in the school and will also plant and refuse to move when out on a hack.

I have never had this problem so didn't know how hard or easy it is to fix, and how long, or how for that matter.

The vendor is far keener on doing groundwork than riding as she has another horse she rides.
 
Difficult one because I first thought when I read your post that there was something wrong with it but if the owner has mainly done groundwork I wonder if it really understands a ridden job.

We got a cob donated to the RS I was on livery at who the owners gave away because it wouldn't go forward. It had no idea of the aids at all. Poor pony was a fat lump but it didn't take long to get it to understand "go"
 
It’s a Highland… planting is their standard response when they don’t understand, are unsure about something or tbh when they’d just rather not.

There could be a physical issue somewhere or it could just be a training issue. Your friend knows best if they want to unpick that or not.
 
Could be caused by so many things if physical it could cost a ton of money .

Let’s assume it’s a training issue .
Your friend needs to turn this on head and think about herself .
Does she enjoy fixing training issues is she brave and determined does she have a good grounding in how training works so she can identify the problems and think through fixing them.
Does she have the time .
Does she have access easily to everything you need to fix a horse with an issue , a school suitable hacking ,because you can’t deal with issues like this unless the hacking you have access to is suitable and safe for dealing with this type of issue .
Does she have access to another horse in case this horse needs to led from another horse for a while .
Does she have access to company when she needs it for hacking, a friend on ground available if and when she needs one .
What is it about this horse that means she is thinking of buying a horse that may have a frustrating and long term bad attitude to work .
Does she want to slog through this day after day because it may not be any sort of quick fix .

A spoilt badly started highland whose spent to much time being played with on the ground is backward in school and plants out hacking sounds like hell to me but if your friend is thinking she can’t wait to get stuck in and sort this out that’s one thing but if she wants to have a nice easy time enjoying her horse then that’s another and she should continue looking .
 
I do think there is a phenomenon now in training and especially horses being backed by inexperienced people that leads them to never learning the correct skills. The sports horses always have to be taught forwards and you don’t touch their mouths until you have true forwards and it’s can take time depending on their mind and physicality. I have had some who get it easily and others who have taken a bit more time because physically they find it tough so don’t see the point especially in an arena, which you have to start in to be safe as have no steering or aids in place. I have met a lot of horses who literally have no idea of true forwards (off the leg) as never been taught. My idea of off the leg is vastly different to someone else’s. I also think getting forwards can be a bit ugly and hard work. You need to be disciplined in staying on top of it and most people I know don’t do it well. I always liken it to potty training (not that I have had to do it ever). Teaching them just to sit on the potty isn’t enough. You need to build the skill set and understanding and keep at it every time.

Horses have to be inspired to be off the leg and built up as it’s really hardwork to begin with. It also then needs to be constantly looked at every day of their riding career as bad habits creep in.
 
Your friend needs to investigate further, my mare when she worries plants, however it is only when we are out on our own, it’s her go to response when she worries, then she’ll happily March on after figuring whatever it is out. I’d personally much rather have a horse that plants when worried, than spins and bogs off. I’m not discounting a physical issue with the highland but I would initially assume a training issue, especially if the current owner doesn’t do much with it.

My mare will March out lovely and never plants in company (even if she’s at the front), even with a foot soldier, it only ever happens when we are alone but I’m pretty chilled about it, as we are never in a hurry and we just sit it out and then she carries on fine, or I jump off and lead for a bit.
 
My highland has become noise sensitive and plants as a consequence I don’t want to use my stick but unfortunately seems to be the only way to move her on.
 
Orangehorse said:
Asking for a friend who wants a quiet pony now she is OAP. She has seen a nice 5 year old Highland that has done lots and lots of groundwork, clicker training, etc. but is very slow and reluctant in the school and will also plant and refuse to move when out on a hack.

I have never had this problem so didn't know how hard or easy it is to fix, and how long, or how for that matter.

The vendor is far keener on doing groundwork than riding as she has another horse she rides him
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Interesting one. I don’t have loads of experience with young ponies but I have some.

I know a few older horses that plant and it’s sort of their ‘vice’. Like how you have horses that bolt or buck or rear etc and then you have the planters, but with it only being a 5 year old I wouldn’t really apply this rule.

If it was me I’d be looking into firstly, whether it’s in pain or not and if that’s why it doesn’t want to go forward. And if that’s ticked off then maybe it simply doesn’t fully understand what is being asked of it. If it was that I would probably just slow things down and take it all step by step again, give it time to fully comprehend things. Some understand quicker than others.

Good luck with your pony!
 
Orangehorse said:
Asking for a friend who wants a quiet pony now she is OAP. She has seen a nice 5 year old Highland that has done lots and lots of groundwork, clicker training, etc. but is very slow and reluctant in the school and will also plant and refuse to move when out on a hack.

I have never had this problem so didn't know how hard or easy it is to fix, and how long, or how for that matter.

The vendor is far keener on doing groundwork than riding as she has another horse she rides.
Click to expand...
How's your friend getting on with her pony?
 
Highlands are not easy first ponies in my experience! Often they’re rather tricky either a bit backward thinking or little TBs in a fat suit! Mine was the trickiest ever!
 
I have a Highland pony that plants doesn’t like the school doesn’t like anything really she’s ten now I’ve started trying to change her mindset and our connection with groundwork at liberty she’s really good at it and is far less pushy around me and food but so far it hasn’t translated into more forward riding - the only advice I was given in lessons was use your stick which she does respect a bit but is that the way forward
 
I would imagine it's bored, with a dose of WTF why I am doing this? They often seriously over weight which doesn't help.
I have had several young Highlands, and when you back them, as long as they have brakes a steering of some sort you get them out hacking with a companion so its a bit of fun. and try faster work. Once they learn they can avoid work as an immovable object its their get go avoidance technique.
If you go on the Highland forum there should be some solutions, there used to be a lot on Horse Gossip.
 
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