Rein back help needed

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Quantock-cob

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Apologies for this being a numpty question but I am doing my first Trec in a couple of weeks and need to be able to do a rein back for the PTV course. My cob is very good at going forwards and will occasionally go backwards if he sees something he doesn't like... but I get the feeling that with rein back I need to be the one telling him to go backwards!!

I have tried to do this today but go nowhere and we both got confused. Please can someone give me some tips on how to make a stubborn cob go backwards.

Many thanks.
 
Sorry cant help you much but we always get ours to back up on command starting on the ground as babies. They always remember! A push on the chest at the same time as saying it baaaack. Plenty praise after they do it. we had a little bargie boy who learned very quickly to back on his bed and stand still before he was allowed forward to eat his feed.
 
Im not sure if this is technically the correct way but it worked with my then young horse. Ride along side a fence or wall actively, ask for halt, then lighten your seat, gently give and take with your hand, like a clench unclench of your hands and put your leg on lightly behind the girth and he should offer to go back. If he becomes resistant or against the hand give up, walk forward til he is soft in the hand and try again. It wont work if you have to fight with him and haul him back.
If hes totally clueless, then work on the ground gently pushing his chest and say back, back and reward ie pat, good boy when he does, then try with you on giving above aids with some one else doing the chest pushing and you saying back. Then try without help but using voice aid, then without voice.
You need the wall or fence to stop him wriggling all over as it will keep him straight :)
 
Make sure you lighten your seat slighty and squeezed gently with your legs as an indication that you want to go somewhere - but don't allow with your hands. If he is just confused could you ask a friend to 'nudge' him in the chest whilst you give the aids - they often get the idea then :)
 
I'd enlist a helper myself. Pull up along side a fence. Hold with your hand but don't pull and put your leg on behind the girth. Say back (if he knows the voice command on the ground) and get helper to push him in the chest at the same time. BH learnt this really quickly and he is the most stupid horse in the world so shouldn't take long. It's one of his proudest schooling manoeuvres because he actually understands it.
 
Make sure you don't "pull him backwards" as all this will do is stiffen the neck and cause resistance. Get him soft in the halt, next to a fence to keep him straight, slide your leg back and slide your hip bones back (if that makes sense) as soon as you feel him take a step back soften, reward and try again, when he siffens his neck and hollows you need to re establish the contact, if anything have him slightly deeper than normal as that sometimes helps when you're starting out :)

Goooood lucckkkk. tis a pain :rolleyes:
 
Start from the ground, he needs to learn the vocal command first, makes things much easier when teaching whilst being ridden, so ask him to go back from the ground whilst saying 'back up' or whatever you like really, when he has got that, then you can move onto the ridden stage.

You need to take the weight out of your seat (this is so the horse can distinguish your backwards aid from your forwards aid), then ask with your legs to move whilst squeezing and releasing on the reins (like milking a cow), all the time using your voice aid (back up, or back or whatever you chose to use on the ground).
All my horses can go backwards for yards and yards as it comes in handy if you are in a tight spot, useful thing to learn.

I find it helps to at first have a fence on your one side, and even someone on the ground to re-enforce your aids. If your horse doesn't get it the first time, ask him to walk on a few steps, then halt and try again, as he will get upset and frustrated if you just keep asking and asking :)
 
Thanks everyone for all the good advice - I will have a go later, probably start on the ground as I think he does know the command "Back" and go from there.
 
a horse does not need to be taught rein back, it will happen when the horse is a little schooled and is halted correctly and whilst holding the gentle contact, lighten the seat, even lean forward a little whilst in the learning process, so you don't overburden the quarters, and use your legs quite well back to ask for the backward steps and to maintain the straightness of the rein back, when the horse offers a step or two allow him to go forward and build on this kindly and gently during several training sessions and soon you will be able to go backwards with almost loose reins, you don't want to overbend him, but don't do too much too soon or too many steps, aim for quality distinct steps, a gentle even contact and straightness.
 
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