please critique horse video

[HopeMissouri]

Pretty horse!

I would not have guessed she was afraid of you from the video. She only turned her head away/her butt to you once. There was at least once, that it looked as though if you had backed off, you may have been able to draw her in to you.

Have you started a young horse before?

What has your trainer suggested?

PHOTO: Starting my (then) 3yo Rocky Mountain Horse. We really played very little in the round pen. Mostly building our relationship that being with me was a good thing. Just out of camera view, my other 3 horses (older) are nearby in the pasture for support. Wondering why Chip is getting all of my attention and COOKIES!

Hope
TWH, 2 SSH's and RMH

 

[welsummerchicks]

If you get the trust of a spooky horse it is by giving them something else to think about, like a nice treat(food is a miracle cure, LOL), or later, under saddle, turning, circling, and responding to your aids. If the handler or rider stays calm and focuses on the job, the horse will too.

There is no better partner than a horse that is a little more sensitive. You don't have to kick and kick and haul on the reins, you almost just think of what you want to do, and there it is, the horse is already responding, like reading your mind.

Of course the truth is you just start to move your weight and leg and hand as you think about it, you have those little clues you give off, and the sensitive horse feels those little clues, a more phlegmatic horse would not notice.

 

[farmchick897]

I plan to do that when I get her home, just spend time with her and take her for walks. The trainer recommended I come out and work with her especially before I bring her home to make sure I can do everything he can with her. The weather has been horrible though, between ice and mud. The only thing he still needs to do with her is get her loading in a trailer and being caught in a pasture setting vs the round pen she is in now because he knows she gets turned out when she comes home.

Weather pending she should be home by the end of January.

I've never started a young horse for under saddle work, I figure when that time comes she will be back with the trainers again. She is already well over 15hh so it's hard to remember she is still young and needs time to mature.

 

[love_a_duck]

farmchick,

i don't know much about horses, but that horse is breathtaking.
she moves like a ballerina.
you will be who she needs.
you are willing to learn and put in the time.
like cesar milan says, "see in your mind the behavior you want."
(okay, my little bit of advice and it is about dogs, but still expect the best from her)
wow, 15 hands? is that large for her age?
it sounds like it from the thread.
keep working and it will work.

Beth

 

[Kit]

I agree with wellsummerchicks and the others - from my own experience, I've found that sometimes we are - not meaning to be - too aggressive in our requests and movements because we're not sure we're doing it right, and not sure the horse will understand/respond correctly. Don't reach at her to try to pet - she may see that as a threat - just hold your hand out - palm down, fingers curled under - so you're offering the back of your hand - let her come up to you and sniff your hand. Or you can just go sit out in her pasture - take a book - just sit out there ignoring her - her curiosity will eventually get the best of her and she'll come to see you as less of a threat. Sounds like you just have to back way off - she's still very young - and start again with developing a relationship with her first. We humans always have an agenda - sometimes we can only see the end result, and want to skip over the little stuff in the beginning - which really is the big stuff. And I also agree - you may want to consider finding her a new home with someone who's more comfortable with a sensitive horse. Again, I can't recommend the clicker training highly enough for this sort of problem - Alexandra Kurland is the author - she has dealt with a number of issues - aggressiveness, not wanting to be caught/touched - and trains horses to upper level dressage with the clicker - I know it's weird, but it gives the horse a really strong reinforcement that they've done the right thing, done what you want. You just have to be patient, and they come along very quickly.

 

[Kit]

Another thought - when you offer your hand to her , and she sniffs, let that be it and just walk away - you can repeat this - she'll figure - oh, is that all you want - if you've been trying to catch her every time you reach for her - of if she perceives it that way, she's going to be very wary of your intentions. All I can say is try to be as non threatening as possible, and interact with her on a very low key basis, with minimal expectations. Look at the website-www.training-horses-naturally.com - some good info -good luck

 

[froggiesheins]

This is my 16.3 appendix quarter horse Katie
Quote:
I own her mother, who was bottle raised by me from 2 days of age. She was born here, imprinted, she has always been standoffish and spooky SHE IS ONLY 20 MONTHS OLD, YOU ARE JUDGING HER BY HER MOM&DAD, SHE IS NOT THEM I've had trainers out twice and both times they told me to just give her time she will come around. THEY ARE CORRECT...TIME AND LO TS OF ITWell, she just never did. She would let me approach her but never became comfortable with it. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE A VIDEO OF THOSE MOMENTS SO WE ALL COULD BE WHATS HAPPENING. I didn't have a safe place to work her because my wood fences, if pushed, she would try and jump. My corral panels didn't connect in the corners and the trainers were very concerned that she was going to try and go over and get her leg caught up. The video.. is the trainers round pen which is higher and connected and made for training the wild mustangs that they mainly deal with. I sent her there to learn the basics, she works great for him. Follows him all around, picks up feet, stands tied, he has worked with paper bags, feed bags. When I go out to see her to acts like... the video... couldn't even touch her that day. SHE WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING STRANGE..YOU HAD A VIDEO CAMERA IN YOUR HAND, YOU WERE THE ONE ACTING STRANGE IN THAT VIDEO.
I'm looking for a good family horse to trail ride..

