Gates AUGHGHGHGHGGHGH

[Jazzy B]

My hacking involves a lot of gates the one's which you can open when on board by pulling back the handle. My new lad it appears is utterly clueless when it comes to someone being on board and opening gates every single aid seems to go out of the window and he appears to have a complete brain freeze. We are getting slightly better, when I first got him he wouldn't even stand in front of one but now I can actually walk up the gate and I can open it but going forward through the gateway is just not going to happen he just freezes I have tried neck reining (he can neck rein normally) he doesn't even respond to my leg. I don't want to get into an argument with him about it but am getting at a bit of a loss what to do. If I get off or he follows another horse he is absolutely fine, so I know its not actually the gateway that he is worried about. Any ideas anyone?

 

[HollyB66]

Sorry, no useful ideas, just keep trying?

 

[Molasses]

Lol you have a gate numpty....I had the pleasure of one years ago. He eventually clicked after I learnt patience and just kept drilling away. Packet of mints in your pocket and a crop with a handle (old hunt one will do nicely) sometimes the young ones who haven't learnt where their feet go....when you add the complication of a gate....well their brains just take a holiday. Keep it up, the numpty I knew eventually got so good at gates he became a smart arse and wouldn't forgive in return so if I made a mistake he was all "stupid human" lol

 

[Honey08]

Do you mean that he won't go backwards?

Could you have someone come with you on foot to help push him back while you say "back"? Get him used to what you are saying, then start saying it when you are on your own..

With our youngster I used to gently "bump" his chest with the gate and say "back". He quickly worked it out and now does it without me needing to bump his chest. I also teach them what "push" means to push a gate open or shut with their chests - useful for one of those gates that swing open again unless you keep pushing.

It all takes time and patience..

 

[stencilface]

My 4yo took a while to get gates when I first got him, he used to try and paw at them

It just takes time and practise sadly, mine always used to worry he would get left behind if closing the gates, so it was half 'I don't understand' and half napping. I would practise gate manouveres elsewhere on the hack, not near gates, so that when he gets there he's not surprised to be asked the questions.

 

[ladyt25]

Just keep trying! Honestly, you will eventually forget you ever had a problem! My pony used to panic a bit about gates, we couldn't open them and then he'd try rush through! Ot wasn't long though before he just got it - I can't even remember when it happened, you just sort of think one day "oh yeah, he used to be cr*p at gates!". Keep doing what you're doing i say - practice makes perfect!!!

 

[Mince Pie]

Put a jump wing in your school and practice turning around it.

 

[MiCsarah]

I feel your pain. Used to ride a horse like that. Dear lord it was hard work. We would get to a get and just stop. No matter what I did we just didn't move. He was a 6 yr old that in my opinion was started very badly as didn't partically know what leg aids were. I started doing turn on the forehands in the school and leg yeilding. We slowly got there but it took a while!!

 

[tallyho!]

No advice. Mine is awesome with gates. I unlatch it, he opens it. Awesome

Took us 4 years mind.....

 

[NeilM]

Practice, practice, practice, practice.

My lad was pretty clueless until we started riding in West Somerset, where there are LOTS of gates, now he is fine, until his (warped) sense of humour takes over:

Ride to gate, I reach forward to release gate. H puts his head down and we walk backwards opening gate, and stop...GOOD BOY. This is our normal procedure, however, when the mood takes him we immediately proceed to:

H walks forward with me shouting nononoonNO, slam! Gate Closed...and repeat until Neil gets off H and lets him, OH and her (amused) mare through gate, shuts gate and remounts....repeat at each successive gate until Neil has steam emerging from ears.

This (apparently) is hilarious to New Forest ponies

 

[tallyho!]

Practice, practice, practice, practice.

My lad was pretty clueless until we started riding in West Somerset, where there are LOTS of gates, now he is fine, until his (warped) sense of humour takes over:

Ride to gate, I reach forward to release gate. H puts his head down and we walk backwards opening gate, and stop...GOOD BOY. This is our normal procedure, however, when the mood takes him we immediately proceed to:

H walks forward with me shouting nononoonNO, slam! Gate Closed...and repeat until Neil gets off H and lets him, OH and her (amused) mare through gate, shuts gate and remounts....repeat at each successive gate until Neil has steam emerging from ears.

This (apparently) is hilarious to New Forest ponies

More practice on Boxing Day for you!!!!

 

[NeilM]

More practice on Boxing Day for you!!!!

