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Horse Behavior and Training

Join Up Problem

Hello!

I'm a bit concerned about my mare when we do join~up. I ask her to go out and she will do small walk circles around me, then I tell her to go out, and she faces her hind to me, bolts away friskily, will often kick out or buck, then she will shake her head, throw her head around and come running straight back to me. She doesn't make ugly faces at me or pin her ears or run me over, she just comes straight back to me and does liberty with me, trotting beside me, etc. Does anyone know why and if/how I can fix this?

vicci - UK (North Wales)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed

I am starting to get very confused about your horses and what is happening! I remember you said you were a trick and liberty trainer, have you done liberty training with this horse?

LennyLlama
Hello!

Yes ive done liberty training with her. Im guessing ive done too well with her? Haha Im a trainer a liberty trainer and can train tricks, but she will canter off as fast as she can around the round yard and come running straight back to me, or she will do what is explained in the description and come running back to me and im not sure what to do about it though. I dont want to be too rough with her to keep her out and away from me just incase we loose our bond as this has happened to me before from being too forceful about liberty, not hurting them or touching them.

Lorraine
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed

I'm picking up your horse has a great sense of humor! I'd like to share I've had a similar experience. I think you're getting the right feeling. Awesome that Vicci picked up on asking you if have done liberty training with this horse. She may be past the need for join up. She's already with you! When I began training under my mentor, I was told it is possible to do too many join ups. There's a time you stop and move on. You can and will create confusion (and doubt). This horse sounds like she's looking for the next step, not what has been mastered already. What else can she do? Sounds like you're just having too much fun!

LennyLlama
Hello!

Haha yes this is true, she just doesnt want to leave me! Do you have any advice on what to do next as im not sure?

Miriam (Holland&Germany)
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed

Join-up would establish the start of comunication between you and your horse, since that step seems to be mastered, I suggest you study your own part of the game and keep the comunication going, for the rest of your lives together! There's no trick, no step 1,2 or 3 about that, it's just using their silent, non verbal, non violent language and reading the signals that your horse sends. It might take a lifetime to learn it all, but it might bring you an everyday joy for the rest of your live.... Learning never ends!
Let your horse show you the way, that's what you might call the highest for of libertytraining!
Miriam

Rudi - Pratteln, Switzerland
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed

Let me propose another possible view of the situation. I think the horse does not respect you as a human. During the liberty training the horse has learned to treat you as a horse that is playing with her. This is a very dangereous situation because among horses they kick and bite each other. So, I think the horse has to learn to respect you. As explained above from miriam join-up and training with the Dually for good ground manners are the instruments to achieve the goal. If you send the horse away you can't be too "rough" (as long as you don't cause physical pain), the signal has to be very clear (Monty would say: "Send her far away").
Rudi