Horse people might enjoy this :D

[ScaredOfShadows]

Welsummer, well said. I don't know much about horses except the basics and the caring of them...But that said I know from people I've been around, places I've worked summer jobs as a teenager, and a friend who trains and fosters abused horses, the last thing you do with a young horse training is HOLLER at them, scream, kick, whip, or ANY show of anger/aggression. The hopping your describing sounds like an unsettled horse who is showing his aggrevation, not 'trying to do what you want him to do', etc... Hoping like that and then you getting mad and tensing on him (and if your fustrated enough to scream you ARE tensing some part if not your whole body, psychology minor here ) and that tension feeds into the horse and he's going to react to it, and tense up and/or react in another way...If he tenses mid hop and comes down, he could easily damage his ankle or knees, and just the fact he's hopping like that tells me being in psychology (studying some animal psychology for fun) and knowing a general basis on horses - that he is confused and frustrated - and thus why its taking him so long to learn what you want him to learn. You make him confused and frustrated - and instead of being aggressive he shows that frustration by doing the hopping and what not.

He doesn't sound like a happy horse at all - go on a HORSE FORUM and tell them your story - see what they say if you don't trust a CHICKEN FORUM

- p.s. have a good day, and I hope the horse pulls through training fine.

 

[Tinted]

I am a very calm person, however I will not put up with consistent nener nener nener butt behavior from my guy. He knows his place and he knows his job, and he was trying (to get away with slacking off). However, even if he is trying he will not get always home free with acting up. I will get after him, dole it out and move right on like it never happened.

Thank you for the constructive crit. and not the "You suck, get anger management." My instructor is amazing, she has given me a large number of ways to get him to take up the lead, but as I said we (my horse and I) were both off of it yesterday. I know I was not perfect (by far), but neither was he. I use the hollering to correct him strongly and instantly when he hops around. I use my voice as a training tool and the neighbor’s home is only a few yards from the field where I ride. We did not work on the canter for the full 2 hours, we did quite a bit of lateral training in between bouts of “Come on buddy you can DOOO it!” When I yelled at him where the neighbor came out, he had brought up his right leg to take the lead and then flipped it so that his left leg took the lead, and I let him go for a bit on the wrong lead when he hopped up and leg yielded left only to continue to leg yield in to the fencing even when the pressure was removed; which is a BIG NO NO.

I honestly respect when given constructive advice, but when simply handed “You are DOING THIS WRONG” I get incredibly defensive as I am NOT doing what was stated wrong. I know my horse and I ride with confidence and friendship for my horse, but as I said bad behavior simply will not be tolerated.

EDIT: By "hopping" I mean he is bringing his front legs up and foreword to canter and setting them back down again when he is not given a "Go" signal. He wants to canter as he knows that is what I want, but he and I just can’t get to together to get the right lead. He is not jumping around whipping his tail, he is ready to “break” into the gait, and is predicting my next action. He is not trying to be bad, but that’s what it I turning to.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I think some huge assumptions have been made here. Sounds like all is well with the training of this horse honestly. Using voice as a way of backing off a horse is as common a training idea as using voice to encourage or reward. The best of the trainers I have been to in clinics all do this, from the Shhhhhh! in ground work to the same or QUIT! from the saddle if the horse is being riled up or trying to take leadership. It has it's place.

Also a strong 4 year old of an endurance breed will not settle to do fine work such as pick up the correct lead in short training sessions. I know, I have owned and trained them, and currently own 2 more of them.

To the OP on the days your not getting it together just don't. I know some days I'm all left or just useless at timing or whatever. Do what you can, work on what works and leave the tough stuff for days when you feel co-ordinated. However I support you in not putting up with the bad stuff on all days. I know what your talking about. A strong trail ride first goes a long way to help make the ring work happen. Remember that he will only be 4 this year, in 2 years he will be 6 and that is much worse! LOL Sorry for that.... ya, that's when the endurance breeds really take on some strong ideas.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm sorry, but screaming does NOT sound like a good way to get something done. Maybe it works for some people/horses but to me, it would seem to be a way of desensitizing him from listening to your voice. Another thing...you're going to get criticism on here, it's part of the deal. You may think it's funny and someone else may have another idea of how you can get the desired results. Personally, I believe you have a "beef" with other members, but I will not name names.

