Div
09-02-2008, 01:36 AM
I bought an unbroken 2yo Welsh pony gelding last year. So far he has proven quite easy to train, and very intelligent. He’s now rising 3 years and is starting to display some bad habits, which he considers ‘games’.
I put up a round yard a few months ago, hoping it would be a great help with training. However he views the round yard as rather a playpen, and refuses to work properly in there.
He will walk quietly and calmly along for about half the circle. Then, at the same spot every time, he suddenly turns toward the middle of the round yard and dashes across at a gallop. When he reaches the other side, he continues for a few strides, then stops abruptly and turns toward the middle to face me. He looks at me until I do something; if I don’t do anything, he stays standing there watching me, with his ears pricked. Once I waited for ten minutes, and he eventually came wandering up to me and nuzzled me, as thought inciting me to ‘keep playing’!
Right before he darts across the yard he gets that look in his eyes (You know, that gleam a smart horse/pony gets when he knows he’s going to do something clever). Once he’s finished his run, he’ll walk calmly again, until he gets to that spot… then he goes flying across the yard again.
I’ve tried a few different ways of trying to correct this problem, but he finds a way to do it over and over again. I’ve tried:
Cutting across in front of him when I know he’s about to start the dash (he just dips his shoulder and darts past me, meanwhile aiming a kick in my direction)
Making him run until he gets tired (he doesn’t get tired. I’ve tried keeping him going and going, but eventually he stops at the point where he normally stops, and just refuses to move; I can get behind him and wave my arms and try to make him go forward, but he just gives me an amused look)
Growling at him (this was a last resort, he thought it was great fun and bucked and squealed and generally played around)
Telling him to ‘whoa’ (absolutely no effect whatsoever)
He seems to regard me as another horse. When I go into his paddock he comes barrelling up to me, and tries to play as though I was another horse! He’s never frightened, he always looks like he’s having great fun. I’ve tried all the personal space training, making him back up, move over, etc. But he just refuses to move. I push on his chest or nose, and he just pushes back. I’ve used a Parelli carrot stick pressed into his chest, he just steps aside from it, pushes back against it, or nibbles on it. To make him move over, I press it into his shoulder; he just leans against it. I’ve pressed it against his flank to try to make him move his quarters; he just lashes out while somehow still managing to lean against it.
He’s developed some more ‘games’, too, such as:
Choosing he only wants to go in one direction on the lunge rein (if I try to make him go the other way, he just turns around and ends up wrapping the rein around his neck)
Refusing to long-rein (he just stands still and refuses to move; if I get anywhere near him with a whip to try to coax him forward, he lashes out and squeals, or he spins around to face me)
Generally not getting the idea of ‘space’, leaning on me, shouldering me etc (I’ve tried to correct this by holding sticks and poking him if he gets too close; he just pushes harder; nothing seems to bother him!)
It’s been quite disappointing, because he went so well for the first six months, from being just halter broken to being broken to saddle and ridden a couple of times. He lunged perfectly for quite a while, obeying all voice commands to walk, trot, canter and halt, he went through the saddle-breaking process without a fuss, and I was able to ride him a couple of times. He went really well, a little lazy and reluctant but turning and halting correctly. (I know he’s a little young, but I only rode him for about 5 minutes each time, and it was only at a slow walk).
Now, he ignores all voice commands, fights the bit (even when he’s got just a bridle on with no reins), tries to bowl anyone over, and so on. All the while he has that playful look on his face.
I know a lot of young horses go through a phase of games like this, acting like wild mustangs and pretending to know nothing. I thought after a while he might settle down and behave… but it seems like the more he gets away with, the more he tries. I’ve stopped work with the saddle now, because I don’t want to even consider getting on him when he’s behaving like this! I want to get him working properly before I ride him again. I wanted to start proper ridden work with him at the end of this year, but unless he shapes up I won’t be able to.
