Getting a Yearling to Walk With Me

[merlin100]

I bought my yearling filly at the end of July and whilst she comes up to me when I enter the field, I've not been able to lead her anywhere.

She's got a headcollar on and accepts the lead rope being clipped on, but the minute I want her to walk on, it's like her feet are set in concrete.

I can and do feed her some daily treats, but don't want to rely on them as a bribe to get her moving.

Any suggestions?

 

[Dry Rot]

This might help.....www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?520127-Pressure-release-training/page2 Also, try Googling.

Basically, you apply pressure (i.e. a pull) on the lead rope in the direction you want the horse to move, so a gentle steady pull on the lead rope. This puts pressure on the poll which is uncomfortable. The horse will then try a variety of movements to remove the discomfort. When it even slightly shifts it's weight in the direction of the pull, the pressure should be instantly released. This sends the message that to remove the discomfort, the horse has only to move in the direction of the pull.

Of course, if you apply too much pressure, the horse may go into escape mode which could include a violent effort to escape possibly involving rearing and snatching away. So, less is more!

Appy gentle sustained pressure and be ready to instantly release that pressure when the horse moves or shifts it's weight in the direction of the pull. Try and keep up that mild pressure whatever the horse does EXCEPT when it moves in the direction of the pull. Most horses catch on quite quickly -- 10 or 15 minutes not being unreasonable.

Obviously, if the horse panics you'll have to let go. In that scenario, I'd leave it and try again later -- but the next time be more gentle. You could also try your treats combined with pressure, but I always find I need a third hand when doing something clever like this and it never works for me!

 

[Cortez]

Um, no. Pulling on the lead rope will result in a fast-reversing horse and is definately not what you want to teach as a first lesson. Leading is the first thing to teach any horse (best to start with foals), and is the first step on a journey that ends with you/someone riding on that horse's back, so the idea to start with is FORWARD and to walk WITH you. I have always taught this by starting at the engine end (horses hindquarter) with you standing at the hors'e shoulder and you must push, not pull. With a foal it is easy, you can use your hand or a leadrope to push forwards. With an older horse you will need a long whip to reach the quarters safely. It's just a tap-tap and an immediate reward at the smallest step, but obviously the horse must be comfortable with you touching it all over.

This is REALLY important to get right and established as it is the foundation of all horse training - to go forwards. Pulling on the horse's head will not achieve that.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

deleted

 

[merlin100]

deleted

Erm, okay?

 

[Jnhuk]

Ask a friend who knows about youngsters to help you as you need to get them moving from the hind end not pulling on the headcollar

If your youngster is comfortable with a rope drapped all over them sometime a rope figure of 8 arrangement with a bum rope can help them get the idea

 

[Dry Rot]

Um, no. Pulling on the lead rope will result in a fast-reversing horse and is definately not what you want to teach as a first lesson. Leading is the first thing to teach any horse (best to start with foals), and is the first step on a journey that ends with you/someone riding on that horse's back, so the idea to start with is FORWARD and to walk WITH you. I have always taught this by starting at the engine end (horses hindquarter) with you standing at the hors'e shoulder and you must push, not pull. With a foal it is easy, you can use your hand or a leadrope to push forwards. With an older horse you will need a long whip to reach the quarters safely. It's just a tap-tap and an immediate reward at the smallest step, but obviously the horse must be comfortable with you touching it all over.

This is REALLY important to get right and established as it is the foundation of all horse training - to go forwards. Pulling on the horse's head will not achieve that.

If you read my post again, you will see that I emphasise "gentle pressure" while your post seems to interpret this as brute force!

Training is not a religion but a science and there is more than one way to get where you want to go! My method, described above works, for me and usually gets me good results very quickly. But on reflection perhaps it is not for novices and certainly not for anyone with a heavy hand as on that earlier thread, several years old, some very experienced people seem to have difficulty understanding pressure and release. I have seen people who have been riding all their lives unable to lead a horse across a paddock because they just don't get it.

 

[paddy555]

a rump rope. If you google "rump rope foal" you will find pics of them. It works equally well for a yearling. It is simply a length of rope with a large loop that you put around the youngsters bum. You then lead the youngster with the headcollar lead rope in your left hand and encourage it along with pressure on the bum rope held in your right hand. That way you are not trying to drag it by the headcollar rope but to encourage it from behind.
You are walking alongside it's shoulder, the headcollar rope is slack and the pressure is coming from behind on the rump rope.

 

[Mince Pie]

I haven't used this on a yearling, but I tend to find that moving a horse that has planted sideways generally helps?

 

[Tnavas]

Agree with Cortez - you do not pull a horse at anytime - you push - under the chin.

A bum rope is great as it teaches the horse to move forward to pressure from behind.
You need to learn to tie a bowline knot. The photo below is of my young horse wearing a bum rope. The rope is knotted at the wither the end is then threaded through the throat of the headcollar and out through the ring behind the jaw. To walk on be at the should, push under the jaw, increasing the tension on the bumrope which will tighten around the quarters encouraging the horse forward. as the horse moves forward say firm;y 'Walk On' - don't use the command initially until the horse starts to move. Giving the command when the horse is halted can confuse.