How do you deal with a horse that "plants"?

DJ

DJ

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I was discussing this with a few friends and we all had very different ideas of what we would do with a horse that plants.

Person A) would 'give it what' for because it`s obviously taking the pee, growl and really get after the horse til they moved.


Person B) would get off and lead for a while then get back on. They`d do more walking out in hand to help with the horses confidence, with lots of exercises to occupy the mind and maybe implement clicker training.


Person C) would sit and read (in saddle), ignoring the horse completely until the horse chose to move, once the horse moved they would make the horse stand (reverse psychology?)

Just interested to hear what you would do ..... (pony in question has no pain issues).
 
Depends on the situation really - but it wouldn't get a battering.

I would either get off and lead it a short distance or sit it out.
 
I think it depends on the horse and why it's planting. Is it nappy? If so probably try C then A to a certain extent eg a gentle slap and lots of growling or maybe even asking for a slight turn o the forehand

Mine plants when she sees something she is worried about rather than spooking at it and in that situation I usually give her chance to look before pushing her past it. I fnd turning her head away and pushing her body towards the scary thing works best
 
When hacking my baby horse out on her own for the first time we got not even a third of the way round when she planted and no amount of anything would make her move. I decided I would get off and lead her the rest of the way and guess what, I did :) I actually got back on her about half way round on foot as she got the idea of moving forward :P

I actually had some very good advice from two different people, both said the same thing, don't let her stand still, if she wont go forward keep her shoulder moving, so side to side/in a circle etc. I actually had to put this in to practice during a lesson when my girl decided enough was enough and she wasn't moving anymore and it worked! Just kept her moving side to side and she figured it would be easier to go forward!

The next time I took her out on her own we got to the bottom of the driveway and she planted, I was there for a good 20 minutes walking in circles, figure of 8s as she was not going any further than where she was! The YO was in the field and shouted down if I needed any help, No thanks, im completely in control :D well after constantly moving in circles/figure 8s/side to side she though a straight line was a much better idea and off we went in a lovely walk as if nothing had eve happened. I gave her a pat and a good girl and off we went on a very successful hack.

I haven't had any problems with her planting since then

:)
 
Another 'No' vote for A. I'd try a lot of leg and a slap, but never 'what for'. At the same time I doubt I would sit it out, I don't have time for that and I'm not letting him decide whether and when to play nicely. I would do something else - turn away from the scary thing and circle back round, or take a lead from another horse, or whatever really. I don't generally get off and lead, and haven't found I have ever had to - my horses have always gone past stuff, even if it takes a while. If the horse is young I'll give him time to look at it and ask for occasional steps forward with praise.

Is it because the pony is spooking, or refusing to go out hacking? Or something else? How old is he?
 
It would totally depend on why the horse was planting in the first place.

My mare used to do it for no apparent reason and I use to turn her around and walk backwards past whaerever she thought was scary or didnt want to go near.

This is how I trained her to go in to water, and from then on she was a gem.
 
With my 4 year old that plants an awful lot on hacks by herself I use my left and right rein alternately to move her head to each side and usually her legs follow and then I squeeze and she'll walk on. It's a mixture of confidence issues/ taking the pee so by not letting her just stand and do nothing I pester her until walking on is the most preferable option.
 
Depends on the horse, really. We try and avoid situations where they can plant, because they normally tell you in advance they're going to, so we try and keep some form of movement going even if it's not forwards.

Al uses a pro-cush whip, which makes an epic noise but doesn't really hurt. We know, because we've tried it on our legs. Sometimes, a well timed smack or two combined with keeping them jittering about will result in forwards movement which you then praise them for massively. With Bee this was the best method of dealing with her. If we'd waited, Al would have been there the next day. If Al had battered her she'd have been decked and killed. And getting of and leading would have been more dangerous (Bee was a sparky personality...). So trying to prevent the total stopping movement, with well-timed smacks and growling and verbal encouragement (and constant kicking on, almost an annoying niggle they can't ignore) was the best tactic.
 
Like most of the replies here what I tend to do with my horse (who can be a little nappy but only plants when genuinely scared or worried) is probably most similar to C. I don't let him turn around so might tap him if he tries to do that but I sit there, scratch his neck and talk to him for a while then I can feel him relax and he will then listen to my leg and walk on, cue lots of praise. If I had a baby I might be more inclined to get off and lead but I do think that most of the time it is safer and better practice to stay on board if possible.
 
ha ha your post made me chuckle as i have a welsh mare.... fi she decides shes not doing something then shes really not..... i was worried to start with that something may be wrong so i had her teeth, back and bloods done and all cam back fine.... i had a horse whisperer at the yard and i asked her to ask why she kept doing it when hacking either alone or with company and her reply was "didnt fancy it" LOL .... so now i give her a good few kicks and her whole body rocks then we sit for a couple of mins then if all else fails she gets a slapped neck or bum if neccesary and guess what on we go !! i would check there is nothing wrong/reason forst then just give them a firm telling xx goodluck
 
It would depend on why the horse was planting.

If I hack my mare out alone, after a certain point she will decide to spin, naps and refuses to go forwards. It is just her being naughty. In that situation I have it out with her and have a bit of a battle (calmly,), provided there is no traffic around and it is safe to do so. She will get a couple of smacks but that is to back up my leg and voice, not telling her off.

