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I have been following the steps that you have set out in your e-books and videos and must say that I have found them very informative and it is helping me understand that the majority of problems that I have faced up to now has been because I did not know that not being in the alfa position was the problem.
I have a 2 year old Friesian cross Morgan mare and although she is very sweet she can also be very spooky. I always intended to keep her as natural as possible but lately circumstances means that I have to put a rain sheet on her as she really does not like getting soaking wet in the rain. My problem is that she will let me get close to her while holding the rug and she will let me rub the rug over her but the minute I try to actually put the rug on her she changes into a panic. There is nothing in her past that I am aware of that would make her so frightened of it. I can walk around her stable holding the rug and she will follow me and sniff it or try and chew it and not show she is worried about it until I attempt to fully cover her with it.
I have started making her wait for her food until I say she can have it and I do the same with her haynet and she has been fine with that and totally complies. I was wondering if you could possible give me a few tips as to where I might be going wrong or even if there is another approach that I can try to help her accept a coat being put on her.
I have not attempted to put a saddle on her but she has had a saddle pad on without any issues.
Following on from the above question I revisited the videos and ebooks to see if there was something I had missed. I read that I need to follow through with something that I had started so this morning I spent a little while in the stable with her rubbing the coat all over and letting her sniff it. I did this while she was free to come and go as she pleased. I then tethered her and put part of the coat gently over her withers and she kept stepping forward so I left the coat where it was and moved her feet back to where she was originally standing then proceeded to gently increase the coat further over her body, each time she stepped forward I would stop and put her back again before continuing on. Good news is that she finally let me put the coat on her and do up all the buckles and straps at which point she didn’t seem to mind. I then untethered her and let her go free within her stable. She seemed to be moving around ok and she didn’t seem to be that bothered so I then put her halter on and walked her from the stable into the menage without incident. We went through the gate and she calmly turned around for me to take her halter off before again calmly walking away. Good result I thought until she reached the middle of the menage when suddenly she just bolted around and came full speed towards the gate. I knew the speed she was travelling meant she was either going to crash through the gate or jump it. She has never jumped anything but to my surprise I watched in horror as she jumped 3.5 feet at an angle into a walkway of approximately 3 feet and into the garden. She only stopped when she came to the fence which divided the garden from the river. Once she calmed down she came into the stable walkway where I had a bale of hay and snorting she just stood there and started munching away. I left her there for a while until she had stopped snorting and then put her halter back on and took her back to the menage and let her go again. This time she ran around again and started to build up speed to attempt to jump the gate again. I stood in front of the gate and blocked her with my arms in the air. This made her turn around and prance instead of gallop. I stayed with her and I calmly walked up and down the fence line with her following me until she was calmly walking on her own again.
I just don’t understand why she went into such a blind panic. I have managed to put coats on a number of horses for the first time and have never had a reaction like this before.
Hello Lynda,
I believe that your approach is correct, every horse is different, and every horse is scared of something different. I once had a horse on a live training that was very good, until you put your hand around 10cm above his withers. Once you did that that horse turned into complete panic. But otherwise he was very good.
Maybe as your mare starts walking around with the rain sheet too much, it touches her in some new spot and she freaks out. Sometimes it is easy to discover what it actually is that triggers the panic in your horse. It is good that you managed to put the rain coat on her, normaly when something like this happens it is good to continue with little steps, maybe fold the rain coat first and then put a little bit over your horse, then fold it, so its a little bit bigger and just continue like that.
I would be causios with putting her back to the menage again. If she jumped it once, she could do it anytime again as she now knows its possible. Also I would check whether she could have paniced because of something else other then her rain coat.
About 8 weeks ago I purchased a 10 year old anglo arab. I bought him because he has ‘been there done that’. He’s done eventing, cross country, dressage, trail riding, jumping etc. I bought him through friends and he is everything they told me. I took him to camp drafting clinic and there dogs barking, chainsaws, whip cracking, cattle, 65 other horses and floats and he was perfectly behaved. When we arrived three of us went for a walk around ride on our horses. He walked through water, mud and a small bridge with no problems at all. I then took him into the arena and ask him to do a small 15 metre trot circle which he willingly did but then he shied, he jumped forward about 1.5 metres. I think he shied at some cones in a bundle in the arena. He has now shied a total of four times. Each time shooting forward a little distance, each time calming down straight away and each time at something that wouldn’t obviously be an issue e.g. someone walking out from under a shed about 50 metres away. Whereas when things have been what I thought could have been an issue like a friends horse cantering towards me out of control or crossing a raging river he did these tasks without a problem. The issue is I am finding I am now losing my confidence in him or myself. I am now riding him with fairly short reigns and wondering the whole ride whether he is going to shy. I am worried I will make him worse. To address this issue I have started with the ground control work and he has been so willing to learn and well behaved. When I ride him and I think there is an issue where I feel like he is not listening to me I have been keeping him ‘busy’ circling around tussocks or trees or grasses. this seems to have helped some. Also these issues seem to be worse when it is windy. I can’t believe that he hasn’t been ridden in the wind but he behaves like he hasn’t. I live in a very windy area so have no choice but to ride in the wind. any suggestions you have will be much appreciated. Terry Thank you for your videos and your articles they have helped me a lot.
Hi Terence,
I don’t think riding with short reins is necessary and is going to help very much. After your horse jumps forward (or in any direction) just react as quick as possible, back him up to where he was standing before and let him stand there for a little while. It might seem irrational that your horse doesn’t get scared of a screaming chainsaw but gets scared of a person 50 metres away, but it doesn’t matter. Maybe when horses had predators in the wild it was dangerous when they saw a little something in the distance when things were calm, and they never really had any predator that would sound like chainsaw so they are not afraid of it. It doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t mean your horse is bad.
When your horse gets scared just correct him as quick as possible and correct him every single time. The more consistent and quick you are, the faster you are going to see improvements. Just do the circles around trees as you do, or just bend your horses to the side. When you bend his head to the side, he is still going to see the thing he is scared of, but it tells him that it is ok, and that he should pay attention to you. Just always when you dont have his full attention do something to get it. It might take a week to see a big improvement but most likely it will take longer. However if you ride often and always correct him it will definitely improve 🙂
Radek
Hi Julie,
round pen just makes things easier, especially in the begging. Your horse cannot run outside of the circle. It is quicker to gain respect. Also when you are starting a horse round pen is quite small so he is not that likely to bolt or do something too dangerous.
Thank you!! One other question.. or idea for upcoming material , what do you start with when you and your horse have been off for a few months of winter ?
Hi Julie,
that’s a good question. If I have a long break, I start by working with my horse in the roundpen. I do some lunging with side reins. I work with my horse just from the ground for around three days. Then when I start riding I start by riding in walk. I practice small circles and the way my horse reacts on the pressure of my and moves away from it to the side. If its all good in walk, I continue to riding in trot.
Radek
HI Radek, I am leasing a horse for two months and the owner says that Dozer has problems with applying the girth…sometimes he is okay…other times he spins around, backs up and it’s impossible…she has had to take over, removing the saddle and pad and moves him backward at a fast pace while he is almost rearing…after that I was able to finish tacking…my problem is that I feel like he does not know me well enough for me to use that same method…what do you suggest?
Hi Patricia,
horses usually have issues with the girth when its tightened too fast. Just put it on loosely then tighten it up a little bit and finish tightening it up just before you mount when you have already went to the. That should improve the situation. Otherwise it is fine for you to do what the other person does to fix the behavior if you are comfortable backing him up like that.
I have been training MAISIE my Clydesdale mare for around two years, she does move her hindquarters away from pressure very easily,so I can do a good turn on the haunches very tightly and she is easy to half pass in walk and trot. The problem occurs with moving the forequarters away from pressure.She is a heavy draft horse and very willing but she finds it hard to move her forehand away from my shin on either rein. Is it because she is a heavy horse, or is it because I just have not done it enough? She keeps moving her hindquarters over or backs up, instead of pivoting on the hindquarters. She moves her front end away from me very well on the ground when I put pressure on her shoulder or nose. When I ask her to move the front end over from the ridden position, I put my opposite leg forward and PUSH her away from my leg to right or left depending on which way I want her to go, but she struggles with this, and its hard for her. How can I make it easier?
Hello, thanks for your question 🙂 What I would do if you are having trouble with her pivoting on the hindquarters is that I would first teach her to do a very small circle in walk, around 3m in diameter. You have a few ways to teach your horse pivoting on the hindqurters, in your case I would recomend you to stand in the corner of a ring. So your horse cant be backing up. Then i woudnt put your legs that far, your legs should be pretty much in normal position. If your horse backs up, you should stop and walk back to the original position. it is worse if your horse backs up, then if he walks forward a little bit. Sometimes you can use a whip on your horses shoulder a very ligthly ask your horse to move. In the begining it is enough to do two steps pivoting on the hindquarters, and make sure they are correct, and after she does them well you can continue and want more. But when I train my horses i never ask them to do more then two steps in the begining. Your horse can be learning only one thing at a time, so you can be teaching her to either stand still with her rear leg, or go correctly with her front legs, not both at the same time. In the begining it is more important for your horse to work correctly with his front legs. that means that for example while pivoting to left her right front leg should be stepping infront of her left front leg. In the begining it is not too bad if your horse moves a litle bit and walks forward a bit, in the begining i just need her front legs to go correctly. As soon as she can do two steps correctly pivoting on the hindquarters, I add two more. it is important to not ask too much, and just do two steps correctly instead of try to do four steps but badly. These principles apply to the whole training, it is always better to do very small steps, and always just work on one thing at once. If you work on small steps, you can do more of them during one riding session and do them well, other then when you try to to do more things at once. So first I get my horse to do a whole pivot while using her front legs correctly, then i start correcting her standing still with her rear leg. Hope it helps, let me know if something is not clear 🙂
I’ve had my thoroughbred cross gelding for nearly four years now and he is the first horse i have owned. My riding is very much on and off because of my confidence issues, mainly because i have never fallen i am frightened to death of what would happen if i did. Anyway, despite this i have a good relationship with my horse although i have two main issues:
1) Getting him to stand still in his stable – if i bring him in during the day while the other horses are out he won’t stay still to be tacked up, groomed or rugged up.
2) I haven’t had problems getting my horse to go out on a circle to be lunged until recently. Now he has started just standing facing directly at me and when i attempt to go to his side he moves his hind quarters so i can’t get to his side. This is really frustrating!!! If i do manage to get to his side i can’t get him to move away onto a circle.
I feel as if he is testing his dominance over me even though he looks at me with relaxed eyes. Can you advise on what i am doing wrong. If needed i could send a video.
Hello Tracy,
to answer your first question, the first important thing is for your horse to learn to stand still relaxed while he is tied on a lead rope. After that the problem is your horses respect towards you, it seems that your horse cares more about the other horses then he cares about you. I reccomend you watch again the first free video about gaining respect, and do some ground work as it is shown in the first video. If he doesnt stand still you have to just keep correcting him. It can take some time, but ultimately gaining respect and always correcting your horse will fix your problem.
Answer to your second question is well explained in the third video. You will see a horse that does exactly the same thing as yours. You will receive the video soon, so please just wait to see the third video, you will see what to do. I am not able to explain it over here in text as well as you will see it in the third video 🙂 But just so you know the basics of what to do before you get the video, when you manage to get your horses side it is important that you keep walking with your horse and try to stay by his side. And while you are there by his side you should use your whip to ask him to move, again the important bit here is not not give up until your horse goes on the circle. Sometimes it can take a few minutes, but you cannot give up before your horse goes back on the circle.
Just finished reading the e-book for Ground work – just wanted to say how clear it is. I’ve looked at various approaches to horsemanship over the years, with often having a feeling that something was lacking. How you’ve presented the tuition in the e-book is simple but insightful. I have realised that I need to tighten up on my consistency with my horses – i have a mixture of hand reared confident types and hyper-sensitive reactive types! I’m looking forward to watching the videos and am sure that I’ll be posting again – probably to ask for help or at least ask questions!!
Hi Radek,
Really enjoying the training. Easy to follow and makes it all very understandable.
The side reins you use, 2m long with clips each end, how far are the two rings which you attach to and these rings are not running rings but attached to the rein at different lengths?
Many thanks, looking forward to saddle control next.
Linda
Hello Linda,
thanks, I am glad you are enjoying the training 🙂 Yes the side reins are 2m long and the rings attached sort of in the middle of the side rein, they are always in different spots depending on the size of your horse. I always try to put the side rein on my horse and after that I see where to put the rings. Then depending on the position of your horses head with side reins on, you can adjust where the rings are to make sure your horse is in the correct position.
Thank you, I will attempt to make a pair of these side reins, all the ones here have either elastic or rubber inserts and they feel like they don’t release when you want them to.
Ok, If you want I can make the side reins that I use in the videos for you and send them. The side rein would be 12usd dollars and the shipping to the UK is 4usd. Let me know if you want them 🙂
Hi Radek,
I’ve just signed up, started with some work from your free videos. I will likely get the riding course as well at some point, but for now it’s groundwork. 🙂
I have a 13 year old Paso Fino Gelding. He grew up in a herd, and was “Uncle” to youngsters for most of his life. According to the breeder, he was sold approximately 6 months prior to me buying him, but they bought him back due to how he was being kept. It is my understanding that there he was kept alone, in a barn overnight, and often during the day.
I did not see this horse in a stable prior to buying him (although it wouldn’t have put me off).
Anyway. If he is brought in alone, he box runs. Badly. And I do mean run, not walk. Oz is fine when his best friend and immediate neighbor Ori is in the box next to him, but not if Ori is standing directly outside Oz’s box. Nor if another horse is in. (American Barn style stables, outside. All the horses can see each other.)
If you want to see, here is a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1bT4qd0Og
He was in a total of 3 minutes (the filming included) after a thorough workout. I turned the camera on and walked away, standing behind a wall, watching on my mobile phone’s GoPro App in case he became too distressed or tried to jump the door.
He is not buddy sour. He couldn’t care less where the other horses are while we’re out riding. It’s only when he’s stabled. (It used to be when he’s tied alone – he ripped everything to shreds, but we got over that.)
I have a pretty good relationship with him and I’m pretty much his “first human”, which was another thing he wasn’t used to. He bonds very hard (as is the nature of Pasos), but it takes time for him to trust.
He runs a little less when I’m there with him, and will come to me for reassurance. (If I’d sleep in his box, that would be perfectly acceptable to him lol) But I hate seeing him so distressed, and would like to cure his anxiety if possible.
There may not always be the option of having his neighbor in with him, and I dread to think what it would do to him if 24/7 turnout were no longer possible, or he (God forbid) had to be on box rest for something.
He is improving (It has taken me nearly 2 years of barefoot trims / sedated shoeing to be able to shoe him without sedation) but he still has a lot of issues. Patience does overcome a lot with him, he’s intelligent, but sometimes he just goes into a panic and turns off his brain.
I’ve thought about putting a mirror in there, but the trouble is, there is nowhere to securely hang it.
I know this isn’t really Groundwork related, but any suggestions would be most welcome.
Hello Silke,
every horse is different, but they are all used to beeing in a herd. Most of the horses can stand beeing alone in a box, but some horses just cant stand it. And this is difficult to fix. As I looked on the video it seems that your horse is scared of beeing alone. He probably feels as a small kid would feel if it got lost in a big city. I think he could be fine if he was in a paddock with other horses. Horses can deal with bad weather, but sometimes they cant deal with beeing alone. I would try to keep him in paddock with other horses if possible. But your horse doesnt seem so stressed that he would jump out, he is just not happy beeing there. If its improving he will probably get used to it over time.
No, at that point he wasn’t stressed enough to jump – but he has tried before. (That time he was only in about 3 minutes)
Unfortunately there is no way to leave him out in winter. Summer isn’t a problem, he’s out 24/7 in a herd of ten. In winter…we have to bring in overnight. It takes some juggling sometimes to make sure he’s not in without a direct neighbor. (Even the box to his left, which is not directly attached, but has a gap of about 1m between them, is not close enough.)
BTW – the same goes when he’s the last one in. I ended up paying for a new field gate — because he tried to jump it, and ripped it off the hinges. All because his neighbor came in first, and he was still in the field. (We bring him in first now, but wanted to spare him being alone in the box…alas, that didn’t work so well.) When I bring in, I tie him outside his box while I get his pal. At least he’s not quite as frantic then. (We’re not allowed to bring in more than one horse at a time.)
Thanks for the input. 🙂
Much appreciated.
Now if only the farmer would let me get a mini, or a donkey, or something that can share his box, all my troubles (and his) would be far less… lol. (Fences are too high for shetland/mini/small donkey)
I’d move…but there aren’t many options where I am, and Oz likes it there.
I think its a great idea to put a mini or a donkey with him. I heard about a person who had a similar problem and they actually solved it by putting a small goat together with the horse.
I have a very challenging mare, when she is with me and we are communicating she is an absolute dream, however when she is not she is a nightmare, general ground work she will move her feet with just a change of my body, she will back up if I ask, she will halt beside me if I stop, she will pick up the pace in trot if I do and slow down her trot if I do, she is great under saddle if I stay refined with my cues, not nag, and take a break if she shows signs of confusion, my big issue is that when she is in the field with her herd it’s very difficult to get her to come in, these last 2 months the problems are getting worse, she now is striking out at me which is not only dangerous but not acceptable, I don’t understand why she can be so co operative once she’s been caught but yet so aggressive in the field, i don’t chase her around, I remove all the other horses, she runs around herself until she is exhausted, I then have to approach from the side as she can lash out from the front, but even when I do get her she gives me an almighty squeel, so far I’ve egnored this behaviour, If this is down to lack of respect I’m hoping your guidance may help, when ever we make a break through in the saddle and I feel our communication is improving she finds another way to show dominance I’ve been battling with her for 6 years now, it would be my dream to have a relaxed happy willing horse but she has so much resentment I really don’t want to give up on her I truly believe that she can be, at the moment I don’t trust her on the ground but I’m unsure where to start
Hi Jodie,
In your case when you are having issues handling your horse from the ground, I would focus on one simple thing. (you need to be extremely consistent with it though) You are also going to see it in the second video of ground work. It should help you solve most of the problems you are having at the moment. It is important to make sure that while you go with your mare on a lead rope she never goes next to you. She always needs to be behind you, her head should be at least half a meter behind your shoulder at all times when she is on the lead rope. Also when you stop she needs to stop at least half a meter behind you as well. If she walks and stops next to you, you need to back her up so she is at least the half a meter behind you. Also you can try stopping with her, then turn against her walk against her to back her up, and again make sure that while she is backing up infront of you she keeps that distance. She should start backing up before you reach her head, she should always maintain the distance. (you are going to see how that should look in the second video) Another thing is that when she is agressive towards you, you should not make any moves away from her. Ideally when she squeels for example you should not move backwards, but instead immediately step towards her and swing the lead rope against her. Basicaly everytime she does something like that and she sees that you move backwards even a little bit she gets the feeling that she winning and its going to be getting worse. The first thing you do should always be to move against her. Of course you need to stay safe when doing this, but as soon as you manage to get her to back up after she shows agression towards you the quicker you will be able to fix everything. Regarding catching her I think you do it well. What I would try is to give her a treat (carrot or whatever else you have that your mare likes) when you are releasing her to her paddock after riding on her. That should help a little bit. Also when you are catching her, its good to act as if you had all day to do it and not do it in a rush. Try to approach her just to touch her. You can approach her, stay next to her for fifteen to twenty seconds and then put a halter on her to walk her away. If she goes away before you put the halter, dont stress about it, she might go back to you, or you can try go to her after some time. Your mare should not feel that you are trying to catch her. Just go there with intention of just beeing with her. It doesnt help when your horse can feel that you are stressed and you are trying to catch her.
I’m letting you know that I’m leaving May 30 for 1 month vacation, I’ll be returning at the end of June.
I enjoy watching and learning from the videos and are finding your ways much easier… thank you! I’m not a trainer and need guidance to train my horse the correct way so I don’t do mistakes then have to correct them.
I just moved to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario but my horse is boarding in Massey 2-1/2 hrs from here. I started to look for a new home to bring my mare but had no success yet. While I’m waiting for a new home as I’m looking to buy I’m learning and preparing myself to work with my horse. When my mare arrives I would like to be able to watch them whenever needed so I may do it properly.
My question is:
Will the video’s be available for a limited time only or will they be available always?
Hello Florence,
cool have a great vacation! 🙂 Yes the videos will be always available. The members area is always going to be working, and even if we decided for whatever reason to close it down in a few years you would be able to either download the videos, or we would send you the videos on dvds (but this applies only in case the members area would no longer be maintained, which we hope never happens). You got the training and its there for you anytime 🙂
I am really enjoying both the ground work and the saddle work and are progressing albeit a bit slowly.
I wanted to know if it is ok to use my voice to control my horse, to speed up, slow down, stop as I have several herniated discs in my spine and cannot do sitting trot and am finding it very hard to try and sit to canter.
I have had my mare since she was a year old and is now 7. I use my voice a lot when riding and find this works quite well apart from when we are out and she gets very excited at times then it seems to go a bit wrong. I have started to do your exercises when we are out and I am hoping that this will help.
Is there any advice you can give me that will help with a very forwarding going horse who at times does not like to stop or slow down.
Hello Melanie,
controling you horse using voice is good, I like using it. But your horse needs to react well on the pressure from the bit when you pull your reins as well. Considering stopping I always teach my horse to first stop justing pulling reins. Then I start with practising stopping with voice. I pull the reins I use my voice simultaniusly, and then I start trying to stop just with voice. If your mare stops well while riding in the ring, and she stops worse once you are riding out, then you should just work on improving it even more while riding in the ring. It is always going to be better when you are riding in the ring.
If your mare tends to be too fast I would try to work with her at least six times per week. I work frequently with fast horses, and i make sure that every time I spend diferent amount of time in the saddle. I do not want the horse to learn how long I am riding. So one day I might be riding 40 minutes, the day after that I might be riding for 2 hours. So my horse can never tell when she will go home. When you practise this way, after around three months the horses change. They get causious about using their energy because they never know how long will they have to be going around with you. The same applies when you are riding out, always make sure you are out for different amounts of time and your horse doesnt know intensive is your riding going to be today. Also while riding out, never go in fast canter, always aim for slow relaxed canter. Also the times when you are in canter and your mare starts getting tired, dont just stop, make her go just a little bit further so she starts looking forward to slowing down.
I just love your training videos, they are so useful.
I have a problem with my horse though, when I ride him he tries to bite my leg….in particular my right leg. He particularly does it when I ask him to go from walk to trot and sometimes when I am about to mount him at the mounting block. I don’t know what to do about this as it’s stopping me progressing with him.
Hello Nadia,
there are basicaly two options in this situation. You can use your leg to push your horses head away immediately when gets too close to you and you suspect he is about to bite you. Or you can use your rein to turn his head away. It is important to always correct him and make sure that when he gets close to you and he is about to bite you correct him and move his head away. When you push his head with your leg, do not kick him for him to get scared. just gently push him away so he knows that is not something he should be doing, but at the same time he should not get scared.
It might take some time to fix it, but if you remain consistent and always correct him either with your leg or pulling your rein to move his head away, it will improve and eventually dissapear 🙂
Dear Radek,
I have a 17:2, 7 year old warmblood who has started competing at prelim dressage very successfully. However he has now started to refuse to move at all when he doesnt want to, in training and out for rides. I want to stop this escalating without having a fight as I am too old now to hit the ground and probably lack the confidence to “push through” as I did when I was younger.
Any ideas?
Hello Susan,
It is important in this situation to react as quickly as possible. When this happens to me I dont really do anything special, i just react as quickly as possible and I keep increasing the pressure. When your horse stops and doesnt want to move it is important to just react quick and keep increasing the pressure, you cant really give him any rest. If he stops, you try to get him moving twice and then just wait hoping that he will react later, he will see that he just won over you, and it will most likely just be getting worse. You can help yourself with a whip to increase the pressure if neccesary. I wrote an article on my blog recently about this sort of issues, I think it would be worth reading here is a link http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/ Let me know how it goes 🙂 I am always happy to help
Hi Radek, I have just started with your program and I tried to watch the first ground control video this morning – I don’t know if it is my pc, but the sound on the video is very distorted and I can’t hear your voice very well. Has this been reported at all before, or is it just me?
Anyway, I have a 15hh Standard Bred mare, 6 years old who I am bringing into work – having read the ground control ebook, I realise I have to be more consistent with her…….she is very respectful most of the time but I think she has just started to test me a little, so back to the basics to sort this out promptly.
Enjoying so far, but would love to watch the video and hear your instructions.
From sunny Australia – Marisa
Hello Marisa,
we didnt hear about a distorted sound so far from anyone else. The best probably would be to send you the training on dvds. What is your adress to which we should send the dvd?
Hi Radek,
That would be awesome, best address is 8/6 Swift Way, Dandenong South, VIC 3175, Australia. I have enrolled for both the groundwork and the riding – would it be ok to get both on DVD? Many thanks…..
Hi Radek, Cancel that request, I have just tried the video again and it is working perfectly! Onwards & Upwards, I will keep you posted with my progress!
Marisa
Hi Radek & Otakar!
I bought this program awhile ago and just got back to it, as I was sick and could not train my horses but I can now 🙂
Thank you thank you very much for this coaching area, I have had no good answers to my horses on how they are.
I know I must have gaps in my training that cause miscommunication and loss of respect.
I am not sure where though…..
All three of my horses are not very dominant but not lowest on totem pole but two are close to it. But thing is, I have with all three is a disrecpect lazy nature and then a sudden Im startled kinda afraid of me thing. I dont go nice to monster though so I am not understanding it. I wonder if Im not keeping on them long enough to smooth the startled fear cause I dont want them fearful so I back off and then suddenly back to oh hey you, yah I dont respect you much.
Though I know my horses like me and somehow see me as leader somehow, at times they do respect my cues or request they are sometimes awesome and can go back to disrespect or skiddish jsut as easily.
But they never run me over, never crowd, never ever bitten or even tried, dont kick at me (unless running in the r pen) they dont keep their rears to me. they are very easy to catch or might walk up to me somewhat. Also, I am quick on releases and quick on correction and yet seems the moment I get light on my requests they go oh cool your light again nwo I can ignore you or not really do what you want.
So they like me when Im not making them “work” I do use a cue always before anything else then one warning then a reprimand. Though I can at times do simple hand cues or even voice and they are right on it. But it never stays that way
I dont know why this dance of attitudes? Maybe I dont work them enough til they stop getting skiddish and just realize Im boss period? I dont do long training sessions notmore than a couple hours but I leave them mroe relaxed then got to them and I do make sure I leave it when they are being good. I dont work them alot, maybe that adds to it? Maybe twice a week if that as I tire easily.. Any advice I appreciate it!
Hope you can help me thanks!
I hope to get some clarity on this, thanks again!
Hello Nicole,
thanks for the message 🙂 A lot of times horses can actually sort of pretend to be afraid of you if they know that it will get rid of your pressure, and them having to do a certain exercise they might not like. Sometimes they figure out that it is a great way to get rid of having to do something…
It is important to just stay calm, and just always make sure your horse does what you want. When you are correcting them keep increasing the pressure each time and make sure you dont leave much of a gap in between the times you ask again. Maximum like 2 seconds and if he doesn’t listen, ask again using more pressure. If you take longer it might not work.
The amount of pressure you use, is actually not up to you, your horse already knows how it works, and it is him choosing whether you will use a lot of pressure or not. He should learn that. It is not your decision how much pressure to use, it is your horses decision, if he doesn’t react he is just deciding that you have to use more pressure.
When they realize this everything becomes better. Just be consistent so they can learn how it works and if they look afraid, they could be faking it to not have to listen to you. Horses are smart.
Riding more than twice a week would be good, but I am sure you can solve it even riding just twice per week.
Good Morning,
I am just beginning the Ground work steps outlined in your ebook and video. I have two coming 4yo fillies…one small, one big. I was with them in the pasture yesterday and one at a time, haltered them and went through the initial steps. I was vert happy at how well they did! I rescued them as babies and have handled them some but not consistently or with a plan. This worked very well.
My only issue was with the big one…..moving her front feet. Her head is much higher than mine so it took longer for me to convey clearly what I wanted her to do. You are very tall and that would be an advantage with a tall horse. I am 5’5″ and wonder what you might suggest? She didn’t do anything wrong at all…just stood still while I pulled her head away from me and pushed on her shoulder. Am I pushing the wrong place? I cannot reach too fat to her barrel if that’s a better button to push? Any suggestions?
Hello Elizabeth,
I don’t think your height should be a problem. What you describe is quite common. It is a bit difficult in the begging for your horse to step away with his front legs, turning around his rear leg. Some horses just behave as you described in the beginning.
Just urge your horse by pressing her on her crest or shoulder and hold your lead rope to prevent her from going forward. If she keeps standing still and doesn’t want to move to the side increase pressure after around one second. If she tends to go forward instead of to the side just step more in front of her.
This should help 🙂 let me know how it goes
Question not really related to video but long time problem with Romeo a 17 + Percheron . I have had training by other people but cannot get him to go anywhere alone. I need an approach that does not require me to try to muscle with him. He know he can pull me and run away. I need a plan to make him want to come with me and leave his buddies. Any thoughts?
Thank you
Hello Marie,
thank you for the question! I actually have a video on this exact topic for you. Just head to the bonus videos section and it is the very last video on the page. You can access the bonus videos via the menu on the top. Just put your cursor over any of the training, Ground Control, Saddle Control, or Precision, and on the bottom you will see “Bonuses” click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and there is the video that is going to show how I separate my horses from their buddies 🙂
Thanks for the course I am really enjoying it. Just a couple of questions in regards to when you have the very first ride on a horse how do you introduce the leg aids and how long would you stay on their backs as I would tend to build it up slowly. I have a young Fresian cross that I am backing and he is going really well but is not a forward going horse.
Also I have an Australian brumby who has taken a while to build his trust as he is very sensitive. He appears to have been traumatised due to his strong emotional reaction when trying to work with his hind end he is very protective of his back end and hind feet. He has a brand and was gelded from being captured but I don’t know much of his history. He has not been ridden and I have done ground work with him but when he feels claustrophobic he blows …..and panics. I have trouble getting his hind feet trimmed – I can pick his feet up but he is scared of others. It is like he feels stuck mentally as I would like to ride him one day and he appears to respect and trust me but its his panic reaction that is a worry. He is great with his front feet and lifts them up. I can work with him and he goes well and then goes backwards and its like you have to start all over again with him. How can I help him overcome his fear and keep safe …….he is super anxious around people but once you get his trust he is good.
Every very first ride on a young horse is going to be a bit different, it depends on how sensitive he is on the leg. Some horses react easily on every little touch, and if I see that, that is the case, I act very carefully and use low pressure. Over time, I want to get to the pressure level I want. In case I have a horse that is just too sensitive, I slowly keep increasing the pressure over time. Because I want a horse that reacts nicely on low pressure, but I do not want a horse that jumps to the side on the slightest touch of a leg.
If I have the opposite problem and my horse just doesn’t react on my leg. I use low pressure first, (the amount of pressure I want to be using later on), and if he doesn’t react I ask again using more pressure in around one second, if he doesn’t react, again after one second I use more pressure and ask again, I keep asking again and increasing the pressure until he goes to trot, then I stop. If he starts slowing down, I again start using more and more pressure until he goes back to trot. Like this you can teach him to react on lower pressure over time.
On a horse I have just started I usually ride for around 10 – 15 minutes and I ride mainly in walk. In around 1 – 2 months, I gradually get to riding for around 20 – 30 minutes.
If you have a horse that is generally more scared and cautious try to just move and do everything around him slower. Walk slower, move your arms slower. Sort of like as if you were in slow motion. If you do everything slow, your horse will get an impression that in case you try to do something bad to him, he will have time to react and run away. That will get him more confident and relaxed.
If some other people have issues with lifting his feet, I don’t really have much to recommend 🙁 other than that if they want to do it, they need to get his respect and trust first. I do not really know about a way that you could fix it very much. He will probably get more confident and better over time. But it might never be 100% with other people like some other horses that were born around humans.
If you are logged in to the members area you should see “edit my profile” after you click on that you should have option to change your password. Or if you are logged out on the login page, you simply click the “forgot password” fill out your username or your email and get a password reset link sent to you 🙂
In case none of that works, I can also do it for you. In case you want me to change it, you can just send me an email on radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com with the password you want, and I will change it for you.
Hi Radel,
I don’t have a sand arena so I have been working with my mare in a small grassed area. I often let her eat while I move barrels etc around to work with. Should I be making her stand and pay attention to me while I’m doing this. It’s a bit if a challenge with the grass so I’ve never tried in that area yet I do it other times. Maybe a mistake. What do you suggest please. I also let her have a bit while I’m in the saddle if she has achieved something that I am happy with and I rest her while she has some grass – is that ok?
Thank you and look forward to your reply.
Joy
Hi Joylene,
Thank you for the question! 🙂 Personally, I never let my horses eat while riding. Not even during the brakes. I believe horses can handle one hour without eating just fine. The problem is that when I let them eat occasionally, or during the brakes, most of the horses will continue trying to eat when I want them to be listening to me already. They will focus on trying to eat a bit more, and not on what I want from them.
That could mean that your horse keeps putting his head down to eat and keeps pulling the reins out of your hands.
When I want my horses to eat I take them on a halter and a lead rope.
Rewarding your horse with a short break is good. But when you, for example, move the barrels around, I would tie the reins to your saddle so your mare can’t eat. It is also good if she continues to pay attention to you while you do it.
Hi I have signed up for both ground and saddle work however on reading and watching I have a problem! I don’t have a round pen or any friends who have one, on a farm open fields cows and sheep tend to use small yard for ground work any suggestions as really this training is interesting but not sure it will work for my situation . Thanks Julie
Hi Julie,
it is good to have a round pen, but it is not impossible to train your horse without it. There were no round pens when I was starting out. Some exercises shown in the training require a round pen. But not all of them. You can do some of the exercises with a lunging rope. Otherwise, I dont know about a simple way to subistitute a round pen 🙁
Hi Radek, the training course is brilliant, and I am thoroughly enjoying it, thank you :-)… however, not ALL of us have round pens?… I myself, only a small ‘dressage’ sized arena? Makes ‘free lunging’ challenging, not impossible I admit, but not ideal either for what you teach. Any pointers in how to ‘cross over’ your training to adapt to that situation would be gratefully accepted 🙂 I guess I may have to find something tall enough and easy enough for me to ‘create’ a round pen (something a young, cocky individual won’t just jump clear out of in the middle of what he is being asked 😉 )
Hi Libby,
it is good to have a round pen, but it is not impossible to train your horse without it. There were no round pens when I was starting out. Some exercises shown in the training require a round pen. But not all of them. You can do some of the exercises with a lunging rope. Otherwise, I don’t know about a simple way to substitute a round pen 🙁 I saw round pens made very simply just with plastic sticks in the ground and rope in the middle of a pasture, and even though it is not something I would recommend, it actually worked fine. (The problem is that if your horse goes through it once, he will tend to learn to go through anything)
I’m confused about the membership costs. I was charged twice, on the same day, and for different amounts. How can I find out information about my membership and charges?
Hello Sue,
There were two charges on your account. One charge is 78usd which was for Saddle Control with the training process blueprint and the other charge was 47usd which was for Ground Control. We do not have a system that could show the payments in the members area, but you should receive a receipt for each payment on your email that includes the name of the training.
Hi Radek, Great video work and educational material. What do you advice if you have a horse prone to laminitis and has a slight sore footing. Do you advice to move them a lot? How riding or hand walking. I understand that this is not discussed or covered in your course but any thoughts would help me doing a better job with my horse. Many thanks Gaya
My comment is awaiting moderation not sure what that means do I need to do something or is it that you have not responded yet (no problem) I am just wondering if i need to do something
Hello Gaya,
nope nothing needs to be done, it just means that it is awaiting my answer, I actually think that as I answer one of your questions already, when you ask next time it should not say that and your question should go straight there, but I am not sure, either way you will get an answer 🙂
Hi Gaya,
I am not an expert on this, and I would definitely ask your local veterinarian and your farrier for advice as well. I would focus on removing the cause, usually, it is some problem with hoof care, or with the food. It might be too much food, or too little. I would give your horse quality hay, let him get some fresh grass. Regarding riding or hand walking, it depends on the state of the laminitis. I would definitely not overload the horse, and I would try to be on softer surfaces. Last time one of my horses had laminitis, it took around two months to cure it.
Hello Radek,
I am trying to update my details as my email address will be changing soon! I click on the edit profile tab but nothing happens. Is there a way that I can do this myself before my current email is no longer active?
Thanks,
Bonnie
Thank you, she probably has Equine Metabolic Syndrome and am applying recommendations with good results, but it is a a bit of a commitment I must say. One thing what really made a change is soaking the hay, what a molasses is in the hay! and even if you use a hay net with little holes she just stands and eats as she is in a fast food service shop, walking for a bit of grass is much better but grass is sugar what she can not really have. What a puzzle thanks for your reply.
Gaya
Hi, very interesting video. I need Close Captains (CC).. Yes some have cc box in video and I click English and nothing work.. Some has no CC BOX.. Please please fix the problems.. Thank you!!
