Groundwork exercises

Silverglen

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Anyone got any good groundwork exercises to share?

My horse is very disrespectful to me, my fault entirely, I'm too soft with him, but I've had enough now. He dragged me recently and he got away from me, all because he wanted the grass in a different field. He will drag me any time he wants something and it's always food. He will just put his head down, pulls and starts trotting. If I'm quick, I can yank his head and stop him, but often not. He never does this in a bridle though, but I don't want to have to lead him in a bridle everywhere. He should behave in a headcollar. 9/10 he does but he is very food orientated and will not listen if food is on his mind. He's not aggressive about it though, he just wants what he wants, for lack of a better explanation.

He's not underweight or wormy, and he sees vets regularly for other issues he has. They always say he is in great condition. He gets fed twice a day, out in a field during the day and ad lib hay at night, so it's not his diet. He's just rude and it's only with me, he's not like this with others. But I have created the problem and want to fix it.

Any tips? Thanks 🙂
 

Pearlsasinger

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Get yourself a simple rope halter, no need for expensive Duallys etc but you do need to be ready to act almost before he starts to head the wrong way. I like to use a schooling whip, held in front of the nose/chest to show the horse the way and remind him to stay in place. As your horse is food oriented giving a food reward when he does the right thing will help to keep him on track. If you have a long walk to the field, stop him at various points along the way and reward him. If you get him used to stopping at those points he will focus on you/the reward not the grass in another field.
 

Shay

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Thats a good answer PS. The thing is he has learned that you can't stop him and very little will unlearn that. Rope halters and duallys (and any other version off a control type halter) require quite precise timing to work. Otherwise the only way to stop him is going to be to cause pain - like wrapping the rope around his nose.

There are exercises about respect for personal space, leading etc. But the are difficult to describe verbally. If you can find a good NH instructor near you (not P*!) they may be able to help. But PS's option of food rewards for the right behaviours - possibly moving toward clicker training to avoid nipping or mugging for treats - is quick and practical!
 

little_critter

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I'm afraid my girl can be rude to lead too - her weakness is also grass. You have to think like a pony and spot the things they are likely to go fore before they do and be ready to stop the action while they are still just thinking about it. As soon as they start to move it's a tug of war which you will never win.
Punishment and control headcollars never worked with my girl, the pull of the grass was worth it in her mind.
Other food treats also didn't work as grass was top treat. Why be good for a measily polo when you can be bad and get a mouthful of your favourite food.
I also had suggested to me a compromise of snack breaks along a particularly tricky path (leading out to her summer turnout field, a longish walk with very tempting long spring grass all along it). We probably had 2 short snack breaks (ie a couple of mouthfulls of grass) along this path, rather than try the impossible of her resisting temptation for the full length of the path.

So sorry - no really useful answers. But I feel your pain.
 

Silverglen

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He rears with a dually, we've tried that. Rope over the nose does nothing either. It's a short walk to the field and stopping him would probably annoy him further, but will give that a go.

I have had an nh trainer out to help with him for a previous issue. She thought the first time he was scared, then the second time he showed zero fear but still wouldn't do what was asked. Think he's just a bloody good actor and stubborn as hell.

He has been behaving better since running away from me because I screamed at him. Yelling seems to be the only thing he reacts too, but I hate doing that. Just want him to behave.
 

Shay

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If the dually is used correctly the horse will learn that rearing gets them nowhere. But I also get that it is frightening to work through that phase. He sounds like a stubborn and bad mannered lad who has learned he is bigger than you. No personal criticism - just what he sounds like. There are a lot of partial answers but no quick fixes. And sometimes when they work this out they will just be rude. Sadly yelling won't work for long. It might have a startle factor now - but once he figures out nothing bad happens to him he'll ignore that too. Is he a cob by any chance?

You need someone on the ground really. Without being able to see him - and you - any advice here could put you more at risk. For your own safety for a while lead him in a bridle. And always wear correct boots, gloves and a hat. he might not mean to hurt you when he drags you - but that will be no consolation if / when you are injured.
 

Pearlsasinger

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Cheers think I might get that. Think he'd travel to Scotland to train the beast horse for me? :p

The thing is, as you say that he doesn't drag other people around, it's not the horse that needs training, it's you. What do other people do differently? Ask somone to show you what they do with their horses and with yours. What happens if you lead someone else's horse out? Does it behave well, or start to take advantage of you? When leading a horse, the handler needs to concentrate on the horse, don't let your attention wander, talk to the horse, explain exactly what you are both going to do, step by step and do it. If you are concentrating the horse will too.
Good luck and as someone else said, stay safe, if he behaves in a bridle use that until he understands that he must walk politely with you.
 

canteron

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The best thing is a good instructor who understands groundwork(but that is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack) Failing that join Parelli for a month and look at the 7 games ..... You don't have to swallow the whole thing and you don't needtheir special equipment, but particularly the yoyo game is useful for establishing space. For all the Parelli controversy, all the games do is enable you to move your horses feet around lightly and establish some spatial rules, and I really have never found any other on-line resource which you can use effectivel?
 

indie1282

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If the dually is used correctly the horse will learn that rearing gets them nowhere. But I also get that it is frightening to work through that phase. He sounds like a stubborn and bad mannered lad who has learned he is bigger than you. No personal criticism - just what he sounds like. There are a lot of partial answers but no quick fixes. And sometimes when they work this out they will just be rude. Sadly yelling won't work for long. It might have a startle factor now - but once he figures out nothing bad happens to him he'll ignore that too. Is he a cob by any chance?

