What do you do with a horse that will never stand still under saddle?

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Ziggy_

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The second my butt is in the saddle my horse is off, I don't stand a chance of stopping her to do stirrups or girth, and halt transitions are a nightmare! If she is in a good mood we might manage them ok but its a battle and it can take me the length of the long side to stop. Its occured to me that this is kind of dodgy as we can't halt out hacking either, even at road junctions.

I've used strong bits, now schooling in a french link loose ring snaffle but shes the same. I've tried not using my hands at all, just seat etc which works beautifully but only if shes in the mood. we can rein back nicely but again, only if shes in the mood. she will stand nicely on the ground but if someone attempts to hold her with a rider on her back she will flatten them.

help please!
 
You really need to establish ground rules with this mare, its basic manners to stand still and not something that the horse decides ideally. Not sure how you conquer it though - good luck
 
I agree, she is a b*tch really, incredibly wilful and bargy. We've done a lot of ground work and she is pretty well mannered on the ground - I just have no idea how to transfer it to under saddle.
 
I had a horse that would not stand - but with determination and patience he became brill.

I made it my goal to get him to stand - that was the purpose of each session. No time restraints. I started by just trying to get him to stand whilst I put my foot in the stirrup- not even putting weight in it. Didn't get cross just kept bringing him back to the same place and asking him again. When he did do it made lots of fuss, and then asked him again... once we had mastered this and got him to stand for a few seconds, went on to putting weight in stirrup just building up gradually till eventually he would stand with me sat in the sadddle. Surprisingly it didn't take as long as I expected. The first day was the hardest but then each day he got easier... it was well worth the effort
 
Thanks Vrin, now anyone got any ideas about halt transitions while riding? I haven't tried long reining but might give it a go. She won't halt on the lunge unless I bring her in to me or shes feeling lazy.
 
with long reining it's easier to get them to stop, you can put a lot of weight into it if they really don't listen.
even just getting her to stand for a few seconds then praising her and walking on again and see if you can build up how long she will stand still for.
 
Having the same prob with my project horse, he jogs on the spot when i ask him to stand. I've started to ask him to stand, and then perservering until he stops, the minute he stops i let him walk again as a reward, gradually building up the amount of time i ask him to stand for and so far so good.
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Join up???

My friend has a horse that rushed off in canter the moment she was in the saddle, sometimes before, and she's working through it with fab results, she now doesn't use a mounting block, instead gets a leg up and sort of wiggles in the saddle, and he's standing still after 2/3 weeks.
She is using join up, (monty roberts technique) and really bonding with him from the ground. Before each ride she lunges him (i know its a hassle, but its working for her)- sending him away, making him come to her. I find it fascinating-but it does work. Your mare has to learn that you are the dominant one, and she has to do as she's told. Maybe give it a try.

Good luck!
 
My boy was really bad at standing still for mounting when I first got him which was solved by just breaking down the steps and giving him lots of praise and I'd say in about 2 hours and 4 or 5 sessions we cracked it.

He is still bad for standing still under saddle - if he's not moving forward he's moving to the side or backwards or just generally swaying under you.

I've started clicker training with him as he is very food movitaved and it has made a massive difference - I started simple by just asking him to go from walk to stand - click, praise/reward and walk on again. I'm now trying to increase the length of time he'll stand for as we have a show coming up (our first) and my main concern is asking him to stand still in the line up (think I'll have to sneak a packet of polos up my sleeve and click him through it!)
 
A handy tip for ensuring the horse stands still after you get on is to give it a treat from on top. This has worked with every horse who didn't understand this rule. This included the 17hh who had to be boxed in with bales for sister to get on, if I just held her to start with, I got trampled! We got through that with a bale infront and two on the off side, mounting block on the near side. With time she became very good about standing to mount and then to stand for girth and leathers, the rider always resarded, not the helper.
 
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