losing will to live with stubborn youngster

[smiggy]

Would appreciate tips or success stories!
My highland mare is rising four, she is incredibly laid back in nature. I was going to back her in the spring but she is such a nosey creature, wanting to come in and do stuff, that I thought maybe better to do so earlier.
Sent her to a professional yard, they said she was very good and easy, lacked impulsion in the school but enjoyed hacking. I did see her walk trot and canter in their school (my god that girl must have legs of steel!)
My plan was to just keep her ticking over until the spring, literally one ground work and one 30 min walk/trot hack, just so we dont have to start all over again really in spring as during the week I am on my own (hence sending her away)
Groundwork is a nightmare, she knows how to lunge but getting her out of walk is really really hard. Long lining, similar in the school slightly better out, though I need to sort out some grass reins.
Riding in school is nigh on impossible. She will walk but thats it, five minutes of kicking will produce half a side of trot. Am trying to avoid that as I just get cross with her and I dont want to do that.
First couple of hacks were great, felt really pleased that this would be way forward, Took her out on her own and we had a bit of planting on the way out, resolved with patience.
Today though she was a nightmare.Napped and planted leaving the yard, son was riding her, I tried "sweeping her up" with my horse, no, had to grab the reins and pull her along. fine for 5 minutes then repeat of same. Then basically every two minutes she would stop and plant. Son got off, led her a bit then got on, again two minutes then stop,plant. Eventually we gave up when I tried leading her again and she lunged at my horse to bite its neck. My mare is a broodmare just coming into work and quite likely to kick if subjected to that so dangerous.
I carried on on hack, son did a loop round field to avoid turning round, got back on and she was fine most of the way home, till halfway up our drive when she stopped again.
There is nothing physically wrong, teeth were checked before she left, back is fine, saddle recently fitted and lightweight synthetic. Son is 14 a good rider and weighs much less than girl who broke her. She isnt scared.
its just purely stubborn muleness "no dont fancy doing anywork thanks"
Not sure where to go now. Do I chuck her out for the winter and hope that with maturity comes impulsion? (cant see it )
Any ideas welcome. we arent being all nicey nicey by the way and too soft, you could literally beat her and she wouldnt take any notice (WE DONT DO THIS JUST TRYING TO SHOW PICTURE!).
have tried in school, just in hand going from cone to cone, treat at each cone, even then I dont get any enthusiasm. She will walk happily from cone to cone but not trot.
failing that anyone want a nice highland broodmare-totally bombproof

 

[honetpot]

Have a look on here, http://forum.highlandponyenthusiasts.co.uk/
It seems to be very much a Highland thing. People on this board have loads of experience.
My opinion is its taking the p**s with your son and when it found it could get away with it tried a variation. Although they are quite they are just as clever as any pony, its still a young pony get a adult rider and get it hunting/fast hacking and going forward.
Best of luck.

 

[smiggy]

Thanks, I have been on there before. will have another look.
Son is actually a better rider than me, trouble is she can get away with it with anyone as once she plants there is literally nothing you can do until she decides she is bored (and has high boredom threshold )
We tried to get her going forwards, I cantered off up a hill in an open field, she stood and watched
hunting is way too much exercise for her right now-def an option for the future (though might be embarrasing to be abandoned in middle of field somewhere when rest of field leaves )
I think the key, from the highland peeps, is to find something to motivate them, have run out of options though

 

[Echo Bravo]

Oh Joy, have someone else with the same problem as meYou can lunge him will trot, both reins, but as soon as you get on him, no more than a walk, even my HOT BOT hubby couldn't get him to go more than a walk, rode him out with our other horse,who started to disappear into the distance and still he wouldn't trot to keep up just got himself stressed out a little as he saw his best buddy vanishing into the distance. But I know it will finally click when he finds his balance when I'm on his back, like me just let him find his way balancewise, and I'm not perpared to push to hard at the moment.

 

[smiggy]

would love to think its a balance issue she would grow out of but sadly as she is the same on the lunge unridden I think not
she can be forward going and have a nice little trot and canter, just on her terms when she feels like it

 

[be positive]

She sounds as if she is too desensistised, if that is a word? , I would go back to basics and get her more responsive to the voice and use a schooling whip to get her responding to various aids, just short sessions make them fun, work over poles to get her picking her feet up more quickly, do more in company if you can.
A break may help she could come back a bit more interested in things in general.

 

[MrsElle]

I got my highland gelding 4 weeks ago and his previous owner of 2 years warned me he doesn't canter and it is hard work to get him to trot. She wasn't wrong, but for me its not a problem as we hack over the mountains at a walk.

We haven't had any problems with planting on hacks yet but everything is new and he is interested. No doubt when he gets bored the planting will begin!

I posted on here a week or so ago about my lad refusing to load (falling asleep at the bottom of the ramp) and refusing to pick his feet up.

Highlands!

 

[Cocorules]

suggest a proper break and not trying to keep ticking over they really benefit from it. Then when back into work having a routine where works 5 to 6 days a week rather than odd days as a routine really helps.

