Ned Rearing - Video

[WestCoast]

Buy yourself a copy if Perfect Manners by Kelly Marks and a control headcollar and start on the groundwork. I absolutely had to do this with my big, strong, rather spoilt 4 year old when I got her or she would have been unmanageable. It's also great fun.

Paula

 

[ester]

tbf to Nah she has actually been pretty good at taking advice from here in the past and I suspect she will again .

Nah, I've done a fair amount of in hand walking with my old boy (who I know very well) of late.. round quiet lanes too. I don't move from his shoulder and carry a schooling whip to help keep him there. I also always use the reins over his head (although he doesn't rear) so that if I need some emergency directional head control I can have it (although this is partly to ensure he stays straight during his rehab.

If I want him to take the lead he is long reined... much safer, much more control than on one long line.

One bit I am a little confused at with the rearing vid is why you are facing him in the rearing video, why weren't you at his shoulder in the first place rather than trying to pull him forwards? I just think that you are putting yourself straight in line for injury being in the position you were (and facing him is never going to encourage him forwards anyway)

 

[JFTDWS]

If you want a horse to go ahead then for safety sake, long rein it though I doubt Nah has any experience of this.

No, but actually, this is potentially a very good suggestion, if Nah were to get herself some long reining lessons / training from somewhere where she will be taught the relevant safety issues.

And this ties in with earlier, Nah said about not using a chiffney because she didn't know how, so she wouldn't - the answer here is if you feel a chiffney would help, learn how to use it, get someone (responsible) to show you how to, and then you have that tool available to you. I'm not actually recommending a chiffney itself, just suggestion that rather than dismissing tools because you don't know how to use them, seek to learn how to. I completely agree you shouldn't use one incorrectly, but if there's something you think might be useful, don't rule it out for such easily solvable reasons!

 

[DEEDEE83]

Nah firstly you seem a lovely girl that adores ned. From what i have seen you have asked for and taken advice from hho in the past and i have no doubt you will take all the cc on. Some people are not able to be constructive and are just plain nasty ignore the nastiness in their posts but draw on the advice. Keeping yourself safe is the most important thing. Be proud of yourself ned is beautiful and has come a long way. Good luck improving with him and i look forward to your next post as im sure you would of took the advice on board as its clear to see you want the best for your boy x keep your chin up.

 

[monkeybum13]

Nah does take advice from this forum and hopefully she will again.

You don't need to be horrid with him you just need to be more firm. Your walks last what, and hour at most? That means he has 23hours in the day to do what he wants so for the hour you are leading him he must listen to you. I bet you're have much more fun when he realises you are in charge (and it will be a damn bit safer too!)

Don't let this put you off posting about him, I do like reading how other HHO standardbreds are getting on

 

[claribella]

Could you not try a little bit of the basic groundwork exercises like backing up etc.

Me and my girl have just moved yards and I was a bit off my head because Im not too good with change. She was finding her place in the herd but also started trying it on with me too. She started rearing when I was doing up her girth, even just reaching for it, being very pushy etc. I was just about to call out a back person when two other people did her up for me and she stood as still as a mouse for both of them. I realised how I was so out of it with trying to adjust to moving yards, house, the boys school etc that I hadnt thought of the fact that ofcourse she was going to try it on as she was insecure with the change herself (any little change freaks her out). We did some serious groundwork and I kept her halter and line on when tacking her up. I had to be dead strict so any movement she made without me asking was pounced upon and she was asked to move back where I had asked. No sticks or smacks just firm body language and the odd firm 'stand'. It worked and now she has settled right down again. Might be worth a try.

 

[Carefreegirl]

I don't normally get involved in these types of threads but seeing as I have met Ned and Nah a couple of times I feel I should.

Firstly Ned is a fidgety old goat with the attention of a gnat, I'll be honest it drove me mad both times. I gave him a dig in the chest everytime he tried to walk over me (he was tied up at the time) or a growl which he did listen to - for a nanno second.