Guess this is a perfect example of why you should buy what you are looking for instead of breeding for it. huh? Well, I still think she is beautiful and perhaps she will come around with training..

DON'T CONDEMN HER BY THE WAY SHE ACTS AS A BABY--SHE HAS ALOT OF MATURING TO DO YET. i HAVE AN APPENDIX QUARTERHORSE MARE THAT I GOT AS A 3YR OLD. SHE IS THE MOST FEARFUL HORSE I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH. IT TOOK YEARS FOR HER TO TOTALLY TRUST HUMANS, WHERE IF I SAY ITS OK IT IS. I WANTED TO GET RID OF HER WHEN SHE WAS 5-6 YRS BECAUSE OF ALL THE BUCKING SHE DID IF SOMETHING SCARED HER(if it was just crow-hopping would not be so bad, but it was all out BUCK), BUT MY TRAINER/FRIEND KEPT TELLING ME TO, STICK IT OUT, AND I AM GLAD I DID. SHE HAS A WONDERFUL TROT AND CANTER. FIRST HORSE I HAD THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXTENDED TROTS/ HALF PASSES AND SIMPLE CHANGES. AND THATS JUST FOR STARTERS.
As an addendum: I do give her Vitamin B-1 which has been shown to help SOME mares that get moody/spooky. Only one brand works for her, but it does help ALOT. Good luck to you with you cute horse. When the time comes she will be FUN to ride, love that Friesian trot she has.

 

[seabreeze]

As a draft x breeder/owner/trainer, I see nothing wrong with her behavior. Given her very young age (both Friesians and Draft breeds take a LONG time to mature physically) and she is just a baby mentally, there is nothing in her demeanor while she is round penning, to indicate a problem. BTW, she is LOVELY with very nice balance, use of *hinges* and shows nice *fire* that I imagine would be very controllable.

She is very alert to you (or whom ever is the videographer in the round pen), watching her use her ears, especially the one closest to camera person as well as responding very well to videographer's body language. It appears as if at least one horse in the background is *acting pretty spunky*, I'd say this filly is a lovely example of her cross, showing responsiveness and respect.

One suggestion I want to make (very strong one) is with draft and draft cross babies to adults....do NOT do too much round penning with her. First, she may be just too smart to continue working in the confines of round n round n round. Secondly and equally important, is circle work is extremely detrimental to these big boned joints!!!!! When I longe my drafts or draft crosses, I use a 60 foot line BUT I WALK A HUGE SQUARE so they only have a slight curve on each corner to contend with and the straight sides are at least 100-125 feet long. Yup, I do a LOT of walking that square out during longing!

I do not know how much you actually work with her but I would spend time on the ground with her, learning about one another and good mannerisms. It will take a while but be patient.

 

[farmchick897]

I would have to say Froggie, that if she were a Thoroughbred or Arabian that behavior "might" be typical of the breed. To me that would be like a person getting a border collie and expecting a couch potato. Drafts and Friesians are suppose to be calm and easy going, so I would expect a baby from that breed to have a higher tendency for that behavior. And as some people like high energy dogs/horses, some people don't. That would be me.

I don't think she is high energy though... she is just skiddish and easy spooked and non-trusting. Behaviors I don't really like because I want a family trail horse. Which means I might want to put my kids on this horse in the future and I would only do that with a horse that I trust. If she doesn't grow out of this behavior she will not be a horse I keep. That doesn't mean I think she's bad or untrainable, just not a good match for what I want and need. Some people might be thrilled with her sensitivity and spirit.

I also gave her as much time as I could to grow out of it before sending her to the trainers. At some point she needs to be haltered so that I can worm her, give her vaccinations, get a Coggins, trim her feet. All of that can't be done if I can't handle her. I really do have high hopes for her and I'm going to do everything I can to get her over this fear or whatever issues she has with me.

Pending weather.. I'm probably going out to see her again this week. Perhaps I can take another video of her interactions with the trainer.

 

[arabianequine]

Then at the same time have him take a video of you trying to do some of the stuff he does with her. It would be helpful to give you feed back since you seem to think it is you she has a problem with.