Indeed!

 

[Foxhunter49]

I think that you are not opening a gate correctly!
You should ride from the hinge end to the latch so that the horse is parallel to the gate and not with his head over it.
You then lean over to unlatch it and you can either push the gate open with your foot hand if you are on a green horse.
If the gate opens towards you then you can pull it towards you using it to teach the horse to leg yield!
When the horse is more experienced then you can keep hold of the gate and follow it around so that you can hold it open for others to come through.
You should always ride parallel to the gate as some horses get muddled and might try to jump it if take head on towards it.

It is a matter of practise, scratches when they do well and it helps if they can see an experienced horse do it correctly.

 

[tallyho!]

I think that you are not opening a gate correctly!
You should ride from the hinge end to the latch so that the horse is parallel to the gate and not with his head over it.
You then lean over to unlatch it and you can either push the gate open with your foot hand if you are on a green horse.
If the gate opens towards you then you can pull it towards you using it to teach the horse to leg yield!
When the horse is more experienced then you can keep hold of the gate and follow it around so that you can hold it open for others to come through.
You should always ride parallel to the gate as some horses get muddled and might try to jump it if take head on towards it.

It is a matter of practise, scratches when they do well and it helps if they can see an experienced horse do it correctly.

Gaaahhhh you've given the game away!!!

 

[kerilli]

in addition to all this good advice... have you worked patiently on turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches, and stepping sideways, and backwards, in the school, with no pesky gate to control at the same time?

 

[NeilM]

I think that you are not opening a gate correctly!
You should ride from the hinge end to the latch so that the horse is parallel to the gate and not with his head over it.
You then lean over to unlatch it and you can either push the gate open with your foot hand if you are on a green horse.
If the gate opens towards you then you can pull it towards you using it to teach the horse to leg yield!
When the horse is more experienced then you can keep hold of the gate and follow it around so that you can hold it open for others to come through.
You should always ride parallel to the gate as some horses get muddled and might try to jump it if take head on towards it.

It is a matter of practise, scratches when they do well and it helps if they can see an experienced horse do it correctly.

Oh it's that simple is it?

Right: I challenge you to ride all the way around Clatworthy reservoir and use that technique....and no swearing

I'm sure that method works well, however it relies on the following:

1) The gate latch can be reached, and operated from horseback.
2) The gate is on both hinges.
3) The gate actually swings on the hinges.
4) The gate has been used in the last 20 years.(piles of leaves, fallen branches, bits of old farming equipment, you name it, and we've found it up against gates).
5)The gate is not on steeply sloping ground, so that when open the latch end is now 20 feet in the air. (A variation of this being that the gate swings very freely, towards you and nearly takes you off the back of your horse, or squishes you into a bank / hedge).
6) The gate is not in the middle of a stream (yes I have, several of them).
7) You and your equine friend keeping your cool when it is teeming down with rain, you are being harassed by a field full of young cows / bulls, and this is the umpteenth gate in the last two miles which is overgrown and tied firmly shut with bailing twine.
8) The gate is 10 feet high, made of industrial cast iron and is heavy enough to need a decent sized shire horse just to open it.
9) The gate has been moved, and now is wired into a rough opening leading into a pen full of poults (horses just LOVE poults).
10) The gate leads into a field full of horses.

 

[Janette]

NeilM - I'm thinking that you need a little word with the local Bridleways officer on the council.... I applaud your patience.

We have those gates with the long handle that stick up - for a rider to grab hold of, or a horse to move with her head - thus opening the gate for her rider before the said rider got her hand on the gate latch! A favourite trick now........ :Z

 

[NeilM]

NeilM - I'm thinking that you need a little word with the local Bridleways officer on the council.... I applaud your patience.

We have those gates with the long handle that stick up - for a rider to grab hold of, or a horse to move with her head - thus opening the gate for her rider before the said rider got her hand on the gate latch! A favourite trick now........ :Z

The access officer in West Somerset and I know each other so well, we exchange Christmas and Birthday cards.

Regarding patience: My OH commented on one ride "I might as well have strapped the effing saddle to my back and walked for the amount of riding I'm doing".

To put this in context; my OH and I frequently holiday in West Somerset (with both neddies), and usually spend between four and six hours a day 'exploring' local bridleways with a map and compass. It takes resolve, a sense of humour, backpacks with coffee and buns (mmmm buuunnnnsss) and two equines with saint like qualities.