There have been times I have got off and made her walk forwards where she is scared of something, and her having a person in front of her walking past said scary things reassures her.

I will never just give up though. Have done lots of groundwork with her, and training her to voice, which has helped lots.
 
My horse was very nappy when I first got him. I always tried to keep him moving etc as was always told that was the best way. Well one day I had completely lost it with him, I didn't smack him or anything but we were winding each other up. I threw reins at him and just sat, mainly to catch my breath!!! After a while he settled and just walked on!! Now if he plants, tenses to spin etc I just ask him to stand on a relaxed rein til, he settles then he walks on. So much easier then arguing with him which is what I expect he was used to. Getting off not a real option for me as he is 17.1 but I would if I had to.
 
Hi, I've had this problem in the past and I've got around it by asking the horse to reverse in the direction you want them to go in. I'm not sure why this helps but it seems to unstick them. Might be worth a try anyway.
 
My mare as done this a couple of times and it been quite frightening as she's backing up, I'm always worried that she'll go up! I've got off her and lead her passed whatever has been the problem, OH has got on her and she's obviously sensed he means business and has meekly walked on! :rolleyes:
 
Having done all three with a nappy mare who would rear I have to say after all pain issues checked and negated and confidence wasn't an issue tough love came into it and I never had the issues again ;)
 
bonny said:
Totally depends on the horse and the reason why it's planted.....
Click to expand...

This ^^

but just to add an option D to the mix - my mare was extremely nappy and the way I eventually got over it was by reversing her/backing her up. She soon learnt that if she didn't go forward she would have to work harder.
 
My horse used to plant when we first got him. At first we used a whip whop which we would slap around on the riders body protector, this worked for a while until he got used to it. Then we found that a small plastic coke bottle (or any other brand) about a quarter full with gravel worked wonders. When he stopped we would shake the bottle, this got his feet moving again. And I think that's what it's all about, keeping the feet moving.
It is a case of trying different things and finding what works for you and your horse.
I'm not believer in beating a horse to get it to do what you want.
 
Same as nic85
You have to get the feet moving somehow. I find planting dangerous as it can precede an explosion! The horses attention isn't on you either. I usually open one rein and try to turn in a small circle, I'll accept any foot movement as it can be worked into going in the right direction at which point all pressure must be removed from the horse, fast as a reward.
Whether I get off or not depends on the horse and situation. If its not safe to work in a circle and move ariund in that place and I'll be able to move him faster in hand then I'll get off, wave the stick to get him walking on and then try again later. Otherwise I'll stay on and try to move the quarters somehow. It's usually a quarters issue with my boy (horses need the quarters to flee so when they don't trust you it's the first thing they refuse to move)
Good luck
 
We either get off walk on a few steps & get back on or wait it out - ours is very stubborn & if you try & get harsh with him he just gets angry - still wont go forwards but will go upwards - taking the calm & relaxed approach seems to be working - we don't have to sit for long - we have also been doing ground work building up confidence & long lining x
 
Depends on the situation, scared plant I get off and walk past, just being an awkward sod plant I'd turn circles or reverse the way I want to go for 20yards or so
 
if they know they should go forward, and they are not scared, i have been told by my instructor (i have a stubborn mare) to literally sit back and wait. occasionally use your leg, if they don't move wait again, he said have a cup of tea! it works eventually and in the long run should be better than trying to beat them to go forward (she knows she is stronger than me and doesn't really respond to a whip) or getting off which in my opinion is admitting defeat (would only do if she was actually really scared of something)
 
Apart from the usual, "it all depends", go back to first principles.

Work on voice commands in the round pen, then long rein with voice commands, then back in the saddle -- all the time with an experienced helper who can give some encouragement from the ground. All this done where the horse has no reason to plant (which is the "all depends" element!). If the planting continues, look for the next reason.
 
I have 2 possible options, 1. Unstick forlegs by moving them to the side. 2. Unstick hind legs by asking him to disengage one way or the other. I haven't had to find a 3rd option yet, but I think if I had to it would be 'go backwards'!! Possibly followed by 1 or 2!!
 
As the only one of our horses to ever do this is a veteran ex racer (now 29) if he did it now, in hand as no longer ridden, I would simply laugh in his face til he gave in, as that's what I remember doing when he did it under saddle in his mid twenties the little blighter :D
 
Depends why but I've waited it out my boy before, it was a loooooooonng 75 mins sat on the yard with a broom up his bum as he'd reveresed into one of the sheds while he was having his period of I'm not leaving! Thankfully he seems to have got over this and is back to his usual self (spooking sideways and reversing at 'scary' things) :D

I've also used my reins as a whip whop and growled at him for England if I didn't have the time to wait it out (on hacks with traffic in the way or about to get a barb wire fence up his bottom)
 
As a couple of other posters have said, I flex the horses' head from side to side, alternately unsticking each shoulder and fore leg.
As soon as the horse makes the slightest forward movement, I take the pressure off as a reward. If he/she plants again, I repeat until moving freely forward.

I don't give praise once walking on, rather, I give praise when the horse is doing nothing special other than doing what he/she be - going forwards at the right pace.
 
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