You need someone on the ground really. Without being able to see him - and you - any advice here could put you more at risk. For your own safety for a while lead him in a bridle. And always wear correct boots, gloves and a hat. he might not mean to hurt you when he drags you - but that will be no consolation if / when you are injured.

My horse completely shuts down in a Dually. Closes his eyes and will not respond at all.
 
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Mule

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Try a rope headcollar and a long leadrope. Back him up by shaking the leadrope at him. Just backing them up makes them a lot less bargy.
Hold the leadrope quite long so you can jerk it if the horse tries to tank off.
Also get the horse to move away from pressure from your fingers. Move back from the chest, to the side etc.

Another think I find helpful when leading the horse, is asking it to halt, walk on, halt and step back. It keeps their attention on you.
As another poster suggested you can look up the parelli 7 games. There will be free descriptions online.
 

Kezzabell2

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I would use a bit and a slip head until he stops being rude. Would also carry a whip and use a long rope.

I'm taking my horse from some inhand pole work sessions, starting next week. You could try doing something like that to get him used to be worked inhand more
 

TPO

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Cheers think I might get that. Think he'd travel to Scotland to train the beast horse for me? :p
He's coming back to Scotland in January and doing lessons/clinics. As far as I know he's in Perth area and St. Andrews if that's any use?

I was just going to reply with Richard Maxwell as a suggestion. He's got a business Facebook page and has started a subscription video library. I rate all his books so as well as the already suggested one try Training Your Young Horse and Maximise Your Horsemanship. All three can be picked up for a few pounds from Amazon or eBay.

I absolutely hate duallys and "be nice" halters. The point of pressure and release is to release and the horse to find the release and get the reward. I've o my ever seen them used by applying constant pressure as people try to make the horse load/lead etc. I don't believe either releases quick enough.

The Richard Maxwell shop has a training rope halter but you'd probably find similar on eBay for less. I've never used one so can't comment but he was using one at his demo in November at SNEC and all the horses responded well to it
 

Pearlsasinger

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I absolutely hate duallys and "be nice" halters. The point of pressure and release is to release and the horse to find the release and get the reward. I've o my ever seen them used by applying constant pressure as people try to make the horse load/lead etc. I don't believe either releases quick enough.

The Richard Maxwell shop has a training rope halter but you'd probably find similar on eBay for less. I've never used one so can't comment but he was using one at his demo in November at SNEC and all the horses responded well to it



That is why I like the old-fashioned cow halters, the pressure is released as soon as either party stops pulling, and as the handler isn't meant to be pulling, the horse is in control of the release. IME they soon get the idea, whether they are green youngsters or bad-mannered older horses.
 
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tallyho!

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Perfect Manners book is really good. Kelly Marks I think...

Although I have now found Straightness Training which is in my eyes better..
 
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Silverglen

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Sadly Perth or St Andrews is too far away.

He seems to be behaving better at the moment, and any time he feels like he's getting too full of himself again I'm knocking him straight back down. Hes the same in the field, the other horses have to bite him on a weekly, sometimes daily basis because he's annoying. He's not aggressive, he just wants to play and can't understand they don't want to. Sadly he's not young either, he's 9.

I'm fine with other horses and he's fine with other people although he started taking to biting my parents for treats as they gave him too many so I've forced them to stop feeding him anything by hand. He doesn't bite anyone else either. Im just too soft with him as he's my first horse but starting to take control back and I think he's respecting me more. I stop him now and again on the way to the field and coming back from it. He used to be bad about dragging me towards buckets, but any time I see any I shake the lead rope at him to refocus him and he hasn't tried dragging me. Hoping this continues. 🙂
 

splashgirl45

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imy mare used to try and drag me with a headcollar on and i bought a kemp controller. you clip it on to the headcollar and it is a cord which goes round the nose next to the headcollar noseband, you can adjust the height by adjusting the headcollar so can have it as high or low as you like...it helped to make my horse respect the headcollar and once she was ok i used to still keep it in my pocket and if on the way to the field she started misbehaving i clipped it on....google and see if you think it is worth using. mine was fine in a bridle but knew she could pull me around in a plain headcollar..good luck
 
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