Preparing for in hand showing

dwi

dwi

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I really want to take Daisy in hand showing at the RC this year but we've hit an impasse with our progress on leading.

She'll lead fine around the yard in a Dually but take her anywhere else and its really exciting and she tries to barge off. I don't have enough control to take her in a bridle but that means that we aren't practicing our leading so not making progress
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The yard is next to the RC showground so I can take her up there to practice but I need to get this really right so that she doesn't just barge off at ther first show.

How would you overcome the dually to bridle transition?
 
Have you tried a lead with a three way coupling, so there is pressure on her nose aswell as her mouth? Can help, or put Dually on over the top of bride, and lead with both, with the dually there for a reminder?
 
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Have you tried a lead with a three way coupling, so there is pressure on her nose aswell as her mouth?

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OOh, that might work but I don't get entirely what you mean?

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or put Dually on over the top of bride, and lead with both, with the dually there for a reminder?

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I'd love to but I don't think we'd win the class
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I'd love to but I don't think we'd win the class

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No but good for prep wrk!?

three way coupling attaches to both bit rings and the noseband, may require a bit of searching though, havent seen one for a while...
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an in hand bitless bridle may work, the one that has a chain that goes under chin, you get real respect with one of these when you need respect and it is gentle when horse is behaving... trouble is they are hard to come by... sorry
 
Dare I say it *ducks in fear of her life* - if you can only control her in a dually then the problem is not solved at all - she clearly has a lack of respect for your space and she needs to learn to listen. You NEED her to have total understanding in hand full stop. All my horses walk in hand when you walk - trot when you run and stop when you stop. Half of them also understand going back with me going back along side. I would personally suggest that you get some natural horsemanship tuition - Parelli tends to sort these sorts of issues really well. Sorry to sound up my own a**e but I cant stand horses that barge, push and generally walk all over you - and it can be sorted with kindness and in the right way. How old is she?
 
Have to agree, if she only behaves with the halter, then a lot more work is required.

With my very large mare I used to show in hand with a chain threaded through the bit and then attached to the lead rope - forming a V shape.

If she started she received a couple of short sharp jerks which caused the chain to tighten under her chin.

Within a short period of time, plus a lot of hard work, she didn't need the chain threaded, but I always showed her with a brass newmarket coupling so it was there in case I needed it.

When Chancer went through a bolshy stage he was trained with a lot of body language and now if he misbehaves my fish finger stance stops him dead and backs him up with no physical contact - took a while to get to this stage though.

If you want details of this, pm me.
 
Thanks for the link to the coupling, if I can't find one I thought I might speak nicely to my local saddler and see if he'll make me one.

I may have created a false impression with my earlier post. She is a v. intelligent mare and can tell the difference between her dually and a normal headcollar. When she is wearing her dually she walks meekly along behind me good as gold, will stand or go into trot by looking at my feet, I don't even need to give the vocal command or apply pressure to the lead rope, just change my speed and she will match it. She's not one of those horses that you can only control in a strong headcollar because you are hanging on for dear life when you lead her, she shows that she genuinely understands what you want from her but unfortunately she also knows when you don't have the dually on and that is where she needs the help.
 
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