What are you trying to train your horse to do?

[Chickerdoodle13]

I'm just curious to see what everyone is training there horses to do at the moment...or rather, what training you may be fine tuning!

Currently I'm training MYSELF to round pen a horse. My horse is pretty good at it (Although she needs a bit of refining). I'm the one who needs the work! LOL I've been watching Clinton Anderson videos with my dad and he's been talking to a lot of people. He's still learning too, but he's pretty good at it already! He has our other gelding (who we've had dominance issues with in the past) going around the round pen like a dream.

Honestly, I never thought round penning was so complicated! I always thought it was just about getting your horse to run in a circle. Little did I know how much body movements and signals come into play, and how many different things you can cue a horse to do. Right now I'm having the most trouble with getting the horse to turn in towards me, but we are working on it little by little. I was VERY happy today when my horse almost walked all the way into me when I asked her to join up! The other day she wouldn't follow me, but today she did, and she did it wonderfully! Its also amazing how much I am learning about horse behavior from this. All these years I've spent with horses, and I never thought that I had to become a horse in order to train a horse. Now that I am putting myself int he horse's mind, I find it is so much easier to communicate in a way they understand!

I am also working on the jog with our mexican ranch gelding. He's just a butt head when it comes to working at a jog or lope in the round pen. We've ruled out pain issues, so now we just have to work on the attitude. He is worse than a mare sometimes! I'm happy with the progress he has made though.

So what are you doing with your horses now that spring is here?

 

[Countrymom]

Ah let's see. I am working with a crazy looney mare to side pass and lead change. She happens to be a Peruvian Paso, so those things are not as easy I guess. LOL But the owner wants her to so we are. I also keep her as spook free as her mind can handle.

Have an older horse keeping tuned up.

My oldest has four in training at various stages. All of these below are automatic voice command and fully trained on ground work. They are all now under saddle. One pony is still fine tuning some control and rating. He has a pretty good handle already, but isn't very calm for a kid yet. She has three QH that are at various stages, but still very green. One is working on rate and general control of shoulders and hind. Has a good stop already. Another is still in the disengage stage of stopping and very high strung. And the last one is already working on roll backs and rate at different gaits.

And my middle daughter is working on training herself - or should I say being trained by our cutting trainer on getting to the head of a cow and working with her feet not her rein. LOLOL

No more projects just yet. Thank GOD! LOLOL I am just enjoying watching other than my two.

edited to clarify.

 

[lupinfarm]

We are trying to teach Luna to behave with the farrier, her second time with our farrier since coming to Lupin Farm as FAR better than the first, and we did it in the field this time, which also proved to be a better place than out on the driveway.

We're trying to get her to lead again, she hasn't been touched in a while...was well broke before hitting the rescue we got her from, but she was also thin as heck and rather sad looking. Now she's fit, gorgeous, looking great and...has all the energy of a youngen LOL.

We're trying to FIND A TRAINER to get her started again.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Glad to hear that lupin! Playing around with the feet certainly can be dangerous. Its one thing I never look forward to teaching a horse! It always seems we end up with horses who are weird about the back feet. Luckily the mexican ranch horse we have has no issues with his feet. The new roan has been ok, but the guy we got her from said she was not good at all. She doesn't kick, but stamps the ground when you try to pick them up.

A couple updates about my guys! We finally rode the roan mare (Sedona) and my dad has been on her quite a few times since. She wasn't crazy at all, just doesn't really know how to turn or stop too well. Those are easy things to fix though! We have not cantered her, but did trot and she was fine. She knows the walk command and slowed right down when my dad leaned back a bit in the saddle. I'm hoping to get on her in the next few days to ride her myself. She's a bit cinchy, but not terribly so. We just have to cinch up slowly to make sure we don't hurt her. Seems to be a common issue with horses and I can certainly imagine why!

As for the baby, she's been a bit of a handful lately. I'm guessing its the spring weather that has her acting a little crazy, but who knows. I had been working with her a little bit every night and went away for a couple days. When I got back, she was acting like she forgot everything I taught her! So I reminded her and she's doing better. She does perfectly fine in the fenced in area in front of the barn that I've been using to train her, but as soon as you take her out, she acts like a little foal again. I did try taking her in the front yard by the street (We live on a dead end street, so very little traffic) and she just wanted to play. Her mind just seemed to cut me out completely! Sooo...I'm going back to the drawing board to research some ways to help me through that issue. My dad is going to work with me next week when he has vacation so we can get her up to the round pen. I think that will do her a world of good. Of course, she's a baby...so I don't expect anythign to be easy with her!

Interestingly enough, I've become quite attached to Sedona. I still don't feel any attachment to the baby though. Its weird how horses just connect with certain people. I feel like Sedona is so willing to please and once we get some more trust built up between us, she will do anything I ask. Cheyenne is more pushy and a little bull headed (I know she's still just a baby, so I'm sure some of this is to be expected!) However, I just don't trust her. The reason Sedona doesn't do something is because she doesn't know what I'm asking. Cheyenne won't do something simply because she doesn't want to. Her age probably has something to do with it, but they definitely have completely opposite personalities!

So the baby is still a major work in progress. If Sedona ends up working out (Which I think she will) we will probably put some more training into the baby over the next year and then try to sell her. My dad still thinks she will stay too small for us to ride. I think she'll grow more and fill out and we'll be able to ride her fine. If she grows enough over the next year, we are going to get her professionally trained. If she stays on the smaller side, she will just be ground trained and then sold. I'm fairly confident that she will mature nicely over the next few years, both mentally and physically. She still acts very much like a baby! Its all new behavior to me, as I've never had a baby horse before, but its certainly teaching me patience! Some days I wonder why in the world we got a two year old, but most of the time I'm happy to have the opportunity!

