Groundwork Advice/Suggestions/Books etc?

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PercyMum

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Well, the new girl is most definately testing me....

Has now settled in field and stable so thought we would pop out for a hack. Absolutely bombproof, had a great time. She is a lot less fit than I was led to believ but thats fine. However, a 40 minute hack turned into a 2 hour behemoth because she decided that she WOULD NOT go across the very small, low, sturdy bridges we have to cross the brooks and she WOULD NOT consider going through the brook either, despite trying a multiude of methods of persausion. Couldn't actually get home and ended up calling my friend to come and rescue us as she wouldnt cross the bridge to get home. Tried lots of things but she just plants and refuses to move. Won't back up or anything. Funny old thing, was across the bridge like a rocket once a feed bucket appeared...

Anyway, she is very sweet but we know her old owner let her get away with murder so I want to nip this in the bud and do so properly. I've never had to deal with a horse like this before and never had to do proper groundwork (have had a bolshy, bargy horse and knew what to do with that but never anything that just plants and refuses to move). Also starting to worry what to do when she does this under saddle but I am guessing start with the groundwork and go from thee?

Anyway, any suggestions/tips/ good books or DVDs you guys can recommend me?
 
Well, everyone seems to love Warwick Schiller right now so you could have a look at his stuff. Otherwise, frankly, I think it's much of a muchness. The concepts aren't complicated and horses are horses so Richard Maxwell, Michael Peace, Jason Webb, Kelly Marks, the Days etc etc etc. I love the older school -Tom Roberts (no relation), the Dorrance brothers etc but then that's because I'm a geek and I wouldn't recommend them as a modern introduction.

The trick is to do it and be really honest about the results you're getting. It's not about exposing the horse to a bunch of stuff, it's about developing a system to address the horse and helping the horse develop a system to deal with stress and the unexpected. The exercises help develop this but, as with ridden work, it's how you do them that counts

Btw, that wasn't a 'test' that was anxiety and confusion on the horse's part. Coupled with her not being able to trust you to help her work through the new experience because you don't know each other that well. But that will come with work. :)
 
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TarrSteps said:
Well, everyone seems to love Warwick Schiller right now so you could have a look at his stuff. Otherwise, frankly, I think it's much of a muchness. The concepts aren't complicated and horses are horses so Richard Maxwell, Michael Peace, Jason Webb, Kelly Marks, the Days etc etc etc. I love the older school -Tom Roberts (no relation), the Dorrance brothers etc but then that's because I'm a geek and I wouldn't recommend them as a modern introduction.

The trick is to do it and be really honest about the results you're getting. It's not about exposing the horse to a bunch of stuff, it's about developing a system to address the horse and helping the horse develop a system to deal with stress and the unexpected. The exercises help develop this but, as with ridden work, it's how you do them that counts
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Thats great - thank you. I will start having a look at them. I am guessing she is stressed and shuts down but its such a different reaction to what I am used to that I am a bit flummoxed as to what to do and where to start! Never thought I would miss a good old-fashioned TB hissy fit of throwing itself on the floor...
 
Great advice from TarrSteps and also personally I have found the No Fear, No Force book by Sarah Weston very helpful. It's primarily aimed at handling semi-feral ponies coming down off the moor but the concepts are good and can equally be applied to other/older horses. Also the concepts and practical exercises in the Kelly Marks Perfect Partners book are well explained and easy to follow; plus I personally found having a couple of sessions from a Kelly Marks associate extremely helpful. It's a lot easier to have someone show you exactly what to do a few times, then you can go on and do it on your own using the books (http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/specialist-horse-training.html).

Good luck :-)
 
Well you got her across the bridge eventually. I have a 35 year old who does not do water!!!

I have a five year old terrified of cows. Our daily hack is with 35 year old who is not afraid of anything - but water - past the scarey cows. White ones, brown ones black and white ones. Monty Roberts says repetition, so that is what we do.
 
Hurricanelady said:
Great advice from TarrSteps and also personally I have found the No Fear, No Force book by Sarah Weston very helpful. It's primarily aimed at handling semi-feral ponies coming down off the moor but the concepts are good and can equally be applied to other/older horses. Also the concepts and practical exercises in the Kelly Marks Perfect Partners book are well explained and easy to follow; plus I personally found having a couple of sessions from a Kelly Marks associate extremely helpful. It's a lot easier to have someone show you exactly what to do a few times, then you can go on and do it on your own using the books (http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/specialist-horse-training.html).

Good luck :-)
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I would agree getting someone to help you in person is invaluable. A great deal of the time when I speak to people about loading or handling issues (or riding problems for that matter) there is something going on in positioning, reactions etc that the handler has failed to notice or become inured to. While this would eventually come to light doing the exercises it's often a lot quicker and easier a fix if someone says, 'Oh, with this horse in this situation why not do this.'
 
Thanks all. I have only had her a week and have already identified what I think could be an issue n the future so, as i said, keen to nip it in the bud early. Especially since I have no experience of dealing with Native-types and they do appear (or at least she does) to have a totally differnt minset to a TB.

A local IH person to me is Lucy Morgan so I might give her a bell and see if she can come over and help me.
 
Check out Vanessa Bee books, (Founder of The Horse Agility Club) http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-Minute-Horsemanship-Amazingly-Achievable-Lessons/dp/1570766207
Makes things very simple, plus go onto horse agility website and you can ask questions. :-) Looks like you have made a good start though and have found out what motivates her - food - perhaps also consider clicker training, you don't need a clicker, just decide on a word or noise for when she gets it right and give 1 pony nut (I'm always surprised what they will do for 1 nut lol!!)
 
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