Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hi Amy,

You said you think the refusing and spooking might be a trick.  That is 
where to start.  Is he trying to intimidate you into avoiding work or is he 
really suffering from a lack of self-confidence?  A lot of riders are not 
very good horsemen or horsewomen and run roughshod all over a pony's fears 
so your gelding's having been used "to do endurance" doesn't mean that he 
didn't go down the trail scared and uncertain.

If he is truly worried about all the horse-eating boulders and logs, your 
easy going attitude, laughter and taking the time to stop, get off and 
introduce him to the monsters (I find a smart smack on the offending 
rock/log/gate/whatever is very effective in convincing a horse that *I* am 
Alpha and the rock/log/etc ISN'T) will help settle him down considerably. 
Once he knows YOU can handle anything, then HE won't need to worry so much 
:)   And don't forget the laughter!!!  Still, Barbara is right about some 
horses never getting over that push the panic button first response and if 
he is one of those... ah well.

On the other hand, if his tactics are just avoidance, the focus changes 
from "poor baby; how can I help" to "not on MY watch, sucker".  Until he 
gives up his avoidance tactics he never gets his way, EVER.  It doesn't 
matter as much what you DO do with him as it matters that he DOESN'T do 
what he wants.  In this regard, if you know he is going to be difficult, 
leave yourself 2-4 hours for his next "lesson".  If he "gets it" right 
away, you can have a lovely trail ride.  If not, you won't have to cut the 
lesson short because you ran out of time.

Say YOUR objective is to go out on the trail and HIS objective is to stay 
home so he refuses to go through the gate to the trails, immediately change 
YOUR objective to a very boring going-through-a-gate lesson.  Get off and 
lead him back and forth through that gate at least 25 times.  Unlatch it, 
open it, close it, re-latch it and back again, over and over till the horse 
is ready to scream "ALL READY!! I GET IT!!"  Then do the whole thing again 
from the saddle, side yield, unlatch and open gate, through, side yield, 
close gate and latch, then back again... and again... and again.  Remember 
to praise every small thing he does well (with your voice not a treat) and 
growl at him every time he messes up.  End the lesson on the TRAIL side of 
the gate and start to ride away from home.  If he acts up, turn around and 
go back to have a SECOND incredibly boring gate lesson.

While you might not get to go out on the trail THIS time, you have followed 
the #1 rule, HE doesn't get his way, EVER.  If he's been pretty good, do 
not reward him with goodies when you get back to the barn.  That, from his 
point of view, is a reward for getting back to the barn, NOT for the good 
work out on the trail.  In fact, it is a good rule of thumb to never give a 
horse goodies upon RETURNING to the barn.  If you do, that is the 
association he will make and be even more reluctant to leave, never mind 
wanting to get back as quickly as possible.

Good luck and have fun!


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