CaitlinCal
Well-Known Member
Really need advice badly!
for the last week I have been trying to lunge my horse but he has been point blank refusing! He's not a young horse (17) and has had a lot of dressage schooling and usually goes with word of mouth but recently he will not move! After a lot of persuasion I can maybe get one small circle before he turns in towards me. If I try to send him out again he just does really tight circles around me or just stands there. Thought he may be scared of the crop but is the same with or without and if I crack the whip or give him a slap with it there is no reaction a will let me rub it all over his face without even blinking!! ( I know this is meant to be good because he sees it as an aid not as something to be scared of but still frustrating there is no reaction at all!)
have tried everything with full tack on, just bridle, rope halter and nothing at all ( nothing at all worked for about two mins before he turned in) but now he is starting to rear a bit when I try to chase him out and as I am still recovering from a Broken back and currently in a back brace my mobility in has been reduced a lot so a lot harder to react quickly.
is there anything I am missing?, is there anything I'm doing wrong? Will try anything!!
thanks
p.s. have used clicker training for loading problems in past successfully (but doesn't seem to be having any effect this time) and with cal the quirkier the solution the better it seems to work
p.p.s really responds badly to force and really hate having to use the crop unless i really have to.
for the last week I have been trying to lunge my horse but he has been point blank refusing! He's not a young horse (17) and has had a lot of dressage schooling and usually goes with word of mouth but recently he will not move! After a lot of persuasion I can maybe get one small circle before he turns in towards me. If I try to send him out again he just does really tight circles around me or just stands there. Thought he may be scared of the crop but is the same with or without and if I crack the whip or give him a slap with it there is no reaction a will let me rub it all over his face without even blinking!! ( I know this is meant to be good because he sees it as an aid not as something to be scared of but still frustrating there is no reaction at all!)
have tried everything with full tack on, just bridle, rope halter and nothing at all ( nothing at all worked for about two mins before he turned in) but now he is starting to rear a bit when I try to chase him out and as I am still recovering from a Broken back and currently in a back brace my mobility in has been reduced a lot so a lot harder to react quickly.
is there anything I am missing?, is there anything I'm doing wrong? Will try anything!!
thanks
p.s. have used clicker training for loading problems in past successfully (but doesn't seem to be having any effect this time) and with cal the quirkier the solution the better it seems to work
p.p.s really responds badly to force and really hate having to use the crop unless i really have to.