I hope you are able to work out whatever you are trying to work on with your horse. When I get frustrated with Max, I work on something else, something I KNOW he knows how to do. Then, I will attempt to go back to working on what I was working on. If your horse shuts down mentally on you, there's no getting it back up for the day, so why not keep him engaged in doing something he knows how to do and work on that to "perfect" it.

The ONLY reason I would keep working with a horse I was getting frustrated with is when that horse decides it's just "done" and I have only begun.

 

[EweSheep]

Sorry I am not amused by this story. I am like the others, yelling would not get you anywhere. A firm voice, steady hands/feet and mind would benefit you both.Take the frustrations out somewhere else would be a good thing. I agree with RoPo and the other BYC members. I studied a bit of horse psych in college(studied pre-vet, horse science major) as well and I agree with ScaredofShadows comments. The horse is confused and frustrated. An half an hour to an hour trying to teach him to use the lead, that's long enough. If he does not get it, cool him down and put him in the stall or pasture to let him think over it. Try again the next day. Before long a light bulb in his head will go off.......oh, that is what you wanted me to do! A willing horse is a happy horse. Look at it this way in a human perspective, if you had problems with your math homework, nothing seems to click, would you want your teacher to YELL at you for being a bad student for not understanding the equations? That would make you nervous, frustrated and incabable of thinking, wouldn't it?

As for endurance riding, four years old is young and still growing. I would stick with light riding for while before I go with the heavy stuff. Wait until his bones closed and that way you don't have to deal with break downs or lameness later in life.

 

[michickenwrangler]

How old is the horse? Horses have to be min. 48 months old for LD and competitive trail, 60 months for longer rides.

I'm with EweSHeep. I have an distance horse too and she gets bored to death by arena riding. Usually 40 min. is her max, no matter how many patterns or trail obstacles I go over. She certainly wouldn't have the patience for a 2 1/2 hour schooling session even though our conditioning rides are often longer and I ride 25-50 miles a weekend. A nice hour and a half 6-8 mile condioning ride is all he needs, especially at that age.

As far as MY experience goes, I have been distance riding since 2000, won several UMECRA year end awards, more in GLDRA and a Regional Competitive Trail championship. My completion rate is 96%, over 80% top five and over 40% first place in my weight division and I usually earn the overall award when I win my weight division. I have only been defeated once this year and I came in second in that instance. My horse and I have 54.4 points toward our Arabian Achievement Awards. I am not just "some random person on BYC,"

Besides, your 15 mile ride is probably a slow-paced CTR sponsored by ECTRA or NATRC, not an endurance ride. LD division is at least 25 miles.

 

[EweSheep]

OP's horse is four year old Arab.

Me, too, had some points under my belt for enderance riding but not as much as yours. I remember the old timers of the old Arab club going enderance riding somewhere out in the Sierras? Gained alot of knowledge and wisdom from those folks, it is priceless when you are training your horse for the enderance riding. Was it the Tevis Cup????????

 

[geebs]

next time post a video!!! Is this the new "horse whispering"... ha ha... You could start a new trend.

A really good video (for bedtime) is Bob Avila riening one. It shows how to set the horse up for the correct departure at the lope.. You might find it very helpful... I really liked it...

I have been know to not whisper a time or two. Probably just as comical

Just ignore the unsolicited advice that you weren't appreciating and move on... Let it roll off like water... Good luck with your young horse!!! Post some nice photos.... It is almost impossible to own a horse and post a thread w/o getting a lot of unwanted teachings.... A lot of teachers out here.... trying to "help"... ha ha Take the best and leave the rest!!!

email me some pix.. Off to my own barn now.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
Shore to Shore. We just did the Warm-Up ride and Day 1 but we won both days in our weight division. I'd love to do the Tevis one day, but it's too far and I think Izzie at age 18 may be too old to try something like that. We'll just stick with our rolling hills and deep sand here in Michigan. There's the Long X ride in North Dakota that's called the "mini-Tevis" since the course is similar and I may try that one of these years.

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

I think everyone needs to calm down. This is getting close to a fight