Help with Leading??

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OrionDuca

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Hi,
I have a 2 year old gypsy vanner type pony, he's easily excited but loves humans and so has never done anything when being lead apart from break into trot for a couple of paces. I've just started looking after another horse who is in my field, when leading the pair of them up together my pony started messing about slightly but that stopped when we started leading them separately, however the past couple of days he has turned into a monster, he is rearing, bucking, and trying to canter off. Although if he canters off he does respond to his name so stops and waits for you, i can't have him being this naughty incase my mum who is nervous of horses has to lead him. Can anyone help with how i can sort this out?
Sorry for the essay, any help much appreciated.
Thanks :)
 
I second the 12ft line, I found it means you can stand a reasonable distance from the horse if he's being silly without having to let go, or stand so close that you're in danger. That in itself gives you a bit more confidence! You also have more leverage because you can use the line against your hip if needs be (see Kelly Marks doing this, my explanation is rubbish). Groundwork wise, we do a lot of transitions in hand (walk and halt at first) and I make him wait til I say so to do anything, e.g. go into the stable, have his hay etc. It seems to be working for us. Good luck OP!
 
A dually with a long line is good. Teach him to back up. Teach him that he has to be in a particular position next to you when you lead. If he goes ahead of where you want him back him up. If he drags behind keep the pressure on until he gets the most comfortable place to be is next to you. Do not let your mum handle him until you get him through this. You need to be ultra calm but have clear rules. If you still have problems look also at whether it helps to feed him before he comes in and up turnout as much as possible.
 
You have the terrible twos behaviour - as said previously groundwork lesson a couple of times a week - walking in hand (making sure they learn not to come further than your shoulder), halting and backing up, all of this using voice commands eg halt, walk on, back. Use pressure and release (buy a richard maxwell book - brilliant tips for leading a bargy youngster) and buy a pressure release halter or a dually headcollar or a chain over the nose onto a lunge line. I always used a lunge line on a dually with mine as if they decide to get away from you or rear you have enough line to get out of the way and hold them. The worst thing you need is to let them get loose from you, as they will try it again. I would absolutely never lead a youngster in with another horse, you need to have complete control. If your mother is nervous it is not a good idea for her to lead it, as you need to be confident to handle a youngster and she might get hurt and your youngster will be frightened.
 
I agree that you need a halter, we use good old-fashioned cow halters from a farm store, no need for expensives names. I wouldn't use a long line, IME the closer you can stand to the horse, the safer you are, if you react quickly enough.
Wear a hat and gloves and always carry a schooling whip. Stand at the horse's shoulder, hold the schooling whip in front of his nose, say walk on in an encouraging tone and start to move forwards, keep the horse's attention on the whip. If he stops, just say walk on sharply, if he doesn't move, flick the schooling whip behind your back towards his quarters/ribs. If he still doesn't react repeat and let the whip touch him. If he lifts a leg off the ground tap his knee with the whip and make him walk on. If you keep him moving he can't go up. You can control his speed by keeping his attention on the whip. Talk to him as you go so that he has to think about something other than misbehaving. Rather than just taking him staright to the field/stable ask him to walk in circles/stop/back-up on command. Make sure that you are in charge not him. I find that rewarding correct behaviour with treats helps to keep the horse concentrating but don't make the mistake of treating when he's misbehaving.
Never lead a youngster with another horse, or in any situation which he can take advantage of.
 
