Hw wont trot in the school???

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mar2505

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my gelding refuses to trot with me in the school.
He goes backwards, sideways, bucks and just wont do it. On a hack he will trot but seems to have major issues in the school.
We were without a school for several years and we walk mostly on hacks so he is not forward thinking (but this suits me), however now I am asking he is getting more and more stubborn.
I have had some success but it takes me an hour using whip and voice and legs however it is taking longer and longer and today I was 2 hrs in the school and ended up in tears and we never got a walk of more than two paces without stopping.
I have had 2 instructors and they are out of ideas, I have had someone ride him and he does it for them but he seems to know that because I never asked in the past he can try and get away with it, now I do not know how to break this cycle.
Other people at the yard try and help me but now they are suggesting I sell him so this is reducing me to further tears. They also suggest I just dont go in the school, but I love going out and doing the odd local dressage test.
Does anyone have any ideas of how to move forward on this one.,
 
Poor you :( but don't sell him! Never give up on horses otherwise they think they will win.
A few ideas (they may not work but its worth giving it a go):
1. Try lungeing him in tack first then making him trot under saddle (i presume he will?) then maybe get a friend or instructor to lunge him while you ride. First try dropping the reins and sitting there, so that the lunger is in charge, then slowly take charge with the encouragement of the lunger. Then finally just have him on the lunge with the lunger just standing there. Then slowly take him off.
2. Maybe try some natural horsemanship? Even things like the join-up may help you to bond with you more and make him trust you? Then do some bareback wandering,
3. Maybe he's bored of schooling? Take a break and do some gentle hacking while maybe trying to do some of the above. Start something like Trec - keep him interested with obstacles in the school etc.
4. Finally as a last resort, send him off to be reschooled. Tough i know but it may have to be the way if you don't want to sell him

Hope they work ^^ maybe give one or two of them a try and keep us posted :)
Good luck :) xxxxxx
 
on lunge no problem and I can be lunged on him, funny but tried slipping lunge line out whilst I took control and he realised and stopped dead, def a him and me situation.
 
I love him so much its untrue, this is why I cant understand why he always does it for others. Will def try hacking and join up. He follows me round school and round yard like a dog ha ha
 
I also have a less-than-forward-thinking pony that is incredibly stubborn so you have my sympathy! I know what it is like to try and move anywhere when they decide to 'plant' themselves!
Im no expert but this worked for me.
I have had mine 8 mths, and we are finally talking. I started on the hacking. If you are getting forward motion (even a walk) on a hack, try really short trots. Ask once, if he ignores ask again. If he still ignores, maybe a little tap and a harder kick. when he goes forward into trot, and I appreciate it could be a while.. give him LOADS of praise, do a couple of strides, and straight back to walk. I started with this several times on a hack, just enough to wake him up, get him going - thank you - then relax. It just made my boy listen to my legs, without him thinking Oh no here comes hard work lol
Next we upped the strides. I didnt keep nagging, but as I felt him coming back to walk I gave a stern 'TROT ON' and another kick. get him to give a little more, then relax again as a reward. using this, I gradually upped the trot until he would go a way down the road, with lots and lots of praise and trying not to let him walk until I decided. Instead of nag nag nag I now do squeeze/voice to trot and if he slows, kick on before he gets a chance, with a firm TROT command.
Anyway this has worked a treat, and he now goes forward without too much flapping, listens to my leg and voice. I took him back in the school and couldnt believe how much more responsive he has got. Even canter is a nice transition now, no more flapping!
So praise small steps no matter how small and he will soon listen to you. Make it fun and not a chore for him :)

Im sorry if all that reads like drivel its harder to explain than I thought! lol
 
I feel your pain!
My ID has been known to stand for an hour refusing to move at all, rather than do 'schoolwork' - and we don't have a school! We do our schooling in the field. We have found that applying a whip makes her VERY resentful. What does work though, is to get a very bright, highly visible schooling whip, with a flappy end, and wave it in her eye-line. This gets her moving without the resentment.
It might be worth a try, it sounds as though he does need to know that you mean it when you ask him to do something.
 
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