 

[ISHmad]

Try clicker training to motivate him. You won't need me to tell you how motivated Highlands are by their stomachs! If you channel this into clicker training, ensuring you get the ground rules established re no mugging first you could find this is the key to unlocking the door.

 

[appylass]

I have been there too! My highland is 6 now, forward going always up for work, keen and enthusiastic. If someone had told me that two years ago, I would have bet everything I own that he would never be like that. Looking back, at 4 he was just too immature,both physically and mentally (but mostly mentally) to cope with anything more than the occasional ten minutes of low pressure work. I thought it was me, that I was doing something wrong - despite people telling me he was just a difficult and obstinate pony. He didn't really change until late into his fifth year and he is truly a delight to ride now, his 'head' is all grown up and he is always thinking forward, it just took time with him.

ETA mine had most of his fourth and fifth winters out of work (for a variety of reasons) and I believe this was the making of him.

 

[smiggy]

Thanks for replies folks

Mrs elle-would you like a matching pair

Appylass-you have given me some hope.

Think I will turn away till spring and try again!

 

[CBFan]

I have a Cleveland bay youngster who sounds very similar to your highland... allthough twice the size I suspect!

Do you have time to do more than two sessions a week? If not, I'd probably turn her away till you do.

But for now I will tell you what I've been doing with mine. As someone has already said, she sounds like the sort to become easily desensitised to things but also the sort that needs to be told how things should be done... once she understands this she will work all day long.

So kick kick kick will not work. With mine he gets ONE squeeze with the legs and if he doesn't go off that, I use the schooling whip at the same time as the next squeeze.Over about half a dozen sessions he has got much better and now I only have to use the whip for the first couple of upward transitions. Make your transitions in the same places every time, so she learns to anticipate them and make them in easy places - i.e. coming out of the long side.

Before you do this it might be worth you doing some more lunge work with her and your son on board. when you ask for the transition, yoour son needs to squeeze, if she doesn't go, you then crack the lunge whip behind her. if she doesn't go off that you can then just give her ONE sharp one on the bottom- she had her chance(s) she should have taken them. It works on the same principle as the above.

I started backing mine earlier this year but for one reason or another it has been stop start but we have been going pretty much non stop since september - it does take a while!! Continue with the hacks once you have her a bit more 'off the leg' in the school, but make them fun and EASY. 20 minutes to begin with until her fitness improves.

To begin with, these types need TELLING. Once they know the game, you will be able to ASK.

Good luck!

ets - oh to have the luxury of a helper... its at times like this I wish I had a kid!

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I've got no advice as I've never had a youngster please don't write off all Highlands as sluggards because they aren't. My girl is forward going, although she is also safe. She's only 13.2 hh but her little legs are a blur sometimes

I did have another Highland mind you and he could be lazy and needed a tap behind the leg sometimes to remind him what he was supposed to be doing. His walk and trot were exceptionally good for a stumpy legged pony but cantering seemed like too much effort unless you reminded him who was boss.

Hopefully, once your pony matures she will improve. Not sure where you are based but there is a girl who is really good at getting youngsters started on one of the HiPo boards. I am sure that she's in Scotland though so might be too far away if you are not in the North?

 

[GingerTrotter]

Hi there!

I am training my welsh x at the moment, he's rising 3.
I had a similar lazy problem with him and it was a nightmare. Again nothing wrong with him just lazy, I didnt help the situation to start with as when he got "tired" (or so i thought) and stopped i allowed him to finish the session and go back to the stables. It wasnt until my instructor met him and I had a fresh pair of eyes on us and she pointed out the lazy bones behaviour the penny dropped. I was sceptical at first because he is such a sweet nature i didnt think he had it in him to be naughty.

She got me to give the aids like so..... squeeze...if no response...a smaller kick....if no response....a bigger kick....if no response....smack with the schooling whip.
Now i'm not a fan of the whip, however after 1 session of doing this (when smacked he did rocket off! i needed a firm seat!) he was going forward beautifully!!

only occasionally he trys to plant his feet, but a tiny flick with the whip and he's going forward again, he is also so happy schooling now as he knows the rules and his flatwork is going amazingly! i hope to get him out to some intro dressage in January when he's old enough.

My instructor also said to get him out cantering on a hack, up a long track following his stable mate to encourage him to go forward faster - this has proven a huge success and he canters along with great gusto! and stops when told!

Good luck with your highland! Hope it works out, they are a truely great breed! very versitile!

x

 

[smiggy]

cbfan-its not lack of time, just very aware of not wanting to overdo it as everyone says they are so slow to mature. from your experience sounds like may be better to stop over winter, let her grow a bit and restart on daily basis in spring.
the issue with the whole whip thing is that she really doesnt care, lunging whip, schooling whip, short whip on neck, wip *** rope-doesnt turn a blind eye.
to get her to trot on the lunge takes a good five minutes of growling and flicking bottom, escalating to quite firmly to get any forward movement at all.
was the same trying to get her to trot in hand for in hand showing, training for that is a nightmare, not too bad once there as the excitement adds a little oomph.
i have done a lot of groundwork with her, she leads very politely, loads like a dream, travels well etc. just as long as its all in walk
maybe will consider some rocket fuel feed as well in spring?