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Horse Behavior and Training

Princess stumbles a lot

By:

phantommustang1 Walsenburg, Colorado, USA

Date:

2012-Aug-23 at 02:43PM

Princess has a habit of not picking up her feet or watching where she is going, so she trips a lot. There is an unused sawmill on the ranch where I took her one day and walked her over logs. She didnt trip once. Didnt even touch one. Back in our pasture, she tripped over the same wood fence post 3 times in a row.(its laying down in the open) I guess I need to set out poles and walk her over them a lot to get her to watch where she is going and pick up her feet. Its a long way up to the sawmill so cant get there very much. Dont have any poles so guess I have to cut down some of the trash trees and use them. Any other ideas? She is sound and can see just fine. She just drags her feet and looks everywhere except where she is going. We are working on that.

Kleinne - Utah, U.S.A. 2012-Aug-23 at 05:51PM

I would consider doing exercises with her that force her to pay attention to her feet and where's she's walking. Even long-lining in the newest video with Chrome might be a good idea to help her pay closer attention to what her feet are doing. You might have to get a little creative with the games but I'm sure the two of you can find things that will be fun and educational at the same time.

MaggieF, Melbourne - Australia 2012-Aug-24 at 12:37AM

some horses tend to trip when they are relaxed so maybe concentrate on keeping her attention when you are riding her. My Uggs is like this - never trips when he is working, especially when he was mustering cattle, but will trip quite badly if I let him relax in walk and ride on a long rein. Trot poles may help but it is probably just a habit she has developed.

phantommustang1 Walsenburg, Colorado, USA 2012-Aug-24 at 02:33PM

Klienne, I plan on doing that when I get my truck back and can go over again, my son borrowed it. And Maggie, that sure sounds like her. She doesnt trip when going over rough or uneven gound, or through brush, but on a more or less smooth surface, she always does. Even when there isnt anything to trip over. Do you think maybe its a quarterhorse thing? Anyway, when I can get over again, I will try both of your ideas. Thanks. I really appreciate it.We are making progress on crossing irrigation ditches, the first time she refused to cross them at all, the second time she would if I got off and led her, the last one, which was only about a foot wide and a foot deep, had water and she freaked, but I got her to jump over it, and both Jim and I ended up laughing, she jumped far enough to clear the ranch road, if it had been there, but she DID get across it. With me on her. Bit of an overjump there, but I was happy, it was real progress.Just before that, we went after some cows and she forgot all about being afraid of ditches, jumped one, the ranch road was on the other side and she tried to jump that too, before she realized it wasnt a ditch. She is such a funny little thing.

mustang.girl - Croatia 2012-Aug-24 at 05:38PM

Hi phantommustang1, I think it is not a quaterhorse thing because we had at our stable holstain mare that acted exactly like that! Trips over nothing when relaxed, but when doing dressage she rooles!! No mistakes allowed from her part ;)

Regards