On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 9:03 AM, Nancy Sturm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I would > > like some ideas on how to correct this. I see it as a behavior > > problem cause otherwise why is he so nice? > > Yes. It is a behavior. Hunter gets "hot" any time he is with a larger > group of horses, so I am working on having him stand quietly when we go out > with the group on Saturdays. > > > For him I think part of the problem is that at rides he eventually gets > rewarded for his dancing around because the race starts and he gets to go. > I suppose I should get off and just let the others take off and stand there > with him. I suspect I'd have my hands full. > > > Nancy >
it helped stonewall when I started nudging him to go every time he slowed down. then he started no no, i want to walk now and I would be no no, you wanted to fly lets keep flying, loose rein, and then when he would be begging to slow I would let him. Took less and less each time. But early on I got mad and tired of it and thought well, I will just give him total free rein instead of holding him back every second til my arms ache and he flew til he was about two miles ahead of the pack, then like a big doofus baby started getting spooky and nervous all alone so I let him go back to the others, then same thing, pulling on my arms the whole time. SO then I hit on it by accident one time that if he started wanting to slow and wait on the others and I wouldnt let him, that was a reverse psychology that worked for him, also an accidental discovery and light bulb for me that what people on here were saying was true, that holding a horse in every second only makes them fly faster for some reason!! Now I give him about two inches rein slack each side just in case of one of his lethal zeeeeeeeee spins and he will go and behave. IF he isnt excited. But I have actually given up for a while on trying to get him over that. I am taking him on slow calm easy safe rides with people he knows til he gets some more age on him... then we will see I guess. I love the big doofys butt too much to ever just make any extreme decisions about him janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
