Teaching a youngster to trot in hand

basilcob

basilcob

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Hi , I have a two year old highland gelding who is very laid back. I've owned him for a four months now and previously he was turned out with mares at his breeders. I would like to start taking him to shows before the end of the season but I'm struggling to get him to trot in hand. I've tried various strategies such as following by daughter's pony on a walk and running after her but he doesn't seem too bothered about being left behind. I can really pull him in from the field towards his stable and eventually he will trot a few strides (presumably because he knows he'll be fed!). With this in mind I've tried shaking treats in front of him but he'll only walk faster. I've not tried a whip as I don't want to scare him and loose his trust. Any tips gratefully received.
 
The basic essential for any work in hand or ridden is forwards. If they do not understand this concept then you are on a hiding to nothing. The best way to reach forwards is with a whip. It's effective a timed correctly will get the message across. You ask to trot on, if its ignore you use a schooling whip and give them a tap. Even better is to have someone near by with a lunge whip as they stay straight and it sends them forwards.

I think you have the wrong idea about how to develop trust in a horse. Horses want strong leaders and being ignored by your horse does not make you a strong leader. Watch them out in the field and they are horrible to each other when establishing the leader so I am pretty sure you are not going to psychologically damage your horse by teaching it to respect you and do as its told.
 
You may not even need to touch him with your whip, sometimes just seeing something behind there girth area is enough to move them on. Walk along a fence line with the horse closest to the fence, schooling whip in your opposite hand, face forwards and say trot on while starting to jog yourself. If there is no response motion the whip towards his bum, if still no response a quick tap may be required.
 
You can tie a plastic bag, or some plastic bag strips to the end of a schooling whip and waggle it behind you. If you start running, they often just run with you. If he's still too laid back, enlist the help of someone behind him to waggle a bag or whip or spin a leadrope and then give him lots of praise when he trots. Practise a few times so he learns. Start with low energy waggling and work up so you don't give him a fright. They soon learn :)
 
Mine all learn from me starting to jog beside them, even if they don't initally break walk, they get it pretty quickly.
 
I do walk halt first and give a pony nut for doing as I ask, it gives them a motivation to work out what you are asking, then I jog energetically with energetic voice and sometimes my bf will give a few claps or a whoosh behind to get things going, saying 'good girl' while trotting then a pony nut when you come back to walk. Keep attempting it and reward any small trots.

My haflinger was just the same as yours I think, with a 'but why?' attitude, happily though she was quite switched on and excited about going to a show so trotted just fine, faster than my legs could keep up with!

My little welsh just trots with me at liberty if I run, some are just more keen than others!
 
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