Hello Linda,
thank you for the message. Can you please point me to the exact videos you are having problems with? I was trying to check it and it seemed to work fine. You can also try to restart your computer and use a different browser (I recomend using google chrome)
Please let me know the problematic videos or whether it works now.
Hi Radek,
I have found your e-books and videos very helpful and enjoyable with my process of fixing me and my horse issues.
As I have over the years been trying to educate myself and him (from young horse, he is now 13yrs), to achieve understanding, better riding and control habits.
The last issue being he is to forward (almost bolting) which has influenced to seek further knowledge.
Having attended many horse clinics and watching lots of videos on training I feel I have confused him quite a bit.
Using your methods I think has help us considerably but the issue I’m having trouble with now, is lowering his head when I lift the reins.
Not quite sure how to fix this or should I not worry as his head position is good with a soft feel method??
Thanking you again
Lyndy
Hi Lyndy,
sorry for a late answer. If you want to get his head lower take a look at the training process blueprint at the “relax of head and neck in walk” if you do that exercise turning your horse head to both sides on a small circle he will get relaxed and start carying his head lower. With some horses you might see a diference in five minutes, some horses might take half an hour. But over time if you practice this your horse should start carying his head lower at all times.
Hi Radek, I love your training, of course! I’m happily working with it with two horses. I have one question, I have a warmblood, that is alpha of the herd because he is 17 hands, but seems to be responsive to people, he knows voice commands on lunging and overall pretty mellow, but the last few months he is putting his ears back at me when I go to mount him. I use a mounting block and I have said hey and smacked him on the neck, but he keeps doing it. He does what I want on groundwork, but maybe not with gusto. I make sure I’m not toeing him with my boot, I think it may be lack of respect, what do you recommend, I don’t want it to get worse like a bite! Do you think I just need to work more on the groundwork?
Hi Julie,
the ears back while mounting can be caused by more things. It can be caused by the horse not understanding you properly while your are riding, it can also be because you always want the same exercise and it is a bit stereotipical making your horse bored. It is quite difficult to say. If you feel like there might be lack of respect, I would definitely try to gain more respect and work on what I am showing in the bonus video about respect. If you do that you should not get bitten. Also while riding try to focus on beeing really black and white so your horse always knows what was correct and what wasnt, and also try to avoid doing the same exercise for too long. Let me know if it helps 🙂
looking forward to start training my yearling colt. Have loved your introduction videos. However I went ahead and ordered the under saddle course because there was a $9 reduction in the $78 price if I ordered now. So I told my horses to prepared for a slim week of feed and ordered. The checkout said I was charged $78. When do I get the reduction?
Hi Donna,
The regular price of Saddle Control is 156 USD, the discounted price you can get during the free training series is 87 USD and if you get both of Saddle Control and Ground Control you get aditional discount of 9 USD which makes the Saddle Control cost 78 USD. 78 is the lowest price you can get with all the deals. I saw that you were charged 78, so you got the best price. I Appologize if the information on the website were not clear enough.
Hello Ilonka, the sided draw reins help to keep your horses head in a fixed position. They are good for begginers. The running reins allow you to move your horses head around and are not as restrictive. They are suitable for more experienced riders 🙂
Hi, I have a question about a herd bound horse.
My horse is a quarterhorsexstockhorse mare, she is nine years old and has a lot of energy. When I am working with her in the yard (where her paddock friend is) I have great response and she is making a lot of progress. But when I take her out to ride alone she becomes stressed and very reactive. I try to get her attention on me by doing hindquarter moves, forequarter moves, circles and anything to gain her attention, but it doesn’t seem to work very well. She wants to move fast, (which gets out of control) and just get home. What should I be doing?
I have also tried just doing ground work away from the other horse, which she does fine.
Thanks.
Maddy
Hi Maddy,
in this case here are a few tips. Take her only to one place where you two are going to be alone. For example, some field where you have some space to work with her. Don’t do some huge lap around. If you stay at one place she will feel that she can’t get home sooner by just going faster. If you just ride around she knows the faster she goes, the faster she is going to be home it’s bad.
Just find one place somewhere away from all the other horses, and ride preferably on circles. Wait for her to get calm. Pay attention to doing the circle in the same spot, make sure she is not getting closer and closer to home while doing the circles.
You can change gaits. Some horses are going to take a day, some might take three months. But it should work, especially if she is good otherwise. She probably doesn’t have as much respect when you are in the saddle, compared to when you are on the ground.
Hi Radek. I have a 3 year old French Merens and a 5 year old Anglo Arab. I have used your methods for ground work and have been successful with both horses. The young Merens has just been backed very easily I have not used a bit on her as she was working fine with just the head collar but now she seems to have no steering and is only happy following someone. When I am on my own she doesn’t respond to the pressure. Should I use a bit on her now and if so what kind. The Anglo Arab is always putting her tongue over the bit. Thanks in advance for your help. They have both had wolf teeth removed.
Hi David,
it would be good to start using a bit in this case. I would just try using a snaffle bit, that is around 1cm in diameter. Also if you have Saddle Control take a look at the Training Process Blueprint, at the head and neck relax exercises, they are going to help a lot.
Then if your Anglo Arab puts her tongue over the bit, i would try using a different bit. This can be quite difficult to solve depending on how long she is been used to doing it.
Tanks Radek. I Will Buy a bit for The Merens. I bougent à Myler bit for The anglo arab and so far she is ok much more relaxed and not playing with it. I have saddle control so will watch again. Thank you for your advice.
I’m really getting a lot out of your ground control videos. I have an eight year old Standardbred who has turned out to be one of the nicest, most willing riding horses that I have ever had. But we were beginning to run into problems out on the trails. Refusing to walk through water, refusing to step over obstacles, etc. I knew the problem was with me, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
Your videos have turned the light on in my head, and now we are making amazing progress.
There is just one problem I am having with him, at this point. Asking him to do a pirouette to the right is proving to be difficult for him. He did the moving his hind quarters around his front legs in both directions, without hesitation. Same thing with moving his forehand around his hindquarters to the left, but to the right is a different story. He’s still moving his hind legs to get away from my pressure.
I suppose I know that it is just going to take persistence, but I mention it here, in case you have any suggestions to make it easier for him to understand.
Hi April,
Sorry for the super late response, there were some issues and I was not getting emails notifying me of the questions here, and I forgot to check it. But here is your answer 🙂 If your horse doesn’t want to go over the water, I would first practice just walking through a bigger puddle. If you are not able to get him walk through it from the saddle, I would just get gum boots and walk through it with from the ground.
It is necessary to practice walking through the puddle until your horse goes through it without any sign of hesitation and completely calm. Then I would get back in the saddle and try the same from the saddle and started walking there and back over the puddle.
If I want my horse to go into the water, like a little river for example. I want him to just go forward, if he stops before the water and looks at it, I allow him to look for a little bit, and then I ask him to go forward again.
It is enough when he in this case just does one step. However, I pay attention for him to not back up away from the water. This way I slowly get into the water.
The first time you practice this it is good to find a spot where it is easy to get into the water and water is very shallow.
After you get your horse into the water it is good to get in and out of there a few times again until he goes in there without hesitation. If you do that next time you want to go into the water you are most likely not going to have issues with it. If you just go into the water once, the next day you might be right back where you started with your horse beeing afraid of the water again.
It is the same principle when you teach your horse to go over obstacles. First choose some really easy ones, and make sure he goes over them calm and then increase the difficulty. Also it is good to focus on making sure your horse doesnt jump over the obstacles you find around but calmly goes over them.
Regarding moving his forehand around his hindquarters to the right I would start with just one or two steps right. If he does the first step by moving his hindquarters I would just use the pressure of my leg to get him back to where he was and ask him again. I repeat this until my horse does at least one step correctly with his front legs and his hind stays at the same spot.
Then I try to get the one correct step again, if I see that it works, I try to get two and then after some time I am going to be able to do the whole thing. However it is not good to practise this for too long in a row. After your horse does one step correctly, let him relax for a while, maybe walk to a different spot and try it again in a different spot.
Me again, Radek. He also has a hard time, backing up. STILL! Racing Standardbreds are never taught how to back up, or to stand still. Out of necessity for my own health issues, I taught him to stand still while mounting, but the baking up is still something he is not getting. It’s like walking into a brick wall.
Hi April,
I would first teach him to back up from the ground. Then from the saddle. You can do it for example by just standing in front of a fence or a wall. It is important to pull your reins really really slowly and gradually, but also to keep pulling them until your horse does at least one step backwards. Then you can stop pulling your reins, give him a short brake and try it again, to do another step.
Another important thing is to not just pull your horse but also tap your horse with your legs. If he starts to want to walk forward, just pull the reins more to stop him. In the begging I just want two steps. Only after he can do that I ask him to back up further than that. There is a backing up video in the Training Process Blueprint, it would be good for you to watch it 🙂
Hi Jan,
I usually don’t see many issues with a horse going with his head too low. The only issue there could be is that he puts too much weight on his front legs. I believe it is good when horses carry their heads around the height of their withers. If your horse carries head bellow the height of his withers you can try to get his head higher it is not going to hurt him.
My quarter horse gives little bucks when I first get on then when I ride on he gets calmer and is ok. Have tried a number of things but what do you think?
Thank you
Hi Marie,
it is difficult for me to say what is causing it. There could be an issue in the way you mount your horse. If you send me a video of it, I would be able to help you much better in this case 🙂
Dear Rade,
I’m just starting to read the first ebook and watch the first video.
But I have to compliment the content,design, web and marketing.
Absolutely professional product in every respect.
Hi Radek!!
I’m enjoying your program. Actually I have used this same method in my past horses. However, I was just guessing and using common sense. But there is a time when you need help moving beyond. I think I just stopped at a certain point. I have a 1 year old, and a 3 year old Kentucky Mountain Saddle X Australian Stock that I bred from my mare that I am working with now. I really want to take them further. I started the Straightness Training with them to find out that to me I think you still need the basic ground work and respect BEFORE you can begin the liberty work. So I am going back to my original method and your program to start off. But my question is this: I also have an ottb who is 6 or 7? I got him off the track a couple years ago. He is wonderful on the ground but very slow………. He has a sweet personality and I believe is very smart. However, once I get on him, he gets very stubborn and falls away from me and if I try and take him down the road when he is done, he is DONE.. He will back up and into anything to avoid moving forward. I have tried every little avenue that I know of but can’t seem to break thru this problem. Because of this, I feel he is unsafe to ride out on trail or alone. In the corral he cant go anywhere so he is forced to listed to a degree. He has come a very long way since I got him, but need to progress out of this stage or I can’t go any further. Even if I sell him, I feel he needs to over come this so he is a better horse.
Any suggestions??? They took him off the track because they said he didn’t want to run if that helps any……
Thank You,
Patty Ann
Hi Patty
Most of the issues are caused by people giving up when their horse doesnt want to do something.
When you have these issues it is because someone in the past was not consistent and basically taught the horse that he get rid of doing something by just not going in your case.
If your horse doesnt want to go forward and starts backing up, try to continue backing up, and turn him around to be backing up in the direction you wanted to go.
If he wants to backup into a wall, let him, it would not hurt him and he would not do it again. If your horse wants to turn left, turn right. When you have these issues have your horse do the opposite of what he wants.
It is important to react quickly and last longer than your horse, in the end he should do what you want. As soon as he does release all the pressure.
If you want to fix this, the only way is to keep correcting your horse until he does what you wanted. You have to be completely determined that he will just do it and only after he does you can go home, there are no other options.
If you are consistent with this you can get very quick improvements. I am preparing a new training where I work with a few horses that had the same issues. And the owners of those horses were surprised how “easily” it got solved by just lasting until your horse does what you wanted. Your horse needs to feel your determination and that you only leave after he does what you wanted. Most of the people give up five minutes before their horse would do what they ask.
I have a horse that I describe as having just one loose screw that I haven’t been able to identify. He is normally excellent on ground manners, and under saddle is is a bit cautious but generally good. When something startles him he will generally “spook in place,” even if he is so scared he is shaking while he stands his ground. His one loose screw is that about once every four years he will bolt as someone is mounting. As a result I no longer dare to use him for lessons for fear he will seriously hurt someone. When I’m on him I can touch him all over, poke him all over, make random unexpected movements, etc. and it’s no problem. I can climb all over him when dismounting and it doesn’t phase him a bit. Several times I thought I had figured out the problem and taken precautions so it wouldn’t happen again, but then a few years later he does it again. It wasn’t until recently that I succeeded in getting him to do it as I was mounting myself. I purposely poked him with my toe as I put it into the stirrup, then yanked the saddle sideways, pulled myself up by the saddle, and then poked him with my other toe, at which point he finally bolted. I have never allowed a student to mount that clumsily, so I still don’t know why he bolted with them. After I got him under control I remounted, took him for a ride, then came back and mounted him again a dozen times, sometimes gracefully and sometimes not. He never moved. The only thing in his history that might explain it was once when he was young (and very round) the saddle slipped completely sideways as someone was mounting. I expected him to bolt, but he just took two little hops sideways and stopped dead. His problem didn’t show up until later, but I’m wondering if he remembers that time and has a flashback. Any suggestions? Will I ever be able to trust that I’ve completely fixed the problem?
Hi Roberta,
Horses remember what happened in the past, but if he didnt bolt before it is probably not causing him to bolt now.
I would try to work on getting him to react better on bit pressure as you pull reins to stop. So when he bolts ypu can stop him easier. The easier you can stop him when he is calm, the easier it is going to be when gets scared and he bolts.
If the bolting is not caused by mistakes when mounting I would always back him up to where he was after he bolts and let him stand still over there for a few minutes. It is not enough to just stop, you have to back up as well. I believe it should be fixable, it all depends on how well you correct him after he does it. By correcting well, I dont mean using a lot of pressure but reacting quickly and backing up to where he was. There is a big difference in correcting the mistake within one to two seconds and after 4 seconds. If its four your horse gets the impression he can try it again.
Also with your case because it happens very rarely it will probably take a long time to fix it. But it should be possible 🙂
Radek
Perhaps I should have given you a better description of what he does. By “bolting,” I mean that he explodes forward or sideways – but I have always stopped him within probably ten or fifteen feet and taken him back to where we started. Unfortunately my students were not able to do that within the one to two seconds you say it should happen, so maybe that’s why he has done it again. Maybe now that I have gotten him to do it with me and corrected him quickly, he’ll know he can’t do it? I don’t think it’s willful disobedience, though – it really looks like panic. The first time he did it, I thought the saddle had pinched him. I changed saddles to one that fit better, and he didn’t do it again for a few years. The next time I thought the girth had pinched him, so since then I have always checked to make sure it was settled properly before mounting. A few years later, I had checked everything carefully the day he did it for the third time, leaving me baffled. In light of what I had to do to get him to try it with me, I’m wondering if he does it in response to any slight pinch or poke or discomfort during mounting. Since I can’t absolutely make sure that will never happen, am I being mean to think maybe I should teach him to not be such a sissy and stand still even if something does pinch? Last time I rode him I ended the ride by mounting him twenty times in a row from the left from a mounting block, then twenty times in a row from the right from the mounting block. I started off doing it carefully, and progressed to being more and more careless and annoying, and he never took a step. I’m hoping that if I do that enough times, I’ll erase whatever memory he has of past experiences. The mounting block does help keep the saddle from yanking sideways, as well as not putting the rider in as vulnerable position during the mount, so maybe that’s the safe way to mount for now. But I also want to be able to mount him safely from the ground reliably, since there isn’t always a mounting block out on the trail! Any more thoughts?
Hi Roberta,
I do not think that if you correct it once it would be completely solved. Sometimes correcting three times is enough, some horses need you to correct them 30 times… It is hard to fix something like this since it happens just every two or three years. I am not sure if he does it because of discomfort, it seems a bit too exaggerated for that. I had one horse on my live training that also had a weird problem like this. Sometimes he just bolted uncontrollably. We had no idea why, but then we figured out that it was because we moved our hand above his withers, it was so weird… no sudden movement nothing crazy, just move your hand into a certain spot and he bolted in panic. This is probably not the case with your horse, but there might be something “stupid” like this that makes him bolt. Once we figured it out, I started moving my hand closer and closer to his withers, when he bolted I corrected him, and we kept doing that until it got better. Maybe your horse also has a specific spot where you just put your hand or leg and he bolts, it doesnt even have to be touching him.
Let me know how it goes, I am curious about the cause of the bolting.
Radek
I have a very high strung horse who freaks out when other horse pass or leave him on the trail. I have developed a heart condition which mandates I keep it calm or risk my heart rate flying away. How do I keep him from trying to run away with me when he gets nervous? He is a very strong horse and very difficult to control sometimes. I actually had a bad accident where he got going to fast and I hit a tree and had to stay in the trauma center overnight due to broken jaw and brain injury. I love this horse with all my soul and I know he can be better than this behavior
Hi Lindi,
I would start by improving the way your horse listens to you in calm environment. He should always react effortlessly. When you get on the trail it is always more difficult. When he listens to you perfectly while riding alone in the ring, it should be easier to slow him down when he starts rushing on the trail. It is possible to fix this and make him easier to control on the trail and to slow him down when he gets stressed, but it is not easy. It requires you to work with him daily and you need to be able to correct him. And even if you fix it, if you stop riding daily the problem will go back. I have a horse like this (actually the one I rode bareback in the round pen and in the winter in the field with no reins in one of the videos), he is amazing when you work with him daily, but when you stop, he also gets stressed when other stallions go in front of him on the trail. It goes away as you start working with him regularly, but as you stop, it goes back.
Considering that you should not get your heart rate up too much, and you said he can be difficult to control sometimes, and you had an accident with him, I would think about changing him for a horse with a different temper that would be easier to control. Changing him would not mean you have to stop loving him.
I have a gelding and he is 5, he is a standardbred (X-trotter) and every time I try putting him into trot he just paces, he is hard to get him into a trot.
Can you have any advise for me?
Hi Sophie,
If he is hard to get to trot start by asking him using low pressure and then if he doesn’t after one second, ask again using more pressure, and if nothing happens after one second again increase the pressure. And you have to keep doing it until he goes to trot. If you stop before he does it is just going to be getting worse and worse. You need to be super consistent and always make sure he goes to trot in the end. After you get him to trot, stay in trot for like 10 – 15 seconds. Then stop him, and ask for trot again. If you are consistent and repeat this a few times it should become much better quite quickly. There is also an article on this topic over here that I recommend reading. http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Radek
I followed your advise and it work the way you described I had awesome session yesterday and each time he started passing I put him back to walk and try trotting again. We had a good trotting session for an hour so I don’t believe that he is a lazy horse.
HI Radek,
I recently purchased your Saddle Control and have noticed a remarkable improvement In my horse. I’m a 64 year old women who has recently gotten back into horses after a 10 year absence. I purchased a 10 year old Quarter horse who is a good boy, but was not respecting me. I didn’t realize I was sending him mixed messages by not being consistent with him. After following your advice, he has really improved. I can’t thank you enough for fixing BOTH of us. I’m looking forward to the next ebony and video in 2 days. Thank you. Nancy
I have an 11 yo off-the-track thoroughbred gelding. I’ve had him for 2 years, he didn’t do a lot of racing, but since I’ve had him I have begun to teach him basic dressage which he has been picking up well, and I ride him on trails. He’s always been a pretty relaxed and compliant horse, is willing and nicely forward. He is desensitised to most things (flapping flags, noises, other horses etc) but a bit spooky with rustling bushes. Anyway, I have been doing groundwork with him for about a year, and only came across your training recently, so have been watching your videos adding your techniques to those I already use. He’s been going well, doing everything I ask in the round yard (changing direction, changing gait, halting) and we got to a point where he was doing it in a relaxed manner with his head low. However, in the last few weeks he has not been so relaxed, holding his head high and then throwing/flicking his nose into the air a few times each time he goes around. I can feel his energy and that he is not so happy doing the exercises. He also sometimes breaks into a fast canter, which I stop by getting him to change direction, after which he usually calms back down. But he might do this a couple of times each session. He will occasionally add a buck into the fast canter. Not directed at me, just as he’s running. On top of that, lately when I go to get him from his paddock, he turns and walks away, then stays facing away from me. In the past he usually either walks over to me or stands quietly while I walk to over to him. Now, the last time I went to get him, he walked away and then turned around and flicked his nose in the air a couple of times. This to me means he is unhappy with me coming to get him and not wanting to come with me. This is very new behaviour. So, can you please give me some advice on what might be going on with him and how to fix it? Is he challenging me as a leader, and if so, how do i fix this when getting him from the paddock and then in the round yard/arena?
Hi Margot,
there can be a few things behind this. But whatever it is you have to pay attention to always correcting your horse, and correcting him as quickly as possible. Even when he buck for example, so he knows he shouldnt do that. It can be that he is testing you and he is challenging you as the leader, or he can be bored. Maybe you tend to do the same things too often. It is good to do a lot of different exercises and change the environment. If I were you I would focus on always correcting him, and I would try to make things more interesting for him. Try new exercies, do not stay with exercise for too long, as soon as he does something correctly move to something else, and change the environment. Maybe once work with him in the round pen, then go to the ring and have on the lunge line. Or go hacking out, do different things and always correct him.
Thank you for the reply. Yes, I probably need to do a few more things with him. But can you also offer some advice about the paddock situation … I am concerned with his turning away and flicking his head at me and if this would turn into aggression. If he does this and I walk over to him, is he likely to just run away from me? And if so, should I just continue to pursue him? Should I carry a lunge whip with me?
Hi Margot,
If you feel like it is getting worse, I would take the whip maybe. In general, if you feel like things are getting worse, it is never a good idea to wait and see if it improves. It almost never does, it only escalates into something much more difficult to fix. It is always good to quickly solve things when they are small and it is still easy to fix them. As I didn’t see your horses behaviour it is difficult to say what exactly to do.
If he is turning away or showing aggression try to immediately correct him even from a distance. For example, if he turns to you with his head and starts to show signs of aggression try to immediately get him to back up, even using your whip. If he turns to you with rear end, use the whip to turn him around, and then again try to back him up. Work as it is shown in the videos. In the begging use very low pressure, but if he doesn’t listen increase the pressure, and continue increasing until he does what you wanted. I would focus on solving these aggressive behaviours, don’t worry about him run away, if he does, just make sure you correct him when he does something agressive, and you can work with him again the next day.
These issues when horses get aggressive are in most cases caused by the people not being consistent and not correcting all the small issues. Like your horse walking in front of you on a lead rope, pushes you and so on. Horses want to follow someone who is going to be fair to them and who they are going to perceive as stronger than they are. If you don’t correct them and are not consistent they will think you are weak and might start showing aggression towards you.
Also, if you feel like it is getting more difficult to catch him, don’t get too stressed about it. Do not just go straight to him and put halter on him straight away. As you get to the paddock, you can walk to other horse first if there are any other horses, or walk somewhere else first, and then to him. Also do not put the halter on take him away immediately. Be with him a little bit, then put the halter on, and after you put it on, you can again stay there a little bit and then go.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek,
Hi I am new to your ebooks and training. I have actually been using a lot of your techniques and like you have been picking through lots of information from different sources and was happy to find a complete plan in one spot with someone who understands that the relationship with these powerful animals is based on respect and the best ways to get that. . I have a six year old Arab gelding who is very sensitive and was spoiled rotten before I got him. I ride in mounted archery and am planning on using Dash competitively. He is very quick to pick up any type of instruction and tends to react to outside stimulus, although he does well to pay attention to my cues. He is curious about new things and timid and dominant at the same time. And why he may shy away he doesn’t run or turn away from new things. My issue sounds strange to me. He actually listens best and performs best with no pressure. What I mean by that is his best performance is when he is halterless/reinless in an arena or standing freely while I clean and saddle him. He is more reactive when he is tied or restricted. He has only had about 15 rides and I am moving slowly with him as I will be riding reinless in competition. I am wondering if he previously had a bad experience while being tied. he also likes to test his boundaries regularly, I believe due to his previous owners proclivity for treating him like a large dog, he was also kept as a stallion until he was almost 3. I maintain my consistency with him whether tied or free, it just seems to move along a lot slower when he is restricted. Thank you for your assistance.
Hi Sheri,
horses might develop these issues with having a halter if the first owner doesn’t use it properly. I do not know about a really reliable way to train a horse and never use it though. He might listen to you in most cases, but usually, if you get into a situation when he doesn’t want to do something, he would stop listening if you have never trained with reins before.
I would first teach him to stand still while tied to something in a halter. If he has issues with it, make sure you practise it with him in a place where is not going to get hurt, and you can use two halters and two lead ropes at the same time. He should learn to respect the pressure and not go against it. So beeing able to stand still while tied to something is the first step. Then if he doesn’t like it very much while riding, maybe just try to put the reins on, but just leave them on his neck and don’t use them, just so he gets used to having them.
I have a horse that threw me last fall, (partly my own fault) because I tried a new saddle and bridle he wasn’t used to and he got scared. It was the end of the fall and I broke my hip when I landed so he did not get ridden or worked with for several months. We moved him to a new location this spring and once again he spooked and ran off. Now he is extremely spooky and won’t let me catch him. I can get close enough to give a treat but he rarely lets me touch him. How can I do the ground work if I can’t even catch him? Do you have a video or part of your ebook that addresses this problem. I really want to try your methods on him but I can’t begin until I have his trust and can catch him.
Thank you,
Jan
Hi Jan,
there actually is a video that should help you. There are a few essentials that you should keep in mind in this situation. I would stop giving your horse treats, in this case they perceive it more as “oh ok I can eat her food, so I don’t have to respect her”. So giving treats in these cases usually makes things worse. Then if possible I would move him to the smallest paddock possible, or just work with him in the one he is in in case it is not possible to move him. There are two videos that show you how to deal with these types of issues. You can find them in the bonus section of the training. If you use the top menu, there should be pop up menu as you put your mouse over the ground control or saddle control item that is called Bonuses. If you click on that there are more videos. The last two are what you should watch. One on catching your horse, and the other on taking him away from his buddies. Both should help 🙂 In case you cannot find the bonus section this link should work as well: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-basic-rules-of-horseriding-video-3/
I appreciate all of your bonus videos. They are very good. My problem is this horse is in a pasture with no real corners nearby to get him in. I will give you more background on this horse which might help explain his behavior. He was rescued from a kill lot a year and a half ago by a friend and we believe he was very abused there and possibly prior to being there. Before that he was a pack horse for an old man and from what we know was a fine horse. When we got him at our equine assisted mental health program he was very hard to catch but we could usually lure him into the round pen with grain and then he allowed us to halter him. I worked with him last year and was trail riding with no issues even away from other horses. The incident where I fell off was a strange thing with him reacting a new saddle with a back strap that might have bothered him and a different bridle than he wasn’t used.to. I was cantering in the arena and he started to make smaller and faster circles until he was spinning out of control and I jumped off in fear that he would fall on me. So now he spooks at the slightest thing. After I broke my hip I couldn’t ride him for over 6 months and then only got on a few times before we moved him to a new location. So his last main experiences of being caught were me being thrown off with a saddle that probably hurt or scared him and being hauled to a new place with new horses that didn’t accept him for several months. He is settled in his new place now but as I said before I am not able to catch him and getting close is only possible with food or a treat. I don’t want to scare him more but am afraid the longer this goes on the less likely he will respect me. I am willing to be patient if that is what it takes. He has made some progress in following me closer when its it feeding time and seems to be okay with me at a distance. Any ideas would be appreciated. I do not have a way to put him in a smaller paddock that is not muddy and dangerous to try to contain him in. Thanks for your help.
Jan.
Hi Jan,
I Would try to give him a treat when you release him as well. That should get him more excited to go see ypu next time. Also I would around feeding time just wait there with the food and instead of trying to catch him just wit for him to come. Then as he comes dont try to immediately catch him maybe just let him come and go a few times. When you have catching him as the first thing on your mind, he is going to be able to sense it and he is more likely to be running away. Also if he is not alone in the pasture but he is with other horses, try to go next to the other horses, and if he goes away just stay with them, and if they are his friends he will probably just come back to them and to you after some time. I hope this will help at least a little, I am not sure what else to recommend at the moment. Let me know how it goes 🙂
I have a 10 year old quarter horse who was mainly a carriage horse. I have been using your program on him and he has really improved in his ground work and respecting me. I find it frustrating sometimes because one day he is really tuned into me and listens well and a couple days later when we do ground work again I feel he is almost back to step one. I can’t be over at the farm every day, so 3-4 times a week is what I can mostly do working with him. Why is it one day he’s “on” and another day “not on”?
Also, can I work the “walk” exercises that I follow in your video using a sidepull instead of a snaffle bit?
Hi Nancy,
you can definitely use the sidepull as well. It is common that horses are better one day and worse the other. Some horses more, some horses less. Over time it will improve and became more consistent. The key is to always correct him, and when he has a bad day, make sure you correct everything. I am working with a horse that was just like that and now she is turning out very good and much more consistent. Horses are like people, we also have bad days. Just keep correcting her and over time the differences between bad and good days will start getting smaller and smaller.
I just purchased invisible horse control. I thought that contained your whole system. Do you have a package deal if a person wanted to buy the whole lot of training programs?
Hi Kathy,
thank you for asking 🙂 Actually there is deal you can get on the remaining training. I see that you have the precision. If you want to buy a bundle of both Ground Control and Saddle Control you can go to this link:
Then scroll down, and in the frequently asked questions, there is a question how to get both of the training programs. If you click on that, there is a button that gives you a discount for buying both 🙂 Let me know if there are any issues and I can assist you further.
Hello Radek,
I have a 16 year old quarterhorse who has either not had much training or perhaps had very inconsistent training…it is really unknown (rescue horse). I have trouble even keeping him at a walk on a circle consistently. And forget about a consistent trot. It seems like if I try to push the issue, he gets more and more upset. He either really curls his neck and head (as if to get under or over the bit (??) so he doesn’t have to ‘listen’) or starts to buck (which, of course, scares me….so I stop asking….which obviously is not getting respect from him!!!). He is not good about being consistent on the longe line either. Suggestions???
Thank you so much for your help.
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
in your case it is not going to be very easy to fix this I am afraid. It is possible, but definitely not easy or quick. If your horse is 16 years old, it is sort of an equivalent to a 60 year old human. If he is been used to this his whole life, it is more difficult to change it the older he gets.
You are right with what you said when you get scared of him bucking and you stop asking you are basically teaching him that if he doesn’t want to do it, he should just start bucking. The way to fix it is only by asking him until he stops bucking and does what you wanted. If you are not confident about doing it yourself maybe try to get someone else to help. I wish I could help more but I am not aware of anything else that would help.
Radek
jako clovek v sedesati celej yivot to delal blbe je teykz to napravit
Zen and I are really enjoying your videos. Zen is a very smart, loads of fun to ride, mastermind escape artist. In the round pen I don’t attach a lead line. He tests me, but is very good with voice commands. He is not aggressive, but does let me know when he dislikes something and he is one of the few that lie or make stuff up. ( he can fake a limp and at times makes a bigger deal out of something that startles him then need be for him. He is an Icelandic horse. I am having an issue in the round pen when I ask him to change directions at times. Not always. Sometimes as he changes direction when his back side is facing me he bucks. When I make him continue working in the round pen once he has bucked once, the bucks get bigger, and he will even start backing up towards me before bucking. I am not into hitting him, causing him any pain, or exhausting him because I am in South Florida and he is an Icelandic horse. And I don’t have the coordination to attach a lounge line and practice. It is such a mess and it sets us way back every time I try. How do I correct this unwanted behavior please?
Hi Nicole,
there actually is a video that helps with your problem in the bonus section 🙂 You can access it by using the menu on the top and going to the bonus section. or by going to this link
Look for the video called “2 things that solve 90 percent of all issues” There is a horse that had the same attitude like yours and how it got fixed. In your case there is a few things I would recommend to keep you safe. I would get a lunging whip and stop beeing afraid of using it. Horses in the nature are used to getting kicked by others. The lunging whip is not going to get Zen hurt. If he can feel that you are determined to not hit him he is very likely to keep getting worse and worse. Correct him every time he bucks and always make sure he realizes that something was wrong. The way to do it is shown in that bonus video. If you do it you are going to save a lot of problems that otherwise would most likely come in the future.
Zen actually backs up pretty well. I will wk on making him back up even better. We have been doing a lot of backing up because I recently learned that it is great for their top line. And he gives me his undivided attention on a lose lead when we are working whether it’s me walking him like a dog or working in a location. It’s actually an accident how it happened. I accidentally made the porcupine game into a game where unless we are walking, or he was given permission to graze on a lose lead he will always quickly put himself in front of my face, facing me…since he was maybe 3.5 yrs old & he is 16 now. The only time he threatens to buck in my direction is when I ask him to change direction in the round pen. When he changes direction he always changes outward not inward.
Hi Nicole,
that’s good 🙂 Backing up is very important to get respect. You can further improve the respect by paying attention to him not getting too close to you by himself. He should always stay at least half a meter away from you, and then you approach him. He can of course go to see you, but as he comes to you he should not get too close. Sometimes a horse getting too close to you by himself could mean a little threat.
Also while he bucks correct him with a lunging whip, you are not going to cause him pain, but you will let him know that he should not do that.
Good luck to you and Zen 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
I have four year old QH mare. She’s very responsive and I was just trying to work on walking and turning her neck to the inside (as you recommended) and keep her going straight. I don’t know how to keep her going straight without her thinking I want her to turn. I know it’s me, because when I get things right she learns super fast. Please help:)
Hi Elizabeth,
nice, that is a good exercise. Don’t worry you can fix this quite easily I am sure. Take a look at the video in the training process blueprint that is about making the circle bigger. The reason your mare turns as you turn her head is that she doesn’t react on the pressure of your legs well enough yet. In the make the circle bigger exercise you are going to be using your leg to get her moving sideways on the bigger circle. As you learn this one she will start respecting your leg much more and you will be able to keep her going straight as you turn her head to the side.
While practicing the making the circle bigger focus on her front legs. She should be going sideways with them. If the pressure of your leg is not enough use a whip to help yourself show your mare what is that you are asking when you put the pressure with your leg.
Hi Radek,
I’ve had my horse, a 12 year old Tennessee Walker for 3 years. For many reasons, I have not ridden him regularly in the past several months, and I need to get back to basics with him. He and I join up beautifully during ground work, and he is respectful & responsive. He has started moving at the block when I try to mount, which he did when I first got him, but he was much better with it until I stopped riding him often. Now it’s like we’re starting all over. When he backs up or swings out away from the block, I make him move & lunge him in both directions. This does help. He is very forward moving, and nervous under saddle, which shakes my confidence. I am hoping that your program will help me to get him to listen only to me…Any advice?
Hi Celeste,
it should be quite easy to fix this. When backs up from the mounting block just ask him go forward to where he was, you always have to correct him. If he tries to go sideways away from the mounting block turn his head away from you by pulling your reins. So he has his head turned to the side to where he is trying to move away from the mounting block, but you are holding it with your rein. That will make it hard for him to step away from the mounting block sideways. I hope I am explaining it in a way that is understandable. If he goes sideways away from the block, before you even mount get your rein and his head turned away from you and hold him in place this way using your reins. If he moves backward or forward just always get him to go back. If you correct it every single time, it should get fixed quite quickly 🙂
Also if you want to get him more relaxed try to head and neck relax exercise described in the training process blueprint. I usually calm my horses down by doing small circles walk, while turning their head to the side. Just use your reins to turn your horses head to the side, as soon as he turns release the pressure, if starts to put it straight again pull the rein again to turn it again. Do this exercise for a few minutes and your horse should get more relaxed physically, and as soon as he does he is also going to be more relaxed mentally. Horses have it very closely connected.
Radek
ustupovat bycikem hlavu otocenou k sobe a aby sel od ni, taky aby couval.
kdyz odejde do strany otocit mu hlavu od sebe aby neodch
Hi Radek,
I have a question about stopping: when you stop with your legs forward (like a reiner), is your full weight on the horse’s back or more in the stirrups with your seat slightly raised to get off his back?
Also, in doing the half pass to the left, I see your left leg is held out away from the horse’s side with your right leg pressing him to move to the left. Again, where is your weight? I’m assuming you are not sitting with your weight evenly in the saddle but probably more in the left stirrup or on the left seat bone?
Love your videos and ebooks. Everything seems so simple one wonders that people do it any other way.
Hi Patricia,
while stopping I put slightly more pressure in the stirrups, but I do not raise in the saddle. While stopping it is good to not lean backward or forward. If you do it bit different than I do, it is not a big deal the important thing is to always do it the same way 🙂
Regarding the half pass to the left, I put more pressure into my left leg that is held out away from the horse. My right leg that I press him with and urge him to go has less pressure in it. But again that changes in the pressure are not very big and I do not lift myself in the saddle. If you need to you can use a dressage whip to help yourself.
Hi Rates
I have had my 8 year old cob for 5 years, he is good as gold most of the time. I have started your course as I would like my horse to respond to my slightest of aids. I have gone right back to groundwork work stage, he will move his hindquarters but when I remove the pressures he continues to move for another half a circle. When I try to back him up I am finding it difficult to back him up straight, he keeps trying to turn.
Do you have any suggestions on what I may try.
