I just had my 5yo Paint at the trainers... I know, this sounds like an Ad-Lib, but I have an issue.
For the ENTIRE time he was there, I was unable to arrange the schedule for us BOTH to be available during his work sessions ( except for 3 times, including the day I dropped him off! )
He left on 3/1. On 3/27 I went to the training facility and she had him tacked and waiting, in the in door arena. She hopped on ( I say hop, because she's 24... I'm 44, so I don't 'hop' but I'll get to that! ) has him walking calmly for about 2 minutes. Hops off, like every 24yo can and says "Okay... Get on!" I climb up, sit in the saddle, adjust myself, give him a soft, kind word, and pat-pat-pat on the neck, a slight 'bump' with my right heel... and within 5 seconds, I'm on the ground!
As she's helping me up, she tells me... "Oh yeah, you don't need to use heel cues to get him going. Just "THINK" walk-on".
>>>>> Letting that sink in just a bit<<<<<<<<<<
Now, I had backed him before, a few times and he had the problem of NOT moving off the mounting block, so I figured, same horse/same problem.
She "made him" leg sensitive???
I will also take this time to tell you, when we picked him up from the training facility, he behaved BADLY!!! Wouldn't load in the trailer... rearing and striking out... wouldn't have follow the command "walk on" which is "OUR" command ( where EVER he is... I can say "walk on" and he will come to me )... the friend I had come with me ( her trailer ) kept commenting on how that behaviour was VERY unlike me; like he came out of the stall with an attitude.
So... I come back to my original reason for the post. I want to work on making him less sensitive without dulling his need for leg cues. My idea: To tie 2 liter bottles of soda, filled half way with water to the front and rear of the saddle and do a few days of ground work with him. Let them bump him and bounce off of him without hurting him. Working on walk/trot lunging/transitions and letting him feel the bumping and him finding out its not scary, no need to run from it. I consider it intrinsic learning/desenstizing, but am I off base?
Hi Killian's Red,
You have had a nasty experience with your young horse! Often people think in hindsight, why didn't I see the signs that this was not a good trainer for my horse?! But now you should look at the future that lies ahead of you and your horse.
You want a sensitive horse, but not an oversensitive one. Sensitive flanks are quite normal, the horse needs to protect that vulnerable part, where no ribs protect the intestine.
From what you describe as a suggestion above, I guess your horse would become dull to being touched in the flanks. You want him to get used to the ques, but not overreact.
That's why I would suggest you do groundwork like the lessons by Florian Oberparleiter here on this Uni, to help the horse yield to your hand on his flank. Start at zero and build up trust, best with a join-Up and then moving on to groundwork. Take your time, he'll have to come over his bad memories, before you start using your legs as a que. The only positive point the young trainer had, was the "think forward" which usually should be enough for a sensitive horse to start moving. The lessons on the 6 imperatives could help you become aware of how suble a cue can be.
Stay safe and keep us posted,
Miriam
I will re-watch the lessons by Florian, and the 6 imperatives. In his defense, I have GREAT Join-up with him. He's EXCELLENT on the ground; He flexes with just a touch at the girth ( I use the stirrup as the device, just so it doesn't feel "different" ); I can touch him anywhere without incident. He crosses tarps, walks over ground poles, around cones, doesn't seem bothered by parked farm equipment. Other barnmates couldn't believe his behaviour the other day, and yet... today; two days later, he's perfectly calm and cooperative again. A few things I talked about with fellow owners.
1) It may have been that he doesn't like the show barn/lesson barn atmosphere. He's used to my slow, steady, scheduled pace and it was NOTHING like that, at the training facility. He spent more time in the stall, being shuffled from one stall to another and in the indoor arena. He didn't spend much time outside. He's good about being stalled, but he has his own permanent stall, his own pasture, and since we don't have an indoor arena, we ride and work outside. He's very much an OUTSIDE boy - like his Momma! :)
2) To keep better control of his head, for now we are going to start work with a figure eight, English bridle. He's easy to bridle, takes the bit like a champ; he's used to wearing a rope hackamore with pressure on the nose, so combining all of those aspects won't disturb him.
I worked him yesterday and he was PERFECT. Calm; Collected. Join-up was instant. I ran around the arena and he stayed right at my shoulder. I will work on more desensitizing with him over the Spring and Summer just to ease his skittish ways. He LOVES to conquer a fear!
I've also decided that this early in his undersaddle learning, I will NOT use leg cues right away. I think him learning from vocal cues and listening to the bit will work for the first month or so. When he's comfortable, then we will "play" with moving off of leg pressure. I knew he wasn't ready for a 30day crash course, but I'm not experienced enough to get him started - or so I thought. I know him... and I need to have confidence in THAT knowledge and work from there.
Hi Killian's Red,
Remember to do as little as possible and as much as needed, never more...
Go at it like you have a lifetime, it'll take only days, while if you go at it as if you only have a couple of days, it'll take a lifetime!
In confronting his fears he'll deepen his trust in you, but be careful not to make him into a
"one-person-horse", find people you trust to handle him, so he'll widen his horizon and sees the world is not only his small perspective. Small babysteps will take you a long way!
Have fun,
Miriam
Hi Killan's Red. - interesting to read your post and Miiriam's sound sensible answer. Pleased you didn't try the water bottles as they may have worried and spooked your young horse and that could have broken the wonderful trust situation you obviously have. It seems so hard to find a really good re-trainer. Time and again we here of disasters and I have certainly experienced the consequences of inappropriate handling myself. These days I would not allow anyone to handle my horse unless I could be present the whole time. Good luck now with the journey ahead of you. It sounds as if your horse is happy to be back with you and in his familiar surroundings and you are now on the right path. Good luck with it and keep us posted
Thank you both very much! I will keep you posted.
Killians Red, just to add a bit more to Maggie and Miriam, move on each step as you see your horse accepting the lesson. small steady steps will build trust in each other. From what you were describing before you sent him off to be 'professionally' broken, you were actually doing things right in your teaching, your next steps would have been using your voice commands in the saddle then slowly giving leg queues at the same time as your voice until he responded to leg and hand aids. You can still do this whilst you learn together.
Mel x