What else works when a horse 'plants' itself?

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
6,160
Location
York
www.freewebs.com
I have a beautiful, lovely to handle, affectionate and very talented mare. I posted a few months back about her bronco/rearo moments which got really dangerous, anyway, took her to the vets (turns out she had endometrisis) and since then she hasn't had any major bucking fits.

Anyway, aside from this she is naturally lazy and quite nappy. Today, a friend and I were doing some jumping and she was horrible. Kept napping towards the other horse and then kept standing at the gate and literally refusing to move.

The frustrating thing is that when she was going she was going beautifully and she never refuses a fence. When she plants it's like she thinks she's finished - it is really hard to move her forward.

I have tried the following
*giving her a smack - result, back legs in air - more stubborn crossness and reversing.
mad.gif

* pony club legs - she ignores these
* turning in circle - works until we stop!
blush.gif

* waiting a few minutes then cajoling her on - similarly ineffective
* reinback - more stroppiness - mini rears
* making her stand still - fidgeting/me losing the will to live
*Yelling/growling like big bad wolf - sort of works sometimes

A random combination of all of these usually helps but it's got to be easier than this!! Should I do more groundwork (she is an angel on the lunge)

Anyone got any tips?
grin.gif

Want to BSJA her but at the moment I a worried about getting her in the ring!
blush.gif


ETA - she is the same out hacking if I ask her to go in front. I'd like to put it down to insecurity but she IS lazy.
 

She's on oats and balancer with afalfa - not very much of either and only one feed a day. She could live on thin air.
blush.gif


Everything checked before I took her to the vets first time.
She's 5 yr old KWPN. 16.1 ish - bought from holland, had a foal in 2006. Bit of a mare-ish mare but generally a lovely girl.
 
If you have the time and patience try this; when she plants just sit it out, dont do anything, its a battle of wills and she will give in, or back her walk backwards - a lot.

Have known people sit it out for a couple of hours each time the horse plants. Not nice for the rider but it does eventually get through to them and they get fed up of it.

Otherwise, cow prod - only joking.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you have the time and patience try this; when she plants just sit it out, dont do anything, its a battle of wills and she will give in, or back her walk backwards - a lot.

Have known people sit it out for a couple of hours each time the horse plants. Not nice for the rider but it does eventually get through to them and they get fed up of it.

Otherwise, cow prod - only joking.

[/ QUOTE ]

No really - I think the cow prod could be a good option!
grin.gif
tongue.gif


Thanks - I did wonder if sitting it out would work. I will just have to pick a day when I am feeling patient!
 
my mare used to be just like that - sooo frustrating! Could kick and smack till the cows came home and just no reaction.

The only thing that worked was a lunge whip properly cracked up her bum. But you need a very good helper for it to work - they need to hide it (so they're not threatening her), wait for you to use your leg, and the second there's no reaction, then use it. And of course you need to make sure you don't get left behind and then sock her in the mouth when she goes forward (which in mine's case was at a fairly high speed!).

Sounds drastic, but mine only needed two or three to get the message, and much better in my opinion than all that battling.
 
How is she from your voice?

Mine is also quite a nappy horse naturally and smacking him, yelling at him, poking with spurs makes him angry and i avoid confrontations with him as much as possible as he can be quite nasty

What he does respond to however, is a lot of encouraging from my voice. It took me ages to work this out but hes always listened to your voice for reassurance quite a lot. Telling him hes great, hes brave, encouraging him forward with the voice keeps him going when otherwise, he'd nap. (Obviously i know he doesnt care what im saying and its the tone ;p)

Might be way out, but it can be worth trying. Mine doesnt plant though. He''ll slow to a walk and if you try to bully him, he threatens with tiny rears.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Get someone behind you with a good lunge whip, dont take any messing.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was my first approach - she reacts very badly to this and I don't want to worsen the habit but might try it again with force!

Tierra - the voice does seem to have an effect, just not a very big one - that said, I only use it when she is really good OR really bad - will try using it more!
grin.gif
 
Get a long schooling whip, hold it upside down like an umbrella and swish it backwards and forwards beside her head. (don't hit her) I have found the secret is to do something unexpected not try the same thing everytime. Whacking your boot or the saddle is quite good too or the wall or gate if you are next to it. Or a few schooling sessions where she follows an active horse around all the time.
 
I find little annoying tickles with a schooling whip much more effective than big smacks, also putting my leg on two or three times in quick succession rather than pony club kicks. Does she plant when been led as well?
 
Mine does a similar things and confrontations just end in tears (and rears!). I find using my voice is the best way t keep him going - I have to catch him before he's stopped though! As soon as I feel him slowing down, I start clucking and making a wooshing noise - he's too busy wondering what it is to think about napping
grin.gif
I also find lots of little kicks are more effective than big PC kicks - these just p1ss him off!
wink.gif
 
Only happened to me a couple of times out on hacks. So I just sat it out. Was the summer though and had a really nice view of countryside.

Jane
 
Would advise you against the lunge whip approach for several reasons:
This was done to my horse before I had him and resulted in a major rearing problem as he became terrified of whips and people
It won't work long term as what would you do in a competition scenario - get someone to follow you around the arena!!?? The horse soon works this out!
The horse is not going forward from the riders aids and is reacting to fear not reward.
You need to take a bigger brain approach not a bigger whip/spurs etc
Also, by sitting it out you are rewarding horse for negative behaviour by allowing horse to stand still.
Your horse needs to respect you and want to work for you - that is the only way you can change this pattern of behaviour, you need to gain control of the feet.
I have turned my horse around by getting help from Parelli professional - some people don't like it but it worked for me and it gave me a way to manage him and to change negative behavior patterns to positive!
Hope you manage to sort it out as I know can be a frightening and frustrating problem.
 