I don’t have access to a schooling area only my field.
Hi Tracy,
seems you are doing well 🙂 These are normal and very small issues. If he continues to move after you release the pressure it could be because you are still tense. Sometimes horses can feel if you are tense or nervous or something and they might continue moving. It is good to relax yourself when you want your horse to stop, they can tell and they will most likely stop and relax as well. Also, you can just stop him and correct him if he continues moving. But just really focusing your mind on “ok now I want you to move” and then “ok I am relaxed.. you can stop now” should really help.
Regarding the backing up, it is very common to have this issue. When he starts turning too much, just stop, correct his position and ask him to back up again.
I have started having problems with leaning in and the completely wrong bend at the canter. As soon as she thinks we are going to canter she throws herself to the inside and I cannot get her bent the correct way. She ends up making my body twist to the outside and we have a wrestling match over which way to bend. We always had this to the right but now it is both directions. I may be putting my weight in the wrong place. Where should it be to correct this?
Hi Lynn,
there are a few exercises to help you fix this 🙂 If you go to the Training Process Blueprint, take a look at the “making the circle bigger” exercises. Learn the one in walk, and then continue with trot and and canter. Those exercises are basicaly about learning to make the circle bigger by going sideways. Start with walk since that is the easiest to learn. Focus on the front legs crossing correctly as you move sideways on the bigger circle. As soon as you learn it in walk just learn the same in trot and canter. You will get much better control of your horse, and it will solve your bending issues 🙂 The best is the watch those videos in Training Process Blueprint since otherwise, it is a bit tricky to explain it in a message over here.
Hello Radek, Today I was practicing backing my horse up walking towards her. She is always very good at backing , I would just wiggle my finger from a standing position and she backs. Today because I was walking towards her and making her move quicker, she wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t get her to stop going back.
Which was a shock. She never did this before. She acted as if I was going to eat her up. I was able to pet her neck after some time but she had a look like she didn’t trust. Help please!
Hi Radek
I have had my 8 year old cob for 5 years, he is good as gold most of the time. I have started your course as I would like my horse to respond to my slightest of aids. I have gone right back to groundwork work stage, he will move his hindquarters but when I remove the pressures he continues to move for another half a circle. When I try to back him up I am finding it difficult to back him up straight, he keeps trying to turn.
Do you have any suggestions on what I may try.
I don’t have access to a schooling area only my field.
Hi Tracy,
seems you are doing well ???? These are normal and very small issues. If he continues to move after you release the pressure it could be because you are still tense. Sometimes horses can feel if you are tense or nervous or something and they might continue moving. It is good to relax yourself when you want your horse to stop, they can tell and they will most likely stop and relax as well. Also, you can just stop him and correct him if he continues moving. But just really focusing your mind on “ok now I want you to move” and then “ok I am relaxed.. you can stop now” should really help.
Regarding the backing up, it is very common to have this issue. When he starts turning too much, just stop, correct his position and ask him to back up again.
Hello Radek, I think I figured out my horses unusual behavior. I didn’t ever believe food could effect a horse, but that day, my horse was given sweet feed. She was not her usual calm self. (sweet feed not on her normal diet.)
Since, she is back to her normal self!:)
Thank you !!!
Hi Elizabeth,
oh, that is interesting. It is good that is back to normal. Otherwise, in these cases, it is just good to try to calm down and slow down your every move. Sometimes it can be that something stressed us out and our horse can sense it and then behaves differently. It was a nice observation with the food 🙂
Hi Radek. I have been following your programme with my 3 year old Merens. She has been really easy to train and she is now 3and a half. She was backed at 3. She has been very good and we had managed to get her to trot. I don’t ride he a lot just a few times a week for 10 min. About 3 weeks ago she bucked me off as I was trying to mount her. I landed very bad and broke my pelvis in 2 places. It will be a few months before i can ride again but I am very worried that she might do this again. There was no obvious reason why she shoul do this. Any advice would be good. Should I go back to basics. Thanks Radek. Margaret Latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize for the late answer I somehow missed it before. It can have quite a few reasons why it happened, it is hard to say what was the real cause. Sometimes horses just do something to see what happens and how you react. It is sad that it ended up like that. Sometimes with young horses it can also be caused by them having too much food in comparison to how much they get ridden. They end up with too much energy that they want to burn. Just giving him less food could help. Also riding just 10 minutes is not much, before you try to mount in the saddle again it is good to lunge him for some time before and get him tired. And another thing that is definitely good is to grab one rein before you mount and turn his head completely to the side. Then start mounting while keeping his head turned to the side. Only let him straighten it after you are securely in the saddle and he is calm. I hope you recover soon from the injury.
Hi Radek,
I love the Training Process Blueprint, which I believe is for under saddle.
I would love something just like that for ground work.
I just got my horse a week ago, and he was supposedly a “lesson horse”, but he is seriously lacking ground manners. I am having to work with him on “back up”; he tries to “lead me” in stead of me leading him. He’s a mess in the cross ties….
I know your ground work videos talk about all these things, but I think a nice print out like the under saddle blueprint would be really nice to have.
Thanks!
Hi Susan,
thank you for the suggestion 🙂 It is a great idea, I will probably start working on it during next year. If you watch all the videos in ground control you are also sort of going to see how it goes one after another but the blueprint would be better that is true. I am not sure if you have watched one of the bonus videos called “2 Things that solve 90 % of all issues” it is in the bonus videos section. It really should help in these very early stages.
The important thing is to never step back, or even lean back if your horse gets too close to you. It should always be him who moves away from you. There is a limit of course and if you were in danger of course step back. But if it’s not necessary you should always be still and your horse should back up.
Thank you! You were right, I didn’t really look at the bonus videos!
And WOW, those bonus videos are GREAT.
The place where I board my horse doesn’t have a round pen, I CAN longe him, but getting a change of direction on a longe line, is not as spontaneous as in a round pen.
I will continue to work on backing up, which I can do with a lead rope and a longe whip, and on respecting MY space when I’m leading him. Hopefully that will solve SOME things. I will also work on getting him to stand still for me.
Thank you SO much your videos are all brilliant! This “online coach” is wonderful too! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My teacher actually wants me to get rid of this horse and find another instead. I am hoping that with your help I can transform this one into a more acceptable horse for me, and acceptable in her eyes as well.
Hi Susan,
it is surely possible to really improve the way your horse behaves. If you see improvements it should be possible to get him to behave better. If you continue trying for a longer time and you dont see any difference it might be good idea to consider another horse. It is nothing to be ashamed of not every horse is a good fit for every person 🙂
I am glad you enjoy the training!
I have not heard the term before. What is a One Sided Draw rein? I use an inside sliding rein when I lunge, lunge line running through the bit and back to the upper girth but I have not heard or seen something called a one sided draw rein. Does it go on the inside or the outside? How is it attached? My draw reins run from my hands through the bit to the girth between the front legs or to the sides on the girth.
Hi Elise,
The one sided draw rein is the same as the what I reffer to as just a side rein. I am not a native english speaker and when I was writing that I thought that is the best term, then I have figured out that just side rein is probably better way to call it. The way it looks is shown in the third video of Ground Control. You can even order it in the store section of the members area. The side rein goes through the bit and is attached to the saddle and to the girth. I use it only on the inside side when lunging. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Radek. I haven’t had a reply from my post on 22 November and I wondered if you had received it. If not can you let me know and I will repost. Thanks again. Margaret latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize for the late answer I somehow missed it before. It can have quite a few reasons why it happened, it is hard to say what was the real cause. Sometimes horses just do something to see what happens and how you react. It is sad that it ended up like that. Sometimes with young horses it can also be caused by them having too much food in comparison to how much they get ridden. They end up with too much energy that they want to burn. Just giving him less food could help. Also riding just 10 minutes is not much, before you try to mount in the saddle again it is good to lunge him for some time before and get him tired. And another thing that is definitely good is to grab one rein before you mount and turn his head completely to the side. Then start mounting while keeping his head turned to the side. Only let him straighten it after you are securely in the saddle and he is calm. I hope you recover soon from the injury.
Thank you Radek. Very good advice. I usually do turn her head to one side but unfortunately this time I didn’t. A hard lesson learned. I will always make sure I do this in future. Yes she had put on a bit of weight so I will cut back on the feed. I should be able to start riding again in may so I will work with her on the ground until then. She is always such a nice horse this was very unusual but very scary.
I will take her out for walks in hand and get her used to new things. Thanks again for replying to me
I don’t always know which lead my arab/ Paint (both sides pleasure bred and very smooth) is on. Don’t tell me to look down because I can’t see either unless he is going straight at a gallop. He is black and white with a long thick mane which confuses the eye and he has short strides, so there is not a big shoulder movement.
If I set him up I usually can tell but if I’m just cantering and then ask myself which lead he’s on I’m only guessing.
I’ve been trail riding for over 50 years and leads were just not a problem. The horses took care of it. But now I have a chance to ride in an arena and suddenly leads are important! Any suggestions, tips?
Hi LaDora,
I see it can be tricky to tell. But I guess the best way would be to get someone to watch you and tell you which lead you are in, and then really focus on the seat and the way your horse moves under you. You should be able to learn to distinguish between left and right canter after some time if you have someone to help you with it. Also while turning it should become a bit easier to tell which canter lead you are in.
Hi LaDora,
the eye is there to draw attention to the upcoming slow motion replay. We want to replace with a spinning arrow because you are actually not the only one complaining about it. I apologize for it, we didn’t realize it is going to be distracting when we were making the video.
Question: I have a mare that does really well most of the time. She will stand and sleep not moving while I groom her and tack her up for a month or two. Then one day, she stands for about 5 minutes, then starts moving. I put her back and she moves and this lasts about a minute then she freaks out and starts rearing, kicking, jumping in the air, so I work her back and forth until she stands quietly again. It can take 45 minutes to an hour to get her to calm down again. What should I do when she has these episodes? I can’t figure out why 99% of the time she is so quiet and then 1% of the time she is so impatient and what to do about it.
Hi Elise,
you react well. The only way I know of to improve this is to react as fast as possible and just ask your mare to do simple things fast one after another. Go back and forth, if possible ask her to do some circles around you and quickly ask for different things so she doesn’t have time to think about anything else. Some mares can be a like you describe, but you should be able to improve it.
Thank you for your advice but that is my problem. Finding people who have the knowledge and the time to watch me is a challenge. I think the only real solution would be to take lessons regularly, but at $40. a lesson that’s not an option. I trail ride too much and don’t ring ride enough! lol
The spinning arrow would totally distract me. Please don’t! Another clinician uses his logo, a kangaroo, which turns swiftly and smoothly, then back to the lesson in a split second. It fits the concept so it is not distracting.
Hi LaDora,
I understand lessons are never cheap 🙁 In case you can always make a video of yourself and send it to me and I can give you advice based on that. I can’t give you real time feedback, but if it’s something that doesn’t need real time feedback you are always welcome to send me a video of you riding and I will be happy to help 🙂
I am glad you liked the stationary arrow more. Some people like the eye, some people like the spinning arrow, and some prefer the stationary it is hard to chose what to use 😀
I just watched your second video where the arrow was used. It is fine. Glad it’s not spinning. Perhaps you could change the background behind the arrow to not be a blaring white. A softer, lighter blue than the arrow? I am a retired art teacher and images are important to me. To me the white still slightly distracts, but much better than the eye image. 🙂
Hi LaDora,
great to hear that you like the stationary arrow more. The latest design is the same arrow with the video blurred underneath and the arrow slowly spinning. However, none of the videos that include it have been translated to English yet so I can’t show you at the moment.
Thank you for the feedback, the idea with the background is good. Maybe I should show all three types and do a vote to decide there is a lot of discussion about it actually 🙂
Radek
Hi Maren,
I basically do ground work 100% of the time I am near my horse. Since the first moment I get near him. However for example, if you want to do serious ground work exercise I do groom my horse before taking him to the roundpen, but I approach the grooming itself as a training already. I want my horse to react on my pressure and move away when I want him to. And stand still when I want him to stand still. If he makes a mistake I correct him even while grooming. Your horse will be improving much quicker with this approach.
PS I like the large eye. To me it says “Pay attention, this is important!” Like in Spanish, when we say “Ojo!” (Literally, “eye”, meaning, “Pay attention!” or “Be careful!”)
Hi Maren,
thank you for the feedback! 🙂 The opinions about the eye are very divided. I am even thinking about doing a vote across three versions that we have to finally discover what is the best 😀
I purchased a horse a few months ago and though she does really well respecting me on the ground, and most of the time in the saddle, there are times she thinks she can do what she wants instead of what I want. I purchased the ground control training to go over every step in case I missed something. I do not have a round pen though. Is there a way to make an arena into a round pen? Or is there an alternative way to do these exercises?
Hi Laura,
it is surely possible to be in the ring instead of a round pen. It is more difficult but it is possible of course. I want to make a video on this topic. I am searching for a horse to make it with that was not doing any ground work before. Hopefully, I find a horse soon so I can make the video.
Basically, I would start doing the same things as I would in the round pen but I would just have my horse on a lunge line while doing ground work in the ring. In the beginning, it is better to keep him closer to you, that gives you more control, and get the very basics down. It is good to not try to rush forward with the training in this case and make sure that you can do the exercises well enough before moving on. It is quite tricky to explain everything about it over here. I will try to make the video about it as quickly as possible.
I have just purchased all of the training and am keen so start. However am I able to do both the ground control and the riding at once or should I just do the ground control first before going onto the riding?
Hi Sabina,
It is definitely good to be able to do the basics of Ground Control before you start riding. It is good to at least be able to get your horse to go around you in trot in a roundpen, be able to stop him and change direction. If you know these basics it is no problem if you start riding and working on both Ground and Saddle at the same time 🙂
Hello Radek-
Can you explain how you set up your side rein? It seems longer than I expected. I have it hooked to the large ring on the cinch, then run it through the ring on the snaffle bit then again through the ring on the cinch before it is short enough to hook on a ring. Kind of like a “Z” pattern. Is that correct?
Hi Jaime,
the ways in which I set up the side reins are shown in the third video of Ground Control it is the best to see it visually 🙂 The side rein has the two rings, and they can be moved. Every horse is a different size so the rings on the side rein should be adjusted based on the size of your horse. I hope this helps let me know if you have problems with the setting the side reins up. Preferably send me a picture and I can tell you if it is set up correctly 🙂
I just joined the program! I got the ground control and the saddle control. Then there was an option of adding Precision for $27. I watched the video, but I am still unclear what added benefit Precision is over the other two programs. Will you clarify? Thanks. I look forward to getting started.
Hi Kathleen,
Precision overlaps with Saddle Control. Saddle Control covers everything and it is meant for you to follow it over time as you progress. Precision is more of a take a look and apply what you learned. You can read the ebook in one day, watch the video that comes with precision the other day and when you go riding you will immediately know how to get your horse to go exactly where you want more precisely.
It is going to show you how to get your horse to go perfectly straight, make the circle perfectly round. And always go very precisely exactly where you want him to go with your minimal effort and need to be correcting him. You can take a look at my riders test over here:
Precision is basically showing you how to pass that test on the highest level. It shows all the exercises and principles. It is not a long complex training but if you incorporate what is there you will be able to guide your horse easier with less effort and more precisely 🙂
My horse has always had a bad habit of chomping on the bit as I ride, and hanging on the bit. He likes to pull on my hands, and I don’t know how to break him of this. I don’t know if he’s doing it out of boredom, or just acting like a baby because he’s 6yrs old. His habit seems to be distracting to him and making it harder to teach him new things and make progress. Do you have any idea of how to fix this?
Hi Ally,
it is quite hard to give you advice in this case without seeing how exactly it happens. The best would be if you could send me a video fo you riding so I can see what exactly is going on. If I saw it I would be able to help much better. There can be a few different things causing this.
I would like some help please. I am currently going through your programme and I am really think its very good to follow. However, I fell off my horse 12 months ago and broke my pelvis. My horse stopped suddenly at speed as a bird flew out in front of him and I fell off.
I then decided to join invisible Horse Control to get a better rider and to train my horse better.
I am doing lots of ground work with him to build his confidence and have always done a lot with him. However, he still breaks/stops at speed when lunging when he gets scared and I am worried if I am riding again and he does this, I will fall off again.
Is there anything I could do to stop him breaking/stopping when he gets scared? It happens so fast, it’s impossible to stay on when you are cantering.
I am worried that what ever I do training with him, when he gets scared he may always do this.
Hi Jackie,
There might not be a way to make absolutely sure that your horse won’t ever do it again. You can work on improving it by urging your horse immediately after he stops and not stopping until he is going again. The way to do it from the ground is shown in the second ground control video. In the video, the horse is slowing down at the door of the round pen, but the way to correct is the same as when he gets scared and stops.
Horses, like humans, have different tempers. Your horse naturally stops when he gets scared. It is a reaction that is rooted very deep within him and it might not be possible to change it, you will be able to improve it, but most likely not remove it completely. Also, you would have to correct him when it happens from the saddle, and that would mean staying in the saddle when he stops and urging him to get going again… I would recommend getting a different horse with a different temper. There is nothing wrong with your horse but in your case maybe you would be a better match with another horse 🙂
Hi Radek, I have just received the Precision training and I really like it but am a little confused with something in the e-book. On p. 16 you are talking about making the circle smaller (in walk) and say ”I have my outside shin away from the horse, I put more weight into it and then press my horse with my inside shin to ask him to make the circle smaller” This does not make sense to me , and doesn’t look like the picture. Am I missing something? Thanks
Hi Jane,
oh, that is embarrassing. There was a mistake in the eBook it is supposed to be “have my inside shin away from the horse, I put more weight into it and then press my horse with my outside shin to ask him to make the circle smaller”
I have fixed it now, when you download the eBook it should be correct 🙂
Happy riding and thank you for letting me know about the mistake!
I watched the first video in Saddle Control. It is going to take me a LONG time, I think, before I will be able to advance to the second stage! Hopefully, once I start applying the techniques, it’ll go faster than it seems it will go.
I do have a question about the unilateral sling that forces the horse to keep his head in proper position while lunging. You mentioned in an email to me that you don’t have opportunity to work with gaited breeds where you are. I think most gaited breeds do a higher head bob when gaiting and there are differences in the way different breeds necks are set. I have a Tennessee Walking Horse and this breed as well as some others have necks that are set on higher and carried more upright than Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Why do you want the head low? Do I and the gaited horse folks ignore the lowering-the-head instructions while moving? What about the Friesian you were working in the Ground Control video? It seems Friesians’ necks are set on higher, too.
Hi Kathleen,
every horse carries his head a bit differently. Your horse doesn’t need to carry his head like the horses that I am riding in the videos, his way to carry it is of course going to be different. When horses carry their head too high it usually means that they are a bit stressed and cautious. If you can calm down a nervous horse by lowering his head. The height he carries it doesn’t matter that much it depends on breed, it is just important for him to have it in his relaxed position. That usually means that his neck is going to be arched down. So the line on the top of his neck is going to be longer than the line on the bottom of his neck. You can take a look for example at the relaxing head and neck exercise in the Training Process Blueprint. You are basically just asking your horse to turn his head to the side. If you practice that exercise your horse will lower his head to whatever his comfortable natural position is. Then you can use the exercise to calm your horse down in case he gets stressed.
Thanks, Radek. I think I understand and I think that will be a great tool, as my mare tends to get a little nervous at times and then starts to accelerate her speed. I’m going to find the training in the Blueprint Training section and watch.
Question. My mare has been doing awesome but she injured her hind leg and I have to treat it, very very painful. I feel like I have lost everything. I can’t even get to the leg now. She tries to stand still but as soon as I touch it, she moves and moves and moves. I feel so bad because I know it is extremely painful. I have to do it though. What do I do? I am losing her trust.
Hi Elise,
that is a tricky situation 🙁 You should however try to correct her, don’t let her run away from you. Maybe get someone to help you. So one person holds her and keeps her occupied and the other person takes care of her leg. Try to get it done as quickly and as gently as possible (I am sure you do already) I hope your mare gets better soon!
Thank you Radek! We managed to get things to recover and it didn’t affect her long term. She is back to standing perfectly quiet while I handle her legs and doesn’t move an inch. I was afraid of “breaking my horse”…..but as soon as the pain went away, so did the moving. I also added Neosporin with pain killer to her treatment plan and the painkiller helped a lot.
Hi Radek,
I’m loving your videos and your articles. You are a gifted teacher and not many are able to explain difficult concepts like you do, so I’m grateful.
Last month I had a hiking accident due to what they think was a seizure. And so, until the Drs know more, I am not allowed to ride my horses for six whole months!
I don’t want my horses becoming bored of all the ground work I am now doing. They are used to a broad range of activities (galloping, riding in the mountains, arena riding, jumping, reining and dressage) to engage their enthusiasm for learning. Before the accident, I took MANY trail rides to break up the arena schooling. Now I do ground work, liberty work and take them for walks in the mountains in hand….using all of your techniques to keep us learning and growing together. But given that I’ve suddenly got this ‘opportunity’ to only work in hand for 6 months, is there anything specific in terms of goals, curriculum, etc that you would suggest so that we turn this into a positive experience for all of us?
Thanking you in advance.
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
I am sorry to hear that, I hope you get better soon. There are a lot of things you can do with your horse from the ground. For example get your horse to go over cavaletti while lunging, or you can try going somewhere where there is a little hill and get your horse to go over it. So he has to go up and down while lunging. It will strengthen his back. You can try to get your horse to go sideways away from you, practise speed control and stopping. You can try sidepass from the ground. I am sure that the six months will be interesting and you will be able to enjoy them 🙂
I have 2 mares that do very well with ground training so far. They back easily, turn forequarters and hind, sidepass, stand, gait transitions, and stopping. My only concern is that I have a 60 foot round pen, and they both like to short change the ring, meaning they don’t ride the rail. They will both cut in at the walk and trot, but not dangerously close to me. I have an major leg injury at this time so I am not able to run around the pen to keep them to the full outside ring. Should I be concerned with this? If so, how would I change this behavior?
Hi Judy,
you don’t need to worry about it as long as your horse makes the circle round. If he maintains a nice circle it is ok if it’s smaller. There is a video on asking your horse to make the circle bigger while lunging in our Facebook group 🙂 If you are not already there you can join us by using the top menu of the members area and watch the video there.
Hi Radek, well where to begin? Firstly I think my pony has had a personality transplant!!
He is a Welsh part bred 14hh now rising 7 – I’ve owned him since 8 months old. We started having problems regarding being very pushy on the ground although he is amazing to ride. Then he has been difficult to catch- walking or running away from me. I’ve tried all the different techniques regarding food or paying attention to others but whereas I could catch him it was tricking him into it not him wanting to come to me. Today I spent a very content 2 hours with my pony. I tried the techniques you showed on the video – within seconds of starting to lead him around by the other horses he was following hoof perfect!!! Stopping a respectful distance – trotting with me and stopping really suddenly -just exactly like your pony!!! I even sat on him bareback and walked around the school. Incredible- now I am waiting for the next videos.
Thank you so much.
I’ve never been able to cuddle him and stoke his face but today he stood really calmly and still whilst I brushed him and stroked his nose!!
It probably doesn’t sound a big thing but it really is!!!
Louise and ChiliBean xxx
Hi Louise,
there are a few ways. Probably the easiest si to post it in our fb group. Or if you want to send me one over here, you can for example upload it to youtube and then post a link over here 🙂
I am needing alittle help with the exercise of stretching the neck and back where you relax the horse by asking him to turn his head left and right whilst walking in a straight line. All 3 of my horses tirn their heads when asked except they do a complete turn…i apply more leg to try n hold them on the straight but to no avail….
Hi Joanne,
it depends on the horse, some horses are more difficult to get them to turn their head. I am not sure I understand everything correctly. You are able to turn your horses head to the side on the straight line but when you do a turn you are not able to turn his head?
Radek
I rescued my pony from a lesson barn. When I first got her she was really leg sour and pretty much resisted everything I asked her to do. She’s come a long way, but the last few times I’ve ridden her, she’s been really resistant to moving into a canter and bucking when I persist. She used to just kick out when she was being bratty, and but she hasn’t done that in quite some time. Then kind of out of nowhere, the last few days, she threw some pretty nasty bucks that were close to getting me off. I persisted and got her to do what I asked every time, but I’m not sure what to do to let her know bucking is NOT OK. It’s like once she gets over her hiss fit at being made to do something she doesn’t feel like doing, she’s fine, but I really need to skip the testing step.
Hi Erica,
sounds like you are doing everything correctly. It is important to react as quickly as possible when you get the feeling your horse is about to buck. I correct my horse when he starts bucking by urging him to go forward. Every time he starts bucking I start urging him to go forward to tell him he shouldn’t be bucking. If you always successfully correct your mare she should eventually get better. Usually, it takes just a few lessons to get much better or even completely disappear but it all depends on the horse and if she was used to doing it in the past and for how long.
Radek, Thanks for your very thorough explanations. I have an 8 year old Welsh Thorougbred cross whom I raised from a foal. She is an accomplished and reliable driving horse and also trained for riding, where she is also calm and obedient. When handling her on the ground, she is too quick for my taste. She wants to walk faster than I can walk, but is improving using the reminders I have gained from you. In the ground exercises you suggest, she is so sensitive that she will move around her front legs too quickly or take more steps than I want at a time. How can I slow down her reactions to my very soft cues?
Hi Linda,
every horse reacts differently. You should be able to make her slower and more relaxed by making all your movements slower. Try to get relaxed (if you are tense your horse can feel it and it is going to make him faster) and also slow down all your movements. Your horse always tells you whether you are using too much pressure or too little by the way he reacts. If your horse reacts too quickly. Just move your arm slower for example. Some horses react on very subtle cues.
Hi Radek,
I sent a longish message to your reply of March 27, and don’t see it posted here. Did you receive a 2nd message from me re: my pony bucking when I urge her forward. In short being urged forward is what she generally bucks about. She was very leg sour when I 1st got her, so I always go with least amount of pressure to increasing it if she doesn’t respond. She knows and will often respond to just a voice command, but she is resistant to moving into canter unless she’s feeling good. And that’s where I get the bucking. The more pressure I use, the more pissy she gets. So if I’m going to correct her for bucking I think I need a different way.
Hi Erica,
that is strange, I did not find any response to my reply to you. It probably didnt get sent properly 🙁 I dont really know about any other way to solve it. I would practise speed control in trot. Then for example the transition from trot to canter. When you trot try to stay in fast trot most of the time. The way to fix the bucking that I know of is just to keep urging him until he stops bucking. Everytime he bucks you should urge him forward. The faster your horse is going the more difficult it also gets for him to buck. It is difficult to be able to do this for the rider, you really have to be very consistent and urge your horse everytime he bucks. You can even help yourself with spurs or a whip. But in general if you do it correctly your horse will stop bucking very quickly and realize it just makes things worse for him. I was working with a horse that had this exact problem and it got fixed in just two days. But it depends on how long your horse have already been doing it.
I know I have a looooong ways to go in learning the basics and growing with my horse, but I’m wondering if there is anything I should be doing as I’m working on the basics to point me in the direction of bridleless riding. I haven’t seen any mention of it in the training.
Hi Kathleen,
basicaly your horse has to react very well while riding with reins first. React on very low pressure, stop absolutely reliably and quickly enough. You should be able to get your horse to stop without pulling your reins and he has to stop quickly, so you can see he really puts some effort into stopping. Also just start practising bridleless riding with reins first. Just put your reins on your horses neck and try to ride without holding them. First maybe in a small enclosed area like a roundpen, then maybe a closed ring and you will see how things go. It is important to always have control, while you practise with your reins on your horses neck you can still grab them in case he doesnt listen and correct him. I would only take them fully of however after I know that my horse is one hundred percent reliable when i ride with them attached but not holding them.
Hi Radek, I just watched the second ground control video and have a quick question: does it matter which way the horse turns in the round pen when you are lunging and changing direction? Does it matter if she turns into the fence or if she changes direction by facing into you? Hope you can help. Thanks, Ros.
Radek;
My horse Peanut has been ridden in different styles, Western, reining and some English. He does wonderful on your ground work. I can do some liberty ground work. So here is my problem I set up the course and we did not do very well. He did not want to go my way but his. It did get better after about an hour just walk and trot. He does this with me and I don’t know if he is just confused or I am confusing him. He also does this funny canter step when you are in trot and not sure why? I also have issues keeping him in the speed I want. I have been riding him in a straight Happy Mouth bit and and a Passoa saddle but I am wondering if I should go back to my western.
I have had lessons but again did make some process but not as much as I was hoping for that is why I joined you. I think you have felt sometime as I do now that the pieces are not coming together. I even took lessons on schooling horses to improve. What do you suggest to get him listening better in the saddle? If I carry a crop he does better but I would really like to transfer that ground work to saddle. The person I got him from was one of those riders I wish I could be but he did ride him with spurs and a high port bit. His a calm horse and has been through the mounted patrol course and that is why I bought him.
Thanks
Deb
Hi Debbie,
thank you for writing in. I am not sure what to advise now, it would be the best if you could send me a simple video of you riding. I would be able to get a much better idea of what’s going on and give you advice. Otherwise I would recommend taking a look at the blueprint. try doing the exercises starting with the simplest ones and tell me which ones are you having issues with and how. I am always happy to help 🙂
Hi Radek
I have read the first e book and found it really useful with my riding and already I have noticed some improvement in my horse paying more attention to what I am asking and concentrating on me more while riding.
My horse has a certain amount of respect for me and I can make him wait while I mix up his food without him pushing me over to get to it (which he used to do) and he will stand still to be tacked up and cleaned generally. However, the problem I have is he hates to be brushed and hates having his rug put on and that is the only time when he will turn around and act like he wants to bite me. I also worry that he will be disrespectful with other people.
Hi Sue,
when your horse shows intention to bite you I would push him away immediately so he knows that he should not do that. With the brushing, maybe try using a softer brush if possible. Otherwise, I would just work on improving the respect even further. Let me know how it goes, I actually cannot recall a time when I would have an issue like this only with brushing. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi,
I rescued an Arabian mare from a kill pen about a month ago. She is now out of quaranteen and we just started working wit
h her on the ground. She is in her older teens and all I know about her is she came in with a pack string. Anyway we had her on a long lead and were trying to get her to trot around and when my daughter raised the whip to reverse her she reared up and came at her . We think maybe she was hit with a whip.She steped back and hit her on shoulder with the rope. Then continued being very slow with the whip and she didn’t try it again. Ears back when with whip. The next day we worked her without it and she was ok. She also has attitude when asking for the back but started getting better. I haven’t had experience with a horse that may have been abused with the whip. We are going to try and desensitize her to whip before we use it again,Thanks for any input.
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
I apologize for the late answer! There so many places to be checking for messages that I forgot about over here.
It seems that you are doing pretty well. Just be slower around her, your every movement should be slower. I am sure she will improve based on what you are saying. Just watch out for doing sudden movements around her and it she should improve 🙂 let me know how it goes!
Hi Radek. I am ready to restart training with my now 4 year old French Merens. She was backed at 3 and at 3 and a half she bucked me off and I broke my pelvis. My riding instructor rode her yesterday and she was very good. I would appreciate any advice in regaining my confidence with her. Regards. Margaret Latto
Hi Margaret,
what works for me is to mentally get ok with the possibility of falling again. It’s good to “not care about it” if you think about it, and think about avoiding it all the time, your horse will sense it. Maybe I would try to ride on some really reliable horse that you can be confident about first. It is no easy to get straight back on the horse that caused you such an injury. Starting on some other reliable horse first and getting mentaly ok with the posibility of falling again is what I do myself. I wish you all the best and a lot of happy moments in the saddle! I am sure there will be a lot of them 🙂
Dear Radek,
I have a long standing problem with my Fell mare regarding traffic. I have had her for 10 years now and to begin with she was very difficult in almost every way. But we got the help of a natural horseman in our area who taught us a lot of the techniques that you use and now she is generally very good , except in traffic. For a few years I was able to hack out alone but then a very long and rattly lorry went past us very fast and she has been terrified of high vehicles and anything that rattles ever since. We live a short distance from a great hacking park but there is 5 minutes of occasionally busy road to get to it, and I am not prepared to ride down it anymore. I have ridden down it with other horses who are very calm but if anything high or that rattles goes past her she either runs forward or perhaps more dangerously , runs backward. I have resigned myself to saving up for a lorry but I wondered if you have any ideas. I am able to get her past anything pretty much using the techniques you showed in the pig video, but its just not safe with traffic . also the drivers round here are not very respectful so there is that uncontrollable element in the equation. The only other thing I have not been able to deal with is a gypsy caravan drawn by a cob, coming towards her at a spanking trot, she turned and galloped off, but in that case the driver did not slow down when he saw I was having trouble . Luckily I have only ever encountered that once, and I think my mare must have thought that the pony pulling the cart was running away from it and so she should run too !
I love all your videos and articles, thank you for providing the service you do .
I had a mare that was petrified of traffic, we put her in a small pasture right next to a busy road for 30 days….problem solved. Just wanted to share something that worked for me.
Hi Jane,
I would probably just try to walk with her to the hacking out place with your mare from the ground. She should be calmer that way if you have her respect. It would be extremely difficult to get to stop being scared of the traffic. You can never approach them and get your horse to see them, like I could with the pig. Your mare would need time to get familiar with the car going by but that is not possible. So I am really not sure about a good and safe solution to this.
Hello Radek, question for you. How do I create Impulsion? I watch your videos and your horses seem to have impulsion. My mare does what I ask very nicely, but she doesn’t seem to have impulsion while doing it. It was very clear the other day when she was a little afraid, I had amazing impulsion while doing the same moves. Her lateral work that day was fluid and I could feel her using her back. I am not sure how to create that feeling when lunging with the single draw rein and when riding. She is just flat, does the moves but doesn’t put any effort in and really doesn’t use her back and lift.
Hi Elise,
I improve the willingness of my horse to perform the exercise by asking with little pressure, and if its not good enough i ask with just enough pressure to get an exaggerated reaction. There is a video on it actually. You can find it bonus videos section it is called “how to get your horse to react on low pressure” It shows the way of getting your horse to react more willingly. Hope it helps 🙂
I enjoyed the video of the horse going over the tarpaulin. I have A Thoroughbred gelding who reacts by rearing up when he is scared of something.
When I take him up to an object like a tarpaulin or a muddy puddle for instance I can do the circles etc but when I get really close up to the scary space that I want him to go over or through, I feel afraid to push him because I know he will rear up and I usually fall off.
Hi Wendy,
I see, I would try to get him to walk over it from the ground first. If he rears you can smack him with the lead rope and ask him to back up in front of you. While backing up there should be at least half a meter distance between you and your gelding. It is good to have a long lead rope. Or if smacking him with the lead rope doesn’t work well, you can move to the side and pull him to the side to throw him out of balance while he is rearing. He will not like being out of balance and he will probably stop rearing. After you get him to walk over the tarp or through a puddle, from the ground without him caring about it, you can mount and try it from the saddle, is he is completely ok with the scary object from the ground, it should be ok when you get into the saddle. 🙂
Hi Radek. Help me!!!
So Chili and I have come so far since we started following your way and ridden he continues to be amazing but the respect on the ground is beginning to slip. He is starting to forget when tied up. Come into my space. Be a little pushy. Snatch his feet back. Back up a step or two then stop etc. He only behaves if I yell at him and I feel bad doing that.
What do you suggest?
Hi Louise,
it is important to react as quickly as possible, when you see that he is starting to move into your space you should correct him immediately. The faster you react the less pressure you are going to need. Also be super consistent, some horses like to test and try to push the boundaries as soon as they see a hint that they could. You don’t correct them when they try to be slightly pushy once and they immediately start building on it, seeing how far they can go. I would focus on the consistency and reacting as fast as possible. It should improve again 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Going to try that. Just discovered my new saddle of $4,000.00 is hurting his back. This is the second saddle that had been fitted by a qualified saddle fitter that doesn’t fit.
This will not be helping the rearing situation.
Surely I can’t be the only owner of a TB horse with a short back, slightly roached, with usual dip behind the withers, that is so common with that bred . Getting frustrated with saddle fitters.
Hi Wendy,
it is hard to tell without seeing it in person. However it is not very usual for a horse to be rearing because of a badlly fitting saddle. It could be of course, but usually it has other reasons as well.
Hello Radek.. Your videos are very easy to understand and follow. I like that you talk slowly so that I can process what you are saying and showing us. I wanted to know if there is a video on how you train your horses to come to you in the pasture?
Hi Melody,
I actually do not have a video on this. Some horses will do that easily, some might not. It depends on quite a few things, I dont have a way to train my horse to come to me in the pasture. Usually if you have respect, work with your horse frequently enoough, and do things correctly, so he can enjoy being with you as well, he will come to you, or a least he is not going to be trying to run away from you. Also the way you normally catch your horse in the pasture can influence this. If you are trying to catch your horse too quickly, and you just go there with an intenion to quickly catch him, put the halter on and go straight away, he will probably be running away more or wont come to you.
