Youngster being a witch

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soloequestrian

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She is four now but still hasn't done very much. She has recently developed a habit of circling when I am trying to lead her in a straight line in certain circumstances. She will happily go to the school and lunge and will load and go out for a walk somewhere else (she seems to love this). To take her out and about walking from home (in hand - she's not backed yet) I have to go through a long paddock before I get to the gate to the forestry track. When I ask her to go down here she does the circling. Today we took about 40mins to get 200metres - she circled all the way down, sometimes just walking, sometimes with a trot/canter/rear/kick/general strop. She is worse for circling when being led from the left, but when I lead from the right she regularly ducks back behind me and then circles to the left again. We did manage to get all the way down the field just by me playing bored for most of the time, but she was sweating by the time we got there. I think I'm doing the right thing with her - wearing her into submission and then rewarding when she behaves well, but it would be nice to have some moral support - is this normal with youngsters? She really isn't doing enough at the moment because of weather, work and darkness which is part of the problem but I don't just want to take her in the school - it would be much more fun to get out on the trails!
 
Are you leading her in a bridle or a headcollar? When you lunge her, what do you lunge in? Have you considered long-reining instead of leading on the forest trails?
Sorry it's all questions and no advice but the answers might help you to see a way forward (so to speak)
 
Sounds to me as though she has too much energy and needs to run it off - are you feeding her too much? I have known far more youngsters come to grief from being overfed than underfed - you can always make up a shortfall but you can't undo behavioural learning from being too full of beans.
That or stress/anticipation is making her move - I would desensitise her to the paddock by taking her in there and back out, and again, and again, building up to walking nicely into, along and back again. Only then will she be ready to lead through it onto something more exciting like going out and about.
 
Well there's all sorts of leading techniques you could use, but to be honest she just sounds full of beans and like she needs some stimulation. If she were mine I would just get on with getting her backed and going, or failing that try to long rein instead of lead
 
IME they do learn to do this if they are not trained to stop when asked. If she tries to cross in front of you she needs stopping and stepping backwards. Until she masters this she may need to only go a step or so and then stop so she does not build up a head of steam (especially if some of the route is on hills).

I don't think she is being a witch.
 
I agree, she's not being a witch but I think I used the same language with mine when she was a similar age :D

I've had the pleasure of training a few mares for grading at this age, and yes all of them were being idiots being led down the field to begin with. You just have to keep walking and pretending it's not happening. Soon after we start the groundwork and training for presentation it stops. Sorry to add to the others sentiments about groundwork and training to lead and be led at different distances, and how to stop and stand square, but it is all about that. You need to set aside special sessions dedicated to leading. I did it all in a paddock. When presented at grading it's all worth the effort and you get a horse that leads well at the end of it.
 
tallyho! said:
Sorry to add to the others sentiments about groundwork and training to lead and be led at different distances, and how to stop and stand square, but it is all about that. You need to set aside special sessions dedicated to leading.
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Or better still, make a point of leading her every day and insist on good behaviour all the time. I can never see the point of specific 'groundwork' sessions, just insist on good manners at all times.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Or better still, make a point of leading her every day and insist on good behaviour all the time. I can never see the point of specific 'groundwork' sessions, just insist on good manners at all times.
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Well I can. Not everyone has the time to handle them all daily :)
 
Thanks for all the replies. She has been grazing this particular paddock for the past 6 weeks so she definitely isn't unfamiliar with it, in fact I am leading her towards where the new grazing strip appears every day. She has very good manners about stopping etc normally - we can halt, rein back, move over etc from very light aids. I think those of you saying she has too much energy are probably correct - she only gets a handful of hard feed a day to carry her minerals but the grass is still very good. I can't back her yet because it's a vicious circle at the moment with no time so more energy so not safe until she has done more.... I also don't have a saddle for her yet. The frustrating thing though is that she is good on the lunge - I had lunged her today before we walked down the field - it was supposed to be a quick stroll to reinforce not circling so that went well.
 
So, have I read correctly in that this _only_ happens when being lead through her turn out? And she is fine once you get to the track?

Are you leading her in something different (eg bridle) to what you bring her to the field to turn her out in (eg head collar)? Will she always be able to tell which you're going to do? (eg, oh I have my bridle on now - work time; oh, I have my head collar on now - play time). I mean obvs you want her to lead nicely at random (any tack, any place) but still...

Regarding the left/right thing most horses are 'L/R footed' and also handled asymmetrically by most handlers who are themselves both handed and also creatures of habit. So, unless she is very uneven at other times or you're suspecting sight difficulties in one eye that is probably just that (plus maybe something about layout of field/which side of it you walk down?). With regard to that what happens if you lead her round the other three sides of the field instead of down which ever one side you currently do?
 
She will lead through the other turnout field fine but it isn't a route anywhere. I tried a few things today - lead her down when I went to move the fence = perfect. Had a go at letting her decide for herself that she wanted to come down the field with me to get treats = disaster. Put out some cones as targets, each with some bits of carrot around them = worked well. I'm going to try doing that a few times, spacing them further and further down the field.
She definitely prefers turning to the left but I think it is definitely handedness rather than something more sinister.
 
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