How to get horses that plant moving!

Supertrooper

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
13,772
Visit site
Bergs planting issues came back today, he hasn't been ridden for awhile and he doesn't like going out on his own. It took me fifteen minutes to get to farm drive which is about 50yards away!

What worked today was flexing his neck left/right and growling at him. As soon as he offered to move forwards I took all the pressure off. Got him walking on properley in the end. He's a big horse but he was very good in the respect that the worst he tried apart from standing still was stepping back. I can't lead him from the ground as I have more control on board and he's too big to get back on from ground. He's no different if he's got someone on foot but he's fab to hack with other horses.

What do you do with your planters? This is an improvement for him, when I first got him we'd of got nowhere xx
 

MerrySherryRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2004
Messages
9,439
Visit site
I do exactly the same as you, flexing from right to left and moving the hind quarters over. Releasing pressure when he moves and when he moves forward.
I set a target of spending a few days just getting him to move freely off the yard and then once moving freely forwards, jump off, lots of praise and return to the yard.
First day took 30 minutes to go 30 yards, 2nd day, it took 10 minutes, 3rd day, it took a few seconds to unstick him and he moved off promtly. Got to our marker point each day, hopped off and rewarded.

Once he was ok, I didn't ride for a couple of days then took him out with another horse for a couple of days and then tried him alone again and he's been fine since.

What seemed to help was having a goal over a few days and sticking to it, then once the message had sunk in, having a break and then using continual days to reinforce it.
 

Supertrooper

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
13,772
Visit site
Thanks, that's interesting re the getting off and leading back and that may work with him. I know he can hack on his own as he did it in last home so alot of it is him trying it on but also trusting me. I had a goal today and stuck to it xx
 

PoppyAnderson

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 January 2008
Messages
3,398
Visit site
Well if you want to go for the more direct confrontational approach, then a lunge whip in the hands of a competent person on the ground. I don't mean to hit the horse necessarily but cracks can work wonders in generating forward movement.
 

domane

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 September 2008
Messages
1,312
Location
South Shrops
Visit site
We bought a "stubborn" cob who had learned to plant as an evasion. We tried sitting it out, moving him left and right (he was very proficient at moving sideways without actually managing to get any further forwards!) and growling. One thing we didn't want to do was hit him so we thought laterally and decided to try the "unexpected element". Methods that worked for us (that are probably not very BHS!) were:

- Wearing a BP and swinging a leadrope in quick succession (without the buckle but with a knot tied in the end) back and forth so it hit the BP.

- a small plastic bottle with a few bits of gravel in it (shaken!)

- a short whip with a few strands of M&S lime-green carrier bag tied to the end (wiggled in line of sight)

All combined with voice, growling and use of the leg - each method was used no more than twice over a 2-3 week period and he got lots of praise for walking on. I think in the end Jack decided it was just easier to keep moving than to try it on! Problem solved :D
 

MerrySherryRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2004
Messages
9,439
Visit site
You're right about the trust issue. Even though some cobs may look totally laid back and unfazed by life, they still get worried underneath all that hair.
A new owner and/or a new home can take some getting used to, but if he successfully hacked out alone in his old home, he can do so again.
Having a plan enables the rider to focus and work with positivity which transfers to the horse. Start small and build on that. No goal is too small if it gets you part of the way to what you want to do.
When I'm working on something, I like to set aside a few days together and make that my target. So I may do that for 3 or 4 days and then give it a break so the horse absorbs what he's learnt. Then, come back to it a few days later and pick up again where we left off even if I have to go back a bit on the first day.

I'd also recommend hacking out with a field buddy if possible on other days so he can learn the geography if his new area to boost his confidence. Go down little roads near your yard, even if they aren't part of your hacking routes, explore and let him enjoy familiarising himself with his new patch.


Oops, just re read; I assumed he was a cob but you didn't say he was. Soz.
 
Last edited:

Archangel

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2008
Messages
10,372
Location
Wales
Visit site
In my dealer yard days :D I would eat a lot of spinach beforehand :D make sure I had a lot of time.

Ask horse to go forward, ask again, tap stick and then all hell would break out :D bring on the pony club kick (and the words "get on" said like you mean it) and repeat pony club kick and get on and repeat and repeat ad infinitum . He will know from previous experience that after about 6 you will be too shot or embarrassed to go on. This is when you do go on and I mean until your legs actually drop off. The horse needs to know there is no end to the carrying on upstairs until the command get on is obeyed.

Ideally you will be into action before the plant is achieved but if not do not accept the plant and confirm to the horse that he has won by making your seat go quiet (you know that awful moment when you stop everything and think wtf do I do now, or f it isn't working. Do not be wavered by any opinion from the horse (shufffling backwards, threatening to rear, looking out of the bridle), you seat going quiet for even a second will be victory for the horse, do not stop your mission until the horse is forward again, eyes on the horizon and get on get on get on :)

The first time will be the worst because horse will be utterly convinced you will soon stop. I used to ride a horse that would plant with everybody except me because he just knew it was not worth the hassle, he would go to stiffen and then think again :).