Hi, I just received a video from you and when I opened it, it disappeared! It was showing a test on a mare that had only been ridden 2 years and before anything happened it was gone. I looked on iPad, phone and computer and no video. Can you please send it again as I am anxious to see it. Thanks. Harriet
I just purchased the ground control training. I have a question however before I purchase the main training course. I have never had riding lessons. Owned a Welch Pony up into my teen years. Rode her all the time and she came to me just green broke. I went 40 yrs without riding as an adult. Last year did some trail riding at commercial trail riding stables. Last Autumn I purchased a 20 yr old Morgan who was currently owned by the Commercial trail riding stable. They used her for trail rides and every summer she got shipped off to a kids summer camp where she was ridden by all ages from 5 and up. I am told that in one point of her life she was a show horse and she was used for driving as well. So basically a been there done that horse.
My question is… at 21 yrs old…. is she still trainable as she needs some re-training. She won’t canter when I request her too. She sometimes stops and will not go forward unless I spin her around and head the way I want to go. Most of the problem is me I am sure as I have never been taught to ride officially so I am afraid I am giving her the wrong ques. She will not lunge. Often when I am grooming her she likes to walk forward so I am constantly backing her up to where I want her. Are we both to learn the correct ways?
Hi Pam,
it is more difficult to re-train a 20 year old horse, but it is not impossible. It seems your mare might even be trying just what you personally will allow her to get away with. If you are correcting her it is all good. I would not be too afraid about the ques, if you were riding before you probably know them well enough. If you are not doing some mistake like pulling your reins while asking her to go forward it is probably not causing the issues. There is probably not much specificaly about getting your horse to canter when he is just standing still in Saddle Control. There is one video about what to do when your horse bucks when you ask for canter. When your horse doesnt want to canter you do basicaly the same as you would when he bucks when you ask for canter. You can watch it here: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/how-to-correct-bucking/ the important bit is to keep urging until your horse does what you were asking. No brakes in between, just keep urging and be more stubborn than your horse 🙂
I am finding it impossible to saddle my Icelandic mare by myself after she was attacked my another horse while she was tied up.
I bought her from her breeder 4 years ago who said she moved when being saddled so there has always been an issue there, but I always managed to saddle her myself. She is not in pain and wont even let me put the saddle pad on, but if someone holds her she stands and it is easy to put on her saddle. I have done a lot of ground work and made massive progress in general but this is a huge set back, any advice would be welcome.
Hi Jenna,
I would approach it the same way as when you start a horse. Start with just the saddle pad. Maybe put her on a longer lead rope so your mare doesn’t feel as trapped. Then try to put on the saddle pad, if she moves, move her back. After you put the saddle pad, take it off and put it again. Continue taking it on and off until your mare doesn’t care about you putting it on anymore. It is good to have a few hours and just practice this. Get your horse completely not care about the saddle pad. When you manage that you can do the same process but with a saddle 🙂
I had introduced my gaited horse, Duke, a little while ago on your FB group page. He has been doing well on the ground, very respectful and good transitions from halt to walk to trot to canter and back, in the training pen. I have started mounting him, in a fenced-in, grassy square for now. First, we practiced standing still while mounting. He does that fairly well now, and if not, usually after one correction. I can then sit on him and he won’t move. If I, however, ask anything of him – light leg pressure, pick up reins, etc. – he will start rushing forward in a nervous, fast gait. I am not so well versed in the U.S. gaits but I don’t think it’s a rack (tölt) but believe it might be a running walk. While he responds really well to the bosal on the ground (no bit currently), he only gets more nervous if I put on any kind of pressure on his nose from the saddle. He is VERY responsive when I use one rein and ask him to turn or yield hind pressure, but again, he always has this enormous amount of nervous energy. I have been dismounting every time he starts rushing (and he will stop short when my right foot leaves the stirrup and let me dismount, which is very helpful!) and then tried again. After one or two tries he actually walked for 2-3 steps and then broke into his little run again, after which I again dismounted and started over..etc. He obviously has had training and was perhaps shown as well. He knows how to park out (stand lower for mounting, which I don’t ask him to do but he offers when I, apparently, give him the cue to do so) and is probably used to someone getting on and then rushing forward immediately. I think many gaited horses in the U.S. may be taught just one speed – run. Since he was very anxious and shy of people when I first met him, I wonder whether he was trained the “cowboy” way, fairly roughly. Since that may be the case, I have been using only the hybrid halter, which can be used as a training halter or for riding as a sidepull-bosal, with either direct or neck rein, in order to stay out of his mouth for now, since he may have been ridden in a painful walking horse bit. He obviously understands both reining cues but under saddle I have so far used the direct rein to have more control over what I ask for. Today, I went back to practicing stopping, accompanied by vocal command, and had him backing up on the ground when I say back and slightly pull the reins on the halter backwards. I thought perhaps he does not know to stop and/or back when in a bosal. He might just be used to a bit. Sorry – this is quite long! but in addition to the above, do you have any other ideas on what I could do to get him to walk quietly when desired (instead of gaiting immediately)? I think he will need to be reconditioned to realize he does not need to always rush, which, I know, can take time. Thanks!
Hi Annika,
in this case I would recommend walking for a longer period of time. If you stop too quickly he might never learn to walk slowly. If he speeds up just turn him on a small circle and continue walking on a circle. If he rushes jut make circle smaller to slow him down. Try to be doing as little as possible in the saddle. Just get him going for as long as possible while doing as little in the saddle. Also ask your horse to turn his head towards the inside of the circle that helps with getting him relaxed. Also slow down your every movement. When you move your arm it should be slow, if you do anything with your legs, it should be slow. It will probably take a few days but you should be able to improve rather easily 🙂 Also keep in mind that some horses are naturally faster than others.
Thanks, Radek. Glad you’re back 🙂 It was hard to get him to just relax and walk. All he would do was gait rapidly. What we ended up doing was I had my partner get on him and I worked him from the ground. After a few minutes, Duke realized that he didn’t have to be nervous about the rider on his back, and he relaxed. I led him to the training pen, and around it numerous times at a quiet walk, and worked with the usual halting, backing up, etc. Then my partner led him and I mounted Duke. After a few quiet circles, I took up control from the saddle. At first, I only used calm, slow commands, hardly any bosal/rein pressure and very slight leg pressure – to which he reacts quite strongly. I managed to get him walking fairly relaxed (still not a completely slow walk, but yes, he is a gaited horse and has a fairly fast walk to begin with) and I think he is realizing he doesn’t need to run and worry about the rider all the time. He is now doing fairly well on the left circle, on the right he still is nervous, left seems to be his favored side. I will try your advice at asking him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle. First, when I tried that, he just rushed inwards, but the more he relaxes, the better that should go.
Hi Anita,
great! I am glad you are seeing improvements. If your horse goes inside of the circle when you ask him to turn his head, move both your hands towards the outside of the circle. You can also help yourself with your leg to push your horse towards the outside. There is a video no making the circle bigger in the Training Process Blueprint 🙂 I reccomend taking a look you would see it in detail.
If your horse reacted quite strongly it just means that the pressure was still a bit too high. For some horses a little touch is enough. You always know whether you are using the correct pressure by observing horse. If his reaction was a bit too strong, use even less pressure.
Hi, my daughter has a new horse, a 12yo mare we purchased 3-4 months ago. She is very well trained & is a competent show jumper. For the 1st 6 weeks she was perfect, did not put a hoof wrong & all was going well, however, my daughter has now fallen off this horse 5 times in a short time, my daughter (17yo) is a very competent rider & normally sticks like glue, she does eventing & has always been a very confident rider, but it seems this horse has worked out how to dump her. She will be cantering along beautifully towards a jump or even just cantering in a paddock without a jump in front of her & she will suddenly duck out to one side, she drops her shoulder & moves very quickly, she doesn’t seem to be shying at anything & does this at random times. My daughter has now become quite nervous riding her & isn’t keen to do much with her now, which is only going to make things worse, What would you do, sell her & move on or persist & risk further falls & losing confidence even more??
Hi Alison,
I apologize for the late response, thank you for the email to let me know. It is a bit of a tricky situation. If your daughter already fell 5 times I would not recommend her to try to fix it. I think just selling the horse or giving him to someone else to fix it would be the best way. It is not very easy to fix this issue and if you want to fix it, you have to be able to stay in the saddle after the horse ducks out to the side. It can be fixed by staying in the saddle and immediately asking your horse to move sideways back to where he ducked from.
Hi Radek, thanks for this great program, I’m really getting a lot of great guidance from your videos and ebooks. I really appreciate your methods and consistent way of training. I have been starting at the very basics with my thoroughbred who raced until fall of last year. I’m working slowly through the training blueprint and still working on large circles at a walk, he does great to the right but always wants to cut in/step over to the inside with a straight body instead of following a natural bend when going to the left. He is generally responsive to pressure from my legs to get him to yield when we are walking a straight line but he is very resistant to the pressure when working in a circe like this, to the left. Any suggestions? I do occasionally offer treats while doing big stretches on the ground and he’s able to easily reach well past his hip to the left with no hesitation, he’s actually stiffer/more hesitant to do the same stretch going to the right, surprisingly.
Also, in looking forward on the blueprint, I was watching the video on relaxing head and neck- I understand the initial phase where you turn the horse’s head more than normal while circling, but how do you keep them from turning/walking in a circle while.wanting to ride a straight line during this exercise? And when waking a circle and turning his head to the outside of the circle, how are you keeping him on the intended circle without walking to the outside? Is it just applying leg pressure? Or is there more to it? Thanks again for a great program!
Hi Robyn,
I see, I would start by riding on a small circle and trying to practice moving to the side to make the circle bigger there. It is much easier to ask your horse to make the circle bigger when you are riding on a small circle. Also when you start asking for your horse to make the circle bigger, keep increasing the pressure until he does at least one step, then immediately stop. If you ask him, he doesn’t do it and you stop asking, he is not going to understand what the pressure means.
I keep my horse in a straight line or on a circle while turning his head to the side mainly using my legs.
For example you want to walk straight and turn your horses head to the left. Move both of your hands a bit to the right so they are more on the other side then the side your horse is turning his head to.
Then with legs, put more weight in the outside stirrup (in this case the right one) and create pressure with your left leg. That is it 🙂
Hi Radek,
I have been following your programme for a little while now and am finding it really helpful. My mare Ruby and I are making good progress in most areas. We have one small thing that we have been struggling with for a while though……..stopping from walk using just our seat. She does it nicely using my reins or my voice but not the seat only. The slowing/stopping from trot and canter is pretty good and we are, more and more, able to do this using just our seat position. However, when I ask in walk she just does not get it. I have watched and re-watched the videos and tried my best to follow your advice but, even if Ruby starts to understand, it is always unreliable. Sometimes she dribbles to a stop, other times she doesn’t stop at all. She has now started objecting to going backwards after I ask her to stop from walk. Can you give me some help on this please.
Thank you,
Anita
Hi Anita,
that is strange. But if you can stop asking with your seat from canter and trot it is already very good. In walk I would just focus on asking with your seat, and if your mare doesn’t react stop her with the reins. Ask with your seat, if nothing happens within one, maximum two seconds ask by pulling the reins.
Regarding the backing up, I would actually focus on backing up first, before improving the stopping. Every horse backs up a bit differently. Start by just backing up maximum of two steps. Start with lose reins, pull them gently and gradually. If your horse tries to walk forward pull your reins harder, if he starts moving backward, immediately start releasing the pressure. If you pull the reins gently and your horse doesnt back up start tapping him with your legs and urge him more that way. As soon as you can do at least the two steps you can try more, but when you ask for, for example four steps, pull the reins, when your horse start backing up, immediately start releasing the pressure, if he stops backing up, gradually pull the reins again.
Also dont ask your horse to back up too many times every day, horses get easily tired of it and they can start fighting with you.
Hi Alison,
I apologize for the slow response, we were in remote areas with bad internet. Here is the answer: It is a bit of a tricky situation. If your daughter already fell 5 times I would not recommend her to try to fix it. I think just selling the horse or giving him to someone else to fix it would be the best way. It is not very easy to fix this issue and if you want to fix it, you have to be able to stay in the saddle after the horse ducks out to the side. It can be fixed by staying in the saddle and immediately asking your horse to move sideways back to where he ducked from.
Hi Radek
I have been trying to get my horse to lower his head in walk but when I pull the reins to my chin he throws his head up instead. Also if I tap my shins constantly he breaks into a trot then I have to pull him up. I feel like I’m confusing him.
Hi Jenine,
it is important to watch out for your horse moving his head lower even super slightly. With your reins, do not pull them, just keep them slightly tensioned so they are not lose but be super gentle. With the legs try to tap your in a different way then when when you ask for trot. Be very gentle with the pressure and just wait for your horse to start moving his head lower and then immediately release the pressure. Even when he lowers the head very slightly. The release of the pressure is very important, especially with this exercise.
I don’t know how to get cust. support any other way to ask my question. I ordered your DVD ‘s on ground control & I am wondering when I can expect them. My email is peggyjohnsonusa@gmail.com. Thank you
Hi Peggy,
you can get the quickest response by sending us an email at radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com if you have a customer support question 🙂 I have checked it and your DVDs were sent on 22 August, so they should be arriving quite soon. They usually take up to 30 days to arrive.
I have been riding Blade for about 2 years and he goes well out hacking. Recently we have become scared to go out so I would like to exercise Blade in my menage. However Blade finds this very boring and doesn’t move forward without excessive encouragement. When he does break into a trot it’s erratic, I become unbalanced, falling behind the movement and he then comes to a stop. He likes doing anything from the ground and loves just standing around people who are talking. In fact when I have someone in the school with me he is constantly trying to stop and stand next to the person in the school. I’m now at the stage where I feel that riding him is a chore.
How can I get Blade to be as responsive to my touch in the school as he is when we are out hacking?
Hi Norma,
I would try to get him to go in faster paces most of time while you are riding in the school. You can spend half the time in slower trot and half the time in faster trot. You should also ride in canter, and the same way in canter also try to ride in slower and in a faster pace. Another thing I would focus on is making each riding session different. Ride for different amounts of time each time, and continue learning new things. For example turns on the haunches, practising the exercise for relaxingy our horses head and neck. Horses usually get bothered if the riding session is always the same and they just go around the ring. I have an article on this topic as well, you can find it over here: http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Hi Radek, my horse is eleven and I have had him eight years , I have had many horse and they have gone well for me , but this guy thinks he is a race horse he just wants to go, if I walk he wants to trot if I trot he wants to canter , and if I canter he wants to gallop. I’ve tried every thing , please help thank you . He hates any contact with the reins , I have tried bitless but he just takes the piss. If I lung him , he is a star , if had his back and teeth checked , he is a monkey .
Hi Sue,
when your horse is too fast in the saddle but ok while lunging it usually means that he is scared of something and he is trying to run away when you are in the saddle. It is not very useful to compare him to other horses, every horse can be very different in this sense. I would always start riding in walk on a circle. The faster your horse goes the smaller the circle. I would ask him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle. Just pull your rein and as your horse moves his head release the pressure, try to avoid just pulling the reins and holding his head to the side by force.
This relaxes your physically and once he gets relaxed physically he also relaxes more mentally. It also teaches him to react better on the pressure when you pull your reins. If my horse goes too fast I never ride on straight lines, I would have to keep slowing him down by pulling the reins and he would start hating the bit. Instead, ride on circles and slow him down by making the circle smaller.
If your horse goes too fast make the circle smaller. You should be able to ride without slowing him down by pulling reins, just make the circle small enough so he cannot go faster than you want him to. When you get him to maintain the pace you want on a circle in walk, you can start practicing it in trot and then in canter. Horses that are too fast usually take more time to calm down.
For example, they might take twenty minutes of riding on circles until they calm down in trot. Once you get to trot you should stay in trot until your horse calms down, even if it takes twenty minutes. After he does do a few more circles. The same applies for canter. Riding on a circle shows your horse that might be cantering for basically unlimited amount of time because a circle has no end and he is likely to calm down and start going in a slower pace. I also have an article on this topic over here: http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-fast/
Hi Radek
I am really enjoying your approach and style in sharing good horsemanship methods. I have ridden and started colts most of my life, with a short break the last few years. I am purchasing a young Filly and want to build a bareback and bridle-less relationship with her. I want to depend so much less on my hands and more on mind and body language. Your program is great at taking what I know and showing me how to tweak it. Thank you.
My question is about ground work in the round pen. Do you have an opinion about whether the horse should turn/change directions by turning in toward you or out toward the fence? The early work in your 2nd groundwork video, has them turning out. Is turning in something you encourage as they progress? The older palomino horse is turning in more. Does this denote more respect and less wish to escape? I know that ahorseback, one often turns into the fence to encourage the horse to set back on the hind and come across more quickly with the fore quarters.
I’d appreciate your thoughts and opinions.
Thanks,
Rose
Hi Rosa,
cool! I recommend starting by just riding with reins first and then transition to riding without them. It usually makes things much faster and easier. I am preparing an extra video on this so you will receive when it is done 🙂
Regarding the turning around towards the outside or inside, a lot of people actually ask about it, so I have put together an article about it where I explain the difference between both and how to ask your horse to turn towards you. You can read it over here: https://radeklibal.com/should-my-horse-turn-around-with-his-head-or-his-rear-end-towards-me/
Radek,
Thank you for your response. As always you very clearly simplified something that is often made much to complicated. The article was very helpful.
I am sincerely looking forward to starting with my filly.
Best wishes and Blessings,
Rose
Hi Radek, thanks very much for this great program! I have a question for you- I understand your method of moving the hind end to ensure the correct canter lead is picked up, but what exactly do you do to cue the canter depart? I’ve never had a horse that knew how to go from walk or stand still to canter and have always had the forward momentum of trot to move up into canter. What signal do you give the horse so it knows to go into canter rather than just speed up or go into trot? Thanks very much! Also, just a suggestion, if there a way you can alter this forum thread so that the newest questions/contents are put at the top? I’m usually reading from my phone and it takes forever to scroll down to the bottom to see what new questions/answers have been posted. Thanks!
Hi Robyn,
that’s a good question. It is quite difficult to explain it though. I believe that the precise way (or signal) you ask your horse to canter is not important. A lot of times people try to move their leg in a very precise and specific way to make sure they ask correctly. But your horse doesn’t know what the correct way is, for him the correct way is the way you teach him. More important than focusing on specific movement is to be focusing your mind on the action you want your horse to take. A lot of people focus so much on the way they should be moving their leg that they forget to think about “I want canter”.
Usually, when you just keep “I want canter” in mind when you make the move, your horse will end up understanding. When I ask for the first time, I just focus on canter, I move my horses hind end to the side and then push him with the leg stronger to ask for the transition to canter itself. So for example if I want left lead canter, I use my right leg to move my horses rear to the left and then I press more to ask for canter.
If your horse doesn’t react, just ask again, every second until he goes to canter. You cannot stop until he does what you want.
Regarding the walk to canter and stand still to canter, I only start practicing those after I can do the trot to canter transition well enough already and I ask my horse in kind of a similar way as I did it in from trot.
Hope you don’t mind me adding a useful tip I pick up from a Monty Roberts book – bend the horses head away from the lead you want (counter intuitive as on a circle you expect to have the correct bend). It blocks the shoulder so he strikes off with the correct lead. You ask with right leg as above but bend the horses head to the right also so the left shoulder is open. It was how I taught my Arab as I had no facilities for schooling so we were doing straight lines on forest trails.
Hi Radek,
I just acquired a 16 year old Holsteiner, who was trained as a jumper. One day, just after I got him, while trail riding we had to cross a trickle of water about 15 cm wide and barely moving. Corvino took a a leap about 5 feet up in the air. Being totally unprepared I went off. No one was hurt thanks to my excellent helmet. I would like to know the best approach to keep him from leaping. Now that I know he will do this I have been working on my approach to little creeks like this, by distracting him while we are approaching the creek. Like playing with the bit and entering the vater sideways. It seems to help, but I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. I would appreciate any ideas.
Thanks
Eva
Hi Eva,
walking sideways and keeping your horse occupied while approaching the creek seems good to me 🙂 What I would do is that I would cross the creek repeatedly after you cross it for the first time. Just keep going there and back until your horse completely calms down. If you have managed to get him to go over it already a few times it should be quite easy now. Just remember to keep crossing it there and back until he calms every time he gets scared of it. I recommend taking a look at the first video in the third chapter of Trail Control called Increasing your horses’ self-confidence, and you can also watch the one on crossing water. They show pretty much what I would do in your situation with the creek.
Radek I bought the trail Control because I have problems riding out with my mare. I can do all the things you suggested in the arena so that she is listening and connected to me. Even if I try to lead her out she seems scared and wary of everything. It is difficult for me to organise another horse to be here and anyway I want to be able to ride out on my own.
I am not very brave so have had someone ride her who is not bothered what a horse does, she rides well and does eventing. The horse was worried and tight with her on board too.
Hi Gerry,
the easiest way to get your horse comfortable is to go to a one place away from home, like a field and just ride as you would in the ring. First few times your horse could be tense, but after three times he should be fine. Focus on riding on circles and doing the head and neck stretch exercise to get your horse relaxed. After your horse gets comfortable riding on some field away from home, you can gradually do more and more unknown loacations and your horse should be getting more confident over time. I reccomend watching the trail control videos in second chapter.For example the video 10. video 13 and so on. The horse from those was probably quite similar to your horse 🙂
Hi Radek,
I have recently purchase a standardbred Mare, 8yrs old. She is Pacing instead of trotting, used to be a trotter. The people I purchased her off said that she did that when they first got her as well. Can you please give me some techniques to get her out of this habit?
thanks
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
if your mare goes like this for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJhFxiKjBoo and is already 8 years old it is not really going to be very easy to “fix”. Each horse is comfortable with something. If your mare likes to go likes this and was taught to be going likes this, I am not sure if its worth it to try to change her so she goes in normal relaxed trot. Maybe it’s better to get a different horse. Trying to change her nature so much probably would not work too well. It depends how your horse was trained if she was trained. She could be fast because its her nature and she was taught to go fast. Or she could be scared of something and that is why she goes fast. If you want to slow her down, just slow her down normally release the pressure on time, if she speeds back up again slow her down and release the pressure on time. Do not just stay pulling the reins constantly after she slows down. It is possible to slow her down like this, but the release of pressure needs to be correct.
Hi Radek,
I just have a question about my horse standing still while I am around him. I was watching the video with you and the pinto in the arena. How do you let the horse know whether you want him to stay in one place or to follow you around? If you move away and the horse follows you, isn’t the horse doing what you want as long as the horse keeps a respectful distance and stays out of your personal space?
Thanks, I am thoroughly enjoying your e-books and videos! 🙂
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
that is a good question. I actually use a word that I say when I leave. Different one for when you want your horse to stay and a different one when you want him to follow you. If you want him to stand still and he moves just correct him like it was shown in the video 🙂
Radek
Excellent question Kimberly – I was wondering this. I say ‘Stand’ and put my hand up for him to stay still. I say ‘forward’ if he’s to walk towards me (and I look at his front feet, not in the eye which might challenge him to stay where he is) and I say ‘lets go’ if he’s to walk behind me and we are both facing the same way. I also say ‘catch up’ if he’s falling behind…..i probably have more vocal commands than normal but it works ok I think.
Hi Radek
Will you have any training on trailer loading? My horse has always been difficult with this. We make progress then she decides to be difficult again. I have spent hours using different methods without losing my temper but feel that we are really getting nowhere. I have left it for 2 or 3 months and have been working on your ground and saddle control ( which have been hugely helpful with her generally) in the hope that this will ultimately help. However I thought I’d ask for your suggestions before starting again.
Thanks
Hi Liz,
I have been preparing this video for some time, we filmed with two horses, but I would like another one as well. I don’t have enough shots to make a good video. It should be ready quite soon, but when exactly I am not sure 🙁
What generally helps with it is gaining as much respect as possible from the ground. So your horse always walks behind you, without trying to get infront of you. stops when you stop and maintains a distance, and backs up infront of you. When you manage this loading should become much easier as well.
Hi Radek
Do you think repeatedly flexing a horses neck to their sides is an appropriate thing to develop ‘softness’ in a horse? This seems common in training for western pleasure or reining but I often see the horses overly bent at the poll rather than vertical, and this is how my quarter horse mare also seems to be reacting. She has become very light on the bit but overly bent.
I have been given conflicting advice from two friends I respect who both train horses and have done well
Can you advise whether I should do this or not?
Thanks Sue
Hi Sue,
I do flex my horses neck to the side to calm them down, get them more relaxed, strengthen their back muscles and to make the react on the bit better. I do recommend practicing it. While asking my horse to turn his head to the side I generally want him to keep his head at the same height, or he can put it a bit lower if he wants to. I dont want him to be putting it higher. There are videos on it in the Training Process Blueprint called relax of head and neck 🙂
Hello again, came up with another question for you, Radek. My horse is generally fairly laid back and reasonable when it comes to scary stuff. I’ve used your methods to work with him through some situations that would have a lot of horses running for the hills, and it has worked well so far. In this situation, my farm is the flight path for some military practice runs for jets, and there is never any predictability to when it’s going to happen- they always come in twos, but they can be together or several minutes apart. Sometimes they are high or slow and it’s not any real issue. The problem comes when they are low or super fast, it can be ear splitting and shake the windows when it’s really bad. Those don’t happen all that often, and sometimes we will go weeks without having a fly-by at all, but I was just out with my horse loose in the field, saying hi to him, and we had a low/fast jet go by, he got very wound up and ran around rearing and bucking. Granted I didn’t have a halter or lead on him, but shoot, it even hurt my ears a bit. I assume you would work through this in the same way as with the mare who was afraid of the pigs, but how do you work with something that is so inconsistently present and completely unpredictable? I hate to think of that happening when I’m riding. .. on the ground I think I could work through it, but can’t really see any way to practice or get desensitized to it since it probably happens more often when I’m NOT working with him and he’s free to bolt and be completely silly about it. Any suggestions?
Hi Robyn,
I would do basically the same as there was in the video with the pig. As soon as you hear the jets get your horse occupied. It is hard to fix it since it is unpredictable. Just as soon as you hear the jets even a bit get your horse super occupied, so there are no delays between when you ask for things. I wish I could recommend something better, but in this case I don’t know.
So my paint/quarter horse gelding is generally an amazing boy, and willing to please. I have also practiced walking and trotting bridleless and he does well, still working on bridleless at the canter. So with this in mind I have one little issue that seems to come up often. In general, he anticipates the canter. I’ve made conscious efforts to make sure my cues are clear. But he still anticipates for that brief period before I have back to where he should be. As I’m lengthening his strides at the trot, he wants to sometimes fall into the canter. When I ask for the trot he wants to canter. What are your thoughts on this, and how can I fix it?
Hi Holly,
I would ride on circles, if your gelding tends to go too fast, make the circle a bit smaller. If he is not rushing you can make the circle bigger again. Also by what you are saying maybe you are using a bit too much pressure. It might feel like you are using a very low pressure, but maybe your horse still feels it is too much. Still of course make sure that he listens, but if he is too fast after you ask for trot you might be using too much pressure. It is good keep your mind calm and try to use even less pressure. You can always tell whether you are using the correct amounts of pressure by observing the reaction of your horse.
Have made great progress since using your training methods. However out on a hack she still looks and looks – sometimes stopping. Usually I can get her attention by bending or moving her sideways but sometimes she stops and locks on to something she can see or hear. When this happens it’s often impossible to turn her or move her. She becomes rigid. In this case I usually dismount and lead her for a bit. Not sure if this is the best way forward but it seems that I cannot mover her otherwise. Also sometimes when I circle her while out in a hack -if she is anxious about something -it seems to make her more agitated
Hi Liz,
getting down on the ground to get her attention back is a good approach if it becomes impossible to get her attention from the saddle. Get down, get her attention back, and then mount back into the saddle and go to the same spot where she froze before and keep going around until she completely relaxes. Another thing is to react as fast as possible when you see that your horse wants to stare at something ask him to move his head away from it as quickly as possible. It is not going to prevent your horse from seeing the scary object but it will basically tell him that the thing he is scared of is not important.
Thanks Radek. Tried it today when things got tricky. Usually I would dismount, lead for a bit and get back on and continue. Today I dismounted led her , got on and went back to where she had stopped then carried on as you suggested. A good plan. I should have thought of doing that myself after goring through all of your training books and videos!
I have a question in regards to lunging a gaited horse. I am a part owner of a horse in a very rural part of Greece.
She is a 4 1/2 yr old mare, the breed is arravani.
Her gait is a pace, but when she goes faster she does canter. The dam was a pacer that won awards in racing on the Island.
When riding she is very lazy to start. She is so relaxed when I saddle her she closes her eyes.
If I ride her awhile to get to a suitable dirt road and canter her she does much better. She only wakes up after a canter, when pacing she speeds up only to slow down after a while. This is why I am wondering if she should be lunged prior to riding, or is it not good for her gait?
I am trying what you taught. Ask once, again firmly and three – what ever it takes.
I used a whip. The first time she did kick, I kept going like you said. The next ride when I used the whip she just flattened her ears but did not really pick up the pace. I am guessing that my whip is not at all punishing. I started using my voice because she responds to it, but I don’t like doing that.
She is very smart. She learned the word “ back” after saying it two times and holding the food above her head in a closed fist. She backs up quickly when I walk into her as you have taught. She stops on “Woooo” without reins. I think it is her favorite command. She trusts me when we are riding, even coaxing her to pass a very large tractor on a small road. She is very brave and works thru the rare times that she gets frightened. She comes to me when I go into the pasture. This year, I have ridden her bareback with just a halter to the beach. She swims in the sea with a lead rope. I have spent a lot of time grooming and handling her and she is very friendly.
The villagers say the problem is she does not respect me as a rider. I believe she respects me in every other way, even when testing with food as you have shown.
Is she respecting me as her groom and not her rider? Is she lazy from too much time in the pasture with her sheep and goat friends? Am I spoiling her with too much grooming?
I am only with her for 4 months in the summer. I need to plan what I will do next year.
She is very smart and deserving of getting the best training. I need your help!
Hi Chrissy,
I lunge my horses the most during the first year of the training. Mainly so they learn to keep a steady pace and so their back gets stronger. Lunging is good if you want to improve the way your horse keeps his pace, otherwise, it is not necessary. Regarding the respect, it is hard to tell, but by what you are saying it seems like you have some decent respect. You can send me a video I would be able to tell more. Regarding getting her react better on the pressure I have a video on it in the bonus section hat could help, I am not sure if you have seen it. It is called “how to get your horse to react on lower pressure” Just head to the bonus section and scroll down it is there 🙂
Hello, my horse and I have come a long way with you help and for that I thank you, but now I am wanting to attend more events in groups things have got dangerous. She is 10, good ground manners and attention on the ground, done dressage, pleasure rides (10-16 miles) and some cross country but…. I wanted to join the local ‘drag’ Hunt (where a scent is dragged by a runner )and then the bloodhounds find he scent and aim to catch up to the runner. All good harmless fun cantering, jumping and galloping around the UK countryside following the hounds. My horse however cannot cope with all the horses. To see how she would react I went on a Hunt Ride out which is more about newcomers meeting new friends. My horse got very wound up and wouldn’t stand still at the meet then trotted on the spot , panicked if horses were behind her and was only calm when every other horse was in front. My question is, Is it possible to calm an excitable horse down? Valerian does nothing, or Magic Calmer paste they only seem to make her worse. Please note that the rest of the riding we do I have no issues with her at all.
There are a few issues here – the over excitement in groups, the dangerous behaviour when galloping (she will suddenly stop and throw me off or quickly turn to the side to get me off in canter and Gallop. With her being narrow across her shoulders staying on is very difficult even though I have a safety strap and a neck strap.
My trainer says she’s holding me back from things I want to do and I should think about selling her because my confidence and skills are not such that I can successfully alter her behaviour.
If you can shed any light on how to positively move forward for me and my horse I would be very grateful.
Many thanks in advance
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
it is hard to say, it would be good to see your horse on a video or something. If your trainer said it would be wise to change your horse maybe it is a good idea. Some horses naturally enjoy some things and hate other things. It is like people, someone likes parties and meeting people and some people are shy and hate parties. By what you are saying it doesn’t sound like a big problem in the training, or that you are doing any mistake, it just sounds like your horse doesn’t like it around other new horses and gets nervous. It could be very hard to “fix” it.
Hi Radek
I have a four year old unbroken Andalusian gelding that I have done everything with, except the final stage – getting on –
and unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence I once had. Your videos and instruction are exceptionally helpful, but I can’t see anything there to talk/walk us through first rides – including safety and troubleshooting. Is this something I’ve missed in your tutorials, or something you might consider releasing in the future?
Looking forward to your reply
Warm regards
Christine
Hi Christine,
I actually did not cover that yet on purpose. I believe that is a very critical stage. Each horse is likely to react differently, it is hard to make a good video on it. There might be no issues and it might be completely fine. Or there might be serious issues where you have to know how to react immediately. If you are not confident about this stage I recommend getting someone to help and then take over as soon as you feel confident enough. No one should be attempting to do this if they are scared.
Interesting question from Christine ? I will be getting on my 3 1/2 yr old Qtr Horse soon. I looked back at the diary I kept of what I did to start my Arab. As he was already over 5, I was keen to get on quickly so after a month of leading and long reining in the forest, I got on bareback and he didn’t care at all (I didn’t have a saddle). Looking back I see that’s not the usual approach so may do it with a saddle this time. Your thoughts on what you have learnt to do or not do would be very helpful (both these horses are low in the herd, shy types).
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
that is not typical what you did with your arab. Nice! I am not sure if it would work with many other horses though. Before I try to get into the saddle for the first time I first teach my horse to bend his head to both sides while I pull the rein from the ground. Then I start trying to put my leg into the stirrup without actually mounting in the saddle, I just keep my leg in the stirrup until my horse calms down and stays still. I do that with both sides. Then I start standing in the single stirrup and again wait for my horse to calm down and stand still. I only get down from the single stirrup when my horse stands still. I repeat it a few times and if everything is ok I mount. When I mount for the first time I keep my horses head turned to the side the whole time. When it is to the side he is not likely to just bolt forward. That is kinda what I do, it is bit simplified because it would be a long text 🙂
Radek
Hi, I have had had great success with your training with three of my horses, but Sookie, still has issues. She is the least dominant in the field, I have 4 horses. She was doing ok (ish), but then she had a bad sub solar abcess which will take a long time to grow out. She has now reverted to putting her ears back at me every time I walk past the stall door.
When I take her in the round pen, she backs up, but slowly and grudgingly. She puts her ears back when I ask her to turn on the forehand (but she moves away instantly), but not when I ask of turn on the haunches.
H Cerian,
I don’t know about a simple way to get your horse to do it more willingly without putting their ears back for example. Usually, it just goes away with time. Practise as if she was fine, and try to keep improving over time. As you improve and your horse gets more familiar with performing all the exercises it should solve itself 🙂 It might not work with every single horse but vast majority is fine after some time.
I have a new Percheron gelding who is over 18 hands high and has not been ridden, just used to pull a wagon. He flinches when anything moves near his head or body. He also will not pick up his feet and they need to be trimmed badly. He would not let the farrier trim him and broke the cross ties in the attempt. How do I get him past this?
Hi Caula,
When your horse flinches away it is usually because you are moving too fast. Try to make your every movement slower. Eve if they already feel super slow. If he has particular spots he is scared of try to move your hand closer and closer very slowly. As he starts getting nervous, keep the hand there. Don’t move it away when he gets uncomfortable because that would teach him that you go away when he freaks out. If you remove your hand when he gets calm he will learn that he needs to calm down and then you remove it.
Hi I have signed onto your course. I have a 19 year old mare that will not be caught. I have to bring the whole herd in to bring her in in the winter and hides behind the others and will run off. Once she is caught although tense she will back up stop walk behind etc. Help, I need to catch her so I can start the course
Hi Denise,
There should be a video on this actually in the bonus videos section. There is also a new updated and better video coming really soon as a part of a new problem solving series. You can watch the old one in the bonus section and as soon as the new is finished up I will post about it in the Facebook group 🙂
Hi!
I have signed up for your course and I love it, I am however running into a few issues with my mare. We are just starting on the ground control series as I want to get her right back to basics and solve some of the issues I have with her. She is a 15 year old section D mare that I purchased last summer.
She appears nervous but is also incredibly pushy and rude. Asking her to back up usually results in her leaping forwards and through me. Shes a strong mare and I want to get her ground work uptogther so that we can enjoy other things. If I am soft with her she completely ignores me but if I up the pressure even a little she takes it to a whole new level and reacts with very high levels of worry and energy. I’m struggling a little with finding the middle ground and teaching her to give when I ask her to move.
