Leading issues

mustangbluegirl · 10-24-2009, 08:27 AM

I have a big mare who is all in all a very good horse.
My problem is that sometimes she develops a dislike or something of an area.. and won't lead there.
For example. There is an uphill gravel path from her paddock to the barn/arena. For this one strip of gravel she can be a mule. She stops dead, won't go forward, will sometimes back.
In order to get her up I have to stand by her shoulder and stretch forward with the leading hand and stretch back with my other hand with the lead and snap her in the behind. (she is 17.1 hands so this requires a good STRETCH, lol) This will get a couple steps.. then have to do it again. Once she is out of this stretch she leads FINE. There just areas where she will do this and it is very frustrating.
I have worked on trust and respect with her as she was very spooky when I got her. She has calmed almost completely down with the exception of this.
I have developed this technique to get her through but would rather solve the problem of why she won't walk through it normally in the first place.
I am pregnant and looking to lease her and I am sure whoever does doesn't want to have to figure out a trick to get her up this path.

Any suggestions?

MommaKayc · 10-24-2009, 11:37 AM

Have you tried lunging her at the bottom of the path then resting her when she faces the path and working your way onto the path? We did this with the nasty horse eating trailer and although it took a lot of time it did work and now Curly walks right up into the trailer.

Could there be a psychological reason why she won't go there like maybe she stepped badly on a rock and hurt her foot now she's expecting pain on that path?

mustangbluegirl · 10-24-2009, 12:57 PM

No room to lunge at the beginning. I would say it COULD be rocks as she acts sensitive to them at times.. but there are rocks that continue at the top of the path. So once she gets through this one strip she continues on without a problem on gravel.
It seems to be something that just clicks.
She used to do this at the old barn we were at. She had spooked in the cross ties once and after that she refused to enter that side of the barn. I could go in all other entrances without a problem. THAT one took alot of forcing her in like I do now (we will call it the STRETCH technique. lol) and then treats in the area where she spooked. Eventually she got over it.
I CAN do the same thing here I suppose.. but I was wondering if there was something I was missing.

(only two places she does this for right now. The gravel strip from paddock to barn, and then one specific entrance to the barn. Gonna say the barn issue is , well, she IS 17.1 hands and this specific entrance is a step up and through a door not much wider than a normal household door. So.. well.. she is probably thinking "You expect me to fit in THERE?!" She does, btw. lol This barn is just not made for the likes of her. There is an aisle where her ears brush the ceiling. needless to say we don't go that way often)

MommaKayc · 10-24-2009, 03:49 PM

Hmmm..

Have you tried yielding her hindquarters at the end of the path and then asking for her to go forward then when she steps on the path letting her rest? Yielding takes up much less space.

What about asking her to back up when she refuses to go forward until she's tired of backing then trying again? I recently did that with Jack when he wouldn't go forward I backed the snot out of him then asked again and after a couple of times (about 100' then the second time was about 150') he came forward with no trouble.

meljean · 10-24-2009, 08:34 PM

Backing would be my suggestion too. I can almost guarantee you that if her feed was at top of hill, there would not be any balking.

10-24-2009, 08:27 AM	#1
mustangbluegirl Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South Eastern Wisconsin Posts: 648 Images: 59	Leading issues I have a big mare who is all in all a very good horse. My problem is that sometimes she develops a dislike or something of an area.. and won't lead there. For example. There is an uphill gravel path from her paddock to the barn/arena. For this one strip of gravel she can be a mule. She stops dead, won't go forward, will sometimes back. In order to get her up I have to stand by her shoulder and stretch forward with the leading hand and stretch back with my other hand with the lead and snap her in the behind. (she is 17.1 hands so this requires a good STRETCH, lol) This will get a couple steps.. then have to do it again. Once she is out of this stretch she leads FINE. There just areas where she will do this and it is very frustrating. I have worked on trust and respect with her as she was very spooky when I got her. She has calmed almost completely down with the exception of this. I have developed this technique to get her through but would rather solve the problem of why she won't walk through it normally in the first place. I am pregnant and looking to lease her and I am sure whoever does doesn't want to have to figure out a trick to get her up this path. Any suggestions?

10-24-2009, 08:34 PM	#5
meljean Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NW MO Posts: 1,017	Backing would be my suggestion too. I can almost guarantee you that if her feed was at top of hill, there would not be any balking. __________________ "If you listen to the horse, the horse will tell you what it wants to be." Dale Pugh "You can undo in five seconds, the training it took you five years to accomplish." Wyman E. Bennett

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Leading issues with young colt	jumpergurl87	Horse Training	6	02-07-2009 10:57 PM
Leading Issues	Beautifulsould	Horse Training	9	05-25-2007 12:11 PM
Leading	ROO	Horse Training	2	11-18-2006 06:53 AM
leading	Busterzkool	Horse Training	4	04-24-2005 08:25 AM
Leading	Cayenne_spice	Horse Training	13	09-25-2003 12:56 PM

10-24-2009, 11:37 AM	#2
MommaKayc Full Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the cloudy place Posts: 119	Have you tried lunging her at the bottom of the path then resting her when she faces the path and working your way onto the path? We did this with the nasty horse eating trailer and although it took a lot of time it did work and now Curly walks right up into the trailer. Could there be a psychological reason why she won't go there like maybe she stepped badly on a rock and hurt her foot now she's expecting pain on that path?

10-24-2009, 12:57 PM	#3
mustangbluegirl Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South Eastern Wisconsin Posts: 648 Images: 59	No room to lunge at the beginning. I would say it COULD be rocks as she acts sensitive to them at times.. but there are rocks that continue at the top of the path. So once she gets through this one strip she continues on without a problem on gravel. It seems to be something that just clicks. She used to do this at the old barn we were at. She had spooked in the cross ties once and after that she refused to enter that side of the barn. I could go in all other entrances without a problem. THAT one took alot of forcing her in like I do now (we will call it the STRETCH technique. lol) and then treats in the area where she spooked. Eventually she got over it. I CAN do the same thing here I suppose.. but I was wondering if there was something I was missing. (only two places she does this for right now. The gravel strip from paddock to barn, and then one specific entrance to the barn. Gonna say the barn issue is , well, she IS 17.1 hands and this specific entrance is a step up and through a door not much wider than a normal household door. So.. well.. she is probably thinking "You expect me to fit in THERE?!" She does, btw. lol This barn is just not made for the likes of her. There is an aisle where her ears brush the ceiling. needless to say we don't go that way often)

10-24-2009, 03:49 PM	#4
MommaKayc Full Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the cloudy place Posts: 119	Hmmm.. Have you tried yielding her hindquarters at the end of the path and then asking for her to go forward then when she steps on the path letting her rest? Yielding takes up much less space. What about asking her to back up when she refuses to go forward until she's tired of backing then trying again? I recently did that with Jack when he wouldn't go forward I backed the snot out of him then asked again and after a couple of times (about 100' then the second time was about 150') he came forward with no trouble.