Thanks for all your replies. Spider - She DOES plant when being led too.
mad.gif


Houdini - how did the parelli help your horse - what did you do? I do not practice parelli at all but I am interested in alternative ways to get round this issue!
grin.gif
 
It taught me to change MY focus when riding. Horses respond to patterns and you need to change from negative to positive patterns. Once you can move your horses feet it removes the problem - sounds simple because it is when you break it down.
The more I kicked and used whips etc the more my horse backed off and didn't want to go, he has plenty of impulsion but he was switched off. You need to give horse a reason for moving and then reward for it. I would recommend that you start with groundwork and gain respect there before you move onto riding. I got a parelli professional out and then followed the programme. I was a true sceptic but it really does work!
Good luck.
 
Sorry if this is an unpopular reply but perhaps some professional help? Someone who can get on the horse, assess and sort out the situation, then work with you to get the right reactions? It is so much easier than trying anything anyone can think of an possibly risking yourself and your horse in the process.

Be leery of "solutions" that don't actually offer a way for YOU to sort things out. It's all very well to have "help" from the ground but what you want is someone to teach the horse how to be different and teach YOU how to keep it that way. You are right to think a temporary solution will only serve you until a new situation, such as a horse show. Get to the bottom of it now, fix it for ALWAYS, and make the solution part of your program.

The horse has to learn to "come forward" and "go forward" when you ask, as much as you ask, and only as much as you ask. This is TRAINING, not a trick or something you wait to have happen to a noticeable degree before you punish the horse. This is not a subject for debate, or something that's okay sometimes and not others, it's a way of life and work for the horse in EVERYTHING you do with her.

Odds are the changes you need to make are simple and probably not particularly scary. Get someone to show you what you need to do differently - someone who can also get on and show HER how to react differently - and you'll be good to go.
 
my girl can do this- twas only yesterday in fact that she did it last! i have tried much the same variety of methods as you, if she really wont move i get off and try drag her, i will not be beaten, i also try just sit there on her until she realises i wont give in, as i dont like to get angry with her about it, though thats hard sometimes
 
Cruiser -I don't disagree with this but I do not think I will cure it forever, rather I will 'manage' her natural tendency.

I am considering sending her for training but at the moment finding someone I trust is the problem!!
 
I second Cruiser. Go to a good professional who is well practiced with all sorts of behavioural problems. They'll get on top of it in no time and then teach you how to avoid her reverting. There's no point battling at your wits end when there are specialists providing a service in solving problems such as this.
 
Fair enough.:) I was more answering some of the other replies, rather than your original question I guess.

If you can get someone to come to you, I'd suggest that if possible. I've always found it's best to address issues like this in the horse's "home court" , in part because it can be situational and that's impossible to judge if the horse is out of its environment. Also, YOU need to be very involved. You need to watch the correction and be able to apply it yourself. You need to know exactly how to manage/correct/enforce so you can apply the correct efforts in any and all situations which might prompt the undesireable response. How else are you going to manage it? And the horse needs to know you can do what needs to be done as part of the issue MIGHT be her not taking you seriously enough. A good trainer will want you involved so that you can be self-sufficient and apply the lessons whenever necessary.

Good luck.
smile.gif
 
Lol - thanks cruiser - I agree with this and this is why it is taking so long as I am struggling to get anyone decent to come out (there are places I can send her but tbh she's probably come back fine and then go back to her old ways!).

Might try Richard Maxwell.
grin.gif
 
Agree with Houdini here. The boss horse is the one that makes the other horse move its feet and get out of its way. So by not moving its feet when the rider asks, the horse is being the boss!

Don't let them just stand still, do the circles, or rock her from side to side, keep the feet moving. It must be easier and less work for the horse to do what it is told, than not.

Do a tight little circle and send her one when you come out of the circle, with lots of praise. As soon as you think she is slowing down do another tight little circle, possibly on the other rein,and send her on when you come out of it. Do not use your leg until the horse is facing forwards in the direction you want to go and use your leg for the "go" signal.

I wouldn't be in favour of hitting, or lunge whips or anything like that, as it is an external thing frightening it, it is not obeying the rider.
 
PS = I'm not an expert, so it is an "at your own risk" suggestion!

Good luck though, as it is a very annoying thing to have to cope with.
 
It sounds like ur mare and my mare are twins!!! She is exactly the same - we are working through them tho and she hardly stops anymore. I alternated between a jumping whip and a schooling whip which lessened the problem esp as she didnt always get a prod in the normal areas
smile.gif
Also - we never did one exercise for more than five minutes and I always kept her away from the gate!!! She planted herself yesterday for the first time in three weeks because she was tired.
 
If she plants when being led maybe an Intelligent horsemanship person could help. I went to a demo this a.m. and i asked about planting while being led and she explained about pressure and release in a way I hadn't heard before. Not sure I understand completely but it was about keeping your hand still and the horse releases the pressure. I'm going to practise. It was Sue from Holistic Horse Help (They are Kelly marks people, not Parelli) lots of people seem to say that if they behave on the ground they behave better when ridden too.
 
Do you look up and focus on where you really want to go, and do you genuinely want to go there? If there is any doubt in your mind she could well be picking up on it and saying "Not until you make up your mind what you really want me to do".

Mark Rashid wrote something very interesting on that subject. As a boy he couldn't get one particular horse to go anywhere, but for the horses' owner it went like a dream. Turned out he wasn't focused on short achievable things (i.e. canter to the fence 20m away) and was looking at the horse's head/ears, sending more of a "its up to you" signal. Smart horses don't want to waste energy doing something they don't have to, in case they need their energy to run away from something scary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top