Hi Holly, it is much harder to undo the damage that the previous owners did. Regarding the aggression with a horse like yours I would start with making sure she always maintains a distance from you. Correct all the little mistakes. If she gets one step closer to you then she should, immediately correct her. It is important to correct her as quickly as possible, if you take four seconds to correct her when she gets too close to you she will already feel like she was able to do it, and she will continue trying if she can get too close to you or she cant. Pay attention to her every move and make sure she maintains her distance from you. It is a bit difficult to be learning with a horse like this, depending on the situation sometimes it is better to learn with a nicer horse, and then try to work with a more aggressive one. You need to be able to react without thinking about it. After you get her to maintain her distance you can try to back her up, first just one or two steps are enough. Do not try to do too much, focus on the simpler things and make sure she follows your rules perfectly. I would also recommend watching this video, it shows more then I am able to say over here 🙂 https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things/
Radek
Radek,
I have a large pony mare. We’ve made alot of progress in the past few years. She came from a lesson barn with a huge chip on her shoulder. I think she basically respects me, but she’s really moody. Some days she’s pretty eager to please and then there are times, mostly in the winter when it’s cold and windy, when she’s just impossible. I’m pretty sure I handle her the same way. I agree in general if my horse isn’t doing what I’m asking, chances are good I’m asking wrong. But isn’t it possible that horses have their own moods and some days you just have to attribute their behavior to what’s going on with them and not what you’re doing?
Hi Erica,
that is a great question and observation. I have similar experience, mares often have big swings in how they react and behave. Sometimes she might just be looking for a way to not listen, because she is moody that day, it doesn’t have to be your fault for asking wrong. It is important to get her to do what you are asking in the end even when she is not feeling very cooperative that day. With moody horses it is important to always correct them. In general if you do it is going to be improving, and your mare will become less and moody.
Radek
Hi Radek
I love your teaching methods…..my 3 yr old Quarter Horse now has excellent respect for my space and good manners…most of the time. My free lunging is coming along very well even with other horses running around in neighbouring paddocks. He’s had a saddle on a few times with no reaction. I’d like to progress to using the unilateral sling. I have a few questions.
(1) what bit do you start a horse in ? The very gentle Myler with a slight port has him opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out. When I bitted my Arab, he accepted a bit immediately. Maybe I should leave the bit in longer or try a different bit ? Rubber ?
(2) I think I’ll have to make a unilateral sling as I can’t find online to buy. It seems you attach clips to each end of a 2 metre rope but what distance are the loops from one end ?
(3) Do you ever do long reining ? I did this when starting my Arab due to advice I had at the time. It seemed useful for teaching aids.
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
great! In the begging of riding and when using the unilateral sling I usually use a snaffle bit like this https://www.amazon.com/Coronet-Sweet-Iron-Eggbutt-Snaffle/dp/B0011UDOYC I would use the myler bit, or a snaffle bit, but I would not use the rubber bit, horses often start fighting with them, or leaning on them, also they are not so comfortable for the horse because they are too thick. If you want you can get the exact same unilateral sling as you saw in the video in the store section of the members area over here: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/store/ just scroll all the way down and you can order it there. 3. I don’t actually do long reining. But I definitely do not think that it would be bad. It is a bit more complicated, and get complicated especially when your horse starts misbehaving. There are good and bad things about it 🙂
Thanks Radek for your answers and suggestions. The english word for the thing you suggested is ‘dropped nose band’ which sits low and buckles over the bit to keep the horses mouth shut. I prefer bits with long sides on them (fulmer) as these prevent the bit running through the mouth and also teach the turning aid with pressure on the opposite side of the face. I will experiment with some other bits. Thanks for pointing me to your store. Regards, Rachel
Hi again Radek – yesterday (following my 3 questions to you above), I tried the Myler bit again for about 20 mins while I saddled my youngster and free lunged him hoping the distraction would settle him with the bit but nothing changed. He kept chewing and opening his mouth while he lunged. I can only think he doesn’t like the bit ??
Hello Radek, my name is Lauren Schwartz
I need some advice about teaching my horse to neck rein. She reacts perfectly to her bit, but I want to have her responding more to the feelings of the reins on her neck. She is mildly responsive to them but often when I want her to turn, she needs more encouragement from the bit. I could just not be using enough leg, but I was just wondering what advice you could give me.
Thank you!
Hi Lauren,
it takes quite some time for a horse to learn to react just on the neck rein. Usually it takes a few months. Basically, I teach it in a way that I just ask my horse to turn by touching his neck with the rein, if he doesn’t turn I then pull on the bit a little bit. If he reacts on the neck rein, I do not pull on the bit. Over time your horse should improve if you are consistent.
Radek
Hi my daughter has a pony that snatches down when being ridden so she looses her reins he then will throw his head back up n constantly do this, he used to only do this when Boeing ridden on grass but now has started to do it on the roads too, he is up to date with back, teeth etc checked his bit and brow band isn’t tight, we have tried a daisy rein on him and grass reins, what can we do when he attempts to snatch down? X
Hi Hayley, my guess is that your horse never properly learned what the pressure means when you pull the reins. This issue usually comes when the rider doesn’t release the reins in the correct moments. Your horse learned that the way to get rid of the pressure is to try to snatch down and pull the reins out of your hand. The way to fix it is by just holding onto the reins and don’t let your horse pull them out of your hand. You should hold and only release the pressure as your horse stops pulling on them. It can be quite difficult to hold them especially if your daughter is younger so I would just get something like this: http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/…/33E9/C9DA/DSGRAREI.jpg
I have a 6 year old Mustang and continue to have the same problem. When he becomes worried while on line and me in front leading he will take his head usually turning to the right and run away. I am unable to hold him or stop him at this point. Any suggestions?
Hi Judy,
two things could help. The first one is a good rope halter. The second thing that should help is paying more attention and reacting faster, constantly look at him and as soon as he starts turning his head away from you, pull the rope and ask him to look at you. If you react slower and only after your horse already turned his head it becomes pretty much impossible to hold him.
Radek
Hi I have a youngster that is rising 7 I have just joined your training programme literally less than a wk ago so got a lot of work to do on the ground and in the saddle, I would love to go bitless at sum stage bit as he is so spooky n tends to shoot forward if being spooked from behind when being ridden, do i start your training programme bitless right from the start as I should gain the respect and trust or do i do in a bit? Not sure what to do I’ve just removed his noseband as the more I looked into it I realised it does not do a lot, or do i buy a micklem bridle the best around with the bitless option ahhh need help??? X
Hi Hayley,
I would definitely start with the bit first. I first start with the bit, if I want to go bitless I first just try putting the reins over my horses neck and riding just using my seat. I start in a roundpen. If everything goes well, I can start riding in the ring. If I see for some time that my horse reliably listens when I do not hold the reins, I can try to ride without them. But in the begging definitely ride with them. Then ride with the reins on your horses neck so you can grab them when he doesn’t listen to correct him, and when you no longer do need them at all for some time, you can start riding without them.
Thanks so much for the advice. Prior to following your advice this horse could not be lead any where he chose not to go. The most important thing you said was to be sure you are determined to complete what you set out to do. This horse changed almost over night, thank you. I am now interested to ride him. He was started about 2years ago but I don,think he could have been very safe. With the changes I see he now appears to not be afraid of much. What program do you suggest I purchase next to move forward. I have a 20 year background with natural horsemanship but I must say your information was a game changer for me. Thanks so much. Judy
Hi Judy,
Oh that is great! I do not show the actual very begging of starting your horse. Mounting in the saddle for the first time in any of my trainings. I think it can be dangerous and it is better to at least do it with someone experienced physically with you. But the saddle control otherwise shows all the exercise I do from the most basic ones like turning on a big circle in walk, or stopping from walk. There is the training process blueprint that shows all 44 exercises I do. Its great to use it as you progress. It would definitely be the best choice for you at the moment. You can get it in the store section if you want 🙂
Radek
Hi Redek. My Mare is a contradiction. Most of the time she is gentle and comes running when I call her. She will stand still when I tell her to, when I groom her or saddle her and back up when I point my finger, stand still to mount etc. However she has periods when she is quite dominant and simply decides that she does not want to do what I ask. For instance, when I am lunging her loose in the round pen or on a line she will frequently cut in on the circle and I have trouble keeping her In a round circle. I swing the lead rope or whip toward her shoulder to tell her to move away but it doesn’t seem to help. Also, when I ask her to canter she will frequently buck or kick in my direction before cantering. I have followed your advice and put pressure on her with the whip when she does this. Then she will canter for half a circle and break to a trot and I need to do the same thing all over again. Any suggestions for what I might do differently?
Thanks!
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
sounds like you are doing all the essentials all right. I would focus on reacting quicker. For example if she makes the circle smaller, try to correct her already as she is doing the first wrong step. From my experience a lot of horse will tend to turn inside of the circle to make it smaller always in the same spot. So get ready and start correcting her immediately. That makes it easier and she will be more likely to listen to you. If she doesn’t react, you have to increase the pressure, step towards her and use your whip. You know you are using the correct amount of pressure by observing how she reacts. If she doesn’t react, you are most likely reacting too slow or/and using too little pressure. If you continue correcting while she is on her period it should get better over time and the differences should get smaller.
Hi Radek,
I have a 4 year old Comtios x cob gelding who was started in October of this year when he was three and a half, by a professional who uses techniques almost the same as yours, so he can perform most of the ground work exercises that you have set down quite well. But i am having a problem with his very dominate personality. He is very strong and heavy ( 600 kg and 15.2 ) and whilst he will lunge and do the exercises in a round pen i have constructed in the field, if i take him into the field, away from the pen to look for a dry bit ( the pen has got a bit muddy as it has rained for what seems like years in Devon ) when he decides he has had enough he will swing his head down, turn and tank off. I have no hope of holding on to him as i am 110 lbs and 5 ft 3ins. He also has a tendency to walk over me and try to get in front of me when being led and when corrected in a calm and firm way will stamp his front foot angrily and bite me. This also happens when he doesn’t want to lunge. I never do more than 10 mins at a time 2 or 3 times a week in between short hacks so he is not bored. He is also very dominate in the field with the other horses, herding them around when i go in, to stop them coming to me or just when he wants to eat their bit of grass. I got your ground work package to see if it would help with his manners and to help calm him because, for a fat lad he is very active and agile and wants to do everything at 100 miles an hour, he jig jogs when ridden as he wants to go faster and is quite impatient, and when brought back to walk will also stamp and get cross ( underneath all this i think he is quite a stressful boy ). He is of corse still very young and i am working calmly and firmly to correct these traits, but could you give me some advice on the biting, barging and dominate aspect of his personality. I am not inexperienced ( 50 years of riding but you can never stop learning )with a background of braking and making and have worked with and owned horses all my life but this stroppy boy is proving a bit of a number and uses his bulk against me !!!!
Hi Karen,
I see, I worked with an extremely dominant horse recently as well while making a video. (you will be able to see it in Problem Solving in a few days) It seems like you are doing things right. The key is to react as quickly as possible. The quicker you react the easier it will be to correct your horse. If you get the Problem Solving there will be a video specifically on a dominant horse, otherwise I recommend to watch this: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things-problem/ If you see that his behavior is not getting better and you become scared of him, my recommendation would be to sell him and get a different horse.
Hi Radek,
Thank you so much for your advice,i watched the link you sent and copied your body language, it worked a treat !!!!!!! I now have a lovely boy who walks behind me ( most of the time ) he will stand in his stable and wait to be told when to eat ( advice from a previous video) He no longer walks over me, bites or stamps at me, its like he has had a personally transplant !!!!!. I just needed to be a bit more definite about my intentions. Like you say , stop any bad behaviour quickly and just be on the case. I will be getting the problem solving package as i am sure he will challenge me again, but for the meantime i am so happy and so is Broozer ( clue in the name should have realised when i bought him ) He seems happier now someone else is in charge. Many many thanks for your fab training,
Karen
Hi Karen,
awesome! It is interesting how horses like when they have someone in charge 🙂 Keep up the good work, keep working on new exercises I am excited to hear about how it continues.
Hi Redek. I need your advice.
I have a four year old mare- I bought her as 3 year old- she was beautifully mannered and doing really well under saddle. She was used to being with a group of horses. At my place she is the only horse. We do have some cows. At first she was very timid of the cows, but over the year she has become extremely dominant- she chases the cows all over the pasture. Lately when I halter her and try to lead her to the barn, she has started rearing up at me- challenging me. In addition- I had gotten in the habit over the winter of taking her blanket off when I bring her in (its winter and cold here in Canada) and letting her roll in the indoor pen. She loves it. But now, when I put her in the pen to lounge her or try to work on getting some respect- each time I ask her to circle- she will ignore me and lay down and roll — then get up rear, buck and shake her head at me.
Generally when she rears up, in the pasture I don’t have my whip at hand, but I haven’t let her get away- I keep working with her to get her to follow (have to admit its scary). In the arena, I have swatted her with the wihip- she will kick out at me but move away- but will only lope for half a circle and then break to a trot. I don’t know what to do with her. My pen is a little too big for me to get the whip on her instantly each time she refuses an ask but I do chase her till I get at least a few strides.
I stopped feeding her grain and for this past week have kept her in a smaller paddock (not out in the 40 acre pasture)
As I write this, she sounds totally awful. She is not always. For instance. She comes when I whistle- always whinnies when she sees me, stands still when I groom her, saddle her etc, backs up beautifully at the wag of a finger ,moves away from pressure, lifts her feet at a soft tap etc. She is just so unpredictable.
Also- I am not a novice with horses- have had many over the last 50 years and have never had this behavior from any. The only thing that is different from my perspective is that she is the sole horse on the property- do I need to get her a companion- or would that make it worse? Should I sell her before it gets worse?
Advice? Thank you so much for any suggestions you might offer.
Hi Debbie,
since you are not a novice, you didn’t have problems like this before and you are sometimes a bit scared of her, I would recommend to sell her and get a different horse. It might get better if you let another horse with her but I maybe it wouldn’t. In case the videos that I recommend is this one in case you haven’t seen it https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things-problem/
Radek
I am loving the simplicity of your training methods and videos. I have a 7 year old Appaloosa gelding who I have owned for 8 months. He is so completely different from my previous thoroughbred mare…….i am really grateful for all the things I can do with him ie. I can catch him, load on a trailer, ride him without having to lunge the he’ll out of him first, rug him, worm him, ride out on the trail and many more, however I have a couple of fundamental issues that need to be addressed that I am hoping your training can sort out……..
He tries to dominate by getting very close when I am training both in the round pen at liberty and on the lunge. I find it difficult to get him onto the outside track, he cuts across when changing direction. I have to have very strong energy with him ( which is very difficult as I am naturally quite laid back) and he is quite lazy. I find i am having to work really hard even to get a trot and then it’s difficult to time the release of pressure. I also have similar issues riding in the sandschool, when I first got him he refused to move at all………now we have progressed to trot and slowly he is moving on less pressure.
I am loving your groundwork exercises he backs up but not as snappy as I would like, he already knows moving his hind quarters very well and I love your method for moving fore quarters and I think with practice it will work ( have tried several other methods unsucessfully).
Hi Ali,
There is a video on making the circle bigger while lunging in the facebook group. Here is a link to the post https://www.facebook.com/groups/1482413931769800/permalink/1491924080818785/ hope it works. If he is lazy while lunging, I would always try to keep him in a faster pace, It is going to be difficult at first but it should be improving. With the timing of the release of pressure, it is important to start urging and continue urgining without stopping just increasing the intensity until your horse goes to the exact pace that you want, when he does immediately stop. The intensity should be gradually increasing with no breaks. You can also take a look at this article, I describe a principle that I use with some lazier horses, it helps to get them to react on lower pressure so you do not end up with a horse that you have to be constatnly urging. https://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Training is progressing well and I am now able to push my horse out on a bigger circle when lunging and freeschooling which is great. I still have to use a lot of pressure to move him forward but am seeing some improvement in this too……you are constantly in my head telling me too ask with light pressure, increased pressure and the third time to ask to achieve what you want even if it is with an exaggerated response from my horse. I am getting a lot of disrespect towards me ie. pinning of ears and bucking out but am dealing with it by showing him he gets more pressure from me if he does this behaviour. I am feeling quite confident, but it does look to the outside world that I am punishing my horse!
Ok so to the next issue, when riding my horse he tries to push me into the fence, my thoughts are to use my outside leg to push him in, but this is not always possible, I tend to carry my whip in the outside hand to try to push his shoulders away from the fence and obviously use my reins. This works for the moment doesn’t seem to stop him from doing it again. I heard one way might be to make him turn into the fence so he has to move his hind quarters away……..how would you tackle this issue?
Thanks Ali
Hi Ali,
Congrats on the improvements! 🙂 I believe that you should be doing what is right, if others feel like you are punishing your horse it is their problem. I think it is better to have a good relationship with your horse, rather then end up with him being dangerous just because of a worry of some other people might think. Regarding the fence, I would try to always maintain a bigger distance from the fence. At least like two meters from the fence and then even if he gets just a little closer to it, immediately correct him. The faster you correct him the easier it is. I would be able to say more if you sent a quick video.
Is the new DVD training set “Problem Solving” repetitious of any of the previous training set of which I own three? I want to make sure I’m getting new material before I order it.
Hi Patricia,
there are some videos in the Problem Solving that you might have seen before, however there is around one hour and fifteen minutes of new content that is only over there and never seen before. I wanted to put all the problem solving videos that I have in there. They are hard to make because I need come across a horse that really has those problems. So the guaranteed new content for you would be a little over an hour of video and the ebook that comes with the training as well. If you want you can take a look and if you do not like it just let me know and I give you a refund 🙂
Is the concept of “fake it until you make it” an impossibility for me with Tuck? I still feel fear after experiencing a concussion & a blow to my chin {in 2 separate instances over he last 6 months}, the first while riding & the second while completing a ground work session in the round corral.
Hi Kim,
you mean like “fake it until you make it” in terms like pretending to be confident while you are not? Most likely a horse will see through that in my opinion.
Hi Radek,
I just watched the video on the horse that was afraid of the drone. My horse does this with objects and reacts pretty much the same as your horse did but my horse will stop and then rear. I push forward but sometimes she he rear even higher. What do I do in this situation. I have not watched all the videos yet I am working my way through slowly or I will forget what to do. I need to learn by watch then try.
Linda
Hi Linda,
when your horse starts rearing you have to keep urging her the whole time she is rearing, if you stop your horse will learn that if he rears you will stop urging. First turn his head to the side which is going to make it difficult for him to rear and then keep urging without stopping until he stops rearing.
Hi,
i’m just going to get this out here now, i’m green to horses….. I have ridden before as a child many times but haven’t much in the past few years…. last winter i bought my first horse, a 16 yo percheron x hanoverian mare(alert, nervous but loving), she is friendly but has no manners (as she was injured in youth and her hind leg never healed right), her owner basically retired her as a light trail horse at young age, so i will be excited to work with the new ground work i’m learning here with her, i can say she takes a lot of pressure to notice your there let a lone that your asking for anything… i was feeling very discouraged in her training as i’m a small girl and she’s a heavy 16.2 draft horse who was a dominate mare (and her mother before her) in the field where i got her from. this program has given me new hope for our relationship!
last summer however, my family and i rescued a bunch of equines, 2 gaited missouri fox trotter mares 10 yo(emotional and grumpy) and 13 yo(suspicions yet testy), 3 yo morgan filly (super timid and reactive), 2 yo curly morgan filly(shy but curious), 1 mini mare(crazy wild) and 2 mini donkeys (unknown ages). i’ll be asking for lots of advice and help regarding the 2 youngsters for sure in time. the gaited mares are little skittish and deeply bonded together, 1 doesn’t like it when you have a rope or anything that resembles a halter and lead when you walk near her, almost like she knows she’ll have to work and isn’t interested…. without any ropes she will gladly come up to you and cuddle…. / the other one is much better and staying and waiting, but she pins her ears often at the other horses and people…. she use to be a dominate mare but is having to take second place under the older draft mare and she hates it! she will aggressively chase, bite, kick etc the other horses, with people its just the pinned ears and she turns her head away from you normally at the same time, i have been lightly smacking her shoulder or butt when she does it to try and get her to stop, will this stop or is it a personality thing? (also am i doing the right thing here in trying to correct it?)
also 1 last thing, my mini mare, has more problems than all my horses combined, i’m going to work with her just using what i’m learning here first, so i can figure out what the main problems are and those ones i am having trouble fixing…. (she is one horse that not much upsets her, you know how some horses when separated pace like crazy and loose tons of weight, – she is totally overweight right now which is why i bring up this particular scenario, she will just stand there and eat the stall, i swear if you gave a ball of manure to her she’d probably pick through it and eat whatever remaining hay is in it!) but to give an idea, i put her in with my mini jack to try and get both of them to mutually respect each others space… well that didn’t work, she rammed into his belly side on like a “T shape” and knocked him clean off his feet and he landed on his back/side, not to mention the double barrel kick she gave him later in the belly… well 24 hours later…. make that 2 weeks and he’s still scared of her! she charges him if she thinks he has any food thats better than hers, etc. i’ve tried putting her in with the full sized horses….. that didn’t work either! she beats up the youngsters and pins her ears and tosses her head wildly when the mares make her move away from something….. i guess what they say about small packages is true! i’ve never seen or heard of anything quite like her.
thanks for your insights,
ashley
i’ve read that clicker training is the best way to train donkeys, any ideas on this?
Hi Ashley,
the ears back and turning the head away from you from my experience means more of a fear and shyness. I would just focus on moving slower around the horse. Make your every movement slower so you are more predictable. If she was moving towards you whit the ears back then I would definitely smack her, but if she is moving away she is more likely to just be scared.
Regarding the problems between your horses in this case I would just leave them separated, since you cant be there with them at all times I don’t really know about a way to do something about it.
Hi Radek, in only a few groundwork sessions I am really seeing a difference in my horse…….i am hooked on your training! A couple of questions, firstly I am trying to get him out on a bigger circle using the method you described…….he also sees this as a cue for increased speed ……… Will this just get better over time? Secondly I am thinking to purchase your saddle control series my only reservation is that I ride English style……will I be able to implement your advice from the videos still or does it not matter?
Hi Ali,
it is quite common for horses to start going faster when they go on a bigger circle. If he also goes on a bigger circle it is all fine. Most likely it will just fix itself over time as he gets more familiar with the exercise. The saddle control should be just fine if you are riding English 🙂 it doesn’t focus on particular discipline.
Hi Radek.
I just want you to how how very much I appreciate your training style and advice. Every minute that I spend with my horse, you are in my head. To be consistent, always. Not think I want to be nice to my horse just because she has been good… she doesn’t understand why this time I let her do what she wants and next time I don’t. I am consistent and fair all the time. I have also started to be consistent with her need to pay attention to me all the time, and the second her attention goes elsewhere I get her to move or do something. I feel like it is working. In the past two weeks, her attitude has changed dramatically as her has her display of respect for me. Thank you for your amazing instruction.
Hi Radek,, my Irish Appaloosa type 7y o gelding cannot lope on his left rein in my round pen,,,,,, my round pen is not perfectly round ,, just a safe area in a 17 metre sort of circle,, he gets a bit agitated and breaks into a huge trot ,, then i ask him again to go into lope and he runs bigger and bigger in trot and goes into a counter canter again,, i feel he needs to work in trot with the side rein fixed into a more correct head position,, and wait until he is a bit more used to a better bend to the left… or do i insist he sorts out his legs….he is so willing, but head carriage is not good ,,, he is relaxing well in trot and stretching down his neck,,Do i just lunge him instead of loose schooling him.. to get those back and neck muscles working correctly,, and also how long should i lunge that side … 10 minutes each side or 5 minutes each side ,,,,?? ,, it is Really good to have you there to ask questions,,
Hi Jean,
while you are lunging with the side reins I usually lunge without them first around 3 minutes to each direction. Then I put the side reins on and I lunge in each direction around five to ten minutes depending on your horses shape. All together both directions could be around twenty minutes, but in the begging it is going to be less. Just increase the time as your horse gets in better and better shape. With the canter lead problem try to focus on the way you use your whip to ask your horse for canter. You should be moving it towards the rear of your horse, not up and down. It also could be caused by the previous owners, maybe they were just practicing canter to one direction. It could be easier to solve from the saddle wile riding.
I am working my duaghter’s 10 year old mare, starting from basics i.e. groundwork, after a traumatic ‘flight’ incident a year ago. I do not ride her. She has been left behind with me, as my daughter has moved away and it is my dream to rehabilitate her, back to the beautiful co-operative horse she once was. She is a quick learner but has always been “flighty” and unreliable out on a hack – I now understand that this was probably lack of groundwork and trust issues. She was started by us and she was such a quick and willing learner we probably neglected her psychological needs on the way. Given we are making excellent progress with the help of your groundwork training, the BIG issue remaining is that we have never been able to load her onto a trailer to take her out and get more experience. She has always been claustrophobic and box walks in a stable (a large one) , even, after 10 years of having to come in at night in the winter (because our land is very, very wet) with her best friend (aunty) to talk to next door through bars. We know she has never ever been kept in for extended periods and have come to the conclusion she is just very ‘horsey’ and naturally prefers the open. Until she can go out and do things, she is deemed as “not worth investing the time in” by her owner, and will always be left behind, or even, heaven forbid, eventually sold for little money. SO, my question is…
Is it just a matter of keeping up with the leadership training and gradually introducing enclosed spaces in order to get her to stand in a small stall such as the trailer would be and starting this process all over again, just like the groundwork leading etc?
Hi,
some horses are naturally more claustrophobic. Ground work and respect should definitely help. I think almost all horses can be taught to go into a trailer. If she is scared of closed spaces you should have a lot of respect the more you have the more your horse will be willing to push himself. If you manage to get her into some smaller space like the trailer, always remember that once you manage to get her in there ask her to get out and then back in again, so she gets more comfortable with it. Then practice it daily if possible.
Hello I have a Mare that I’ve had for 6 years, she’s very smart and we get along wonderfully but at times while out on the trail she will start to prance and although it’s very comfortable and i can do it for hours it’s not what i want her to do. I have an issue making her come back down to a walk. I’d love to see a video on quieting the ride back into a calm walk. Thank You Michele
Hi Michele,
I dont have a video on this at the moment 🙁 I would ride on the circle, change direction and wait for him to calm down. Out on the trail going forward it is difficult for the horse to calm down. While riding on the circle your horse has to pay more attention to you and will get less distracted and stressed. If you have Trail Control take a look at the videos about the begging of riding on the trail I show some of the exercises over there.
Hi Radek. Cyrus – my 10 yr old full arab that I have owned for 6 months is seemingly perfectly mannered on the ground and under saddle! He responds to the lightest of commands and respects me. We have formed a bond. I bought him off a lovely person in the hopes of training him for dressage. The previous owner did competitive trail and endurance on him – on a long rein. She told me that riding with a contact wasn’t really her thing and she only allowed me to purchase him to do the dressage as she considered me a kind rider. Cyrus didn’t seem to realise that he could go forward on a contact of any sort. He has a very high head carriage and when things get ‘busy’ up goes his head making me feel like I’m no longer fully in control as I don’t want to jab him in the mouth and it isn’t established that light contact means lower the head. Unfortunately a month ago he took fright (no idea at what) and I woke up in hospital, luckily no injury but severe concussion. I am now wanting to start back riding him but I don’t want this to happen again. I watched your first training video and I’m inspired to increase his lightness. I can follow your lead but even when he’s mooching around his paddock he has a high head. I’ve had him checked over by the chiropractor and no problems. I am interested in buying (or making a unilateral sling but can’t find any instructions and can only guess and don’t want to do it wrong. I’m not a side rein believer. I also lunge in a serrata as recommended by Manolo Mandez. I have also purchased another very expensive training system (TRT method) for my previous thoroughbred that had many issues but as the problem there was my instability on the ground – the horse pulled me over several times and I considered it my fault for not staying on my feet. I’ve gotten older and only have 80% of normal balance due to a double spinal compression.
Cyrus is my dream horse and my last horse and I really want to work with his already great ground manners. Thanks for reading all of this – I do appreciate it.
Hi Jacqui,
thanks for the question. My experience with arabs is that they are often good from the ground and they are very sensitive. They react on everything and can react a bit violently if you use too much pressure by accident. You have to be very smooth. It seems that your horse doesnt understand the pressure of the bit very well. If you have Saddle Control, take a look at the training process blueprint. Start with the relaxing of head and neck exercise in walk and then trot. This exercise is great for teaching your horse to react on the pressure of the bit. You will be pulling a single rein instead of two when stopping and horses usually understand it better in the beggining.
Please could you give me the diameter of the round pen – both the ideal and the minimum? If I can only build one training area, should it be round or square? If square, dimensions please.
Hi Anne,
the ideal diameter of a roundpen is 18 metres, it also depends on the size of your horse. If you have a really big horse it can be 20 metres. The smaller round pen is around 16 metres, a 16 metre in diameter roundpen can cause issues with canter if you have a big horse in the begging. For starting a horse and working with a young horse, roundpen is the best option. With a more experienced horse for riding I would prefere a square of at least 30×30 metres or 20x40meters. Ideally around 30×60 metres.
I have a big problem with my 12 yo quarter horse gelding. I have had him for two years now and he has bucked me off 4 times. Yesterday was the 4th time. I had just gotten on him in an arena and asked him to walk. He just exploded and bucked me off. I have tried changing saddles, taking off spurs, doing groundwork, getting a vet check and having other people ride him. He has only bucked me off which leads me to believe it’s a behavior problem. He knows he can do it and if he doesn’t want to do something I ask, he will. I’m ready to sell him to someone that is bigger and stronger st this point. I might add that the only other people I have let ride him were men, I am a woman. He has had great training in the past and can do a lot but I think he is not right for me. I’m very sad about this but I can’t risk more injury.
Hi Lorraine,
by what you are saying I think that selling him and getting a different horse would be a good idea. I am not sure why exactly he behaves like that and how hard it would be to fix it for you.
I have a ten year old horse that I have now had for about a month. I have him in a mild snaffle bit just like what I was told he was used to going in and we ride English style. I am having two issues with him. The first is that he is fidgety all the time and will not stand still in cross ties or while being saddled. The second issue is that he chews on the bit constantly. I have had his teeth floated and had a chiropractor check mandibular alignment. The vet could see no issues with his mouth. I have tried a simple chain bit and a French link and it has not changed the behavior at all. I keep a very loose rein on him and even with that, he chews on the bit even when the reins are slack.
Hi Caula,
some horses chew on the bit. It is often because someone before you didnt use the bit correctly. He could have learned it with the previous owner and now he just does it because he is used to doing it but doesnt have a reason anymore. If you want you can try riding bitless, with hackamore or bosal or a halter for riding (we are just about to start selling those actually, so if you want one just let me know.).
Hi. I have a 6 year old welsh cob x tb mare. She is still green but easy to handle and ride etc. She has started moving around when I try to saddle her. I’ve tried to put her back on the same spot consistently to try to stop this but it is getting worse not better. It is mainly on her off side that she does this. She’s never done it before and is a recent habit. I can’t see that she is in pain so I think she is playing with me. I just don’t know how to stop this behavior. Apart from that she is fine and listens to me. I use your training on all my horses and find they respond really well.
Hi Michelle,
I would check if she has back pain. If she doesnt, I would try to put the saddle on her slower. Just slow down all your movements while you are putting the saddle on. Do not throw it on top of her. Also while you are tightening it do it gradually. Do not tighten it up all the way right away. Tighten it up a little bit, then finish tightening it up just before you mount. Also while correcting your horse and backing him up to where he was, react as quickly as possible. As your horse does the first step immediately correct him, before he does another one. If it takes you 3 or 4 seconds to correct your horse he will already get the feeling that it was ok to do that.
Thank you for your program. I will soon be using it extensively.
I have 2 questions or actually concerns:
1. The $17 was not charged to my Master Card on April 6th. I do want to keep to this program and continually get new material, yes please.
2. I am wanting to look at your instructions on lunging with a halter and lunge line. I cannot find it in the program. Please direct me.
I am looking forward to master navigating to all the material available to me. This is exciting.
Hi Cecile,
I appologize for the slow response. It looks like you were charged on the day you wrote. As I checked it, it all looks to be in order 🙂
Everything about lunging is in the Ground Control section of the members area. If you use the top menu, click on “ground” there is a lot about lunging in the second and third video. I reccomend to watch all three though 🙂
Radek
I have been working on the halt, as well as the precision riding. My mare has really got the halt, and goes very easily into halt. She is very forward going, and the problem that I am now having is to maintain rhythm. So when she speeds up, and I ask her to slow down, she goes straight to halt. So I am doing something wrong – should I be using different aids for halt and for slow down?
Thank you
Hi Shirley,
the aid should be bassicaly the same for slowing down and for stopping. I think the problem is just in the pressure you use when asking for slowing down or at the speed at which you increase the pressure. Try to use even less pressure when just asking your horse to slow down and try to increase it even more gradually. Try to avoid pulling your reins too suddenly. Let me know how it goes.
Hi radek! I have a question about how to build muscle along my horses back. Do you have any proven exercises to help me do that? Could I send u a pic of his back?
Hi Amanda,
definitely send me a picture, you can send it on my email radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com I do have some exercises for exercisizing your horses back muscles. You should do those exercises maximum like ten minutes per day. For example the relax of head and neck in walk, in trot and in canter that you can find the training process blueprint is great for strenthening your horses back muscles. Also you can do some lunging with the side reins like it is shown in the third video of ground control, that also helps to strenthen your horses back.
Hi Leslie,
when you are starting out always make it more lose. Over time you can tighten it a little bit. Your horse should have his head more or less straight, never make it so tight that the rope would be tensioned at all times, there needs to be a position when it is lose and only tension when your horse puts his head in the wrong position. The process of putting it on is best shown in the third video of ground control. Let me know how it goes 🙂
It is going great! This is a 10 year old aqua but lots of holes in his training. Obediently takes the bridle, but was very anxious and gnawing the bit before you even mount. I’m just starting to get on him now and he still does it a little, but I think with more consistency and getting busy with the walk exercises. He will come along well. He’s pretty great minded!
I’ve had my Icelandic mare, Gifta, for 6 years. I kept her at home – a small backyard stable in her own paddock with her mini friend. I also had a boarder’s horse. She always loaded and we went trail riding in many different places. Last October, I downsized. I sold my property, and had to board Gifta. I found a small stable, similar to what I had. Gifta and her mini friend had their own paddock and run in stall. Now she has become stubborn and will not load on the trailer. She is not afraid of the trailer, because sometimes she will go in, but won’t stand long enough for me to put up the butt bar and ramp. She is just being stubborn and will not do what I want her to. So we have not been able to trail ride because I cannot get her into the trailer. And there is no place to trail ride off of this stable. I’m trying to figure out why her personality has become so stubborn. Other than that, she seems very relaxed and listens to me. She lunges well, goes forward and backward on command, but will not get into the trailer any longer. I am just frustrated. I spent 3 hours working with her today. Sometimes she would go in the trailer, but then back right out. Other times she absolutely would plant her feet and not go in. Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Barb
Hi Barb,
I would try urging her to go forward back into the trailer as soon as she starts backing out of it. Then you must not stop urging until she gets back there. If you stop or take a break she will feel like she wont and it is ok to do that. It will probably take a long time, but just keep urging until she gets back. When she does stop. If she backs out again do the same. Keep bugging her when she is outside of the trailer and leave her alone when she is inside. That should fix it 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, many thanks for the ground and saddle e-books and videos–at last, someone who explains WHY to do things and in what order–hoorah!! i have a 10year old welsh cob who was broken to drive when i bought him 5 years ago. i have been riding him for 4 years now. i have done lots of ground work with him and some straightness type work as he is a bit one sided, and have revisited this with your ground work lessons. Today i started with the single sideline ( i have tried 2 side reins in the past with no success–he just put his head higher. So i have been lunging without any reins and he has learned to relax his head a bit but i would like it a bit more! ) and it worked fantastically on the left rein–he lowered his head and lifted his back within a few minutes. on the right rein he avoided the pressure from the bit by turning his head to the inside of the circle even when i was asking him to keep out with his front end; which he did obediently. i tried with the rein a little longer but no better. so then i got an elastic side rein and put that on the outside rein, just from half way up his ribs direct to the bit and quite loose. that seemed to help though he became less willing to go forwards in trot. is it o.k. to do this and should i just persist and urge him forward or is there a better way. many thanks, lesley.
Hi Lesley,
it is quite hard to judge like this. Could you make a video? If you want a straight horse it is necessary to practise bending to both sides. I would spend time with bending and then time with just getting him to be more willing to go forward. It is not good to try to want more things at the same time. When you learn things separately it is much easier to get them together later. I am not sure how well your horse does if you could make a short video that would be great and I could tell you much more.
Hi. My mare is 6 years old. She is a bit hard to ride and still quite green. At the moment every time I ride her, I first do ground work then get on and ride her. She is fine for the first couple of minutes at walk but then gets frisky and wants to trot. This is fine but she tosses her head or puts her head down and threatens to buck. I push her forward. I’ve mainly ridden her in the round yard but just started riding in the arena. She gets ridden every 2 or 3 days at the moment and she does this every time. What do you suggest to stop this problem? I feel that nothing is working and I don’t want the situation to become worse. I’d like to be able to ride her without this happening as I am starting to lose confidence riding her.
Hi Michelle,
I would be able to say more if you sent a short a video. It is quite difficult to tell. Usually when a horse wants to be fast by himself, it is usually caused by something that the rider does. Some horses might be just fine while others are not. I would recommend slowing down all of your movements, especially your arms. When you start riding ride more on small circles. When your horse gets scared ask him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle and make it smaller, then change direction often and keep him occupied until he calms down. If you would be able to make a short video I would be able to help more.