 

[Kenzo]

Ground work, getting your horse used to voice commands while teaching your horse to back up and move over will help him understand when your on board...and buckets full of patience.

You'll get there once the penny has dropped, some horses find things more easier than others.

My boy is pretty rubbish at lateral work yet he's gets the whole gate opening thing, knows to move over or back n forth etc where as the mare is great at moving off your leg but not the sharpest knife when it comes to opening gates!

 

[tallyho!]

Oh it's that simple is it?

Right: I challenge you to ride all the way around Clatworthy reservoir and use that technique....and no swearing

I'm sure that method works well, however it relies on the following:

1) The gate latch can be reached, and operated from horseback.
2) The gate is on both hinges.
3) The gate actually swings on the hinges.
4) The gate has been used in the last 20 years.(piles of leaves, fallen branches, bits of old farming equipment, you name it, and we've found it up against gates).
5)The gate is not on steeply sloping ground, so that when open the latch end is now 20 feet in the air. (A variation of this being that the gate swings very freely, towards you and nearly takes you off the back of your horse, or squishes you into a bank / hedge).
6) The gate is not in the middle of a stream (yes I have, several of them).
7) You and your equine friend keeping your cool when it is teeming down with rain, you are being harassed by a field full of young cows / bulls, and this is the umpteenth gate in the last two miles which is overgrown and tied firmly shut with bailing twine.
8) The gate is 10 feet high, made of industrial cast iron and is heavy enough to need a decent sized shire horse just to open it.
9) The gate has been moved, and now is wired into a rough opening leading into a pen full of poults (horses just LOVE poults).
10) The gate leads into a field full of horses.

You should definitely avoid this route....

Maybe you should move to east Somerset. We have awesome gates

 

[NeilM]

You should definitely avoid this route....

Maybe you should move to east Somerset. We have awesome gates

In that case; go and do some riding in West Somerset and when you get back in the East of the County, you'll have a saint of a horse who is ace at gates

Oh and I forgot the gates on narrow paths that if you try to turn your horse sideways will have his head / and ars...erm, back end, in holly bushes, or worse something yummy and tasty (nom nom kick kick nom nom kick....dismount...again).

 

[tallyho!]

That isn't such a bad idea... Even tho he is ace at gates, one can always improve. I mean, he could actually just do whole thing for me. Now that would be awesome.

Funnily enough, on Cotswold way, there are some really narrow gates with prickly shrubbery. I always get holes in me jods if I go that way.... However, if we have arrange a meet at the Swan Inn, no other way really

 

[JennBags]

I have a very well-schooled 28 yo that will not be helpful at gates. He gets impatient, stamps his feet, spins, fidgets etc. He knows all his lateral work, rein-back (etc (was working at Medium a few years ago).

He has always been an absolute star to hack, but no matter what I do, his brain can't cope with gates. I've had far better riders than me take him out & attempt the gates, he'll do some but if he doesn't want to play ball then that's it

And he's 17.2 & fidgety to mount so getting off & on is not really an option (last time I fell off him was when he thought it would be a good idea to trot off when I had one leg in the stirrup, then thought it would be more fun to canter through the woods :rolleyes

 

[tallyho!]

I have a very well-schooled 28 yo that will not be helpful at gates. He gets impatient, stamps his feet, spins, fidgets etc. He knows all his lateral work, rein-back (etc (was working at Medium a few years ago).

He has always been an absolute star to hack, but no matter what I do, his brain can't cope with gates. I've had far better riders than me take him out & attempt the gates, he'll do some but if he doesn't want to play ball then that's it

And he's 17.2 & fidgety to mount so getting off & on is not really an option (last time I fell off him was when he thought it would be a good idea to trot off when I had one leg in the stirrup, then thought it would be more fun to canter through the woods :rolleyes

Such a dufus!

 

[NeilM]

And he's 17.2 & fidgety to mount so getting off & on is not really an option

There are times (and they are few and far between) when those of us who ride ponies feel very smug


Or is that grateful

 

[JennBags]

Tallyhohoho - was that comment aimed at me or my horse

 

[tallyho!]

Tallyhohoho - was that comment aimed at me or my horse

Oh... didn't think of that.... you could be a potential dufus too!!!!

No, I'm just kidding - hope you know that JB

xx

 

[JennBags]

Dufus is as Dufus does Tallyhohoho

 

[tallyho!]

Dufus is as Dufus does Tallyhohoho

Yup... I know that very well