Youngster will not move

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saare

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Hi all, im new on here and im after some advice. He is 18 months old and i have had him 3 weeks now. For the first 2 weeks he was spot on, couldnt fault him but for the last week or so he has decided he will not walk. It takes two of us to move him, when we try to bring him in from the field one has to go behind and push, the other in front pulling, its the same getting him out of the stable and into the field, once he is in the field and the leadrope is off he is fine and walks away. Even out on the road he is a pain, walks at a snails pace and then stops so we have to start the pushing thing again. It realy is a nightmare now and i can not shift him alone. Is there anything anyone can think of to first get him to walk and second to walk faster when he is out with us on the roads ect. Thanks.
 
what i suggest is taking him in an open space. stand by his head, push him forward, dont pull him and say sharply walk on. if he refuses then somebody with a schooling whip should come behind and crack it so he knows walk on means walk on. then stop him again, try it at his head again, push and walk on, if he still refuses then crack the whip again. its got to be sharp and spot on the time u say walk on so he knows when u say walk on u mean it.
 
sometimes youngsters just don't get it...
try taking a lead (older/knowledgeable horse) and take the pressure off him, tell him he's being a good boy when he's doing what you want (going forward etc...) and don't do anything to him when he's not doing what you want...
give your self a bit more time than usual, for doing things so you're not rushed, take him out for a few days with a lead, telling him he's such a good boy (ooooo who's a good boy - pat pat pat) when he walks on,
when he feels a bit more positive then try starting with your good example horse a bit further away - but still so he can see him, and do that for a few days, and then try so that you lead him out to the field with the good example already there, so he has to walk the whole way by himself (telling him how good he is etc...) and then try it without the good example for a few days, then give him the reward by having the good example there, and then sometimes not - and just phase it out...
all no pressure,....
i must enquire - i'm all in favour of starting horses in training young, but he's 18 months out on the road? I don't entirely comprehend? - especially if you're not used to having a youngster...
 
You need to teach him to lead, just like you need to teach him everything else.

Don't pull him, but do have someone behind encouraging him forward. And for God's sake don't take him on the roads until he's broken in.........
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Or at least until he's and you are more educated.
 
My boy is very similar he knows what I'm asking but is reluctant to co-operate sometimes... I'm trying to arrange my mate to come down to do the whip cracking thing as described above. taught my last filly to walk and trot up in no time! (only cracked it once or twice) pressure halters work to a point but don't always get the instant response you need. whip cracking is such a shock if done correctly that they don't tend to try it on...
 
He knows how to lead, was perfect for the first two weeks, walked lovely at the side of me. My last youngster wasnt a problem, if anything i had trouble slowing him down and getting him to stop. I must ask though, why do some of you recomend not taking him on the roads? the person i baught him from had already done this with him, he is practically bomb proof in traffic.
 
Hi saare im new too
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have you given him a complete medical check over? had blood samples taken? checked what vaccinations he has received and exactly what chemical worming treatments he has received post purchase? At 18 months he is still at that vulenrable age and susecptable to parasite burden and whilst he may be looking ok their could be something more sinsiter going on inside that is making him so dull resistant to move...... remember no single wormer caters for all species so be sure that he has had a course of the major ones such as panacur five day guard to start with, especially if you don't know what he has had so far as it's more gentle on the system than a single shot of equest, follow it up with a treatment of equitape or a double dose of pyratel a week or so later. The fact that he has been ok but has recently gone downhill so quickly could be a sign that a parasite burden is taking hold, this time of year is also prime time for burdens to start raisin their ugly heads and the change in his behaviour suspected parasite burden would be my first consideration.
 
I would suggest looking at Parrelli's 7 games or John Lyons methods. I slightly prefer Lyons.

Basically when you want to feet to move they must move, Mine refused to go forward one time but he would go backwards so I turned him round and we backed up - for100 yards to where I wanted him to go.

The other thing is teaching him to spook in place - this is a Lyons thing.

IMHO you are being tested, and need to prove you are the herd leader
 
Hi, medically he is fine and vaccinated but not wormed yet to my knowledge, that is at the top of my check list. could it realy be down to worms? he is himself when in the field or stable.
 
What are the best techniqes for showing you are the leader? i do think he has little respect for me because if i stand next to him at the stable door he doesnt like it and tries to shove, bit or squash me with his ears back, as soon as i move he is fine but i only move when he stops being stroppy, could this be linked with him refusing to walk? a lack of respwct?
 
mmmmm, I think agree with giving him a crack on the arse....especially if he's been leading fine before. Someone doesn't want to come in from the field me thinks.

Disclaimer - I'm not condoning beating said horse, just a quick sharp smack on the bum
 
yes definitely, lethargy and a lack of willingness to move are the first signs to watch out for, spending longer periods of time lying down outdoors and in his stable, this is peak season for youngsters to go downhill. Roundworm burden in an 18 month youngster with no known worming history would be my first concern but tape and redworm can create similar symptoms. You could take a fecal sample first and have your vet take bloods just to check that everythings ok inside, it might all cost £100 but better that than him undergoing a major collic attack and loosing him, don't mean to scare but it can be that rapid and that serious if a heavy burden is present. Hope its something else but would deffo want to rule it out. Keep us posted x
 
[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest looking at Parrelli's 7 games or John Lyons methods. I slightly prefer Lyons.

Basically when you want to feet to move they must move, Mine refused to go forward one time but he would go backwards so I turned him round and we backed up - for100 yards to where I wanted him to go.

The other thing is teaching him to spook in place - this is a Lyons thing.

IMHO you are being tested, and need to prove you are the herd leader

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Oh good Grief..OP, Please ignore the above.

pony sounds unwell to me.

get it wormed and on a decent feeding regime and go from there.

forget trying to teach the poor thing circus tricks, as that is seriously the LAST thing your pony needs right now.
 
and you'll never forgive yourself if you start giving him a "crack over the arse" if you later discover that he genuinely isn't feeling too good in himself. Seriously if you think about it, he is a baby, he should be keen to go out, kick up his heels, run around and have fun, especially at his age, so surely theres something else that's bothering him,pulling him down..... ?
 
I haven't read all the replies but I would suggest he is just being a baby!

My 18 month old New Forest lead perfectly up until the beginning of this year and then suddenly decided he didn't want to go anywhere and would just plant himself. I took him back to basic's and did some pressure release work with him in a halter.

I would not crack him on the bum, he is a baby after all. I found if my pony planted himself I would change the angle I was standing at and ask him to walk on again. Give yourself a bit of space between you and him. Eventually you might find yourself at a 90 degree angle from him but from there you can pull him off balance. The minute he moves or even thinks about moving forwards praise him. Then go round the otherside and ask him to walk on again, if he doesn't then keep decreasing the angle until you pull him off balance again. If it takes you ages just zig zagging it will finally get boring, but you must praise him for any forward movement.

Hope that helps, good luck.
 
Thanks so much for all your replies, they have all been very helpfull and i will take it all on board. I am worming him on friday to be on the safe side but i really do think it is the repect thing as he is perfectly happy in every way until i ask him to walk in or out of the field. I would just leave it but obviously i need to at least be able to get him in and out of the field/stable regardless of how young he is. Wish me luck
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