Join up - anyone tried it. What results?

[Achinghips]

Ok, probably done to death, and courting controversy but I am very interested to know if anyone has tried this and what changes they have seen in their horse's training response/behaviour and their relationship with their horse.

 

[somethingorother]

I had a go once with a very aggressive horse. Fenced off half the school and put poles across the corners to make it more round etc.... But he just kept stopping and looking out over the fields. Didn't matter what i did, he didn't do more than half a lap at a time. No difference, gave up after a while. However, using the same techniques but on the lunge line has worked with very sensitive or over reactive horses. They have shown all the signs at all the right times and it did seem to help with ground issues a bit.

So i guess it depends on the horse and the environment.

 

[Tifferss]

I have done it - no ground breaking differences. but my horse has no "issues"

 

[NeedNewHorse]

I've done it, and my mare would for a while be a bit of a pain for my boyfriend to catch (fine for me) so I told him to make her move, should she try and trot off and then once he did that a few times change his body posture and 'invite her in' and she came to him everytime!

 

[rlhnlk]

My tb mare joins up very easily, even when i've ridden and I get off she will follow me around in walk and trot. I already have a very strong bond with her though.

I tried it with my welsh who gave me a hacky look as if to say 'Whats with making me move!' and if anything was more reluctant to come to me after, she is quite independent in the field though so I think perhaps she just isn't that kind of horse.

 

[scally]

Have done it and will continue to do with a lot of horses, it is not just a case of splitting up the school and chasing the horse around, you have to get your body language right, and understand the signals that are being given to you by your horse.

It has worked on every horse I have tried it with, but you have to follow through not just joing up, but follow up and be consistant in the training.

Like everything it is not a quick fix.

 

[Holly831]

[ QUOTE ]
Have done it and will continue to do with a lot of horses, it is not just a case of splitting up the school and chasing the horse around, you have to get your body language right, and understand the signals that are being given to you by your horse.

It has worked on every horse I have tried it with, but you have to follow through not just joing up, but follow up and be consistant in the training.

Like everything it is not a quick fix.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto! I have had some join up really quickly ie under 10 mins and some that justtake ages - patience and time and it does seem to work - all about body language and reading your horses response.

 

[Oberon]

I tried it with my very grumpy old gelding as I had been shown at college and was going to be assessed the next week.

I think I joined up with him instead of him joining up with me!

 

[kerilli]

yes, i've done it successfully with quite a few. the only one it absolutely did NOT work with was one of my homebreds, very sweet and affectionate little mare (not called Canoodle for nothing!), i was a bit bitten by the bug after going to a Monty demo so tried it with a few the next day, got around to doing her in my post and rail 'round pen', had to chase her away from me in the first place (in hindsight, i think she was already 'joined up') she did 1/2 a circuit, looked at me in amazement, got totally offended and jumped the rails out (into another of my fields, luckily). i thought that was pretty eloquent... never tried it with her again, she was 'joined up' with no effort. i have 2 mares like that now, tbh, no need to do the chasing thing.
i did quite a lot of it with my big wb and got him to the point of being able to send him away over jumps, and bring him back to me over them (trying to lay his extreme spooking demons to rest), that's a Parelli game (okay, i'd better put a flak jacket on now) but it was very good for him.

 

[JoJo_]

I occasionally do it with my mare. She joins up rather easily as we have a good bond. No need to do it very often as she will remember what she is meant to do quick and get bored of it. She also follows me around after i've ridden when I go to poopick the school.

 

[PapaFrita]

Well, both of mine follow me (I've not tried the Little Cigar yet ) Is that what you mean? I didn't have to put them in the school and/or chase them to achieve it.

 

[Toffee44]

My girly does it she did it very quickly but she has no issue suppose the only thing we got out of she learnt to play a little bit with a gym ball and we went jumping, she followed me over some little jumps. So for us it was a bit of bonding a bit of fun

 

[hadfos]

I cant chase my boy off

,owned him all his life and he stands,looks at me,then comes over and mugs my pockets anyway

,even shouted at him and chucked a lungeline at him to get him to run out on a circle,just to try this join up thingy,he still stood there with his ears pricked and came for a love

,guess we are joined up without him running round in circles

we have a massive bond without all that

May work for some but i have never had to use it,with any horse!understanding and sympathy usually do the trick,problem horses also

however if all avenues explored and tried and not worked why not!

 

[Gucci_b]

I have managed join-up, it's a brill feeling. Every time i loose school my girl we always seem to join up

i never use a lung line, no need any more. since join up early last year i have no real issues with my horse, where before she was a wild one....
Here is a video

 

[Umbongo]

I tried it over the summer with my highly strung, very opinionated stroppy mare. It did take ages until she decided to work with me. But then she started to show all the signs and she wouldn't quite walk up to me but when I went to her she did follow me around. Think I need a few more goes.

I thought I would try something out afterward. So on the way back to the field I unclipped her headcollar and she walk alongside me on the grass, then jogged and she trotted next to me, then I ran and she did a lovely collected canter alongside me to the field

I think she does trust me a bit more with jumping now.

 

[Natch]

I have, with countless horses, am trained in it twice now, having been on two courses which included join up or a variation of. Most people who teach the technique (not all of them monty roberts trained agree:

Good for starting horses, especially those with limited human contact.

Bit pointless if as many others have said, your horse is already "joined up" (i.e. you haven't done join up but have a very good relationship with your horse) - you risk just confusing the bejaysus out of them

Not suitable for horses who are dominant, aggressive, cocky or too in your face because they have too little respect for humans and will walk all over you. Far better to do work to get them used to keeping OUT of your space, not inviting them in.

No point in doing it with each horse more than 3-4 times, again, run risk of confusing the horse or them switching off to you.

I find it an interesting and useful technique, but not for every horse. As with all other training methods, have it in your toolkit and take your pick for the horse you're working with at the time.

 

[Persephone]

I have done it with each horse I have had. They seem to find it fun too.

 

[SheadonSaffron]

Join up is about the way that you are with your horse, as well as the way your horse is with you. I've watched lots of people try 'join up' and not know how to use their body language / timing / positioning at all, and I've watched others use these skills beautifully. I think of it as having a conversation with the horse, to let him know that I am listening to him because I am positioning myself / using actions or energy to cause a certain reaction, and when that reaction is offered (for example speeding up / slowing down / changing direction / etc) then I know longer ask it of him. This can be done on or off line (i.e. loose in the school or with a rope attached), or indeed in ridden work. But starting loose in the school is a good place to begin, because if you don't get it right your horse has the option not to take any notice I guess! As has been said earlier, join up as shown at the demos is not right for every horse and handler, and this is pointed out on the Intelligent Horsemanship courses where it's taught as well, but the principles apply to every horse human relationship.

Sue

 

[wimble]

I tried it following the Kelly Marks instructions with a rather opinionated horse who has some issues about leading/handling and it did make quite a considerable difference, not just in his respect towards me but also his behaviour to people generally. Not earth shattering but enough to have been worth the effort. You do need to do it 'properly' though, as per all the other comments above about body language etc.