Hi! I would love to see a lesson on the remedial problem of a horse who has gotten a bit cinchy. I had my gelding checked by the chiropractor and was told there is no physical problem. I must have cinched up to quickly at some point. 😳 He kicks out slightly and nods his head initially when i first start fastening even tho i go slow and not tight at first. Then he gets over it, even when i do tighten.😕? I have tried cinches in neoprene, felt and have tried cinch covers, i even made one, those things don't seem to help.
He has formed a habit or ritual which i would like to rid him of.
He has formed a habit or ritual which i would like to rid him of.
I will be sure to be more aware when tacking up.
Thanks for the ideas. He will like the carrots in the bucket one. I did find the section in Monty's book. I think i may try and use those rubber exercise colored things they give you in physical therapy. I will use those as a sort of cinch (not when mounted), and i am going to try and have fun with it. He is playful and likes me to swing the bit slowly at him when i put on the bridle. To him and the donk everything is a game.
When i look back i think the top of the cinch ring came more and more off the top of the cinch and "bit" him. I also took for granted his tolerance and got going too fast. Thanks again
Been putting a belly band on my horse at feeding time. My husband made me a 18in band with webbing straps out of an old bedspread. On top of that goes old cinch upside down at withers. The first week i used physical therapy elastics under his cinch area. Next week i put my NEW! cinch (fleece and foam with alot of material above the cinch rings)on instead of elastic. The elastic did kinda roll a bit. I have been fastening the new cinch to the upside down one not tight at mealtime. He is distracted and it sounds like im cinching up. No problem.
I continue to do that at meal time but have also started working with him without his hay distraction. During these 5 times so far, i put the saddle on top of the cinches and belly band. It is free, no latigo or off billet (those i am already using to hook old cinch to new cinch). So the saddle just sits on top although i made a sort of straight breast plate out of another old cinch and some stirrup leathers for tugs, which helps balance the saddle. Now in these lessons i cinch up still not too tight, give him a scratchin and lead him in a small circle, repeat. The first time i over did it and did get some diminished cow kicks. I was disappointed. Now I have only been doing it 3-4times in a row end of that lesson. Afterward i also have been pulling the latigo up and down to the rhythm of eeny meany miney mo catch a pony ........that rhythm stuff is kind of play for him. Still not too tight of pulls but more than when cinching.
Waiting out the time doing this till new felt saddle pad comes in, so hopefully everything feels new. Then the more real saddle cinch up starts. 🙏
I can't figure how to distract with food when working things with the saddle; i don't feed from hand, don't want his head do and am afraid he will think im rewarding him if he gives me a cow kick or head bob.....so i give him scratches.
I will check back during next phase.
Happy horsing!!
I did have a typo, should have said head down not head do.
Also for clarity when pulling up the latigo during the rhythmic exercise, the latigo was looped around the new cinch so i was bumping his girth area.
I let Ridge smell the saddle pad and wear it over top the belly band and double girth set up. No problems. I then outfitted my saddle and the time came to tack up. I was nervous but tried to catch myself and breath. Well I got some cow kicks and again felt the disappointment. The weather turned rainy so I just let it go for almost a week, thinking toward plan B.
(One thing i believe i did feel was that he was responding out of habit and was not in any pain with the new tack. I also saw that he laid off the kicks a bit if i said nooooh or ah,ah,ah when he started up.)
I got a tall five gallon bucket and flipped it making a kind of table. I cut up some carrot pieces. When he kicked out i would say noooh and back him up or if he started to move ah,ah,ah. I would not be too agressive backing him up, (using the dually). When he allowed me to cinch up without a kick i would give him carrot piece on the "table", praise him quietly, scratch him and lead out into our little victory circle. This has been a great help and today even with the flys he was able to hold still mayb 85% of the time. I practice it four or five times a session. I also have ridden him in this smaller area a couple of the times so i know i have tacked up tight enough. So the carrots are used as rewards, but the thought that he might earn one also does distract him.
Pretty well pleased, but there is always getting it better especially on my part with the breathing and relaxing. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself, i am still excited and can't believe i have a horse again after all these years ....and he reads this excitement in a worried way, although he should be used to it by now. He also stuffs his feelings until ....... boom what just happened! And I can't praise him like a cheerleader or it confuses him. So considering all that I have to stay calm and quiet and try to see how he feels. Not always easy for me! I have had him for almost eleven years now he has taught me so much and God has used him to teach me things too!
Happy trails,
Paula
Ps Ridge never pulled back. struck out or bit during his "cinchiness". He just gave me annoyed cow kicks and a head bob or two.....please if your horse is being agressive don't be reading my little experiment here, get professional help that you trust!!