I tacked her up in a surcingle and hooked 2 lines to her bridle, everything went really smoothly as she kept pace at a walk and responded to bit cues. Then, as we walked down the main driveway, Whisper stopped. Refused to move. I wasn't sure quite what to do being behind her and clucking, urging her with my voice as she flicked her tail and propped her leg to rest. Pressure on the lines caused her to move by turning and then she'd plant again. So, I decided to take off the long lines and go for some in-hand work. I recently watched a series from Chris Irwin and I wanted to try. Her refusals to move forward were a great place to start.
Chris Irwin's methods stem from how herd animals move each other around, relate to each other. The goal is to move the horse as you wish while keeping the horse as content as possible. He believes each time the horse goes head-up, spine inverted, it mainlines adrenaline to the horse's brain. Then you get into react vs think and nothing works.
Basically, I was looking to keep my "core" (Irwin for belly button) pointing forward, body parallel to Whisper's shoulder, hands on reins not creating contact but blocking her from making contact in directions I don't want at the same time allowing her to come up into my hand (bhahahaha, like that's hard to do), and a dressage whip on my off-side parallel to us.The dressage whip gives me a way to manage her entire body to cue. The sides of the body are where horses communicate to each other and move each other, head-on is predator language.
I am also responsible for watching her footfalls to determine when to turn so she doesn't fall through her shoulder but is set up to support herself. In theory, this creates a lovely harmony with a happy, head way down, horse who is not angry tail flicking.
Here's how it all went down. Whisper was very aware I had the stick in hand and was alert but on good behavior, until she decided she was stopping and refused to move. I used the stick to touch her as my gas, just past her ribs, to communicate move forward just like the nice man on the video said to do, after she ignored my verbal request.
Gas was indeed created. Backwards. She ran backwards for at least 50 yards. I ran full strides back with her. She threw her head and half reared once, I managed to stay with her, saying some unsavory words as I did. Finally she stopped dead in her tracks. Blew hard. Then stepped forward at a lovely walk for the rest of our session tonight, albeit chomping and chewing the bit hard and loud.
DING DING DING - Round 1 "Horse In Hand" goes to.... HANDLER!
3 comments:
"DING DING DING - Round 1 "Horse In Hand" goes to.... HANDLER!" - Love it! :-)
I don't have any experience with the bitless bridle. I really would like to come out and really ride her. From the few minutes I was on her, I got the impression she just needs to work through the tension. Less on changing direction and tactics and just plain old working through it.
I have a difficult young mare, and for her, I have to prove regularly that I am Boss Mare. My gelding I can love on and treat and he is happy to do as I want, but with the mare I have to maintain very, very firm boundaries.
The language I hear from your description sounds like "I don't want to be bothered with this," which I hear a lot from mine. I have had to suspend training and driving sessions to return to basic "I am in charge" sessions, often after I accidentally or unwittingly let a boundary slip.
Have you ever used a halter with a chain under the jaw? This is a fantastic way to speak more loudly to your horse, especially when it does not wish to be bothered.
My young mare and I are working on traffic breaking. I am convinced she is not actually afraid of cars, but has figured out she can break up a boring drive down the road by bolting when a car drives by.
Thank you for the input!
Jen, I agree that hours help her, pushing her through that timeframe that is most difficult to the point she starts to settle and absorb. I needed that reminder and can't wait for you to come out again.
Leigh, I think you are right that my mare is one I have to constantly prove myself to, I used to have a dog that was that way :).
I have not used a chain under her chin as I imagine this would trigger rearing. She has reared and flipped over backwards with me ground handling. If I was a horse, a chain pop under my chin would tell me to pop up.
I did once use a chain over her nose and it helped for a short time until our gaps in training re-emerged leaving me to assume that increased pain did not change her underlying behavior patterns.
A lot of horse folk will disagree, and that's okay, but my foundation is trying very hard to stay in the boundaries using communication and not pain.
Course, I still have a mare that gives me trouble so who's to say that's right either ;)
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