 

[Chirpy]

Well... what I'd like to teach my mare is to quit leaning on my fences. When a 2200 lb. Belgian wants what's on the other side of the fence... she gets what's on the other side of the fence!

Actually, if I didn't laugh about the way my fences look (all leaning out or literally pulled out of the ground - because she had her head under the bottom wire and then pulled her head up with pulling it out first - or the round pen panels that are 'literally' rounded!!!! I'd strangle her. Of course... I can't get my arms around her neck let alone my hands to do that.

 

[lupinfarm]

Glad to hear that lupin! Playing around with the feet certainly can be dangerous. Its one thing I never look forward to teaching a horse! It always seems we end up with horses who are weird about the back feet. Luckily the mexican ranch horse we have has no issues with his feet. The new roan has been ok, but the guy we got her from said she was not good at all. She doesn't kick, but stamps the ground when you try to pick them up.

You know thats really odd, LOL because Luna has almost no problem with the backs, but she doesn't have the best conformation and I think that because she is very compact she feels unbalanced when the farrier pulls her front feet, we've found that when Becky pulls her legs forward onto the rest she has an easier time, but shes a Welsh pony X Quarter horse, which IMO is not great because at least in her, it has promoted exaggerated QH comformation where she has a very collected body (we had a purebred QH gelding not too long ago who had similar comformation, very tucked, he was an ex-racer ...never lame, nothing, just the way he was lol).

 

[Countrymom]

A couple of tips for teaching horses to behave for the farrier and for picking up their feet in general. First I must say that I do not believe that training a horse to pick up it's feet and stand quiet for a farrier is their job to teach the horse. It is ours as owners. Also, if a horse is misbehaving and you force it to stand for the farrier you are putting yourself, the horse, and your farrier in a dangerous situation. There is nothing wrong with saying, ok the horse isn't ready, let me pay you for your time of trying and we will work on our own for the next time. If you have an issue with paying for what little work the farrier did attempt then you will be more inclinded to do your job with your horse to get your money's worth out of a trim. Farriers have to put up with a lot of different horses and their issues so we as owners need to help them by making their job easier.

First, for horses that are fearful of you touching their leg. It is sometimes easier to start with a soft cotton rope on their leg. Loop a long lead line or lunge line around their leg - DO NOT TIE IT IN ANY WAY- so that it wraps around their fetlock area. Do not use a nylon rope as it will burn if the horse kicks. Grabbing both ends (hopefully you have someone to hold their head although I have done it many a time holding the horse as well) slowly lift the leg up and hold it just a few inches off the ground. Then set back down. Do this over and over holding longer and slowly gaining height. Once the horse is better with this add in a slow steady pet of your hand down the leg - never grabbing the leg. Again proceed slowly until you can hold the foot. While doing all of this I highly recommend you say the word GIVE as you lift the leg. Repeated over time it will help gain your horse's trust and make the word Give meaningful to them.

Now, if you horse will lift and then gets attitude and pulls away, kicks or just basically forces his/her foot back down, then it is time for some round pen or small pen work. Keeping the horse on a short lead line (that you can drop and pick back up) ask the horse to lift the foot. When the horse pulls it's normal tantrum as I call them, release the foot, release the lead rope, and free lunge them into a hard lope. Give them at least 5 or 6 laps if not more before stopping them and gathering them back up. Then repeat. Repeat for each foot also. I have easily retrained a horse in a matter of a three days how to stand and be happy about giving their foot to anyone. They soon realize that their nature being the lazy sort, it is easier to stand quiet and give a foot than to work.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks Country mom! As always you have some excellent advice!

I will definitely try picking up the feet in the round pen next time. This stupid rain has kept me from doing anything meaningful during the last few days. Its just been steady rain!

I have a lead rope I can try that with. I do think Sedona will give up her back feet. The owner before us told me you couldn't even touch her back legs. Well, I was able to touch her all the way down the leg without issue. She did begin to lift up the leg and just hold it there. However, I was so proud of her for just letting me touch the leg that I didn't proceed. Even though she lifted, I wasn't quite sure what her next move was going to be. While she could have been lifting for me to pick up, she could have also been saying "I'm going to kick you if you touch me!". She's not really a kicker though and she was pretty relaxed the whole time, so i don't think that was it. I just want to proceed slowly because I've been kicked enough to know I want to try and avoid it if at all possible!

Thanks again. I'm hoping it clears up by next week so I can get out and ride without getting soaked!

 

[Countrymom]

SEND ME SOME RAIN!!!!! Seriously we are so dry I am back to dust clouds when we ride. Can't seem to water enough in our arena to keep it at bay. UGH!

Yes, with the legs - especially the back, proceed slowly. If you are trying to gain her trust you won't get far by forcing it. So your instincts were good.

Now go out there and tell those clouds of rain to come down here to South Texas!!!

 

[lupinfarm]

Good advice Countrymom, with Luna we just pick up her front feet whenever we change water, feed, worm, whatever...whenever we're in the field with her we make a point of it, and she has come a long long way since the first trimming, even the farrier remarked on her good behaviour! Our farrier is great and doesn't take *crap* from Luna.