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Smoke on the Water
United Kingdom
1314 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 20:29:27
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You all know the progress I've been making with Harvey hacking. We're finally going out on our own - am picking my days but we're doing it.
Anyway today we hacked out with my friend Rachel and he horse Dudley. Dudley is absolutely bombproof. Totaly confidence giver so I felt fine about the hack.
Well Harvey was an absolute pink pooper scooper. Half way round he just decided that's it, I'm not going any further. And he threw everything at me. He bucked, spun, walked backwards and reared. There was absolutely nothing to justify it. Rachel said it was just pure and simple naughtiness.
Am gutted. I tried everything but in the end I had to give in because he was scaring me. He was just rearing that bit too high. Higher than normal. And I didn't like it so I gave in and we went home.
Am just gutted. Thought we'd moved on from that. I could maybe have understood it if we'd been on our own but we were following another horse. He's never ever done that with another horse.
As I've already said I'm gutted and don't know what to do. So what do I do?
Thanks. |
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CDR
United Kingdom
1811 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 20:51:54
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| Blimey, rearing horses really scare me! Does he have a martingale? |
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Smile and Wave
United Kingdom
2629 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 20:55:38
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| naughty naughty boy, just do short hacks for a while then he wont get bored and start to try it on, or really work him on hacks, lots of trot work things like that, shoulder in, not sure if you could depends on where you are hacking, he might get bored and then try to make some of his own fun, |
RIP Dennis 02/09/09 you were everything I could ever of wished for |
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Jane
United Kingdom
4126 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 21:23:44
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| I agree with S&W, do short hacks and make them schooling hacks where you keep him thinking. |
You may lead me to the chasm where the rivers of our vision
Flow into one another
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bfromthebeeg
United Kingdom
1683 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 22:15:05
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Just an idea, but...
After he begins his amateur dramatics, what do you do?
My loan horse used to be a piglet to hack alone or in company because he'd get to a point and then refuse to go any further. He'd plant, spin, rear, lash out. I tried to drive him forwards which just amplified the aforementioned.
So one day (I was really fed up*read livid- try jump you if you won't go where I want you to we won't go anywhere!*) and I decided the only thing I'd do was stop him going home. I really just sat there occasionally asking to go forward. We had tantrums, but as soon as the am drams started I just quietly sat there and waited, waited......waited. Eventually he got so bored he moved forward, I praised him and rode home.
We had a couple of incidences of this and I don't know what happened in his head, but he decided that cooperation wasn't so bad afterall (If I was to anthropormorphologise (word?) I'd say he figured I was more pig headed than him!).
I don't know what your boy is like, so what I suggested could be of no use. Thought I'd share -just incase. |
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
"Even with the greatest of care and the most serious diligence, no one should dream that it would be possible to reach the goal smoothly and without obstacles. With every horse you take in training, if it appears to be the most evidently suitable riding horse, be prepared for disappointments, embarrassments, and fights; then you might possibly not lose your good humor; and that is really the most important in all of your work." Gustav Steinbrecht
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ness
United Kingdom
9678 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2009 : 23:38:46
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I think although you say he was being naughty, maybe there was something he heard or saw that humans couldn't detect, so maybe his behaviour wasn't so bad?
I think you have to accept that Harvey is a worrier so is never going to be totally bombproof. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy riding him if you keep on the alert and react appropriately when he misbehaves. Spinning is horrible, I think the only thing is to keep your heels down and a deep seat and just stay on! If he goes up, keep him going forward. if he naps, just don't let him turn around and talk to him until me relaxes at all the make him go sideways if necessary but past the monster (whatever it is!) |
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Smoke on the Water
United Kingdom
1314 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2009 : 12:56:47
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Yes I think schooling hacks are a good idea for the time being.
Bfromthebeeg that is exactly what I do! When he first started I would get really mad and fight with him. But now as you do I just sit until he decides he's had enough and will go my way. This usually works. Sometimes it can take a good few minutes but as he is so easy to sit to I really don't mind how long it takes. Yesterday I did the same but he wouldn't give in and when he started to go higher and higher I got really scared and upset and thats when we gave in.
Ness I know you say dont let him turn round which is right, but how? How do you get them going the way you want to go? It's ok if you are so quick that as soon as they start to spin you catch them but when they are so quick that they are already facing the other way how do you turn them back? Everytime he calmed down yesterday and I tried to turn him again that's when he started the rearing again.
My friend said to pull his head tight the way I want to go, really tight to my knee and just welly him. What do you think? |
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ness
United Kingdom
9678 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2009 : 16:11:29
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Just keep him going forwards (or sideways if necessary, anything but up!) and reward him with some rein if he goes makes any movement forwards at all! If he still won't move I would give him a tap behind the girth with a stick.
Remember when you ask him something, give him a moment to process the request before asking again, I think when they are stressed they don't think as quickly! (sorry you probably know all this already!) |
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bfromthebeeg
United Kingdom
1683 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2009 : 07:44:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Smoke on the Water
My friend said to pull his head tight the way I want to go, really tight to my knee and just welly him. What do you think?
I used to make Tex work on a tight circle everythime he wouldn't go forward and that sometimes helped.
The trouble is that keeping them going forwards is easier said than done when they've got it into their heads they don't want to. I remember with Tex that even slapping him with the crop didn't help infact, that seemed to anger him!
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.
"Even with the greatest of care and the most serious diligence, no one should dream that it would be possible to reach the goal smoothly and without obstacles. With every horse you take in training, if it appears to be the most evidently suitable riding horse, be prepared for disappointments, embarrassments, and fights; then you might possibly not lose your good humor; and that is really the most important in all of your work." Gustav Steinbrecht
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Mo
United Kingdom
935 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2009 : 12:02:40
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| I don't wish to sound patronising and apologies but would the help of a behaviourist not be a good idea. I am in this process with my little mare who was backing up and threatening to rear with me. Having someone qualified to watch both of you is a good idea as sometimes they see things differently. I believed my mare was a bit on the explosive side but have been proved that she isn't by someone watching me with her. That I did things that wound her up which I didn't realise. Maybe you are blocking him in some way with your body and not realising it when he becomes worried about something. Without seeing you ride you can only guess the cause and remedy of a situation. |
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Smoke on the Water
United Kingdom
1314 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2009 : 13:24:45
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| Hi Mo, Don't apologise. I am open to all suggestions. How would a behaviourist work? You see Harvey doesn't do it all the time, that's why it is so frustrating when he does. Also it's only out on hacks, so would she have to walk with us? I'd like to hear more details of how it work for us if you don't mind. |
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Gutted with today's hack
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