Let me preface this by saying I've been working with horses since the mid 70's, so I am not a greenie and I've trained many a horse. I learned from my Grandpa, who was a great horseman, and who did natural horsemanship before the term was even coined. But I digress. :) I have two horses, but it's my 3 year old that I'm writing this post about. Her name is Luna, and she is a beautiful, loving, sweet filly. I have had her since she was 18 months old, and taught her everything from how to be haltered and led, through her first rides. I ride both western and English, but while I am training her I'm sticking with western tack, just for the deeper seat and more feeling of security (I'm almost 50, I no longer bounce when I hit the dirt. I crunch lol). We have gotten to the point where she can walk over poles, halt on command, turn, disengage hindquarters, and anything else you would want at the walk. BUT..that's where we are stuck. The one time she was asked for trot she somehow frightened herself, and went into a running, bolting, bucking frenzy. It was so out of character for her that it truly shocked me. And no, it is not her tack. Not her teeth. Just today while longeing her tacked up, she took offense to being touched (NOT hit! Touched) with the longe whip when she balked, and again took off bucking. She always comes back highly submissive and 'sorry' (licking, chewing, head down) as if she just momentarily lost her mind, but the thought of her somehow getting this behaviour triggered while I am on her concerns me. Personally, I think she just needs time and lots of rides, time to grow up mentally and time to realise what I want her to do. I'm just concerned that his stage is taking so long to progress from. She is highly intelligent, and very willing. Not a mean bone in her body. My friends have a hard time with the thought that 'sweet little Luna' has ever even thought of bucking. So we're stuck at the walk, and I don't know for how long. I'm not concerned to ask her again, after what she did the first time. Does anybody have any ideas I may not have thought of for knowing when she is ready to be asked? Thanks for letting me 'think out loud' :)
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Hi Xena,
I would suggest long-lining her in a round pen. This will give her the opportunity to learn to trot and canter with tack and lines without a rider. You can guide her with the lines helping her to understand what is expected of her. Actually, before hooking up the long-lines I would just put her saddle on without a bridle and canter her both directions around a round pen allowing her the time and freedom to buck with the saddle and get used to how it feels without the burden of a rider to further complicate things. This is an invaluable training session that every horse should be allowed to experience. I've done this with all of my horses, especially horses with bucking problems and after three days of just a saddle in the round pen cantering in both directions my horses never bucked again, they find it's not productive and not worth the effort. For your horse it sounds like she just needs the time to work out the feeling of running with a saddle. When she's done bucking and can canter comfortably without any bucking (both directions) then add the long-lines. You'll be amazed at what this will do for your horse.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
Kleinne
good ideas here! A couple thoughts - it was only once, so give her a chance to pick up trot which tack when she is not on the lunge line.... agree with long lines and loose in a round pen or arena if possible.
Also, is it possible she is really sensitive and wants to please, so she needs more time to think next time you ask for trot, so you can ask with the voice t-r-o-t and cluck as required, and give her 5-10 seconds before lifting the lunge whip, and try tapping the ground (if you have to until it makes noise like the giddy up rope on the ground).
I'm new so i'm not sure what will work for you, I'm 54 and walk when riding my horse too. How come the ground is so hard all of a sudden? I don't remember it being so hard lol. Have you checked out the buck stopper videos that Monty just put up?
I wish I had a round pen, stable says no go......the countless race horse guys that used to be able to rent stalls used to almost kill their horses in the round pen.
The horse is quite young. You can not expect a completely linear development in the training. I am using a general rule: if something does not work in the training you have to go some steps back (see also proposals above).
Rudi
I'm with Kleinne - absolutely vital that she has the chance to feel the saddle at all paces and let her'work it out' so that she understands that it won't hurt her; longlinging is an invaluable training process. I'm sure her training will then progress smoothly and Rudi's point is equally well made, it is not always a linear process! Good luck, keep us updated.
Forgot to say: PLEASE ditch the lunge whip - what do you need it for? It serves no purpose other than to frighten a horse, and it has an immense capacity to accidentally inflict pain. Longlining and your body langauge ill be much more effective :-)
Great guidance above. Yes, ditch the whip, your filly has made it quite clear that she works with you fine (otherwise). I thought to add a note, as you work incrementally...another step could be to put a dummy on her. I do this on occasion and it sounds like this may be an option for this particular horse. Do lots of long lining and the other stuff suggested above first, then add (ground level) obstacles if possible, then add a dummy rider. Be diverse and 'train with distractability'. Sounds like a quick thinker. Keep rewarding her with short rest stops and my thought would be to keep the sessions short, yet maybe more often. Good luck.
Thanks Lorraine for adding about the dummy rider I forgot to add that. I always use a dummy rider also before I get on just to make sure they are comfortable at a canter with a rider on. This is an important safety step so thanks for bringing it up.
With young horses I train all upward and downward transitions from the ground with the voice. I obtain calm and quick responses to the voice commands first so that I can initially obtain all these transitions from the saddle with just my voice, no leg or bridle aids. I can then slowly teach the physical aids in combination with the voice until I can migrate completely and cease to use the vocal commands. In this way I avoid problems with very sensitive horses not understaning the leg or rein pressure and getting panicked as I can keep my aids initially as light as I need to.
This idea may or may not help you. Everyone has different methods and I'm not for a minute saying this is definitely what you should do. Its just an idea to consider. I also agree with a lot of the other comments too. Good Luck.
Nice added comment, Jacqueline. I do the same. With Arabians and other sensitive horses, it usually doesn't take much. The less needed the better. Another great tool, give more freedom. If the adrenaline starts rising, it really does work to 'give'. They realize they have no pressure and can make their 'own' decision and it actually gets them thinking.
Would be great to hear what works for your horse.
Dear Jaqueline
I am making the same experience. Voice commands are very helpful, moreover I am using the "kissing" noise only for canter.
Rudi
Thank you all very much for your input. Very much appreciated, and some good ideas. I guess I wasn't clear enough in that I did train her to carry her tack without a rider thoroughly before I got on the first time. So she knows the round pen, she knows to carry her tack and one thing I have noticed is she bucks when she feels good, even without any tack on. I turn her loose, she bucks and hops and jumps up and down and strikes out with her front foot, and skips and..you get the picture. lol Just youthful enthusiasm! I just don't want that youthful enthusiasm to trigger while I am on her. Long lining is a good idea, and when the ground dries up I will try it in the round pen. I don't usually ground drive my colts, it's just not how I train. I'm willing to try anything once though. As far as transitions goes, yes she knows upwards and downwards transitions with voice. In English, Klingon and Lakota. The trouble with her trotting is PURELY under saddle. Can't stress that enough. Under saddle WITH RIDER. Not shouting, just want to make it super clear. :) She is indeed still a youngster, and a bit of a nervous Nellie, so I think I will just take all of your advice and keep going how I'm going, nice and slow, and she will let me know when the time to trot with a rider is here. As far as longe whip goes, I will not 'ditch it', it is not abusive I simply use it as an extension of my arm. I can flick it all over my horse's heads, between their legs, over their backs, they are not afraid of it nor does it cause them any pain. I can't afford a dummy, so that is out as well. Everything else sounds good and I will happily move upward and onward. I haven't had a chance to work with her in awhile, since I've been focused on my other horse as it's show season, and Luna of course is not shown under saddle yet. She did place first in her Halter class this past weekend though. I am so proud of her! She has really come a long way with her ground work and is awesome to work with. Thanks again for your ideas. :)