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 year old arab who is always “fussing” with his mouth. He is easy to ride but I do dressage with him and he will NOT take a strong enough contact on the bit, he goes behind the bit of just snaps,in which i mean opens and closes his mouth all the time, its an evasion I know, but I have tried everything, It is now holding us back as he wont take the contact and move forward with it. Ive had everything checked, teeth, back, etc, he has just a jointed snaffle, I have tried, a straight bar, french link, but hes the same in any bit. I have light hands and I think thats the problem, hes too light in my hand, he even chomps with his mouth without the bit in. I am willing to try anything you can suggest,
Many thanks,
Gill
Hi Gillian,
from my experience this sometimes happen when you start riding without the nose band or when the nose band is not tightened properly. I am not sure about other way other than the nose band that prevents the horse from opening his mouth. The nose band should be comfortable when he has his mouth closed, but it shouldn’t allow your horse to open his mouth too much. I would try to eventually during the riding session let your horse go on a completely lose rein. In dressage you usually are on always on contact, i think its good to let him stretch a few times during the lesson. If you send a video I would be able to help you more.
I have a young 4 year old WB mare that has just been backed. Most of the time she is stunning and then sometimes she is so naughty and I don’t know how to work with her when she is in one of those moods….. I used to have a huge bucking gelding, now a have a sensitive Diva mare and don’t know what to do! OMW
Last night I was riding in the arena where I always ride and she got ‘frightened’ of the chair on the side. It’s always there and she always goes past it. She was a bit fresh and it was a bit colder, so as we passed it she tensed and I ignored it, then each time she kind of tensed and I gave her a tap on the shoulder / rode a small circle and rode her forward past trying to let her relax into the ride. Normally this will work and she will stop doing it, however last night she got worse until she gave a big spook after about 10 min of riding and almost got me off.
Someone then tried to help me and it became a huge fight. This has worked in the same spot in the past, but last night it didn’t work getting firmer and in the end I said its not working and we must stop after about 30 minutes of fighting…. So I don’t know if I need to use more pressure or less pressure when she reacts / spooks at things. Do I tackle it head on and demand or do I ask? 🙂
What should I do? I can also relate to Michelle Path with her mare.
Is she challenging me? Do I need to be more dominant? She is great on the ground and very good at lunging, except for the odd occasion where she is impossible and stands on her hind legs and I go home crying. I know it sounds weird that she is so good and then so naughty, but that is her….
Hi Karen,
it always depends if your horse gets scared of you or the things around. If you have a suspicion that your horse is getting scared of what you are doing, for example movements that are too sudden, then you should try to calm down and do everything slower and calmer. If you think that your horse is scared of things around and not of you, then you dont have to be too hars, just enough pressure to get your horse to listen to what you want. For example get him to turn his head away from the scary object. Horse always look at what they consider the most important. Your horse will still see it when you turn his head away, but it will tell him that it is not important. If you feel like your horse is just fighting with you, it is important to try to get what you want by being calm and persistent, remain calm and keep correcting your horse until he does what you wanted without getting too stressed. Try to not just do rapid movements and use overly too much pressure and “punish” your horse, it could just make it worse.
I have a 9 yr old quarter horse mare, 14-3. I am re-starting here. She is great on walk trot, collects nicely, moves off of legs. The problem is her transfer to canter. She “runs ” and goes way too fast and doesn;t seem to want to slow down. I work with her in the round pen on a long line and encourage her to slow down and to transition slower, but it’s taking a long time. Any suggestions??
Hi Greg,
starting in a round pen is a good idea but it is also good to ride on the horse while teaching him to go slower. You can also ride on the circle in the ring. I would focus on staying in canter until you see that your horse is starting to get tired. When you see that your horse would like to slow down from canter by himself already because he is tired, do one or two more circles and ask him to slow down. In the begging do not slow your horse down too much by pulling your reins. If you feel like your horse is too fast just make the circle smaller. It’s better to just stay in canter for longer, or make the circle a bit tighter and let your horse discover that the slower pace is better for him because he might be cantering for some time. Mainly focus on your horse maintaining a steady pace and avoid slowing him down the usual way, just stay in canter long enough for him to get tired and slow down himself. Also try to be as passive in the saddle as possible. Some people get a bit tense in the saddle in the canter and they squeeze him which he thinks means that he should go faster. Every horse has a pace that is natural to him, some are faster some are going to be slower. Not every horse can canter super slowly.
Radek
Hi Rakek,
I have a 5 year old gelding, a large, strong Friesian x Boerperd with whom I am working (ground control). I have had him since he was born, and he is a real darling but very strong willed. A young woman, a friend of mine, has been working with him and riding him for the past 2 years and is using R+. Both she and I ride bitless. I have never worked with him as she does it all and I just stick to training my rather speedy Friesian mare. Since, my friend broke her leg 2 weeks ago, I started working with the boy, who has a number of issues, chief amongst which are that he hates leaving my mare and bucks and rears if one tries to take him away. Otherwise, he is rather slow and I actually find him really boring to ride. He pretty much does what he likes when he chooses and is so strong that one has very little influence when one is in the saddle.
I have started the ground control course and am having the following problems:
Leading. He will sometimes follow, sometimes not. I do keep up the pressure and pull sideways and he does eventually move off, but it takes a while. He walks VERY close to me and stops just about on top of me.
Backing up: I am working on this a lot. I can get him to back up, but he does it very slowly and reluctantly and it is never straight. He moves backwards and slides his backside sideways and if he manages to get enough of an angle so that I am no longer right in front of him, he moves forward. I have been using the end of the lead rope to move him back, but today I used the dressage whip which he did not like and was threatening to rear. I persisted and he didn’t rear but it still was not great
Moving around the front legs. Doing this quite well
Moving around the back legs: Terrible. I managed to get 1 cross over step of the front legs in each direction but no more than that and we have been practicing daily for a week. He tries to chew the lead rope, he walks right over me even when I put myself right in front of him and if I give him the slightest bit of space, he just walks off!
I must admit that I get really annoyed with him but the fact that I am irritated doesn’t seem to affect him at all. My mare, on the contrary, would go into orbit if I was as irritated with her as I get with him.
I have the feeling that I should be concentrating on backing up and leading until I get that working really well before I carry on with the moving the front feet around the hind legs. I just need to get and keep his attention. He is behaving exactly like my 2 year old grandson!
How would you proceed with a boy like this? Please, any suggestions would be most welcome!
Hi Anne,
in the bonus section there is a video called “how to get your horse away from his buddies” it shows quite a lot of things you are having issues like taking him away from other horses or what to do when he walks too close to you. When your horse starts to get too close to you it is important to correct him as soon as possible. If you wait even just a few seconds he will get the impression that he can do it and correcting him will be very difficult. It seems that what your horse really needs is for you to be persistent. By what you are saying it seems that he listens to you when he feels like. Focus on correcting every little mistake he does. He starts getting a bit too close to you, immediately correct him. Be super persistent at all times when around him. I also recommend taking a look at the video “2 things that solve 90% of all issues” that is also in the bonus section. Regarding the moving around back legs it seems like you are doing quite well, if you can do one step it should be just about practicing it and soon you will be able to do more than that. With him consistency is the key, you always need to require him to behave 100% as you want and if he doesnt immediately correct him, which might be taking a lot of time but it is the only way I know of to improve with a horse like yours.
Radek
I have a haflinger that is new to me. I get respect on the ground. Ground work in a pen is great. In the saddle in the pen the horse is very responsive. That’
s where the good ends. To ride him away from the pen he balks, backs up, head tosses, occasional small buck, and fights the bit. I’ve used encouragement, spurs, and even a riding crop. If he takes even a step forward I praise him. However, he continues this backing up. I’m getting frustrated.
Hi Debra,
if he starts backing up, just let him back up while you continue urging him forward. The key is to not stop urging after he starts backing up. The key is to not let your horse have a rest after he tries to back up. Only stop after he goes forward again. You don’t have to be trying to walk away completely, just ride on the circle next to the round pen and gradually move the circle further and further. There is a 20 minute video on this exact problem in the problem solving series in case you have it 🙂
Today I was lunging my mare in the menage and she was doing well from walk to trot, trot to walk. But when I asked her to canter by lifting up the whip as I do in trot, she pulled back and started bucking. I think maybe I was doing to much because I haven’t been lunging her for more than 3 days with your methods.
She got distressed and scared. I calmed her down and had her move forward again but not asking her to canter again. I think she was previously chased a lot with the whip lunging??
How should I handle this situation?
Interestingly, she doesn’t like to go into canter transition in the saddle. She just gets faster and faster in the trot before she canters. I want her to trot/canter transition from a slow trot into a slow canter eventually.
Hi Carla,
I would first get her to canter in the roundpen without a lunge line or a lead rope. When using a whip to urge your horse in the roundpen do not move the whip up and down, keep it at the same height and just move it towards your horse. As I do it in the videos. If you move your whip up and down your horse might perceive it as very aggressive and get scared. Try to first urge with a very low pressure and gradually increase it if she doesn’t go to canter. Also if it is difficult to get her to canter, you can increase the pressure by just walking closer to your horse, you can be on the level of your horse rear around 2metres away from him walking behind/next to him. After she goes to canter you should continue walking in the same distance because if you go further she might see it as you telling her to go slower again. especially in the beggining.
After, you manage to get her to canter for longer, it should also become much easier to get her to transition to canter as well.
When you start cantering in the saddle, focus on staying in canter for longer. Try to increase the time you can ride in canter at once. The transition is not that important in the beggining just focus on getting your horse stay in canter until she gets tired.
Took my haflinger out again today. He was fine as long as someone was walking beside him. As soon as that person was out of eyesight the backing up began in earnest. Nothing I did from the saddle made any difference. It did not matter who was walking beside him, as long as he could see a person.
Hi Debra,
some horses feel more secure when someone is next to them and they get scared when they dont see anyone. It takes time to fix this. Get the person that is with you to gradually get further and further from you. When you are riding keep your horse very occupied at all times. Ask your horse to turn his head to the side, do a circle to one side, then to the other side. Then stop, back up, start going again. Go on the circle again. he cannot have too much time to think. He needs to learn to listen to what you want without watching out what is happening elsewhere. He needs to be relying on you.
Radek
Hi Radek… I have a problem with my horse attempting to kick out at me on her left hind leg when I try to pick up her hoof. She doesn’t do it with the other feet. She’s not being mean but warning. I don’t know what happen to make her do this. I’m not strong enough to get it and then hold on until she stops trying to pull it away. Thank you for suggestions. Melody
Hi Melody,
it shouldnt be much about strenth to keep your hand on your horses leg as she is kicking or moving it. Let your horse to kick as she wants but try to (if possible of course) to just keep your hand on it. Not trying to hold it or prevent the movement just hold it, until she calms down, then after she calms down you can let her to put her feet back on the ground. If you are not able to hold her leg with your arm you can also try to loosely put lead rope around it and use that instead of your hand. Then again just wait and after she calms down you can let her put it back on the ground. There is going to be a video on this exact problem soon. I worked with a horse with this problem a few days ago so we have the footage it is just not edited yet.
Hi there, I’ve been working through the groundwork series and starting the riding series. In the ebook when you talk about using side reins to strengthen the back, you mention that when you see the horse tire, he’s done for the day. Can you explain what you see that tells you the horse has had enough? The same question regarding when you start riding and you notice that the horse’s back has done enough. Thank you!
Hi Leslie,
you can just upload to youtube and send a link that is the best way, or also post it in the facebook group. But that one is harder for me to keep track of.
Radek
Hi Leslie,
while lunging with the side reins watch the side rein, if you see that he is not keeping it lose anymore and sort of laying on the rope it means he is pretty tired. While riding in the saddle, you can feel the back of your horse moving a bit down, you just have to feel it, it is not easy to feel. Try to focus on the way your horse with his back, you should be able to feel when it is arched up and when it is arched down.
Radek
Hi Radek, I have a pallimino that is such a classic, I broke her in at the age of 8 and she has been threw injuries she shouldn’t of survived. One being were the saddle flap goes, I use a stock saddle for I’m a trail rider, Just wondering due to the muscle being riped out in the area were the flap goes and part of the muscle used to flex in a circle if that could be the issue why turning left appears hard for her? She is now 13 years old and going nice finally after 2 years of rear and spin on the trails cause she can’t get her way or she has picked up that the other riders are that nervous lets scare them they move out of my space. She is actually rather brainy and a good example of horses needing routine and if that routine changes well you can get a wild confused horse or one looking for guidance from me. Also when she gets paddock sour and you ignore her signs of telling you she acts up and backs my words up that if the people I ride with don’t go out when I say she is getting bored in the paddock and I can tell them she will do some nice fireworks they haven’t seen and think it’s not possible for her. Gypsy and I have a close bond that when were out on the trails she is constantly looking for my guidance and if she feels she can’t fit in the gap or that the ground is going to disapear or something she looks for my encouragement. I don’t know how to link Videos for you to see, I could put them on the groups wall, I also have just recently broke a harness racing horse into saddle who is coming along fine. For with Gypsy it be easy if you did see a video of her turning left when she wants and then when she dosen’t want to. I have learnt one thing out of watching the videos so far is that i do a lot of stuff the same as you. For years people told me that my way is all wrong and yet I get results. I keep saying to them pressure & release and alot of consistancy, I have a video of Gypsy going great along our road and 2 trucks comeing by and when I first started the road work we were a rearing, spinning oh try bolt home but correct and stop her imediately, and ask to go forward once they passed, I done the road work with trucks and cars nearly every day and with in a few months she was what I knew would happen a complete angel and just go forward or stop calmly and not worrying about the trucks at all.
Hi Janita,
sounds like you are doing great. To send the video the best way is the group or just upload it to youtube and send me a link to it over here 🙂 Consistency, and pressure release are the key 🙂
Radek
Hi Debbie,
it depends on the horse, some horses I just continue riding on the snaffle bit their whole life, especially the horses that react well, stop well, back up well and do not go against the pressure. Basically I switch to shank bit usually when I want to use less pressure to get my horse to lower his head or he continues to not react well enough on the bit. I usually consider the switch after years of training.
Hi Radek.. I wanted you to know that what you suggested in my last question about not being able to pick up my mares back leg worked. I only worked with her legs and the rope a few times and now I am able to clean all of her feet out. thank you. I have another problem. She is partly blind in one eye due to infection when she was a baby. She is 3 yrs old now and I’m starting to ride her. When working in round pen and lounging on her bad side she keeps turning around. I realize she is scared on that side but I think she can feel what I want from her. What can I do to help her relax and not be so spooky on that side? I don’t want her to be one sided and not be able to trust her if she gets scared in the future out on the trail. thank you again
Hi Melody,
that’s great that it worked. If she changes direction by herself in the roundpen just as soon as you see that she is starting to turn around, correct her and make sure she doesn’t. I would let her turn her head to the side or something, but otherwise if you just correct her from turning around she should be improving over time. There are a lot of blind horses, a lot of them it is hard to tell even that they are blind. Just correct her and she will improve 🙂
Hi Radek…Well we are improving in the round pen, I’m happy with Dixie’s progress. I was wondering if you had specific program step by step, week by week, training schedule for taking a young horse like Dixie (3 yrs old) from first rides to finished? I’m following your blueprint and watching the videos and reading your articles but I still feel like I go out to work with her without a goal. Just asking her to do things and working until she understands. Maybe that’s what it’s all about? I feel like I’m wandering and need a step by step program. I just ordered your side reins, but at what point in her training do I introduce them? If you already have videos that give that information can you please list them in order for me. I’m so excited to do things right with this horse and I love the way you teach. You are a blessing and I thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience. Happy Riding, Melody
Hi Melody,
thank you for the feedback! 🙂 Regarding the side reins, when to start using them and how to use them is described in third video of Ground Control. I use the sidereins even after I start riding. I alternate between riding and groundwork with use of side reins. They help to strenthen your horses back to get him more ready to carry the weight of the rider. The way I progress I tried to describe in the ground control and saddle contro. When you follow the ground control the things are explained in an order in which I practise them with my horses, there is nothing that i do that I skipped in there. I was thinking about creating some sort of scheldule, but it really varies quite a lot with each horse. In general I move through the exercises based on how well the horse does. But doesnt matter how well the horse does it, I always try to move further and get my horse to do it better and better, even if he is already very good, there is always some room to improve. I feel like once you stop trying to improve, things start getting worse. I consider the constatnt aim to be improving one of the most important things when it comes to ground work. During ground work it is not as crucial which exercises you start with first and which you do later. In the ridden exercises it is very important from the ground it is not as important. I am preparing a training process blueprint which is going to explain everything I do from the ground in a bit more detail, but it is likely to be ready only at the end of the year.
My horse is a thoroughbred. I am able to get her to do half pass, turn of forehand, turn on the hauches move her head to right and left, circles large and small put her head lower, stop without reins from a walk…
but I cannot get her to stop from a trot or canter without a great deal of pulling on the reins. Any suggestions to what I can try next?
Hi Katherine,
you can do a lot of exercises already, nice! 🙂 A lot of thoroughbreds have issues with stopping, they were sort of breed that way. What helps me with horses that do not want to stop without reins helps me is to say the command to stopping and if the horse doesnt stop, pull the reins in around two seconds. Some horses take longer, some not as long, but every horse will sooner or later learn what the verbal command means and will start stopping without the reins. It is also important to really relax in the saddle and imagine as if your horse was already standing still, that can also really help with getting her to stop without pulling the reins.
Hi Radek,
I have a 10yr old Fjord. I’ve had him for 7 months.. I have a small arena to work my horse, but not a round pen. When I want my horse to lunge, he just turns to face me. Sometimes, I can get him to lunge for a few minutes, but then he just turns to face me and when I try to get by his side, he just keeps turning. What can I do so get him to lunge?? He’s pretty easy going, doesn’t get excited about anything, but if he doesn’t want to do something, I have to be forceful. Sometimes I can verbally ask him to move over and he does and other times I have to make him move over.
Hi Claudia,
there is actually a video where I show how to solve it when he just stands like this facing you and doesnt want to go on a circle. You can find it in the third video of ground control. It is I think right after the first minute of the video. The video shows me kind of chasing the horse around. The important thing is to not give your horse a break when he is facing you, you have to keep urging him the whole time that he is facing you without any delay or a break in between. He has to realize that if he does it, you will keep bothering him until he starts going on the circle. Just keep urging him until he goes on the circle.
I am enjoying your videos and training very much. I have a 18 year old gelding ridden on and off but barely trained until he was 15 years old. I owned his mother too and rode her more often because she was well trained. I am over fifty now and know at times I have confidence issues, however my biggest problem seems to be riding with my gelding we will mount find and start walking fine and then he seems to get irritated in the cinch area and starts biting and want to stop or act like he wants to go to the washroom… if I continue to push him through because he will stop every few minutes if I let him he either goes along fine or gets more and more irritated with me almost to the point of not going forward at all… any suggestions would be appreciated. ps I have done lots of ground work, he leads fine forward backwards etc…
Hi Kim,
sometimes horses act very differently from the ground and from the saddle. In general horses are usually more difficult to handle if someone started riding on them later on when they were already older rather then when they were still young. Starting to ride and teaching something new to a 15 year old horse is much more difficult and takes much longer than if the horse was younger. It is really a significant difference. I worked with horses that started beeing ridden this late and it was always difficult. They can learn but often when they get good, they also get too old to be ridden by that time already. The way I work with horses who started later is exactly the same as I do with a young one, the only difference is that with an older horse it is going to be much more difficult.
I have just ordered the rope halter from you as I know they are very good. Can you tell me if it is ok to tie your horse with this kind of halter please?
hi Radek, Irefer to your video ” walk” at the minute 4.44 :bending the neck on left and right side, while walking straight .
can you explain how you can manage that ?
I can do it on the ground ( …. more or less…) but I am not able on the saddle.
my horse is an old one ( 22 years old) and unfortunately pretty stiff. and I feel that this job could help him a lot.
thks and nice evening
barbara
Hi Barbara,
it is going to be more challenging with an older horse to do this exercise. But it would definitely be helpfull. The key is to get your horse to react very well on the pressure of your leg. So you can push him to the side, or in this case, prevent him from turning as you ask him to turn his head. Try to practise side passes and turn on the haunches. Also it is much easier to start practising turning your horses head to the side while riding on the circle, try to get your horse to turn his head towards the center of the circle. Focus on getting your horse to just turn his towards the inside of the circle without making it smaller. When you manage that, try to get him to make the circle bigger while his head is still turned towards the inside. When you learn that it is going to be much easier to turn his head to the side while walking straight. If you are still having issues, you can try to be walking next to a fence that will help you as well. When you learn to turn his head to the side while walking straight to both directions you should have a pretty good control over where your horse goes.
Good Morning, I have a 4 year old Friesian that is really going well on your program, he is soft and reacts well on small pressure. Since last week I have been having problems with him in the walk to trot transition, he never did this and has been in the saddle for 10 months now. When I ask for the transition I would say trot and if there is not quick enough reaction I will put light pressure on with both legs. When he hears the word trot he throws his head up and I really have to increase the pressure before he starts to trot, but now every time is a battle where he use to be soft and quick on the command.
I did not change any tack and ride with the same boots and spurs.
Hi Jaceline,
I am not sure what exactly the problem is, I think it could be that the horse is getting bored. Maybe you are doing similar exercises over and over again, or you are not trying to be improving further. I am not sure if it is your case since I have not seen what exactly is happening but it is often the case. It is good to always try to be learning new exercises and improving the way your horse does the ones he already knows. Each training session should be different, or you can also be changing the environment a bit so it doesnt become too stereotypical for the horse.
Hi Radek,
In the store there is the option of buying a copy of either of the training options on DVD for $10. Does one receive the complete training for either ground work/saddle control etc on DVD or only one video or how does that work?
Angelique
Hi Angelique,
there is the whole training system on the DVDs. All the videos that you find in the members area for that training system are going to be in the box. We have this option mainly for people who are having issues with playing the videos or online, or just prefere to watch them from a DVD.
I have a horse which was born and raised here. He has always been good in traffic but a few weeks back he suddenly spooked badly at a flat bed truck which had traffic cones in the back. Thought this strange as he has worked in the arena with cones all his life. The problem was this happened in a narrow country lane so there was no room to do circles and change of direction with a truck at the side of you. He did the same when the truck came back and passed us.
This has affected my confidence as I do not know why this has started and I do not know what to do when you have not got room to move the horse about. What should I do?
Hi June,
I see, if your horse knows the cones from the ground it doesnt mean he is not going to get scared of them in another situation. It is quite common. It is hard to be solving anything in a narrow space as you said. What I do is that I at least turn his head away from the truck, that tells him that I do not consider the truck important. If he continues to be scared of trucks it is good to find a place where there is a lot of space next to the road, where you have space to work with him. I usually solve it like that, you dont have to be solving it in the narrow spot because that would be very difficult. Solve it first somewhere safer where you and your horse have space.
Thank you for the reply. I would just like to make sure, if I click on the link ($10) for DVD at the bottom of the video, do I get sent a DVD with all the videos for in that training system for $10. Also do you post to South Africa, there is not a link where one can download the videos perhaps?
Hi Angelique,
yep when you order the DVDs for 10usd you do get all the videos in that particular program you ordered the videos for. Usually there are 2 or 3 dvds for each program and you do get all of them for the 10 dollars.
Thanx for the answer. Just about the postage to South Africa, does it get posted to South Africa, or is there a link at which one can then download the videos?
Hi Angelique, yes when you get the DVDs they can be posted to South Africa no problems, the postage is already included in the price. The videos are not available for download but you can always watch them from over here 🙂
I am battling to get one of my mares to canter. I have been doing the ground work and am now at the 3rd video of the ground work. She does everything else very good, and obeys excellently, but I battle to get her to canter. she will just start trotting faster and faster and then she will give a few steps in canter and then back to a very fast trot. Can you please direct me to one of your videos where to get a horse to canter or help me with what I could do please.
Hi Angelique,
it is not unusual to have issues with getting your horse canter. The easiest way to overcome it is by working with your horse in a roundpen. In the roundpen all you have to focus on is just asking your horse to speed up to canter. The roundpen guides your horse on the circle, you can have your horse on the lunge line or you can be free lunging. I would use a long lunging whip to ask your mare to canter. It is not about spanking her once hard to make her canter. Just keep asking repeatedly, do not try to scare your mare. Just keep constantly urging her until she goes to canter. When she does go to canter if you know that after a certain time she is likely to slow down again, try to start urging her again just before you think she would slow down. In the begging try to get her to canter one circle. Try to get her to do one circle without slowing down to trot. Then you can let her rest and try to canter in the oposite direction. If she hesitates to go to canter you can increase the pressure by just walking closer to her. Also when she goes to canter pay attention to staying close to her sort of behind her rear, like it is shown in the video, so you can urge her better in case you know she is likely to slow down again. In around a week she should already be able to do three circle in canter.
Thank you so much for the answer, I have a much better picture now of how to get her to the canter. I would also just like to make sure about the size of the round pen. What size is the round pen you use? As I was wondering if the round pen I am using could perhaps be too small for her, that she battles to get her strides going? It is an Arab mare.
Thanx
Hi Angelique the best diameter for a round pen is 18m (60feet) but anywhere between 16m (52feet) and 20m (65feet) is just fine 🙂 For your Arab mare the 18 metres ion diameter should be perfect and pretty much fits all horses.
Hi Radek
When mounting from the mounting block. As soon as I reach the top of the mounting block he moves backwards. I have a bad knee so I have to use steps. He waits until I reach the top before moving. What should I do?
Linda
Hi Linda,
in this case it is good to teach him to move towards you from the ground. Get a longer whip and sort of reach over your horse and tap him on his back or ideally a little bit from the other side. Keep tapping him until he does a step towards you. When you teach him to move towards when you tap him with a whip you can use the same technique when he moves when you are trying to mount. I am going to be making a video on this, so stay tuned. i will post it in the Facebook group when it is ready 🙂
Hi Radek,
I would like to buy all of the training systems to have available when I’m not able to be online but I’d prefer to get them on a flash drive. Is it possible to purchase them on flash drive (rather than DVD)?
Hi Lorraine,
sure I can send it to you on a flash drive. However since they are much more expensive than DVDs it would be 20usd instead of 10 per training system.
I already have an account and purchased a halter but cannot register since I already have an account. I would like to keep the same account email and password.
Please help.
Thank you
Hi Radek. I have an 8 year old Anglo Arab cross Connemara who has not been ridden for 2 years. I have started training her again and have followed all your steps from groundwork to riding her. She responds well on the ground but it is very difficult to keep her moving forward. I have never used spurs and I am a bit unsure how she would react to them but I am exhausted just getting her to walk. She is ok if my husband walks in front of her and she follows but seems to lack confidence on her own.
She has a very friendly temperament and enjoys her work. Can you help. Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi David,
you do not need spurs if you are not comfortable using them. I would reccomend using a whip instead. It is probably better and easier to use. If you want your horse to start walking ask twice. First time ask using low pressure, the second time ask using more pressure than the first time. If your horse still doesnt go, ask him to go using the whip. Use enough pressure to get an exxagerated reaction from your horse. You do not want her to just start walking, you want an exagerated reaction, your horse should realize at this point that he should have done something differently. Always use the whip if your horse doesnt react on your leg the second time. If you are consistent with it, it should improve quite quickly.
Hi Radek, I am trying to teach my part Arab to jump. Treats it as a scary object. I was practicing just poles on the floor with a wing each side. She tripped over the cross pole then the wing fell and she broke it. Now she has gone worse and does not want to go near the poles. I can get her over but it is obvious she is afraid. I would like to go further and jump a course eventually. She is 8 years old and spooky. She has a good jump but is afraid of everything.
I have practiced with objects and slowly she is good and even gone around the area with a black plastic bag over one ear and trailing behind her. She is a good learner but I would like to know how to proceed with the poles
Hi Linda, I would start with something as simple as possible. for example lay the pole or osmething on the ground and walk over it until she completely calms down. Then try it in trot, and then in slow canter. Always wait until she gets completely comfortable. Try to let her to discover that everything is ok on her own, do not push her too hard, but at the same time do not let her go until she relaxes around the scary poles. Arab horses in general take a bit longer to realize that something is not scary so it is good to be patient with them.
I have a 13 year old TB gelding who walks ahead of me and I try to stop him and have him walk behind me.
He will walk behind me and then speed up to walk ahead of me.
I would stop him and then make him back up. then start walking again. then the process starts over again.
He also is staring off in different directions and when I try to get his attention (eye) he has a blank look in his eye and does not even seem to notice me even though I would make him move his hind end to try to get his attention. He just goes through the motion of moving his hind end and then keeps staring at what ever has his attention like I was not even there.
How do I get him to follow behind me in a respectful distance since I correct him through out our 1 hr walk.
Hi Grace,
my guess is that it would help you if you corrected your horse quicker. Usually it takes long to improve this if you react too slow. Your reaction has to be immediate when he starts getting too close already correct him. You can try to stand infront of him facing his head and then start walking backwards watching him going forward. Keep your eyes on the horse and as soon as he makes the distance shorter correct him.
If he is not looking at you, pull on the lead rope and just ask him to turn his head towards you. Again try to do it as quickly as possible when you see that he is turning his head to look at something different. When you are asking your horse to start walking you do not ask him in any specific way other than that you start walking. Then again you ask him to stop by just stopping yourself. Do not do anything else. If he doesnt start walking or stops too close to you then just correct him and back him up to where he is supposed to be. Also you can try a little exercise in the beggining. Get a whip and stand infront of your horse. Get him to a certain distance and just stand still. If he moves closer to you, just correct him immediately with the whip and ask him to back to where he was.
Hi Radek. I haven’t recieved a reply from you and just wanted to check you received my last question about moving forward in the saddle. Many thanks. Margaret latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Hi Radek. I’m finding the training programme really good. I have a rescued 3 year old Gypsy Pony who was backed a few months ago. He’s doing very well and is very responsive particularly in the halter I bought off you. He has always been ridden bitless. My problem is that he eats at any opportunity when we hack out. He is out in the day, comes in at night. Has hay and a low calorie feed and mineral supplement. He can be very strong when he wants to get his head down to eat a nice bit of grass.
Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks. Pam
Hi Pam,
in this case it is super important to be consistent and never ever let your horse eat when you are in the saddle. It is going to be very hard in the begging, I would probably use some kind of side reins to prevent him from going all the way down with his head because you will probably not be able to hold his head up just using your hands. With side reins he would immediately realize that it just doesnt go lower. After some times you would be able to stop using them and just correct him with the reins if necessary.
I have been trying your method of circling when my horse spooks but she is still the same. There is a line of bushes down one side of the arena and a break in the bushes where she can see through. When the wind moves the trees it is movement and sound that gets to her and she spooks. How do I handle this?
Hi Linda,
I am not really sure what to reccomend other than getting your comfortable with the place everytime he gets scared. When he gets scared, turn his head away from the bushes, and start getting closer and closer. Get all the way there and wait until your horse completely relaxes. Try to stay completely calm yourself. If you get stressed or anoyed that he is scared of it again, he will sense it and he will think that you are scared of the bush as well. With some horses it can three months to fix something like this. But if you get them to relax right next to the scary thing every time, it will go away eventually.
Hi Radek
Jeff is going very well in his halter on the trail.
He has never been shod and is kept out during the day but in at night.
My question is should I pick out his feet before taking him out hacking?
Thanks
Pam
Hi Pam,
yep I would definitely pick our his feet before taking him out hacking. He could have a rock for example stuck in his feet and get problems because of it.
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 year old Standard Bred mare. I have only had her since May 2018 and I am trying to learn how to work with her and teach her. I have had horses in the past but never did “training” with my horses on my own. I am trying to be a leader for her.
When I enter her paddock she will come to me and stop just enough distance to smell my hand. Then when I reach out to stroke her head she backs up and raises her head up and away. What can I do to encourage her to not back up and accept my attempts to touch her?
Thanks for any help,
Judith
Hi Judith,
in this case just slow all your movements down. Every single movement should be a lot slower. In case she backs up infront of you, just move very slowly towards her and try to touch her again. Walk very slowly and move your hands very slowly. Your horse will be much more confident and less scared if you are moving very slowly.
Hello Radek,sorry it’s been a while ,work commitments health issue in family..but we are comming out the other side..
I’m training a young horse of very close clients ground wrk comming along there daughter rides onlg wen im there we are doing basic walk trot tranistions ,getting him used to pressure by leg..iv had to do a little more on this on ground as he occasionally has tendancy to shoot forward at speed like something has shot up his behind..can you suggest anything else ..iv put ropez round him used varios traing methods to get him used to having thinhs there and he is fine…but nog stopped thos occasionsl shooting forward wen on him ??? any advice would be appreciated thanks Beverley Pecka
Hi Beverley,
some horses are super sensitive to certain aids. It doesnt matter how other horses reacted, some horses freak out when you move your hand a little bit. Try to focus on your movements and make all of them very slow and fluid. She might be reacting on a certain movement you, or the daughter of your client is making.
Hi, I wanted to know in your opinion,at what age do you suggest do you start to ride ? My horses are 20 months I’ve been lunging them with a saddle and they are both doing very well in their ground manners .
Hi Brenda,
I usually start riding when my horses are around 2 and a half years old. Around 30 months old. But it depends on the breed, quarter horses are fine with 30 months, but for example arab horses I would start riding quite a lot later, somewhere between 3 and 4 years old.
Hi Radek,
I’ve watch all the videos for ground work,
My horses are doing great !! I’m just wondering
What’s next ? They are 20months old so I can’t start riding yet ! Is there something else I can be doing to prepare them for riding ? I’ve already been lunging with a saddle and side reins .
I’m wondering should I placepoles on the ground to get their coordination down ?
I’m at a stand still 🤔 thanks ahead of time for your help Brenda
Hi Brenda,
puting some poles on the ground is a good idea 🙂 In this phase I usually focus on getting the horse to maintain a steady pace by himself, and also on getting them to make the circle perfectly round. At this stage it is good to not overdo it young horses can get bored of doing the same things if you work with them too often and then they might get worse temporarily.
Hi Radek
My horse have been out on another property and one of them is terrified of floating due to him being sick once and falling many times. I can get him on the float with a bit of difficulty once on he is a mass of sweet due to fear. He can be floated if he has the whole float to himself , but if i put my mare on he cant get his footing around any corner no matter how slow or careful I go. He scrambles every turn. The last time floating him with my mare now has her harder to get on and she was good. What should I do. Also I tied them up to the float to spray them for flies(bad move) again my mare was good to spray then when I went to do my gelding He lost the plot smashed into me I was thrown into her and knocked under her feet. She went totally nuts. She is now scared on tieing to the float(impossible to spray) and in the rope halter I am worried it has damaged her as she is so nervous and seems to be hurting behind the ears( It was one I bought from some clinic for ground work.) Is it dangerous using rope halters on horse rearing and going nuts? It pulls right down to her nose and has rubbed her bottom gums raw too. It seems even tied to her normal post if she pulls back now she goes nuts rearing and hurting herself. Please any advice on these problems. Regards Angelina
Hi Angelina,
it seems to me that you have the right approach, I have so far not seen a horse getting hurt by a rope halter, but I am not saying it cannot happen. It probably can. I would probably just continue using a rope halter. If your halter slides too much maybe getting one in a size that fits better would help. Otherwise I am not really sure what to recomend in your case.
Hi Brenda,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Just an update. I seem to have a problem with my horse being tied up to anything. I am not game to tie her at all now. She stands still no worries to rug, brush, do her feet myself, or saddle up untied. This is ok at home but how do i retrain her to not rear and go nuts when tied fast to a post ,rail ,or float. when ;out. I am scared to try again only to enforce the wrong habits. Please help Angelina
Hi Angelina,
I know basicaly two ways to teach a horse to stand still while tied to something.
The first one is to put two halters on at the same. They do not have to be rope halters, web halters are fine as well. Then get two strong lead ropes. Then just tie your horse to something strong and make sure the area around it is as safe as possible. then just let your horse tied, let him tied until he calms down. You have to leave him there until he calms down and stops trying to get away.
The second way is to get your into a box stall or a small enclosure and put one halter on, then tie him to a rubber rope. The rope should be able to stretch to all corners of the box. The point over here is that your horse will be able to move with his halter around his box stall to all corners, but if he gets further from the point where he is tied to the rubber rope will be pulling him to get back but not hurt him. Eventually he will realize that it is just better to stand still where the rubber rope is not pulling him anymore.
One of these should help, in your case probably the one with the stretchy lead rope would be safer.
Hi Brenda,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Radek purchase your training information on trail riding. there has not been any new information added to this segment. do you plan on updating or sharing new ideas?
Hi Jan,
we are not planing any updates to the trail riding at the moment. Can you access all the chapters? There is quite a lot of content. We are now just working on training process blueprint from the ground and on a training on how to start a horse. So these two should come first and then we see what to work on next 🙂
Hi Radek and thank you for educational videos!
I have a question. Me and my friend have taken care of 2 trotter (Swedish, non-passers) who competed on trotting track and monte´ up to a year ago. We intend to educate them and I see it as a fun project. Love the trotters temprament and attitude to work. To the question, one of the horses is very tense when brushing and fixing with him, jerking at the slightest movement or sound. He is very kind and as soon as he gets the saddle and saddle on it gets better (not perfect). He is also very scared of his head and snatches and puts his head up when brushing him there. How do you think we should do to make him more relaxed?
