MySkewbaldCob
New User
Hi all! I’m having a few problems with my very stubborn cob hacking out and leading. I’ll start with leading. When I fetch him in from the field he plants his feet every few steps and refuses to move for a good few minutes until he takes a few steps and does it again. I’ve tried all of the techniques my trainer has given me including swinging the rope behind me to tap him on the shoulder, carrying a crop, encouraging him to move forward with treats, getting him to move sideways to get his feet moving and then asking him to go forwards etc. All of these did work for a short amount of time before he figured it out and went back to planting his feet and refusing to move. His second issue with leading is that once we are out of the enclosed pathway next to the field and out on to the lane that leads down to the yard, he tries everything he can to drag me back to the field or over to snack on the grass, which I do not let him get away with and in most cases he doesn’t succeed except for the odd occasion where he manages to snatch the rope from me by leaping sideways and cantering away towards the field, he ignores all pressure I put on the rope whether that be asking him to slow down or move forwards. He is absolutely foot perfect on the way back to the field. Now on to hacking out. Hacking out with other horses he is good as gold so long as he’s not at the front of the ride and can see the other horses, other than being a little strong, but I have no issues with this and can handle it just fine. However if he’s in front of out on his own he either spins around to run back to the yard, tries everything to head down a different path than the one I’m asking him to go on or as with leading, stands and won’t move. I believe it may be a confidence thing about him not liking being alone and needs the reassurance of being able to see another horse up ahead of him. However I can’t always hack out with other people since I’m on a fairly quiet yard with not many people and we all of course have our own lives and jobs we have to fit our yard schedule around. When I ask him to turn back in the direction I want him to move in, he either throws his head up in the air and ignores my aids with the rein and my leg no matter how strong or persistent I am, backs up as far as he can instead of moving forwards or turning (depending on what I’m asking of him) or he just repeatedly rears. There is one trail that leads in a loop straight back round to the yard and I can get him to hack alone on that with no issues whatsoever, but on any other trail he won’t have it. I’m honestly a bit lost about what to do now and it’s all a bit disheartening so any help would be appreciated!!