Sometimes it should be more obvious …

[blitznbobs]

I’ve had my new chap for a bit over a month now… hacking out we are fine but in the school we are definitely not the tension is incredible and he wants to f’off at every opportunity… it’s like it’s a loaded gun.

So today i thought let’s lunge him a bit to see if that takes the sparkle out of his toes…

So off he goes at a canter and then a banging trot and after about 10 - 20 circles I ask him to walk to do the other side. I get literally no reaction, so I pull the circle a bit smaller and stick some vibrations down the lunge line - literally no response to anything - trot continues at the same regular pace.

I think he is a being a bit of a sod and eventually by making the circle so small he can’t trot he walks. I tell him he is wonderful and switch sides and I get exactly the same. It suddenly (cos I am incredibly slow) realise that this chap has never been taught a downwards transition… so spend the next half hour doing very drawn out walk trot walk transitions… all of a sudden he gets it looks incredibly smug and by the end of the session we can do walk at a trot at m walk at b etc all around the arena on the lunge…

It’s just another case of they aren’t being difficult they just don’t understand what the fxxk you are going on about.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Well done and what a good boy he is!

You hit the nail on the head with your last paragraph, and he will feel better for understanding what us asked of him.

 

[dorsetladette]

well done for figuring it out. Who would of thought he hadn't been taught to slow down as well as speed up.

On the lunge it's surprising how many horses just think this means 'run really really fast round in circles until I'm knackered'! always puzzled me - lunging is about teaching voice commands in the early days and then working on transitions as training progresses (in my opinion anyway) .

I hope your next visit to the school is more relaxed - keep us posted.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think as you said people spend alot of time chasing them forward and forget about the stopping bit.

I had a mare that thought the school was just for cantering took me ages to get her to walk or trot in it

I always use voice commands for up and down transitions.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I always just assume they dont know initially, and teach my own way anyway. I find that easier