Help! I’m desperate for any advice. I feel like I’ve tried everything possible, but he seems determined to play up. I love smart horses, but at the moment he’s absolutely driving me up the wall!
I put up a round yard a few months ago, hoping it would be a great help with training. However he views the round yard as rather a playpen, and refuses to work properly in there.
He will walk quietly and calmly along for about half the circle. Then, at the same spot every time, he suddenly turns toward the middle of the round yard and dashes across at a gallop. When he reaches the other side, he continues for a few strides, then stops abruptly and turns toward the middle to face me. He looks at me until I do something; if I don’t do anything, he stays standing there watching me, with his ears pricked. Once I waited for ten minutes, and he eventually came wandering up to me and nuzzled me, as thought inciting me to ‘keep playing’!
Right before he darts across the yard he gets that look in his eyes (You know, that gleam a smart horse/pony gets when he knows he’s going to do something clever). Once he’s finished his run, he’ll walk calmly again, until he gets to that spot… then he goes flying across the yard again.
I’ve tried a few different ways of trying to correct this problem, but he finds a way to do it over and over again. I’ve tried:
Cutting across in front of him when I know he’s about to start the dash (he just dips his shoulder and darts past me, meanwhile aiming a kick in my direction)
Making him run until he gets tired (he doesn’t get tired. I’ve tried keeping him going and going, but eventually he stops at the point where he normally stops, and just refuses to move; I can get behind him and wave my arms and try to make him go forward, but he just gives me an amused look)
Growling at him (this was a last resort, he thought it was great fun and bucked and squealed and generally played around)
Telling him to ‘whoa’ (absolutely no effect whatsoever)
He seems to regard me as another horse. When I go into his paddock he comes barrelling up to me, and tries to play as though I was another horse! He’s never frightened, he always looks like he’s having great fun. I’ve tried all the personal space training, making him back up, move over, etc. But he just refuses to move. I push on his chest or nose, and he just pushes back. I’ve used a Parelli carrot stick pressed into his chest, he just steps aside from it, pushes back against it, or nibbles on it. To make him move over, I press it into his shoulder; he just leans against it. I’ve pressed it against his flank to try to make him move his quarters; he just lashes out while somehow still managing to lean against it.
He’s developed some more ‘games’, too, such as:
Choosing he only wants to go in one direction on the lunge rein (if I try to make him go the other way, he just turns around and ends up wrapping the rein around his neck)
Refusing to long-rein (he just stands still and refuses to move; if I get anywhere near him with a whip to try to coax him forward, he lashes out and squeals, or he spins around to face me)
Generally not getting the idea of ‘space’, leaning on me, shouldering me etc (I’ve tried to correct this by holding sticks and poking him if he gets too close; he just pushes harder; nothing seems to bother him!)
It’s been quite disappointing, because he went so well for the first six months, from being just halter broken to being broken to saddle and ridden a couple of times. He lunged perfectly for quite a while, obeying all voice commands to walk, trot, canter and halt, he went through the saddle-breaking process without a fuss, and I was able to ride him a couple of times. He went really well, a little lazy and reluctant but turning and halting correctly. (I know he’s a little young, but I only rode him for about 5 minutes each time, and it was only at a slow walk).
Now, he ignores all voice commands, fights the bit (even when he’s got just a bridle on with no reins), tries to bowl anyone over, and so on. All the while he has that playful look on his face.
I know a lot of young horses go through a phase of games like this, acting like wild mustangs and pretending to know nothing. I thought after a while he might settle down and behave… but it seems like the more he gets away with, the more he tries. I’ve stopped work with the saddle now, because I don’t want to even consider getting on him when he’s behaving like this! I want to get him working properly before I ride him again. I wanted to start proper ridden work with him at the end of this year, but unless he shapes up I won’t be able to.
Help! I’m desperate for any advice. I feel like I’ve tried everything possible, but he seems determined to play up. I love smart horses, but at the moment he’s absolutely driving me up the wall!