I wouldn't use a long line, IME the closer you can stand to the horse, the safer you are, if you react quickly enough.
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I completely agree - close is safe. But I'm always curious as to why people think that having something swinging around on a long line is thought of as educational and safe.
 
amymay said:
I completely agree - close is safe. But I'm always curious as to why people think that having something swinging around on a long line is thought of as educational and safe.
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I agree about keeping them close but I must also admit, I tend to use a longer lead rein then normal with a young horse, just in case! It's easy, however well tuned you are that a youngster can take you by surprise and try to leg it so that if you only had a short lead it could wrench it out of your hands because you've unbalanced yourself so a slightly longer lead gives you the space of nanoseconds to reel it back to you or at least hold on, that they can't get away. Once they've learnt that they can pull away from you it's a hard habit to break so I like to make sure it doesn't happen at all and I don't think being able to reel them back in to you counts as actually getting away so they learn that whatever happens, I'm still there (usually laughing at their antics!) :D. :)
 
amymay said:
I completely agree - close is safe but I'm always curious as to why people think that having something swinging around on a long line is thought of as educational and safe.
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I never have 'something swinging around on a long line' - I couldn't agree more with staying close - but when things go wrong eg rearing, barging and trying to get away from you, that extra length of line or rope could be the difference between you getting hurt or the horse getting loose.
 
The grass is not so rich now so if its any consolation, his behaviour change is probably due to his anticipation of getting hay or a bucket feed. His brain has shifted to his stomach.
However, that said, as others advise, work on getting him to lead and stand nicely, even when its hard for him. Do this in short separate session, either on the yard or in the menage. Make it fun, a bit like the child's game of Simon Says. When you walk, he walks, when you stop, he stops. Use voice commands and praise. Get him to do easy things like turns and back up but make it unpressured and fun, although not too exciting so he gets carried away.
He likes people and I'm sure there's no malice in him but he's young and just needs to understand how grown up horses are expected to behave around handlers.
If he's handy on two legs, do wear a hat and gloves as these babies are very quick and forget us two legged ones can't move out of the way as quickly as them.
Kelly Marks has a good book with loads of ideas and explanations.
 
amymay said:
Out of interest, how does a 12 foot line help?
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If they do go up or dance, you can get a bit further out the way without having to let them go.

I always use long leadropes with youngsters or difficult horses. We've several from unhandled at an older age and they are lifesavers.

I lead them on a short line, but if things go wrong, I'd rather have more rope to play with.
 
Maesfen said:
I agree about keeping them close but I must also admit, I tend to use a longer lead rein then normal with a young horse, just in case! It's easy, however well tuned you are that a youngster can take you by surprise and try to leg it so that if you only had a short lead it could wrench it out of your hands because you've unbalanced yourself so a slightly longer lead gives you the space of nanoseconds to reel it back to you or at least hold on, that they can't get away. Once they've learnt that they can pull away from you it's a hard habit to break so I like to make sure it doesn't happen at all and I don't think being able to reel them back in to you counts as actually getting away so they learn that whatever happens, I'm still there (usually laughing at their antics!) :D. :)
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This too. Better to reel in, than to have let go. And I always prefer that, to letting go and stamping on a leadrope at full pelt... ouch :(
 
Thanks everyone for your advice, he is very good with ground work, to walk anywhere he doesn't even need a leadrope, he follows like a dog, it is just that walk back to the stable. Unfortunately i have no choice but to have my mum lead him one night a week, i also have no choice but to have him walking up with the other horse, although at the moment i do get someone else to lead him as he is an old boy and just plods up happily.

I'm interested in the idea of using the longer leadrope, would he not get tangled if he were to rear and the rope was long? I will try it though. Thank you all for your help, it really is appreciated :)
 
I used to lead colt on a lunge line, wearing gloves, but my hand was always just under his jaw - he was held short and made to walk alongside me correctly. The slack was neatly looped in my left hand and was simply in case he bolted, while out walking (I was leading out in traffic) so that I had chance to react before the rope was ripped from my hands.

Admittedly had the worst ever happened, which thankfully it didn't, this might have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard - but it made me feel like HE was safer.
 
I didn't say he wasn't perfect, but for his age he is very good, i know he has a problem, hence the post, i never said he didn't, i was just saying that anywhere else we go he follows like a puppy and does not put a foot wrong, no matter how exciting everything is :)
 
OrionDuca - pls don't get a BeNice - it made my horse rear. The best thing we did was get an IH lady out and stop using the BeNice.

Groundwork is the best and most effective way to go xx
 
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