How do I stop a youngster walking into me the whole time?

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SpruceRI

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My youngster constantly walks into me. Whether leading in from the field, showing or whatever she drifts until she's squashing me into the fence.

I've tried poking her in the neck or ribs with my finger which either causes her to just swing her back end away and her shoulder stays ontop of me, or she runs backwards in an alarmed flap.

Today I tried walking and trotting her in hand in a school. By the time I got to the corner I was squashed against the fence and we more or less ran into the fence at the top end because I couldn't turn her away from me to go round the corner (right rein).

And also when she's scared, she jumps on me and mows me down - think I should rename her Scooby-Do!!
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I find a poke or prod accompanied by a loud 'oi' or 'gerrof!' usually works if repeated every time it happens, until they learn that there's such a thing as personal space.
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Being blind in one eye my horse sometimes forgets I'm there if I'm standing on the wrong side and can smack me with her head if she turns to look at something, so I am used to making a noise when working around her to let her know where I am
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I don't get squashed too often any more.

Would she perhaps react more if you flapped the spare end of the rope towards her instead of prodding? Not actually hitting her of course, but most horses will move back if they see that kind of movement out of the corner of their eye.
 
have you tried some parelli ground work with your horse?? I am not a parelli freak but the ground work does help teach horse to respect your space, you wiggle the rope until they walk back then pat them and everything the move onto you do the same and they will soon learn about the space thing. Hope this helps
 
i had the same problem with my youngster and wiggling the rope at him is the thing that worked for us
 
I am fed up with my strong horse doing this to me and I have just put down Kelly Marks Perfect Manners. I am going to try her exercises in the school to see if I can instill a few more manners into my lad.
 
Well yes, don't want to scare her.....she does seem to be a bit divvy, like she still can't always work out how to get through the gate when it's opened towards her !!!
 
be gentle whe you do it but it definatly works I know my friend had a horse that used to run her over and it stopped this when she did this exersise good luck!!
 
Try a pressure halter with her, I dont think it was the rope that scared the horse, it was the person on the end of it!! the person was more petrified than the horse which doesn't really help so the person used to shout and ball at the poor thing and it was then scared of everything, which in some cases can mess up their heads! as this horse was young.
 
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