What should I do?

Emma&Slim09 · 04-19-2007, 04:41 PM

Ok, so some of ya'll might know my paint filly Emma. Well, I was wondering if you had any tips or ways of teaching her quit diving for the ground when I lead her. Every time I take her out of her stall and put her halter on as soon as I start leading her she dive bombs the ground. It's almost near impossible to get her head up w/o a stud chain or just walking away spinning her around. But the second she gets her head up she dive bombs the ground again. She has gotten a little better but still needs work. When I don't use a stud chain every time I feel her trying to go down I give her a quick jerk on the lead and say quit, make her stand for a few seconds then walk away. She does good when close to the barn but it's when we start going to the round pens when she gets bad. The area where the round pens are is full of nothing but grass. So you can imagine her diving bombing the ground. I get her head up but the second it goes up it goes back down. I've tried jerking up on the lead, saying quit and getting her to stand but it doesn't phase her. I don't want to have to always use the stud chain with her, so if you have any tips or anything please share. Thanks.

JBandRio · 04-19-2007, 06:46 PM

Forget about what her head is doing. The problem is that her hind end stops going forward. So, don't pull on the lead rope, but carry a lunge whip or long dressage whip and tag her butt. Just watch her front end - she might get really ticked and strike at you - tag her front leg if she does that. But get the butt moving - that's the key the EVERYthing

Emma&Slim09 · 04-19-2007, 08:11 PM

Thanks. I'll try that.

pantha11 · 04-19-2007, 10:05 PM

oh!!! the joys of owning a young horse.....
Could I suggest you use a bit of hay bail twine, tie into a loop (one that won't tighten), slip the tail through it, so it ends up at the top of the dock....when she stops give it a light tug......trust me she will move...it may be at first, "what the heck is that", and lunge forward, but hey thats what you want, to a degree lo...she'll get the idea.

tightpaycheck · 04-20-2007, 05:08 AM

I just wear soft sneakers and use my foot to pry her face up off the grass. I'm not gentle about it, but I don't kick them in the teeth either. If you can catch them as they are going down and meet her lips with the top portion of your foot a few inches above the grass, and push her back up. If they don't manage to actually get any grass a few times they will slowly give up. And your foot is always at the bottom of your leg so they won't try it again when they don't see it.

Emma&Slim09 · 04-20-2007, 07:34 PM

Ok, so today I tried it with just using the stud chain. She knows that when that is on she can't get away with it. I took it off and tried it and she immediatly stuck her head down. I jerked up, said quit and tapped her with the whip. She seemed to get the concept and didn't try to do it as much. I'll definately keep doing it. Thanks for the help

04-19-2007, 04:41 PM	#1
Emma&Slim09 Full Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 225 Images: 27	What should I do? Ok, so some of ya'll might know my paint filly Emma. Well, I was wondering if you had any tips or ways of teaching her quit diving for the ground when I lead her. Every time I take her out of her stall and put her halter on as soon as I start leading her she dive bombs the ground. It's almost near impossible to get her head up w/o a stud chain or just walking away spinning her around. But the second she gets her head up she dive bombs the ground again. She has gotten a little better but still needs work. When I don't use a stud chain every time I feel her trying to go down I give her a quick jerk on the lead and say quit, make her stand for a few seconds then walk away. She does good when close to the barn but it's when we start going to the round pens when she gets bad. The area where the round pens are is full of nothing but grass. So you can imagine her diving bombing the ground. I get her head up but the second it goes up it goes back down. I've tried jerking up on the lead, saying quit and getting her to stand but it doesn't phase her. I don't want to have to always use the stud chain with her, so if you have any tips or anything please share. Thanks.

04-19-2007, 06:46 PM	#2
JBandRio Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NC Posts: 32,003 Images: 196 Blog Entries: 12	Forget about what her head is doing. The problem is that her hind end stops going forward. So, don't pull on the lead rope, but carry a lunge whip or long dressage whip and tag her butt. Just watch her front end - she might get really ticked and strike at you - tag her front leg if she does that. But get the butt moving - that's the key the EVERYthing __________________ - JB Acres, owned and operated by Dynamite animals. - It's a wonder horses as a whole don't just kill us all and be done with their misery. - Keep your voice soothing and low - even when things get western (buck1173)

04-19-2007, 08:11 PM	#3
Emma&Slim09 Full Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 225 Images: 27	Thanks. I'll try that.

04-19-2007, 10:05 PM	#4
pantha11 Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia, Victoria. Posts: 2,196 Images: 51	oh!!! the joys of owning a young horse..... Could I suggest you use a bit of hay bail twine, tie into a loop (one that won't tighten), slip the tail through it, so it ends up at the top of the dock....when she stops give it a light tug......trust me she will move...it may be at first, "what the heck is that", and lunge forward, but hey thats what you want, to a degree lo...she'll get the idea.

04-20-2007, 05:08 AM	#5
tightpaycheck Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,809 Images: 2	I just wear soft sneakers and use my foot to pry her face up off the grass. I'm not gentle about it, but I don't kick them in the teeth either. If you can catch them as they are going down and meet her lips with the top portion of your foot a few inches above the grass, and push her back up. If they don't manage to actually get any grass a few times they will slowly give up. And your foot is always at the bottom of your leg so they won't try it again when they don't see it.

04-20-2007, 07:34 PM	#6
Emma&Slim09 Full Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 225 Images: 27	Ok, so today I tried it with just using the stud chain. She knows that when that is on she can't get away with it. I took it off and tried it and she immediatly stuck her head down. I jerked up, said quit and tapped her with the whip. She seemed to get the concept and didn't try to do it as much. I'll definately keep doing it. Thanks for the help