Some provisos :)
I would never do this with an unschooled horse who just didn't understand, only a difficult b*gger who knew full well what he was doing.
You will feel like you are a complete novice doing the pc kicks :)
Mr Smack :eek:, Mr Big Smack :eek::eek: and Mr "I can't believe you have struck me three times already" :eek::eek::eek: would be called in for serious dangerous nappers but that is another story :)

Good luck, the key thing is not to let the horse train you to stop by going quiet upstairs when he plants or sit there and wait for his response.

When I am breaking a youngster I always get off and lead them for a bit on their first trips out, it is good for manners and it also means they think nothing of being led.
 

Suechoccy

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2007
Messages
1,065
Visit site
This is my tried and testing method which works brilliantly provided there's no:

(a) chance of him rearing and
(b) no rider-confidence sapping deep ditches or other dangers nearby.


Turn him through 180 degrees so he's facing in the opposite direction, then reinback in the direction you want to go. Aafter a few yards/metres of going backwards, you turn through 180 degrees again and ask him to walk forwards in the direction you want to go, and if he's still baulking, then turn through 180 degrees and continue reinbacking, then turn through 180 and ask to walk forwards.

Eventually he'll click that walking forwards is easier than walking backwards.

;-)
 

flyingfeet

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 March 2006
Messages
8,073
Location
South West
Visit site
OP you technique sounds fine

You could try a tap with a schooling whip, if that isn't likely to work (at a non-violent level) I'd try a wip *** technique using a soft rope, a broken cotton lead rope fluffed up works, flick over the shoulders to give a non-violent stimulus to move forwards.

WIP *** ROPE (AKA Giddy-up Rope)
wipwop.gif

The Wip *** rope is a rope made from very soft cotton fibres. It has a loop to put your hand through at one end, and soft tassels at the other. It is used as a gentle method of encouraging forward movement from a horse, and can be particularly useful in helping to overcome napping.
The rope can be used behind your leg, slapped across your shoulders, or flicked over the top of the horse’s shoulders. It gives a visible and/or audible cue to the horse, and the rider must be careful to allow and reward the forward movement produced.

Edited to say H&H clearly thinks W_O_P is offensive hence the stars
 

alex2

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2005
Messages
100
Visit site
I always use the same method as Suechoccy. The only problem I have had with this method is that one ride I ended up doing more backwards than forwards which is not good!
However I can confirm it definitely works.
 

4x4

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 September 2010
Messages
856
Location
The Country
Visit site
Yea, it's good as long as no ditches, mine misinterprets on purpose the backwards bit and goes backwards towards ditch completely ignnoring all steering!
 

fidleyspromise

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 August 2005
Messages
3,374
Location
Scotland
Visit site
This is my tried and testing method which works brilliantly provided there's no:

(a) chance of him rearing and
(b) no rider-confidence sapping deep ditches or other dangers nearby.


Turn him through 180 degrees so he's facing in the opposite direction, then reinback in the direction you want to go. Aafter a few yards/metres of going backwards, you turn through 180 degrees again and ask him to walk forwards in the direction you want to go, and if he's still baulking, then turn through 180 degrees and continue reinbacking, then turn through 180 and ask to walk forwards.

Eventually he'll click that walking forwards is easier than walking backwards.

;-)


When I tried this on my highland, she would a. try and bugger off home when we turned and she was facing home or b. refuse to go backwards when facing home or c. walk backwards towards home.

we've had some interesting conversations, and the best one for us is to do as the OP did, and weave the front end.
 

mirage

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 October 2011
Messages
820
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
I'm taking notes here.Knobberpony has recently started planting in the school and as my girls are only 8 and 6,she obviously thinks that she can get away with it.We've tried ponyclub kicks,jiggling about in the saddle,a good smack with a jumping whip,and most times they can get her going eventually,but it is very frustrating [and tiring for little legs].Luckily she never does it out on hacks as she enjoys those too much,the crafty thing.
 

Nannon

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 July 2009
Messages
807
Location
Herefordshire
Visit site
My filly plants when being led to the field, will have to try this weaving technique! However she is more than happy to trot back in when i catch her... weird pony lol
 

Supertrooper

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
13,772
Visit site
Thanks everyone for your advice, really really helpful. He is a shire x cob and I can tell it isn't easy to move 800kgs of horse that doesn't want to be moved!!!!

We've had him for over a year now but he hasn't been out hacking since september and all summer he was hacking out with a friends cob who is a) bombproof and b) won't let him go in front. He therefore has come to rely on her as he is a wimp.

I'm loads loads more confident with him now (once I've talked myself into doing it) as once you've got over the arguing stage he'll give in and get on with it. He definately thinks you'll give in and I won't know, hence I would of sat on him all night if nec ;-)
 
Top