Kind regards
Bodil
Hi Bodil,
I would just really slow down all the movements you are making. If the horse ever got hit on the head by someone in the past, he is going to be very nervous of things moving close to it. Just make your every move a lot slower and and your horse will calm down and get more confident. Walk slower, move your hand a lot slower and it should be much better.
I have had a Dutch Warmblood 16.2 for 2 weeks now. Several problems. Food aggression, he lunges towards me when holding a net or bucket. I make him back off and then put in food, any way to improve this? Going out into the field, he pulls free and gallops away, same coming in. Easy to catch but can just take off back to the farm. I lunged him in the field before walking him back to the stable but am loosing my confidence handling him. He is also difficult to tie up as he paws objects towards him and meddles. He has broken 2 boxes pulled over a bucket with droppings and pulled off rugs from a rack. It is hard to find a place to tie him where there are no objects. If I tie up in his stable he sometimes crushes me against the wall. If the hay net is in he will put his ears back and show his teeth but lets me continue to rug up etc. I have to use a mint to get the bit in his mouth or his head jerks up and down. All this makes me exhausted before I ride. To ride he is perfect.
Hi Linda,
it seems that your horse has a very dominant temper. From the ground it is super important to be consistent. He always needs to maintain at least a one meter distance from you. If he gets closer, immediately back him up. He should never get closer to you than one meter by himself. Sometimes it appears that the horse does the step towards you by accident, however it is never an accident. You have to corrrect your horse under all circumstances. Always correct him using appropriate pressure based on how agressively he went closer to you. It should improve quite quickly, however you have to be super consistent at all times. You cannot just correct him “when you are working him” you have to be correcting him always. Also take a look at the video in bonus section called 2 things that solve 90 percent of all issues.
Radek
I have a nervous mare who makes quick decisions and is cautious about her personal safety. On a small group trail ride, she was afraid to step over the raised metal pipe which keeps motorcycles off the trail, even though the 3 horses ahead of her went over it. I worked with her as you teach, but her response was to back up a long way and to be unstoppable. I saw it as a refusal to go forward and soon dismounted and moved to her side and used taps with a whip on her hind quarters and verbal reward when she took a step forward. Finally, we got to the scary pipe, where she drew the line. She would not go over the pipe, but she would go backward. I tried then taking over her backing, directing and prolonging it a few feet, then moving to her side and asking for forward. She continued to refuse at the pipe, so my taps got harder, whereupon she began to kick and my taps became punishment for kicking. We never got over the pipe and my friends were disgusted with me for beating my horse. This is a very serious matter as refusal to go forward can be dangerous on the trail. She has used backing before to resist standing next to a trail gate I use for schooling at home but we have overcome that each time. My questions are: What would you have done differently and do you think the choice to back up can be overcome? Linda
Hi Linda,
actually there is a video on prety much this exact issue. If you have Trail Control there is a video in the 4th chapter. It is video 22. it shows what I do in this case. It was not a pipe but it was a raised little wooden path. The horse also was refusing to walk over it for years because he fell off it once and then never wanted to go on it since.
The key is to not give up until your horse goes over it, you should be mentally determined to stay there over night if necessary, your horse will be able to feel it. Stay calm, and keep asking her to go forward. You do not need to be increasing the pressure very much if she still doesnt want to move after a long time. Try to keep her moving. Get her close to the obstacle, keep asking her to go forward, if she is refusing, ask her to turn to the side, then to the other side, the ask her forward again, if she doesnt go then ask for turning to left, turning to right, then ask for forward again. Rather then increasing the pressure too much it is important to not stop asking, do not give your horse a break. He can only have a five second break after he did a step forward. Keep her feet moving if not forward then to the sides, and just do not go away until she goes over it. Try to not use so much pressure that she would start kicking or freaking out. Getting down from your horse and trying to get him to walk over the obstacle from the ground is a good move, it is usually much easier to solve it from the ground. Then the super important thing after you finaly manage to get your horse over the obstacle is to keep walking over it there and back until your horse completely relaxes. Then the same from the saddle. It is going to take time again, your horse will probably get nervous again once you get in the saddle, but it will be easier, again just walk there and back until your horse relaxes completely. Also when you manage to walk over it, try to go there again tomorrow. Your horse might not want to go straight away but it will be much easier. Regarding your riding friends, it is good to go with someone that would not mind being there with you as you are solving it, no matter how long it will take. If they were nervous for you to be done already, I would just tell them to go ahead and solve it by yourself.
Hi Radek,
Just want to ask, for a new horse that is being trained for riding, do I have to start out with a bride and bit or can i start out straight away with just the halter if she has responded very good to all the ground work?
Hi Angelique,
you can surelly start just riding on the halter straight away. However I usually start riding on a bit. Simply because if you start with a bit, your horse will get comfortable with it much easier than if you start riding on a halter and then for some reason have to ride with a bit. I would start with riding with a bit, and then switch to riding on a halter. Like that if you have to switch to bit it is significantly easier. Also some horses are better on a bit some while ridden on a halter. If you try both, you will see what your horse preferes.
I have a 5 year old Tennessee Walker mare whom I’ve had since she was 1. I’ve really enjoyed your training series and it has helped me a lot with working with her and getting her ready for trail riding. My struggle is that, because she’s a Tennessee Walker, the trotting exercises don’t come easy for her. She’s more pacey which I would like to discourage. Do you know much about gaited horses and if so are there any adjustments to help support her desired gaits? She also has a hard time holding a canter going counter clockwise. Are there any exercises to help develop that direction?
Hi Suzanne,
what helps to calm down the pace in trot is just staying in trot for longer. I reccomend for example staying in trot for 20 – 30 minutes. Just stay in trot riding around, doing circles to both directions and so on. When you stay in trot for longer your horse will realize that it is better to save his energy and he will relax the pace and naturally slow his pace down. It is good to be riding like this five or six times per week. If you have these long trot riding sessions six or five times a week with most horses you will see improvements in a month or two.
Regarding the canter, it would be ideal to get a roundpen and lunge your horse there. Try to get your horse to stay in canter for at least two to three circles. it doesnt matter if you are free lunging, or if your horse is on a lunge line. Most horses have a place where they slow down. Try to watch out for it, and if you think your horse will slow down, start urging him to speed up right before the place where he usually slows down. As soon as you get your horse to do two to three circles without slowing down to trot, you can work on keeping him in canter for more and more circles.
Good Morning Radek, I wanted to ask your thoughts on horse personality with regards to horse training. I had really never thought about it before with previous horses, but my 9 year old apalloosa gelding has made me think about this aspect recently as every ” methology” I had used didn’t seem to work or was very limited with him. Other people are very quick to label him as stubborn and lazy, though I have always believed he was unmotivated and needs variety in his training. I can make him do stuff but clearly he gets aggravated and angry when I do this. So I adopted a much calmer approach with him which over time has built up a bond between us and mutual respect.. He is a left brain introverted horse and I also am analytical and a thinker rather being reactive…….I am not sure if this is a recipe for disaster or a match made in heaven?
Hi Ali,
horses have all sorts of tempers. What I think matters the most is whether your horse makes you happy. If you like working with your apalloosa, and enjoy your time with him, then you are a good match. If you do not enjoy being with your horse, or are scared around him, then I would consider getting a different horse. I would not look for more than just looking whether you enjoy working with such horse.¨
Hi Radek, I started with the first video and I have tried it with my horse yesterday. It is not that bad… He reacts pretty good to low pressure on the back-hand but not at all on the forehand even with hard pressure… How can I improve ?
Second question : Why do so much poeple say that you have to be rude to your horse when he doesn’t listen ? Is to hitmy horse a good way to get what I want ?
Hi Stefany,
with the turn on the forehand it makes it easier to get your horse to stand against a wall and then urge him. I am not sure what exactly is happening from what you are saying. The best would be if you could send me a quick video of what is happening so i can give you a better advice 🙂 You can upload it on youtube and send me a link here or post it in our facebook group.
Good morning radek. First I want to say thank you for helping me being a better rider with a happy horse. Here are my concerns :
I have 50% of Apollon’s respect, my 5 years old guelding. We are together since last march ( 6 months ) and his first owner used to fight with him to get wath she wanted so taht he doesn’t react to low pressure ( on the ground and on the saddle ). He was used to be pushed really hard and I don’t know how to ”undo” this habit. For example he would start walking only if I kick him very hard or if I use a whip.
Also, when I ask him to back up ( on the ground so far ) he won’t. He is not reacting to any kind if pressure. I have to take the alter and push his head really hard if I want to have one step back from him and I don’t like it, no more than him.
Hi Stefany,
to be honest, there is no easy way to fix the problems you are having. That being said it is not impossible. It will just take a long time.
There are two critical things that you need to solve it.
You said that you are using a lot of pressure, however, your horse doesn’t react well. I understand that it could be really a lot of pressure, however who decides about the amount of pressure is really your horse. You cannot be comparing him to other horses.
First imagine how you want your horse to react. Then ask him using low pressure, After he doesnt react, use very large pressure, large enough to make him do what you want him to do. The problem with horses that require a lot of pressure is that someone in the past most likely was not consistent. When you ask your horse to do something, he doesnt do it, so you ask again, in your eyes already using a lot of pressure and your horse still doesnt do it.
A lot of people just give up and stop asking for whatever they want their horse to do because they feel like they are using too much pressure. That is what teaches horses to react on high pressure. They learn that if they can stand being kicked hard, there is a chance for them to not listen to you. So with a horse like this it is super important to always get your way, even when you think you are using too much pressure.
You have to keep asking and use enough pressure to get your horse to do what you are asking. If you do this, in the begging you might have to be using even more pressure than you are now used to, However if you always start with low pressure, and then come with big pressure and you always make sure that your horse does what you wanted in the end, he will eventually realize that it makes no sense for him to get kicked hard if he will have to do what you are asking anyways.
Then he will start reacting on low pressure, because he will know that there is no way to not do what you want anyways. It takes time but if you are completely consistent you can fix it and get your horse to react on low pressure. If you want more details on what I do, I also have an article on this over here: https://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Your videos are helping me so much, thank you. I am working with a 3 year old Connemara mare. She does the big and small circles in walk nicely but when I try to get her to relax her head and neck as you demonstrated she turns her whole body to the left or right. Do you have any suggestions for how I can encourage her to keep moving forward and just bend her head and neck?
Hi Alice,
I see, I would first try walking on a small circle, then ask her to turn her head towards the inside, then make sure you move both of your hands towards the outside of the circle, so they are on the outside of your horses neck. Both of your hands holding reins should be there like that to the side. Then use your inned leg and create pressure. Press your horse approximately on the level of his cinch. Then your outter leg should be moved away from your horse. What I am asking for in this case is for my horse to do two steps sideways making the circle bigger. You might also have to pull gently on the reins if your horse speeds up a bit. It is difficult to get your horse to do that first step sideways. In the begging as soon as you get one step, release the pressure. Do not ask for it too many times in one day. It takes time, but you will manage 🙂 If you struggle you can help yourself with a riding whip. But be very very gentle to not make your horse go faster. just gently tap him on the inside shlouder. When you manage to do this exercise with your horse stepping out of the circle sideways you will have no problems getting her to turn her head only, as I was doing it in the video.
Hi Cheri, yep it is bassicaly the same. The main difference is that with a side pull bridle, you should not ride with your reins tensioned. They should be lose, unless your are asking your horse to do something.
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 month old thoroughbred/stock horse filly whom I am having issues with biting. She is halterbroken, and leads well the majority of the time, ties up well and I am able to do her feet whilst she is just standing in the paddock with a rope over her withers.
Probably every third or fourth time I do anything with her she will put her ears back and bares her teeth very aggressively, I have reprimanded her very severely when I hear her teeth snap near me by giving her a couple of very hard yanks on her halter , backing her up and lunging her a couple of circles, but otherwise am trying to use my voice as I feel that she sort of wants me to escalate the behaviour so that I stop doing what I am doing eg, brushing her. Anything that I introduce she will try to bite aggressively, for example a different brush.
She has always had attitude as her mother is very meek and calm and I never saw her discipline her , her behaviour and attitude improved when I put her in with my gelding.
She has never stopped me doing anything that I was doing but I am concerned that this behaviour may continue making it dangerous for other people as she usually is so pleasant and quiet and then changes with no obvious reason
Hi Pip,
I would focus on getting her to always maintain her distance from you and be super consistent. The video “2 things that solve 90% of all issues” in the bonus section or problem shows the things that will help you. For example when you groom her she should not be turning her head towards you her head should be straight and she should be standing still not getting closer to you. Your horse seems like she needs you to be very consistent.
Radek
I often have a lot of trouble loading my horse Rusty into my float. It can take three people to load him. He was getting really good and following me in with a tail rope which always worked, but after i made a change to the float that he didn’t like he now is reluctant to go in even after i removed the problem. I love taking him to new places, and ones he is in the float he travels like a dream, and will stand in there all day. He unloads slowly most of the time. I don’t want to make the experience traumatic and always reward him once he is in. I want to know if there is any other trick I can try to encourage him to want to go in himself. I would love if I could teach him to self load but i don’t know how. Or at least be able to load him easily by myself.
Hi Jessica,
when I had issues to load my horse into a float what worked the best was to practise it often. If you only load your horse when you need to go somewhere he is going to sense that you are stressed and need to get somewhere. I would for example do a riding session, then load your horse into the float and after he is fully in, I would give him some carrots, let him eat the carrots, then just unload him without going anywhere. Practise that and it should get a lot better. When you are loading him, you don’t have to push him to get in there fast. Give him as much time as he needs but do not let him to back up away from the float, he should only be getting closer to it.
Radek
Hi Radek
I have been following your programs for sometime and it has help me heaps in training my green gelding and assisted me in gaining my confidence back after a fall. We are now at the stage of trail riding which he is very well behaved but if he gets to an obstacle such as a log to step over or a bridge he refuses to go forward if I really push it he attempts to rear, I can’t even get him to circle he just stands still, I know he isn’t frightened as he will do it at home or if he is following another horse. He is also very hard to get him to be the leader and would rather stay behind
Hi Margaret,
it seems like your horse doesn’t feel safe. The horses that do not like to go first are usually more scared than the others. I would go there by yourself no other behind you. If he goes over a bridge or a log at home it actually doesn’t mean much. Things like this happen often. There is a video on pretty much this exact issue in Trail Control if you have it. I was working with a horse that didn’t want to go on a wooden pathway. If you cannot get your horse to go over a log or on a bridge from the saddle and he rears. Try to get down and get him walk over it from the ground. It is likely to be easier. Once you manage that, walk there and back until your horse completely calms down. Then try it from the saddle. Likely it will again take a of effort but it should at least be possible once you managed from the ground. Also when you go with the intention of working on this, it is good to make sure you have enough time to be there until you solve it. If you have time to be back your horse will sense it and be even more difficult.
Radek
I have a Thoroughbred gelding who likes to play games when in the cross ties…..he paws incessantly and it becomes louder and more assertive the more I ignore it. If I turn around and face him, it stops immediately…..as soon as I turn my back or walk away, he starts again…..what can I do?
This is extremely annoying
Hi Tonia,
these things are very difficult to solve. The only thing I can think of is to just leave your horse there alone or you with your back to him until he stops pawing. If you always get back he is basically controlling you by pawing.
Radek
Hi Radek
some advice please – my horse is now 20 , we hack (trail ride) & compete in Trec competitions (don’t know if you have them over there) at which he is very good. I have had him since a 3 year old & he has always been a bit of a odd character. He has never been particularly forward going & can change from being a bit of a donkey to a race horse – also has a big buck / bound. I am now an older rider & he is about 16hh – cross bred TB / WB / cob. During the winter I am only able to get out & hack a couple of times a week & have to keep him going in the school – a mixture of ground work & ridden sessions. . I try to give him a variety of things to do to keep his attention but I need advice to help me keep his interest & encourage more forward movement without having to exert too much pressure.
I would be very grateful for any help you can give me.
I very much enjoy your articles & all the information you share – thank you .
Kathrine
Hi Katherine,
to maintain attention, you really have to keep your eye on your horse. As soon as you see that he is losing attention, you have to immediately get it back. You have to always be alert checking whether he is paying attention to you. You can get the attention back by asking him to do some simple things, one right after another. For example ask for a small circle to one side then to another and keep asking simple things until you get your horse to pay attention. Do that everytime you feel like you are losing his attention.
If you want your horse to be more forward going, try to keep him in faster paces in general, keep him in faster trot and even slightly faster canter. Start by asking using very low pressure, if nothing happens, then use more, if nothing happens still, use enough pressure to get an exxagaretaed reaction. You first need to be very gentle, use the low pressure you would like your horse to react on. But if he doesn’t listen after you ask two times, you need to use enough pressure to make your horse a bit uncomfortable and get an exaggerated reaction. If you use quite a lot pressure but your horse still barely goes to trot for example it is not enough pressure. Like that you just have to be using more and more over time. If you the low pressure and then the third time you use enough to get your horse to really wake up, he will start reacting on the initial small pressure so he doesn’t get to the third high pressure.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a Quarter Horse I’ve had for a year now. Never had any issues with him until now. He has started to break into the trot before asking, he is constantly doing this. He will come back to the walk when asked but will break back into the trot. He did get hurt and wasn’t worked very hard for about a month or 2. So wondering if this is a behavior issue. What can I do to get him to fix this?
Thanks,
Maria
Hi Maria,
I would immediately slow your horse down after he breaks into trot. When you see that he is likely to do it, take him on a very tight circle in walk. It is going to make it easier to keep him in walk. You can be doing tight circles to both directions in walk and wait for him to calm down. What could also help is if you lunged him before you go riding so he can get rid of some of the energy.
Radek
Hi Radek, I have a TB lease horse that I think is lame, but the owner says her vet checks him out fine. Getting him to trot is really a lot of work. Particularly when lunging to the left. I have a video that I would appreciate if you look at and give me your opinion. Thank you.
Hi Chris,
your lease horse definitely doesn’t seem ok, he is limping. Especially his front left leg doesn’t seem ok. I can’t tell what it is from the video. I would get another vet to take a look at him because there is something wrong. My guess is that the horse is in pain while walking and in trot it just gets worse, that is why doesn’t want to trot.
Radek
I am trying to teach my horse to bend her head and neck as you recommend in your video. Is it important that she do this while working a circle or straight line as she always turns a tight circle?
Hi Kellie,
you can do it on both straight lines and on circles. If you have issues with your horse making the circle smaller when you ask him to turn his head to the side I would start practising making the circle bigger. There is a video on it in the training process blueprint. It is about learning to get your horse to make the circle bigger by going sideways. After you manage that it is going to be easier to get your horse to turn his head to the side and still maintain good control over where he is going.
Radek
I have a rescue mare 8-10 years old. Thoroughbred seems to be her genetics. Extremely smart. Dominant. I have worked with her now for one year. Recently discovered she will not cross creek. Will back up into bushes. Flat refuses. I have tried both in saddle and from ground. What else can I try?
Hi Erica,
I would try to find a puddle first that is easy to enter for your mare. It is usually bit more difficult to enter a creek. Then start from the ground, gradually go closer. Your horse should be allowed to make steps closer to the puddle. Do not create huge pressure on your horse. Always let her get comfortable and then ask for another step. If she backs up immediately ask her to go back to where she was. After she backs up she should not get even one second of just standing still. Start asking her to get back to where she was immediately. After you can get her to walk through the puddle, it is going to be a lot easier to get her to walk through the creek.
Happy riding
Radek
Hi there, I have a yearling filly (TN Walker) I rescued from a kill pen. She’s very shy, untrained, unfed, thin, etc….not even halter broken. It’s obvious that no one has really handled her in any positive way. She needs a halter on, vet care, hooves trimmed, bath, etc but I’m still getting her to trust me. I’ve only had her one month. On her own, she will only get a foot from a person but spooks when you try to touch her or get too close. She has briefly nudged a hand with her mouth, but no more. She has really taken to the younger one of my two mares and follows her around often. I can get this filly out into the pasture by day and back in the barn at night by simply bringing the other horses in and out, letting the filly free to follow them wherever they go. Once the mares are in their stall for evening feeding, she goes into hers on her own. ANY tips or suggestions to get this filly to let us touch her, work with her and put on a halter will be appreciated. She is starting to gain weight and seems happy, especially when she gets to be around the young mare. We are starting from scratch…..
Hi Elizabeth,
I would start by going to your mares, touching them and put a halter on them, so your filly can see it. Put a halter on and take it from your mares a few times. Before you try to put a halter on your filly, you need to be able to touch her. Do everything very, veeery slowly. Your every movement should be slow. Approach her slowly, move your arms very slowly. When you get closer, she will still probably run away, but you just have to keep trying until she starts to stand still while you touch her. When you will be able to start putting on the halter again, you have to do things very slowly. Once you manage to put the halter on for the first time, it doesn’t mean that you will be able to put it on easily the next time as well. Once you manage to put it on, try it again right the next day, likely it will be quite difficult again, but easier than before. Good luck and have fun 🙂
Radek
When I ride my pony and I touch her with the whip either left or right side she kicks out at it is this her being disrespectful? I did your ground work and found she didn’t respect me and I’m working on that as well. She is very reluctant to trot which is very annoying. Do you have any suggestions please.
Hi Heather,
if your pony kicks out when you touch her with the whip what you need to do is touch her with it again right away. When you touch her with the whip, she kicks out and you do not touch her again, she is learning that when you touch her, she kicks out, you stop. So instead you need to touch her with again if she kicks out so she learns that kicking out with her leg is not the way to stop you from touching her with the whip. Only stop touching her with the whip once you touch her and she doesn’t kick out. Happy riding!
Radek
Hi Radek,
Thank you for this wonderful series! I have been very thankful for your videos on getting your horses attention. I have noticed improvement, but I’ve also realized that my little mayor has a bad habit of not paying attention to me, and about once or twice a year she gets scared of something and turns on a dime and takes off so fast I almost flap backwards onto her back! It always comes out of nowhere, when it seems like we’re having a great time. I have also been using your techniques to change things up as I ride her, such as going in a circle, using transitions, etc. Unfortunately, she knows these things well enough to perform them while still looking elsewhere part of the time! It is frustrating, because now I don’t trust her to go out on the trail or the road for fear she will get scared and take off and I will become a splat on the ground.
I have also started to take her on daily walks, changing direction, pace, and stopping, backing. This has been good, but when we go out of the driveway (we are on a small 10 acre ranch) she is so excited, walking out beautifully but not really paying attention to me anymore. Anything I’m doing wrong, or anything to add?
I feel I should also mention that our favorite thing to do is Rope/work cattle. When we go to the place I can do that (only once a week) she is so good! She loves it – loves working cattle and Roping. We’re still beginner stage, but she can head and heel. Happy place for both of us, and I want to be able to go out to gather cattle with these friends yet the last time we did that, she got so anxious when we separated from other horses that I was a little worried she would take off. Not fun, she definitely didn’t trust me more than the other horses.
Hi Ellen,
I see, if she you are taking her on a circle, using transitions and so on to get her attention and calm her down and she still looks somewhere else, you just have to be turning her head towards you, or inside of the circle every time she looks away. Just keep calm and gently correct her, and get her looking to where you want to. Regarding the trail, I would just go somewhere on a field or something right next to your ranch, and just be riding there doing the same thing, making sure she pays attention to you and looks where you want her to look. Once she is good, you can try to go further from the ranch and do the same. Continue like that until she is focused on you no matter how far you get. If she is good with rope/work cattle, you should be able to fix the issues you are having.
Happy riding!
Radek
Hi. I have a 4 year old thoroughbred cross welsh cob who is currently broken in and at a trainers getting worked. He was going super on the ground and riding. Then one day he bolted down the road and would not listen to my instructor at all. Now he also pulls off the lead rope when she asks him to lunge around her in the arena both on and off the rope. He has learnt that he can get away with this. There is no way she can hold him when he does this. Is there some way to fix this problem? He is a nice horse but this is a dangerous habit.
Hi Michelle,
it is hard to solve this when you are not able to hold your horse when he tries to pull off. I would start by getting a good rope halter. A rope halter is the key here. Then you need a long lead rope. At least 4 to 5 meters long. It should be easy to hold in the hand. Sometimes your horse will just jump away and with a longer lead rope you will still manage to hold onto it. When you work with your horse you need to pay attention to where he is looking. Before your horse tries to pull on the lead rope and run away he is first going to turn his head away from you. So while working with him, his head needs to be always facing you, as soon as he starts to look even slightly away from you, you have to ask him to look at you again. If you manage that it is going to much more difficult for him to actually get lose and you will be able to fix this problem.
Happy riding!
Radek
Hi Radek & Otakar,
I have been following the steps that you have set out in your e-books and videos and must say that I have found them very informative and it is helping me understand that the majority of problems that I have faced up to now has been because I did not know that not being in the alfa position was the problem.
I have a 2 year old Friesian cross Morgan mare and although she is very sweet she can also be very spooky. I always intended to keep her as natural as possible but lately circumstances means that I have to put a rain sheet on her as she really does not like getting soaking wet in the rain. My problem is that she will let me get close to her while holding the rug and she will let me rub the rug over her but the minute I try to actually put the rug on her she changes into a panic. There is nothing in her past that I am aware of that would make her so frightened of it. I can walk around her stable holding the rug and she will follow me and sniff it or try and chew it and not show she is worried about it until I attempt to fully cover her with it.
I have started making her wait for her food until I say she can have it and I do the same with her haynet and she has been fine with that and totally complies. I was wondering if you could possible give me a few tips as to where I might be going wrong or even if there is another approach that I can try to help her accept a coat being put on her.
I have not attempted to put a saddle on her but she has had a saddle pad on without any issues.
Following on from the above question I revisited the videos and ebooks to see if there was something I had missed. I read that I need to follow through with something that I had started so this morning I spent a little while in the stable with her rubbing the coat all over and letting her sniff it. I did this while she was free to come and go as she pleased. I then tethered her and put part of the coat gently over her withers and she kept stepping forward so I left the coat where it was and moved her feet back to where she was originally standing then proceeded to gently increase the coat further over her body, each time she stepped forward I would stop and put her back again before continuing on. Good news is that she finally let me put the coat on her and do up all the buckles and straps at which point she didn’t seem to mind. I then untethered her and let her go free within her stable. She seemed to be moving around ok and she didn’t seem to be that bothered so I then put her halter on and walked her from the stable into the menage without incident. We went through the gate and she calmly turned around for me to take her halter off before again calmly walking away. Good result I thought until she reached the middle of the menage when suddenly she just bolted around and came full speed towards the gate. I knew the speed she was travelling meant she was either going to crash through the gate or jump it. She has never jumped anything but to my surprise I watched in horror as she jumped 3.5 feet at an angle into a walkway of approximately 3 feet and into the garden. She only stopped when she came to the fence which divided the garden from the river. Once she calmed down she came into the stable walkway where I had a bale of hay and snorting she just stood there and started munching away. I left her there for a while until she had stopped snorting and then put her halter back on and took her back to the menage and let her go again. This time she ran around again and started to build up speed to attempt to jump the gate again. I stood in front of the gate and blocked her with my arms in the air. This made her turn around and prance instead of gallop. I stayed with her and I calmly walked up and down the fence line with her following me until she was calmly walking on her own again.
I just don’t understand why she went into such a blind panic. I have managed to put coats on a number of horses for the first time and have never had a reaction like this before.
Hello Lynda,
I believe that your approach is correct, every horse is different, and every horse is scared of something different. I once had a horse on a live training that was very good, until you put your hand around 10cm above his withers. Once you did that that horse turned into complete panic. But otherwise he was very good.
Maybe as your mare starts walking around with the rain sheet too much, it touches her in some new spot and she freaks out. Sometimes it is easy to discover what it actually is that triggers the panic in your horse. It is good that you managed to put the rain coat on her, normaly when something like this happens it is good to continue with little steps, maybe fold the rain coat first and then put a little bit over your horse, then fold it, so its a little bit bigger and just continue like that.
I would be causios with putting her back to the menage again. If she jumped it once, she could do it anytime again as she now knows its possible. Also I would check whether she could have paniced because of something else other then her rain coat.
Hi Radek
About 8 weeks ago I purchased a 10 year old anglo arab. I bought him because he has ‘been there done that’. He’s done eventing, cross country, dressage, trail riding, jumping etc. I bought him through friends and he is everything they told me. I took him to camp drafting clinic and there dogs barking, chainsaws, whip cracking, cattle, 65 other horses and floats and he was perfectly behaved. When we arrived three of us went for a walk around ride on our horses. He walked through water, mud and a small bridge with no problems at all. I then took him into the arena and ask him to do a small 15 metre trot circle which he willingly did but then he shied, he jumped forward about 1.5 metres. I think he shied at some cones in a bundle in the arena. He has now shied a total of four times. Each time shooting forward a little distance, each time calming down straight away and each time at something that wouldn’t obviously be an issue e.g. someone walking out from under a shed about 50 metres away. Whereas when things have been what I thought could have been an issue like a friends horse cantering towards me out of control or crossing a raging river he did these tasks without a problem. The issue is I am finding I am now losing my confidence in him or myself. I am now riding him with fairly short reigns and wondering the whole ride whether he is going to shy. I am worried I will make him worse. To address this issue I have started with the ground control work and he has been so willing to learn and well behaved. When I ride him and I think there is an issue where I feel like he is not listening to me I have been keeping him ‘busy’ circling around tussocks or trees or grasses. this seems to have helped some. Also these issues seem to be worse when it is windy. I can’t believe that he hasn’t been ridden in the wind but he behaves like he hasn’t. I live in a very windy area so have no choice but to ride in the wind. any suggestions you have will be much appreciated. Terry Thank you for your videos and your articles they have helped me a lot.
Hi Terence,
I don’t think riding with short reins is necessary and is going to help very much. After your horse jumps forward (or in any direction) just react as quick as possible, back him up to where he was standing before and let him stand there for a little while. It might seem irrational that your horse doesn’t get scared of a screaming chainsaw but gets scared of a person 50 metres away, but it doesn’t matter. Maybe when horses had predators in the wild it was dangerous when they saw a little something in the distance when things were calm, and they never really had any predator that would sound like chainsaw so they are not afraid of it. It doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t mean your horse is bad.
When your horse gets scared just correct him as quick as possible and correct him every single time. The more consistent and quick you are, the faster you are going to see improvements. Just do the circles around trees as you do, or just bend your horses to the side. When you bend his head to the side, he is still going to see the thing he is scared of, but it tells him that it is ok, and that he should pay attention to you. Just always when you dont have his full attention do something to get it. It might take a week to see a big improvement but most likely it will take longer. However if you ride often and always correct him it will definitely improve 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, I’m thinking of buying a round pen versus line lungeing , what are the advantages of an actual pen?
Hi Julie,
round pen just makes things easier, especially in the begging. Your horse cannot run outside of the circle. It is quicker to gain respect. Also when you are starting a horse round pen is quite small so he is not that likely to bolt or do something too dangerous.
Radek
Thank you!! One other question.. or idea for upcoming material , what do you start with when you and your horse have been off for a few months of winter ?
Hi Julie,
that’s a good question. If I have a long break, I start by working with my horse in the roundpen. I do some lunging with side reins. I work with my horse just from the ground for around three days. Then when I start riding I start by riding in walk. I practice small circles and the way my horse reacts on the pressure of my and moves away from it to the side. If its all good in walk, I continue to riding in trot.
Radek
HI Radek, I am leasing a horse for two months and the owner says that Dozer has problems with applying the girth…sometimes he is okay…other times he spins around, backs up and it’s impossible…she has had to take over, removing the saddle and pad and moves him backward at a fast pace while he is almost rearing…after that I was able to finish tacking…my problem is that I feel like he does not know me well enough for me to use that same method…what do you suggest?
Hi Patricia,
horses usually have issues with the girth when its tightened too fast. Just put it on loosely then tighten it up a little bit and finish tightening it up just before you mount when you have already went to the. That should improve the situation. Otherwise it is fine for you to do what the other person does to fix the behavior if you are comfortable backing him up like that.
Radek
I have been training MAISIE my Clydesdale mare for around two years, she does move her hindquarters away from pressure very easily,so I can do a good turn on the haunches very tightly and she is easy to half pass in walk and trot. The problem occurs with moving the forequarters away from pressure.She is a heavy draft horse and very willing but she finds it hard to move her forehand away from my shin on either rein. Is it because she is a heavy horse, or is it because I just have not done it enough? She keeps moving her hindquarters over or backs up, instead of pivoting on the hindquarters. She moves her front end away from me very well on the ground when I put pressure on her shoulder or nose. When I ask her to move the front end over from the ridden position, I put my opposite leg forward and PUSH her away from my leg to right or left depending on which way I want her to go, but she struggles with this, and its hard for her. How can I make it easier?
Hello, thanks for your question 🙂 What I would do if you are having trouble with her pivoting on the hindquarters is that I would first teach her to do a very small circle in walk, around 3m in diameter. You have a few ways to teach your horse pivoting on the hindqurters, in your case I would recomend you to stand in the corner of a ring. So your horse cant be backing up. Then i woudnt put your legs that far, your legs should be pretty much in normal position. If your horse backs up, you should stop and walk back to the original position. it is worse if your horse backs up, then if he walks forward a little bit. Sometimes you can use a whip on your horses shoulder a very ligthly ask your horse to move. In the begining it is enough to do two steps pivoting on the hindquarters, and make sure they are correct, and after she does them well you can continue and want more. But when I train my horses i never ask them to do more then two steps in the begining. Your horse can be learning only one thing at a time, so you can be teaching her to either stand still with her rear leg, or go correctly with her front legs, not both at the same time. In the begining it is more important for your horse to work correctly with his front legs. that means that for example while pivoting to left her right front leg should be stepping infront of her left front leg. In the begining it is not too bad if your horse moves a litle bit and walks forward a bit, in the begining i just need her front legs to go correctly. As soon as she can do two steps correctly pivoting on the hindquarters, I add two more. it is important to not ask too much, and just do two steps correctly instead of try to do four steps but badly. These principles apply to the whole training, it is always better to do very small steps, and always just work on one thing at once. If you work on small steps, you can do more of them during one riding session and do them well, other then when you try to to do more things at once. So first I get my horse to do a whole pivot while using her front legs correctly, then i start correcting her standing still with her rear leg. Hope it helps, let me know if something is not clear 🙂
By the way, I think the video is brilliant!
Hi,
I’ve had my thoroughbred cross gelding for nearly four years now and he is the first horse i have owned. My riding is very much on and off because of my confidence issues, mainly because i have never fallen i am frightened to death of what would happen if i did. Anyway, despite this i have a good relationship with my horse although i have two main issues:
1) Getting him to stand still in his stable – if i bring him in during the day while the other horses are out he won’t stay still to be tacked up, groomed or rugged up.
2) I haven’t had problems getting my horse to go out on a circle to be lunged until recently. Now he has started just standing facing directly at me and when i attempt to go to his side he moves his hind quarters so i can’t get to his side. This is really frustrating!!! If i do manage to get to his side i can’t get him to move away onto a circle.
I feel as if he is testing his dominance over me even though he looks at me with relaxed eyes. Can you advise on what i am doing wrong. If needed i could send a video.
Thanks
Hello Tracy,
to answer your first question, the first important thing is for your horse to learn to stand still relaxed while he is tied on a lead rope. After that the problem is your horses respect towards you, it seems that your horse cares more about the other horses then he cares about you. I reccomend you watch again the first free video about gaining respect, and do some ground work as it is shown in the first video. If he doesnt stand still you have to just keep correcting him. It can take some time, but ultimately gaining respect and always correcting your horse will fix your problem.
Answer to your second question is well explained in the third video. You will see a horse that does exactly the same thing as yours. You will receive the video soon, so please just wait to see the third video, you will see what to do. I am not able to explain it over here in text as well as you will see it in the third video 🙂 But just so you know the basics of what to do before you get the video, when you manage to get your horses side it is important that you keep walking with your horse and try to stay by his side. And while you are there by his side you should use your whip to ask him to move, again the important bit here is not not give up until your horse goes on the circle. Sometimes it can take a few minutes, but you cannot give up before your horse goes back on the circle.
Radek
Hi Radek,
Just finished reading the e-book for Ground work – just wanted to say how clear it is. I’ve looked at various approaches to horsemanship over the years, with often having a feeling that something was lacking. How you’ve presented the tuition in the e-book is simple but insightful. I have realised that I need to tighten up on my consistency with my horses – i have a mixture of hand reared confident types and hyper-sensitive reactive types! I’m looking forward to watching the videos and am sure that I’ll be posting again – probably to ask for help or at least ask questions!!
Clare
Hi Clare, I am glad you like it 🙂 don’t hesitate to ask when you have questions, I am here for you.
Radek
Hi Radek,
Really enjoying the training. Easy to follow and makes it all very understandable.
The side reins you use, 2m long with clips each end, how far are the two rings which you attach to and these rings are not running rings but attached to the rein at different lengths?
Many thanks, looking forward to saddle control next.
