Help with hand reared yearling.

[Count Oggy]

I want to start long reining my 18mth gelding but he is very unresponsive to commands. He does know voice commands and leads well for short periods but hasn't that much respect for humans and has a "make me" attitude. Has anyone got any ideas for groundwork that will make him more responsive to my commands and work with me rather than having to having to play his game. I don't want to have to bully him into co-operation.
Any ideas welcome.

 

[Fii]

He is still a baby, and wont have a long attention span.
I wouldnt do any long reining until he is nearer three, just carry on with the leading and short periods of groundwork.
Teach him to tye up, stand while grooming, move over, and back up.
There is plenty of time to do more when he is old anough, you dont want to rush things and sour him.

 

[iconique]

We try and bombproof a bit at this stage, introduce to polly bags, tarps on floor, noises that type of stuff but only after we've mastered tying up, trot up for vet, feet and general stable manners like moving back and over. Also we load them as it always makes life easier in an emergency. Small short sessions with plenty of positives.

Long reining comes much much later as we dont want to work them until they are ready.

 

[AengusOg]

I think the point is that this youngster has been hand-reared. As such, it will be very different to work with than will be a foal reared by its dam. I'd imagine this lad will be very confident and will be more inclined to lean on you than to move away, which will be making early training quite difficult.

There is no need to bully him into co-operating with you, but you will have to start with some very basic exercises and make sure that when you ask he does.

I am always banging on about this, but it really is important to teach this youngster to yield to pressure, because he has already learned how ineffective you are if he just refuses to respond to you. At the moment, I would imagine he and you spend a lot of time in a test of physical strength. If he is taught to yield to pressure, you will be able to encourage him to move around as you wish, and he will become compliant rather than resistant as he is at the moment.

PM me if you'd like me to send you some of my notes on the use of pressure and release in training.

 

[Count Oggy]

Hi. I should have said. I was hoping to start long reining when he is about two. Giving us six months to work on getting him to understand commands and become more obedient. I know this is young but as he is so confident and pushy I thought it better to start him young then turn him away. He is definitely into pressure, though it isn't as much as a battle of strength as it was last year. We're on much better terms as time goes on.

 

[Blitzen]

I might have posted this same comment about ten times on different threads, but here goes...
I have found Richard Maxwells 'From Birth to Backing' very useful, with teaching my youngster groundwork (I bought him out of a crew yard pretty much untouched at 22 months old, so he was going to be a challenge! But thankfully he has turned out to be a total sweetie!). It gives clear advice and instruction, and I think mine was something like £7 off Amazon - bargain.
(I am in no way affiliated with Richard Maxwell, despite the fact that I bang on about this book in every "help - young horse" thread! Lol). x

 

[YasandCrystal]

I think the point is that this youngster has been hand-reared. As such, it will be very different to work with than will be a foal reared by its dam. I'd imagine this lad will be very confident and will be more inclined to lean on you than to move away, which will be making early training quite difficult.

There is no need to bully him into co-operating with you, but you will have to start with some very basic exercises and make sure that when you ask he does.

I am always banging on about this, but it really is important to teach this youngster to yield to pressure, because he has already learned how ineffective you are if he just refuses to respond to you. At the moment, I would imagine he and you spend a lot of time in a test of physical strength. If he is taught to yield to pressure, you will be able to encourage him to move around as you wish, and he will become compliant rather than resistant as he is at the moment.

PM me if you'd like me to send you some of my notes on the use of pressure and release in training.

I am with this poster on this. Really really important to get the horse to yield to pressure. I have a 17hh WB who was definately not taught this as a youngster and he is a nightmare. He has no respect for the handlers personal space at all. Its much harder to train later so you are right in starting young, especially with a hand reared foal - double whammy of bolshiness and confidence. Take AengusOg advice.
Actually I would be very grateful for a set of your notes on pressure and release please AengusOg !