Hi all. I have just re-backed my young horse who is now 4 years old. He has been backed and done a little hacking and one mini training show before but has done nothing for the last 4 months due to several reasons. I did a week of long lining now before backing him again which has been great. So yesterday I got on him and rode around the yard. Today my friend and I went out for a little hack. He was super chilled and happy which I knew he would be as he was quite ready for it. However I would like to know the best way to tackle Resistance in the green horse. For example on the hack I circled him several times, testing the steering and trying to engage him away from just following the other horse we were out with. This was fine but when we got back to the yard I wanted to ride past the yard toward the house to see my family. He put up a fair bit of Resistance saying he wanted to go to the stables. I encouraged him and the other horse rode ahead and he followed which was fine. However I felt if I would have insisted without the aid of the other horse he may have reared or something nasty in order to make his point. Should one insist in these situations or just try to make it easy for him to do the right thing until he is more used to the aids and being independent. When we got to the yard I tried to back him up a few steps as Monty recommends but it was hard and he was resistant. Eventually I managed to get him to do a couple of steps back and then I rewarded him by telling him he was great and getting off. Any advice welcome.
Best regards from Africa
Helene
Hi Helene
It sounds as if he was a bit confused, going back to the stables might have in him mind been the end to the ride, but passing by to go to the house would not be what he would have been seeing. Have you walked him in hand passed the stables the house before?
Mel
x
Hi yes i have. He is fine being led to go whichever way. I think he was just saying he didnt want to go that way. Also when we were on the ride he is very clingy to the group which is understandable. If you go up ahead he will only go so far and then stop dead to wait for the group. If I circle him away he will try to dash back to the group. I am sure with time this will improve, it's just a confidence thing. However if i am riding him and ask him to go a certain way and he offers resistance as in refusing to go forward or such like should I get right after him and insist at this early stage or just try and keep him going with the flow of the group and gradually trying to expand his comfort zone?
many thanks x
Hi Helene
When you say he's clingy to the group, is there any one particular horse that he is clingy too?
It might be that as he is a youngster he's trying to keep his position in the herd, the youngster would not take the lead in the wild, this would be the lead mare, so it maybe that he is outstepping the leader of the horses and is stopping to assume his position in the herd. When you tried to take him up to at first on his own his resistance would be there because the other horse was not going, however when that horse went in front the resistance went away, he was following the leader.
it's been a week since your last post, sorry I didnt get back sooner. Have you tried again since your post?
Mel
x
Hi Helene - I am wondering if it is not a bit too soon to have him out hacking with other horses given his training has been interrupted and he is only 4. I would be inclined to ride him in a round pen or manage by himself for quite a bit longer before you expect him to go out with others and bahave. He needs to have time to become very familiar with your aids etc and to be able to work independently before he is taken out hacking with other horses.