Linda
Hello Linda,
thanks, I am glad you are enjoying the training 🙂 Yes the side reins are 2m long and the rings attached sort of in the middle of the side rein, they are always in different spots depending on the size of your horse. I always try to put the side rein on my horse and after that I see where to put the rings. Then depending on the position of your horses head with side reins on, you can adjust where the rings are to make sure your horse is in the correct position.
Radek
Thank you, I will attempt to make a pair of these side reins, all the ones here have either elastic or rubber inserts and they feel like they don’t release when you want them to.
Ok, If you want I can make the side reins that I use in the videos for you and send them. The side rein would be 12usd dollars and the shipping to the UK is 4usd. Let me know if you want them 🙂
Hi Radek,
I’ve just signed up, started with some work from your free videos. I will likely get the riding course as well at some point, but for now it’s groundwork. 🙂
I have a 13 year old Paso Fino Gelding. He grew up in a herd, and was “Uncle” to youngsters for most of his life. According to the breeder, he was sold approximately 6 months prior to me buying him, but they bought him back due to how he was being kept. It is my understanding that there he was kept alone, in a barn overnight, and often during the day.
I did not see this horse in a stable prior to buying him (although it wouldn’t have put me off).
Anyway. If he is brought in alone, he box runs. Badly. And I do mean run, not walk. Oz is fine when his best friend and immediate neighbor Ori is in the box next to him, but not if Ori is standing directly outside Oz’s box. Nor if another horse is in. (American Barn style stables, outside. All the horses can see each other.)
If you want to see, here is a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1bT4qd0Og
He was in a total of 3 minutes (the filming included) after a thorough workout. I turned the camera on and walked away, standing behind a wall, watching on my mobile phone’s GoPro App in case he became too distressed or tried to jump the door.
He is not buddy sour. He couldn’t care less where the other horses are while we’re out riding. It’s only when he’s stabled. (It used to be when he’s tied alone – he ripped everything to shreds, but we got over that.)
I have a pretty good relationship with him and I’m pretty much his “first human”, which was another thing he wasn’t used to. He bonds very hard (as is the nature of Pasos), but it takes time for him to trust.
He runs a little less when I’m there with him, and will come to me for reassurance. (If I’d sleep in his box, that would be perfectly acceptable to him lol) But I hate seeing him so distressed, and would like to cure his anxiety if possible.
There may not always be the option of having his neighbor in with him, and I dread to think what it would do to him if 24/7 turnout were no longer possible, or he (God forbid) had to be on box rest for something.
He is improving (It has taken me nearly 2 years of barefoot trims / sedated shoeing to be able to shoe him without sedation) but he still has a lot of issues. Patience does overcome a lot with him, he’s intelligent, but sometimes he just goes into a panic and turns off his brain.
I’ve thought about putting a mirror in there, but the trouble is, there is nowhere to securely hang it.
I know this isn’t really Groundwork related, but any suggestions would be most welcome.
Hello Silke,
every horse is different, but they are all used to beeing in a herd. Most of the horses can stand beeing alone in a box, but some horses just cant stand it. And this is difficult to fix. As I looked on the video it seems that your horse is scared of beeing alone. He probably feels as a small kid would feel if it got lost in a big city. I think he could be fine if he was in a paddock with other horses. Horses can deal with bad weather, but sometimes they cant deal with beeing alone. I would try to keep him in paddock with other horses if possible. But your horse doesnt seem so stressed that he would jump out, he is just not happy beeing there. If its improving he will probably get used to it over time.
Radek
Thanks Radek,
No, at that point he wasn’t stressed enough to jump – but he has tried before. (That time he was only in about 3 minutes)
Unfortunately there is no way to leave him out in winter. Summer isn’t a problem, he’s out 24/7 in a herd of ten. In winter…we have to bring in overnight. It takes some juggling sometimes to make sure he’s not in without a direct neighbor. (Even the box to his left, which is not directly attached, but has a gap of about 1m between them, is not close enough.)
BTW – the same goes when he’s the last one in. I ended up paying for a new field gate — because he tried to jump it, and ripped it off the hinges. All because his neighbor came in first, and he was still in the field. (We bring him in first now, but wanted to spare him being alone in the box…alas, that didn’t work so well.) When I bring in, I tie him outside his box while I get his pal. At least he’s not quite as frantic then. (We’re not allowed to bring in more than one horse at a time.)
Thanks for the input. 🙂
Much appreciated.
Now if only the farmer would let me get a mini, or a donkey, or something that can share his box, all my troubles (and his) would be far less… lol. (Fences are too high for shetland/mini/small donkey)
I’d move…but there aren’t many options where I am, and Oz likes it there.
Silke
I think its a great idea to put a mini or a donkey with him. I heard about a person who had a similar problem and they actually solved it by putting a small goat together with the horse.
Radek
Hi radek
I have a very challenging mare, when she is with me and we are communicating she is an absolute dream, however when she is not she is a nightmare, general ground work she will move her feet with just a change of my body, she will back up if I ask, she will halt beside me if I stop, she will pick up the pace in trot if I do and slow down her trot if I do, she is great under saddle if I stay refined with my cues, not nag, and take a break if she shows signs of confusion, my big issue is that when she is in the field with her herd it’s very difficult to get her to come in, these last 2 months the problems are getting worse, she now is striking out at me which is not only dangerous but not acceptable, I don’t understand why she can be so co operative once she’s been caught but yet so aggressive in the field, i don’t chase her around, I remove all the other horses, she runs around herself until she is exhausted, I then have to approach from the side as she can lash out from the front, but even when I do get her she gives me an almighty squeel, so far I’ve egnored this behaviour, If this is down to lack of respect I’m hoping your guidance may help, when ever we make a break through in the saddle and I feel our communication is improving she finds another way to show dominance I’ve been battling with her for 6 years now, it would be my dream to have a relaxed happy willing horse but she has so much resentment I really don’t want to give up on her I truly believe that she can be, at the moment I don’t trust her on the ground but I’m unsure where to start
Hi Jodie,
In your case when you are having issues handling your horse from the ground, I would focus on one simple thing. (you need to be extremely consistent with it though) You are also going to see it in the second video of ground work. It should help you solve most of the problems you are having at the moment. It is important to make sure that while you go with your mare on a lead rope she never goes next to you. She always needs to be behind you, her head should be at least half a meter behind your shoulder at all times when she is on the lead rope. Also when you stop she needs to stop at least half a meter behind you as well. If she walks and stops next to you, you need to back her up so she is at least the half a meter behind you. Also you can try stopping with her, then turn against her walk against her to back her up, and again make sure that while she is backing up infront of you she keeps that distance. She should start backing up before you reach her head, she should always maintain the distance. (you are going to see how that should look in the second video) Another thing is that when she is agressive towards you, you should not make any moves away from her. Ideally when she squeels for example you should not move backwards, but instead immediately step towards her and swing the lead rope against her. Basicaly everytime she does something like that and she sees that you move backwards even a little bit she gets the feeling that she winning and its going to be getting worse. The first thing you do should always be to move against her. Of course you need to stay safe when doing this, but as soon as you manage to get her to back up after she shows agression towards you the quicker you will be able to fix everything. Regarding catching her I think you do it well. What I would try is to give her a treat (carrot or whatever else you have that your mare likes) when you are releasing her to her paddock after riding on her. That should help a little bit. Also when you are catching her, its good to act as if you had all day to do it and not do it in a rush. Try to approach her just to touch her. You can approach her, stay next to her for fifteen to twenty seconds and then put a halter on her to walk her away. If she goes away before you put the halter, dont stress about it, she might go back to you, or you can try go to her after some time. Your mare should not feel that you are trying to catch her. Just go there with intention of just beeing with her. It doesnt help when your horse can feel that you are stressed and you are trying to catch her.
Hi,
I’m letting you know that I’m leaving May 30 for 1 month vacation, I’ll be returning at the end of June.
I enjoy watching and learning from the videos and are finding your ways much easier… thank you! I’m not a trainer and need guidance to train my horse the correct way so I don’t do mistakes then have to correct them.
I just moved to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario but my horse is boarding in Massey 2-1/2 hrs from here. I started to look for a new home to bring my mare but had no success yet. While I’m waiting for a new home as I’m looking to buy I’m learning and preparing myself to work with my horse. When my mare arrives I would like to be able to watch them whenever needed so I may do it properly.
My question is:
Will the video’s be available for a limited time only or will they be available always?
I will wait for your response…
Great day to you
Hello Florence,
cool have a great vacation! 🙂 Yes the videos will be always available. The members area is always going to be working, and even if we decided for whatever reason to close it down in a few years you would be able to either download the videos, or we would send you the videos on dvds (but this applies only in case the members area would no longer be maintained, which we hope never happens). You got the training and its there for you anytime 🙂
Hi Otakarkibal
Thank you to your response and wishing a cool vacation, happy to know this!
See you in a month
Have a great night
Hi Radek,
I am really enjoying both the ground work and the saddle work and are progressing albeit a bit slowly.
I wanted to know if it is ok to use my voice to control my horse, to speed up, slow down, stop as I have several herniated discs in my spine and cannot do sitting trot and am finding it very hard to try and sit to canter.
I have had my mare since she was a year old and is now 7. I use my voice a lot when riding and find this works quite well apart from when we are out and she gets very excited at times then it seems to go a bit wrong. I have started to do your exercises when we are out and I am hoping that this will help.
Is there any advice you can give me that will help with a very forwarding going horse who at times does not like to stop or slow down.
Many thanks
Melanie
Hello Melanie,
controling you horse using voice is good, I like using it. But your horse needs to react well on the pressure from the bit when you pull your reins as well. Considering stopping I always teach my horse to first stop justing pulling reins. Then I start with practising stopping with voice. I pull the reins I use my voice simultaniusly, and then I start trying to stop just with voice. If your mare stops well while riding in the ring, and she stops worse once you are riding out, then you should just work on improving it even more while riding in the ring. It is always going to be better when you are riding in the ring.
If your mare tends to be too fast I would try to work with her at least six times per week. I work frequently with fast horses, and i make sure that every time I spend diferent amount of time in the saddle. I do not want the horse to learn how long I am riding. So one day I might be riding 40 minutes, the day after that I might be riding for 2 hours. So my horse can never tell when she will go home. When you practise this way, after around three months the horses change. They get causious about using their energy because they never know how long will they have to be going around with you. The same applies when you are riding out, always make sure you are out for different amounts of time and your horse doesnt know intensive is your riding going to be today. Also while riding out, never go in fast canter, always aim for slow relaxed canter. Also the times when you are in canter and your mare starts getting tired, dont just stop, make her go just a little bit further so she starts looking forward to slowing down.
This should help 🙂
Radek
Hello Radek,
I just love your training videos, they are so useful.
I have a problem with my horse though, when I ride him he tries to bite my leg….in particular my right leg. He particularly does it when I ask him to go from walk to trot and sometimes when I am about to mount him at the mounting block. I don’t know what to do about this as it’s stopping me progressing with him.
Many thanks
Nadia
Hello Nadia,
there are basicaly two options in this situation. You can use your leg to push your horses head away immediately when gets too close to you and you suspect he is about to bite you. Or you can use your rein to turn his head away. It is important to always correct him and make sure that when he gets close to you and he is about to bite you correct him and move his head away. When you push his head with your leg, do not kick him for him to get scared. just gently push him away so he knows that is not something he should be doing, but at the same time he should not get scared.
It might take some time to fix it, but if you remain consistent and always correct him either with your leg or pulling your rein to move his head away, it will improve and eventually dissapear 🙂
Radek
Dear Radek,
I have a 17:2, 7 year old warmblood who has started competing at prelim dressage very successfully. However he has now started to refuse to move at all when he doesnt want to, in training and out for rides. I want to stop this escalating without having a fight as I am too old now to hit the ground and probably lack the confidence to “push through” as I did when I was younger.
Any ideas?
Susan
Hello Susan,
It is important in this situation to react as quickly as possible. When this happens to me I dont really do anything special, i just react as quickly as possible and I keep increasing the pressure. When your horse stops and doesnt want to move it is important to just react quick and keep increasing the pressure, you cant really give him any rest. If he stops, you try to get him moving twice and then just wait hoping that he will react later, he will see that he just won over you, and it will most likely just be getting worse. You can help yourself with a whip to increase the pressure if neccesary. I wrote an article on my blog recently about this sort of issues, I think it would be worth reading here is a link http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/ Let me know how it goes 🙂 I am always happy to help
Radek
Hi Radek, I have just started with your program and I tried to watch the first ground control video this morning – I don’t know if it is my pc, but the sound on the video is very distorted and I can’t hear your voice very well. Has this been reported at all before, or is it just me?
Anyway, I have a 15hh Standard Bred mare, 6 years old who I am bringing into work – having read the ground control ebook, I realise I have to be more consistent with her…….she is very respectful most of the time but I think she has just started to test me a little, so back to the basics to sort this out promptly.
Enjoying so far, but would love to watch the video and hear your instructions.
From sunny Australia – Marisa
Hello Marisa,
we didnt hear about a distorted sound so far from anyone else. The best probably would be to send you the training on dvds. What is your adress to which we should send the dvd?
Radek
Hi Radek,
That would be awesome, best address is 8/6 Swift Way, Dandenong South, VIC 3175, Australia. I have enrolled for both the groundwork and the riding – would it be ok to get both on DVD? Many thanks…..
Hi Radek, Cancel that request, I have just tried the video again and it is working perfectly! Onwards & Upwards, I will keep you posted with my progress!
Marisa
Great! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Hi Radek & Otakar!
I bought this program awhile ago and just got back to it, as I was sick and could not train my horses but I can now 🙂
Thank you thank you very much for this coaching area, I have had no good answers to my horses on how they are.
I know I must have gaps in my training that cause miscommunication and loss of respect.
I am not sure where though…..
All three of my horses are not very dominant but not lowest on totem pole but two are close to it. But thing is, I have with all three is a disrecpect lazy nature and then a sudden Im startled kinda afraid of me thing. I dont go nice to monster though so I am not understanding it. I wonder if Im not keeping on them long enough to smooth the startled fear cause I dont want them fearful so I back off and then suddenly back to oh hey you, yah I dont respect you much.
Though I know my horses like me and somehow see me as leader somehow, at times they do respect my cues or request they are sometimes awesome and can go back to disrespect or skiddish jsut as easily.
But they never run me over, never crowd, never ever bitten or even tried, dont kick at me (unless running in the r pen) they dont keep their rears to me. they are very easy to catch or might walk up to me somewhat. Also, I am quick on releases and quick on correction and yet seems the moment I get light on my requests they go oh cool your light again nwo I can ignore you or not really do what you want.
So they like me when Im not making them “work” I do use a cue always before anything else then one warning then a reprimand. Though I can at times do simple hand cues or even voice and they are right on it. But it never stays that way
I dont know why this dance of attitudes? Maybe I dont work them enough til they stop getting skiddish and just realize Im boss period? I dont do long training sessions notmore than a couple hours but I leave them mroe relaxed then got to them and I do make sure I leave it when they are being good. I dont work them alot, maybe that adds to it? Maybe twice a week if that as I tire easily.. Any advice I appreciate it!
Hope you can help me thanks!
I hope to get some clarity on this, thanks again!
Hello Nicole,
thanks for the message 🙂 A lot of times horses can actually sort of pretend to be afraid of you if they know that it will get rid of your pressure, and them having to do a certain exercise they might not like. Sometimes they figure out that it is a great way to get rid of having to do something…
It is important to just stay calm, and just always make sure your horse does what you want. When you are correcting them keep increasing the pressure each time and make sure you dont leave much of a gap in between the times you ask again. Maximum like 2 seconds and if he doesn’t listen, ask again using more pressure. If you take longer it might not work.
The amount of pressure you use, is actually not up to you, your horse already knows how it works, and it is him choosing whether you will use a lot of pressure or not. He should learn that. It is not your decision how much pressure to use, it is your horses decision, if he doesn’t react he is just deciding that you have to use more pressure.
When they realize this everything becomes better. Just be consistent so they can learn how it works and if they look afraid, they could be faking it to not have to listen to you. Horses are smart.
Riding more than twice a week would be good, but I am sure you can solve it even riding just twice per week.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek
Good Morning,
I am just beginning the Ground work steps outlined in your ebook and video. I have two coming 4yo fillies…one small, one big. I was with them in the pasture yesterday and one at a time, haltered them and went through the initial steps. I was vert happy at how well they did! I rescued them as babies and have handled them some but not consistently or with a plan. This worked very well.
My only issue was with the big one…..moving her front feet. Her head is much higher than mine so it took longer for me to convey clearly what I wanted her to do. You are very tall and that would be an advantage with a tall horse. I am 5’5″ and wonder what you might suggest? She didn’t do anything wrong at all…just stood still while I pulled her head away from me and pushed on her shoulder. Am I pushing the wrong place? I cannot reach too fat to her barrel if that’s a better button to push? Any suggestions?
Hello Elizabeth,
I don’t think your height should be a problem. What you describe is quite common. It is a bit difficult in the begging for your horse to step away with his front legs, turning around his rear leg. Some horses just behave as you described in the beginning.
Just urge your horse by pressing her on her crest or shoulder and hold your lead rope to prevent her from going forward. If she keeps standing still and doesn’t want to move to the side increase pressure after around one second. If she tends to go forward instead of to the side just step more in front of her.
This should help 🙂 let me know how it goes
Radek
Question not really related to video but long time problem with Romeo a 17 + Percheron . I have had training by other people but cannot get him to go anywhere alone. I need an approach that does not require me to try to muscle with him. He know he can pull me and run away. I need a plan to make him want to come with me and leave his buddies. Any thoughts?
Thank you
Hello Marie,
thank you for the question! I actually have a video on this exact topic for you. Just head to the bonus videos section and it is the very last video on the page. You can access the bonus videos via the menu on the top. Just put your cursor over any of the training, Ground Control, Saddle Control, or Precision, and on the bottom you will see “Bonuses” click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and there is the video that is going to show how I separate my horses from their buddies 🙂
Hi Radek
Thanks for the course I am really enjoying it. Just a couple of questions in regards to when you have the very first ride on a horse how do you introduce the leg aids and how long would you stay on their backs as I would tend to build it up slowly. I have a young Fresian cross that I am backing and he is going really well but is not a forward going horse.
Also I have an Australian brumby who has taken a while to build his trust as he is very sensitive. He appears to have been traumatised due to his strong emotional reaction when trying to work with his hind end he is very protective of his back end and hind feet. He has a brand and was gelded from being captured but I don’t know much of his history. He has not been ridden and I have done ground work with him but when he feels claustrophobic he blows …..and panics. I have trouble getting his hind feet trimmed – I can pick his feet up but he is scared of others. It is like he feels stuck mentally as I would like to ride him one day and he appears to respect and trust me but its his panic reaction that is a worry. He is great with his front feet and lifts them up. I can work with him and he goes well and then goes backwards and its like you have to start all over again with him. How can I help him overcome his fear and keep safe …….he is super anxious around people but once you get his trust he is good.
Every very first ride on a young horse is going to be a bit different, it depends on how sensitive he is on the leg. Some horses react easily on every little touch, and if I see that, that is the case, I act very carefully and use low pressure. Over time, I want to get to the pressure level I want. In case I have a horse that is just too sensitive, I slowly keep increasing the pressure over time. Because I want a horse that reacts nicely on low pressure, but I do not want a horse that jumps to the side on the slightest touch of a leg.
If I have the opposite problem and my horse just doesn’t react on my leg. I use low pressure first, (the amount of pressure I want to be using later on), and if he doesn’t react I ask again using more pressure in around one second, if he doesn’t react, again after one second I use more pressure and ask again, I keep asking again and increasing the pressure until he goes to trot, then I stop. If he starts slowing down, I again start using more and more pressure until he goes back to trot. Like this you can teach him to react on lower pressure over time.
On a horse I have just started I usually ride for around 10 – 15 minutes and I ride mainly in walk. In around 1 – 2 months, I gradually get to riding for around 20 – 30 minutes.
If you have a horse that is generally more scared and cautious try to just move and do everything around him slower. Walk slower, move your arms slower. Sort of like as if you were in slow motion. If you do everything slow, your horse will get an impression that in case you try to do something bad to him, he will have time to react and run away. That will get him more confident and relaxed.
If some other people have issues with lifting his feet, I don’t really have much to recommend 🙁 other than that if they want to do it, they need to get his respect and trust first. I do not really know about a way that you could fix it very much. He will probably get more confident and better over time. But it might never be 100% with other people like some other horses that were born around humans.
Radek
Hi Radek, Am I able to change my password to one that is easy for me to remember.
Thank you Suzanne
Hello Suzanne,
sure, you can reset the password by going to the login page here:
https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/login
If you are logged in to the members area you should see “edit my profile” after you click on that you should have option to change your password. Or if you are logged out on the login page, you simply click the “forgot password” fill out your username or your email and get a password reset link sent to you 🙂
In case none of that works, I can also do it for you. In case you want me to change it, you can just send me an email on radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com with the password you want, and I will change it for you.
Kind regards,
Radek
Hi Radel,
I don’t have a sand arena so I have been working with my mare in a small grassed area. I often let her eat while I move barrels etc around to work with. Should I be making her stand and pay attention to me while I’m doing this. It’s a bit if a challenge with the grass so I’ve never tried in that area yet I do it other times. Maybe a mistake. What do you suggest please. I also let her have a bit while I’m in the saddle if she has achieved something that I am happy with and I rest her while she has some grass – is that ok?
Thank you and look forward to your reply.
Joy
Hi Joylene,
Thank you for the question! 🙂 Personally, I never let my horses eat while riding. Not even during the brakes. I believe horses can handle one hour without eating just fine. The problem is that when I let them eat occasionally, or during the brakes, most of the horses will continue trying to eat when I want them to be listening to me already. They will focus on trying to eat a bit more, and not on what I want from them.
That could mean that your horse keeps putting his head down to eat and keeps pulling the reins out of your hands.
When I want my horses to eat I take them on a halter and a lead rope.
Rewarding your horse with a short break is good. But when you, for example, move the barrels around, I would tie the reins to your saddle so your mare can’t eat. It is also good if she continues to pay attention to you while you do it.
Thank you Radek,
I will try this. Enjoying your videos and all the information.
Joylene
Hi I have signed up for both ground and saddle work however on reading and watching I have a problem! I don’t have a round pen or any friends who have one, on a farm open fields cows and sheep tend to use small yard for ground work any suggestions as really this training is interesting but not sure it will work for my situation . Thanks Julie
Hi Julie,
it is good to have a round pen, but it is not impossible to train your horse without it. There were no round pens when I was starting out. Some exercises shown in the training require a round pen. But not all of them. You can do some of the exercises with a lunging rope. Otherwise, I dont know about a simple way to subistitute a round pen 🙁
Radek
Hi Radek, the training course is brilliant, and I am thoroughly enjoying it, thank you :-)… however, not ALL of us have round pens?… I myself, only a small ‘dressage’ sized arena? Makes ‘free lunging’ challenging, not impossible I admit, but not ideal either for what you teach. Any pointers in how to ‘cross over’ your training to adapt to that situation would be gratefully accepted 🙂 I guess I may have to find something tall enough and easy enough for me to ‘create’ a round pen (something a young, cocky individual won’t just jump clear out of in the middle of what he is being asked 😉 )
Hi Libby,
it is good to have a round pen, but it is not impossible to train your horse without it. There were no round pens when I was starting out. Some exercises shown in the training require a round pen. But not all of them. You can do some of the exercises with a lunging rope. Otherwise, I don’t know about a simple way to substitute a round pen 🙁 I saw round pens made very simply just with plastic sticks in the ground and rope in the middle of a pasture, and even though it is not something I would recommend, it actually worked fine. (The problem is that if your horse goes through it once, he will tend to learn to go through anything)
Radek
I’m confused about the membership costs. I was charged twice, on the same day, and for different amounts. How can I find out information about my membership and charges?
Hello Sue,
There were two charges on your account. One charge is 78usd which was for Saddle Control with the training process blueprint and the other charge was 47usd which was for Ground Control. We do not have a system that could show the payments in the members area, but you should receive a receipt for each payment on your email that includes the name of the training.
Radek
Hi Radek, Great video work and educational material. What do you advice if you have a horse prone to laminitis and has a slight sore footing. Do you advice to move them a lot? How riding or hand walking. I understand that this is not discussed or covered in your course but any thoughts would help me doing a better job with my horse. Many thanks Gaya
My comment is awaiting moderation not sure what that means do I need to do something or is it that you have not responded yet (no problem) I am just wondering if i need to do something
Hello Gaya,
nope nothing needs to be done, it just means that it is awaiting my answer, I actually think that as I answer one of your questions already, when you ask next time it should not say that and your question should go straight there, but I am not sure, either way you will get an answer 🙂
Hi Gaya,
I am not an expert on this, and I would definitely ask your local veterinarian and your farrier for advice as well. I would focus on removing the cause, usually, it is some problem with hoof care, or with the food. It might be too much food, or too little. I would give your horse quality hay, let him get some fresh grass. Regarding riding or hand walking, it depends on the state of the laminitis. I would definitely not overload the horse, and I would try to be on softer surfaces. Last time one of my horses had laminitis, it took around two months to cure it.
Hello Radek,
I am trying to update my details as my email address will be changing soon! I click on the edit profile tab but nothing happens. Is there a way that I can do this myself before my current email is no longer active?
Thanks,
Bonnie
Hello Bonnie,
if that doesn’t work just leave me your new email here, and I can change it for you 🙂
Thank you, she probably has Equine Metabolic Syndrome and am applying recommendations with good results, but it is a a bit of a commitment I must say. One thing what really made a change is soaking the hay, what a molasses is in the hay! and even if you use a hay net with little holes she just stands and eats as she is in a fast food service shop, walking for a bit of grass is much better but grass is sugar what she can not really have. What a puzzle thanks for your reply.
Gaya
oeps I replied with the wrong arrow…
Hi, very interesting video. I need Close Captains (CC).. Yes some have cc box in video and I click English and nothing work.. Some has no CC BOX.. Please please fix the problems.. Thank you!!
Hello Linda,
thank you for the message. Can you please point me to the exact videos you are having problems with? I was trying to check it and it seemed to work fine. You can also try to restart your computer and use a different browser (I recomend using google chrome)
Please let me know the problematic videos or whether it works now.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have found your e-books and videos very helpful and enjoyable with my process of fixing me and my horse issues.
As I have over the years been trying to educate myself and him (from young horse, he is now 13yrs), to achieve understanding, better riding and control habits.
The last issue being he is to forward (almost bolting) which has influenced to seek further knowledge.
Having attended many horse clinics and watching lots of videos on training I feel I have confused him quite a bit.
Using your methods I think has help us considerably but the issue I’m having trouble with now, is lowering his head when I lift the reins.
Not quite sure how to fix this or should I not worry as his head position is good with a soft feel method??
Thanking you again
Lyndy
Hi Lyndy,
sorry for a late answer. If you want to get his head lower take a look at the training process blueprint at the “relax of head and neck in walk” if you do that exercise turning your horse head to both sides on a small circle he will get relaxed and start carying his head lower. With some horses you might see a diference in five minutes, some horses might take half an hour. But over time if you practice this your horse should start carying his head lower at all times.
Radek
Hi Radek, I love your training, of course! I’m happily working with it with two horses. I have one question, I have a warmblood, that is alpha of the herd because he is 17 hands, but seems to be responsive to people, he knows voice commands on lunging and overall pretty mellow, but the last few months he is putting his ears back at me when I go to mount him. I use a mounting block and I have said hey and smacked him on the neck, but he keeps doing it. He does what I want on groundwork, but maybe not with gusto. I make sure I’m not toeing him with my boot, I think it may be lack of respect, what do you recommend, I don’t want it to get worse like a bite! Do you think I just need to work more on the groundwork?
Hi Julie,
the ears back while mounting can be caused by more things. It can be caused by the horse not understanding you properly while your are riding, it can also be because you always want the same exercise and it is a bit stereotipical making your horse bored. It is quite difficult to say. If you feel like there might be lack of respect, I would definitely try to gain more respect and work on what I am showing in the bonus video about respect. If you do that you should not get bitten. Also while riding try to focus on beeing really black and white so your horse always knows what was correct and what wasnt, and also try to avoid doing the same exercise for too long. Let me know if it helps 🙂
Radek
I ment he is NOT lowering his head when i lift the reins??
looking forward to start training my yearling colt. Have loved your introduction videos. However I went ahead and ordered the under saddle course because there was a $9 reduction in the $78 price if I ordered now. So I told my horses to prepared for a slim week of feed and ordered. The checkout said I was charged $78. When do I get the reduction?
Thanks Donna
Hi Donna,
The regular price of Saddle Control is 156 USD, the discounted price you can get during the free training series is 87 USD and if you get both of Saddle Control and Ground Control you get aditional discount of 9 USD which makes the Saddle Control cost 78 USD. 78 is the lowest price you can get with all the deals. I saw that you were charged 78, so you got the best price. I Appologize if the information on the website were not clear enough.
Radek
Hi, silly question about the rubber reins mentioned in the Riding ebook, are they the same as elastic training reins in this link?
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=elastics+horses&rlz=1C9BKJA_enNZ604NZ604&hl=en-GB&biw=768&bih=909&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1z_Pd1anOAhWk5IMKHWlRAvsQ_AUIBygB#hl=en-GB&tbm=isch&q=elastic+training+horses&imgrc=wgzdof7-5j0GbM%3A
Hi Ilonka,
Yes they are the same as the ones mentioned 🙂
Radek
And what is the difference between or sided draw reins and running rein?
Hello Ilonka, the sided draw reins help to keep your horses head in a fixed position. They are good for begginers. The running reins allow you to move your horses head around and are not as restrictive. They are suitable for more experienced riders 🙂
Hi, I have a question about a herd bound horse.
My horse is a quarterhorsexstockhorse mare, she is nine years old and has a lot of energy. When I am working with her in the yard (where her paddock friend is) I have great response and she is making a lot of progress. But when I take her out to ride alone she becomes stressed and very reactive. I try to get her attention on me by doing hindquarter moves, forequarter moves, circles and anything to gain her attention, but it doesn’t seem to work very well. She wants to move fast, (which gets out of control) and just get home. What should I be doing?
I have also tried just doing ground work away from the other horse, which she does fine.
Thanks.
Maddy
Hi Maddy,
in this case here are a few tips. Take her only to one place where you two are going to be alone. For example, some field where you have some space to work with her. Don’t do some huge lap around. If you stay at one place she will feel that she can’t get home sooner by just going faster. If you just ride around she knows the faster she goes, the faster she is going to be home it’s bad.
Just find one place somewhere away from all the other horses, and ride preferably on circles. Wait for her to get calm. Pay attention to doing the circle in the same spot, make sure she is not getting closer and closer to home while doing the circles.
You can change gaits. Some horses are going to take a day, some might take three months. But it should work, especially if she is good otherwise. She probably doesn’t have as much respect when you are in the saddle, compared to when you are on the ground.
Radek
Thanks for this tip! I have been wondering what to do about this for a while. So glad that finally I should be able to solve this problem!
Hi Radek. I have a 3 year old French Merens and a 5 year old Anglo Arab. I have used your methods for ground work and have been successful with both horses. The young Merens has just been backed very easily I have not used a bit on her as she was working fine with just the head collar but now she seems to have no steering and is only happy following someone. When I am on my own she doesn’t respond to the pressure. Should I use a bit on her now and if so what kind. The Anglo Arab is always putting her tongue over the bit. Thanks in advance for your help. They have both had wolf teeth removed.
Hi David,
it would be good to start using a bit in this case. I would just try using a snaffle bit, that is around 1cm in diameter. Also if you have Saddle Control take a look at the Training Process Blueprint, at the head and neck relax exercises, they are going to help a lot.
Then if your Anglo Arab puts her tongue over the bit, i would try using a different bit. This can be quite difficult to solve depending on how long she is been used to doing it.
Radek
Tanks Radek. I Will Buy a bit for The Merens. I bougent à Myler bit for The anglo arab and so far she is ok much more relaxed and not playing with it. I have saddle control so will watch again. Thank you for your advice.
Hi Radek,
I’m really getting a lot out of your ground control videos. I have an eight year old Standardbred who has turned out to be one of the nicest, most willing riding horses that I have ever had. But we were beginning to run into problems out on the trails. Refusing to walk through water, refusing to step over obstacles, etc. I knew the problem was with me, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
Your videos have turned the light on in my head, and now we are making amazing progress.
There is just one problem I am having with him, at this point. Asking him to do a pirouette to the right is proving to be difficult for him. He did the moving his hind quarters around his front legs in both directions, without hesitation. Same thing with moving his forehand around his hindquarters to the left, but to the right is a different story. He’s still moving his hind legs to get away from my pressure.
I suppose I know that it is just going to take persistence, but I mention it here, in case you have any suggestions to make it easier for him to understand.
April
Hi April,
Sorry for the super late response, there were some issues and I was not getting emails notifying me of the questions here, and I forgot to check it. But here is your answer 🙂 If your horse doesn’t want to go over the water, I would first practice just walking through a bigger puddle. If you are not able to get him walk through it from the saddle, I would just get gum boots and walk through it with from the ground.
It is necessary to practice walking through the puddle until your horse goes through it without any sign of hesitation and completely calm. Then I would get back in the saddle and try the same from the saddle and started walking there and back over the puddle.
If I want my horse to go into the water, like a little river for example. I want him to just go forward, if he stops before the water and looks at it, I allow him to look for a little bit, and then I ask him to go forward again.
It is enough when he in this case just does one step. However, I pay attention for him to not back up away from the water. This way I slowly get into the water.
The first time you practice this it is good to find a spot where it is easy to get into the water and water is very shallow.
After you get your horse into the water it is good to get in and out of there a few times again until he goes in there without hesitation. If you do that next time you want to go into the water you are most likely not going to have issues with it. If you just go into the water once, the next day you might be right back where you started with your horse beeing afraid of the water again.
It is the same principle when you teach your horse to go over obstacles. First choose some really easy ones, and make sure he goes over them calm and then increase the difficulty. Also it is good to focus on making sure your horse doesnt jump over the obstacles you find around but calmly goes over them.
Regarding moving his forehand around his hindquarters to the right I would start with just one or two steps right. If he does the first step by moving his hindquarters I would just use the pressure of my leg to get him back to where he was and ask him again. I repeat this until my horse does at least one step correctly with his front legs and his hind stays at the same spot.
Then I try to get the one correct step again, if I see that it works, I try to get two and then after some time I am going to be able to do the whole thing. However it is not good to practise this for too long in a row. After your horse does one step correctly, let him relax for a while, maybe walk to a different spot and try it again in a different spot.
Radek
Me again, Radek. He also has a hard time, backing up. STILL! Racing Standardbreds are never taught how to back up, or to stand still. Out of necessity for my own health issues, I taught him to stand still while mounting, but the baking up is still something he is not getting. It’s like walking into a brick wall.
April
Hi April,
I would first teach him to back up from the ground. Then from the saddle. You can do it for example by just standing in front of a fence or a wall. It is important to pull your reins really really slowly and gradually, but also to keep pulling them until your horse does at least one step backwards. Then you can stop pulling your reins, give him a short brake and try it again, to do another step.
Another important thing is to not just pull your horse but also tap your horse with your legs. If he starts to want to walk forward, just pull the reins more to stop him. In the begging I just want two steps. Only after he can do that I ask him to back up further than that. There is a backing up video in the Training Process Blueprint, it would be good for you to watch it 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, when my horse is traveling with his head too low, how should I ask him to raise it and carry his head a bit higher? Thank you, Jan
Hi Jan,
I usually don’t see many issues with a horse going with his head too low. The only issue there could be is that he puts too much weight on his front legs. I believe it is good when horses carry their heads around the height of their withers. If your horse carries head bellow the height of his withers you can try to get his head higher it is not going to hurt him.
Radek
My quarter horse gives little bucks when I first get on then when I ride on he gets calmer and is ok. Have tried a number of things but what do you think?
Thank you
Hi Marie,
it is difficult for me to say what is causing it. There could be an issue in the way you mount your horse. If you send me a video of it, I would be able to help you much better in this case 🙂
Radek
Dear Rade,
I’m just starting to read the first ebook and watch the first video.
But I have to compliment the content,design, web and marketing.
Absolutely professional product in every respect.
Hi Peter,
Thank you! We are trying our best 🙂 If there is anything I can do for you don’t hesitate to ask.
Radek
Hi Radek!!
I’m enjoying your program. Actually I have used this same method in my past horses. However, I was just guessing and using common sense. But there is a time when you need help moving beyond. I think I just stopped at a certain point. I have a 1 year old, and a 3 year old Kentucky Mountain Saddle X Australian Stock that I bred from my mare that I am working with now. I really want to take them further. I started the Straightness Training with them to find out that to me I think you still need the basic ground work and respect BEFORE you can begin the liberty work. So I am going back to my original method and your program to start off. But my question is this: I also have an ottb who is 6 or 7? I got him off the track a couple years ago. He is wonderful on the ground but very slow………. He has a sweet personality and I believe is very smart. However, once I get on him, he gets very stubborn and falls away from me and if I try and take him down the road when he is done, he is DONE.. He will back up and into anything to avoid moving forward. I have tried every little avenue that I know of but can’t seem to break thru this problem. