I have rescued a gelding,he is going on 4 now but is not broke. I have been working with him for 4 months. When I first took him in I did not have a place close to me so he lived out a my moms with my old horse who is now 31. I now have got a small training area now at my house and we have be working on join up, which I did achieve briefly our first attempt although he followed me just a few times around and stopped, I did not get licking and chewing. I have continued on with leading using the dually halter. He does well although sometimes when I come out he can take a minute to catch, which I do not like. I have began to work with a curcingle and the dually on circles but he would not move in a circle. I tried to do join up again but he; after just a few laps stopped and would not move. I stopped trying and worked on leading. I was having not luck with getting movement on the lines. So I thought taking him out of the round pen into a fenced field would encourage movement. He did move silly me, I was not able to hold him, although he ran for a minute and was a bit scared I was able to walk up to him and take him back into the round pen. I was able to get him to begin to walk in circles. He still moves extremely slow and stops when he wants to I can get him to move if I bend him with the lines but only for a few circles at a walk no faster.
Is my horse uninterested in these lessons and what can I do to keep him moving to work on the lines and to achieve joint up?
Nikkole
Nikki
Not being able to see the movement of your horse or you in relationship to your horse it is difficult to tell exactly why he is not moving away from you. If you watch Monty do Join Up he is continually encouraging the horse to move at a rapid pace by throwing the lead line behind them as well as always standing behind their shoulder which also tells the horse to move forward. There is a balance point between where you stand in relationship to your horse if you move too far forward the horse will either stop or change directions. If you are too far behind the horse will also stop. You want to be about where the saddle sits on the horse, just behind the withers. You want to have your horse fleeing from you in a controlled pace, that is why you will see Monty raise his hand and make a claw shape which the horse is instinctively afraid of and also look directly into their eyes.. This will keep him moving. Basically you want to have your horse flee the distance it normally would in the wild, and once it reaches that distance they start to think about what is the best choices for them. That is when you get the licking and chewing and the head lowers. They will also start to make smaller circles ti get closer to you. Once you have this licking, chewing and the head lowered, keep him going for a few more circles then give him the signs that you will let him join you by arching in from of him. Drop your eyes to his shoulder/chest area and place your arm across your body. Make sure you keep as calm as possible and control your breathing. Once your horse joins up with you walk around the round pen having him following you. Make sure you give him lots of face rubs, bur don't look into his eyes. Follow up is as important as the join up.
I know this sounds a little complicated on paper, but watch the videos over and over, then close your eyes and visualize the process and your actions. You want to be confident in your actions without having to think too much about them. Good luck. You can do this!
Cheers
Hi Nikki,
There is very little I could add to what Dennis writes about the process of Join-up, but I would like to say something about your horse being "hard to catch" in the field. Did you watch these lessons here at the Uni? They might be able to help you with you bodylanguage, on one side how to catch your horse and on the other side how to move him away from you, when you want him to. A lot of it is about breathing right and keeping your eyes in the right position, how to move your hands, do you swing your line etc.
I hope you see the connection between the two problems you describe, this could be the key to the solution. Watch the lessons over and over, every time you'll notice other details you could improve.
Please keep us posted on how you're doing!
Miriam
Thank you for your advise. Just reading what both of you have to say has been great. I have spent many years lunging so I do understand about where to be. I think what I am forgetting is my eye contact. When I work him in a circle I watch is mid section and hip, I do not keep eye contact eyes on eyes and when I go out to catch him I am also making eye contact. This could be part of the problem. He as in a heard of 80 horses although they where starving, I know he understands equus very well.
I will watch the videos and work on this idea.
Thank you.
Have you tried the Join-Up with other horses? Getting experience with other horses may help to understand the reactions of your's.
I'm having a very difficult time with my mare. We've had her since may and she's a very gentle mare,but likes to take advantage sometimes. I'm a novice and was given this mare by an uncle who couldn't home her anymore. We have the room and took her in. When i tried join up the only avalible place was in the field.It's about 100 yards by 100 yards. This is a section of a larger field where i let her out to pasture during the day. Everything was going grand, the head dropping, chewing but no licking. At the end she just wanted to roll. On the 2nd occasion i sectioned off a part of that piece of field, which made it smaller. She just broke through the fence. I wonder what it is i am doing wrong. She has been domesticated since she was born, and has never been with any other horses as far as i know. Is it me or does she understand her own language?
Hi Nicky,
Don't despair, you had a lot of signs the first time, which means she understands her own language. Since you are part of this Uni, watch the Join-up lessons over and over, notice all gestures and signs and then there will come a time, where your mare will Join-up with you.
You cannot force it, it's a comunication, so learn the language and she'll thank you for it.
Choosing a field or arena that is safe makes you feel more secure, maybe you could build a simple roundpen with poles, just to make sure she doesn't feel invited to escape.
Another point I'd like to add, is her being alone, having been alone as far as you know.
Being a herd animal, the horse needs company. Some people get a goat, rabbit etc., ideal would be another horse ofcourse.
I'd like to encourage you to keep working on your skills, one day you'll look back on those early times with your mare and realise how much both of you have grown!
Miriam
Miriam thank you so much for your advise, i shall put it to practise. I have thought of adopting another horse for her to have some company for a few weeks now as i sometimes see her trying to make friends with the pony across the road. Being a novice i wouldn't want to count my chickens just yet, but will one day in the very near future. Thanks again Miriam, much abliged,...Nicky x