The first time I went over was to show her how to plait up, trim heels etc for showing and she very kindly found another horse and we went out for a ride. All I heard for the first 15 minutes was "Ned can't, won't or doesn't........"He went along stuck to side of the horse Nah was riding so much so that we were banging stirrup irons. I gave him the benefit of the doubt then sat up, took a contact, put my leg on and rode him forward and made him lead. He had a mini strop for about 30 seconds then marched on seeking the contact and pulling up his brave pants. This doesn't make me a great rider - just someone whose been around for along time !

I went over a couple of weeks ago after Nah had posted that she was worried she was getting 'heavy handed' with the bit. She was just catching him when I got there so went out to the field and was followed by a man and his son flying kites My horse would of had a meltdown but although Ned grew to about 17hh and his eyeballs were out on stalks he didn't react badly and you could see him looking for reassurance from Nah which he got. I was very impressed with both of them
Again once we got him tied up he was very fidgety, much grumbling from me. Nah rode him in the school and did a lot of work on him standing still and waiting for her to ask him to walk on rather than halt and instantly him looking at something behind or to the left or to the right. I swear that horse had a head and neck like a windscreen wiper. I stressed to Nah how important it is to have the horse listening to you, afterall it's only an hour or so a day.

Until Nah has ownership of Ned it's very hard to instill perfect manners as he does still belong to the RS so handled by other people who presumably aren't bothered. I feel it's also hard for her to be firm with him as she's known him a few years and the crap he's been through so makes excuses for him. Nah just needs more confidence in her own abilities . Until she owns him outright this will be an ongoing problem.

He clearly adores her and in an ideal world we would be born knowing everything and all horses would have perfect manners (remember a horse isn't born bad). I think back to the things we used to get up on our ponies 20+ years ago and it makes me shudder. I've watch the videos and yes I was cringing at the leading but we live and learn. Unfortunately I would say the yard Nah is at isn't the best for a 'novice owner' but this isn't an ideal world.

Nah - is the gate the narrow one into the yard or the one from the road ? The narrow one has so much crap either side and it is just wide enough for a horse.

Also as Nah say's it took a few moments to get through the gate whereas previously it's taken two hours.

 

[ex racer rider]

can i just ask why the hell are you leading in a dutch gag?!?

 

[Pilib]

Nah, is there a local collage or RS that does the bhs stages or nvq's? the basics, do's and don't are certainly taught on the nvqs. I think you'd get a lot out of this and then you'd know you at least had the basics if you buy Ned.

 

[Kikke]

Nah firstly you seem a lovely girl that adores ned. From what i have seen you have asked for and taken advice from hho in the past and i have no doubt you will take all the cc on. Some people are not able to be constructive and are just plain nasty ignore the nastiness in their posts but draw on the advice. Keeping yourself safe is the most important thing. Be proud of yourself ned is beautiful and has come a long way. Good luck improving with him and i look forward to your next post as im sure you would of took the advice on board as its clear to see you want the best for your boy x keep your chin up.

Could not have said it any better!!!

 

[PolarSkye]

Can I just ask why people still feel they should post repeating what others have said when the OP has said she is quitting the thread? She is not a 16-year-old know-it-all . . . nor is she (as someone rudely suggested) a troll . . . and she has a history of taking advice on board.

Granted, the videos do not necessarily make for easy viewing . . . but they are (to paraphrase a well-known equestrian body) a "moment in time" and most of us do not spend time day-to-day with either the horse or his owner.

You've all said your piece . . . it has been suggested over and over that she do XYZ and get professional help. It is now up to Nah what she actually does.

There's helpful and then there's harping.

P

 

[Spring Feather]

Don't loop the lunge rein through the bit if you are trying to encourage the horse to move forward as you are giving mixed signals and confusing the horse. Use a Newmarket coupling attached to the individual rings on the bit. When trying to get the horse through the gate, stand at horses shoulder with horse on your right and schooling whip in left hand to give encouragement for forward movement from the rear end. This is basic stuff.

I realise that a lot of what we are seeing is because you have a head-cam on; were you to be leading the horse properly we would see nothing of him apart from the odd glimpse of his head. It would have been more useful if you had someone else videoing you as I don't think what we're seeing is your natural style of leading Ned out? Or at least I hope it's not.