Re: Re: unwilling trot out

["Kris Hazelbaker" <shajarah@cybrquest.com>]

> >When it is time to do  a trot-out with my horse, whether it be pre-ride,
> >post-ride, or at home just for the heck of it, he will not willingly
trot.
>
> Getting a horse to move forward on the ground is similar to teaching them
> to move forward in the saddle.  Tugging, coaxing, nagging doesn't work
> because they can listen to that all day long -- essentially ignoring you.
> Practice at home with a dressage or buggy whip in your left hand.

I'm going through this with my 2 year old.  I've been working with him to
get him to trot while I am leading him, but he is very reluctant to trot,
and when I insist (with the long dressage-type whip tapping his hip) he
races off ahead of me, and I can't keep up with him.  So he ends up doing a
circle around me and stopping.  I have the reluctance, or super-exuberance,
and am having trouble finding a happy medium.  However, I WILL say that
yesterday we went for a long walk, and when the calves in the adjoining
pasture raced over to see him, he was VERY collected, and trotted along
slowly at the end of a very loose lead!  He CAN do it, he just chooses not
to most of the time.  Sigh.  At least I have a list of things to work on
from now until next spring when he goes to the trainer to be started.
Taking him for walks is part of my own exercise program, so we will get lots
of opportunity to practice.  And he will be exposed to new and strange
circumstances, and get lots of leading practice.

One question, though.  Sue, if I understand correctly, with the good whack
on the hip, you are getting the horse to move forward, but almost
immediately asking him to stop again?  Are you talking about working on a
longe line or long lead?  I guess my downfall right now is being able to
"rate" him at the trot.  He tends to be a "barger" even at the walk, and we
have worked through that, but now I'm not sure how to do the same for the
trot.

Kris Hazelbaker
Idaho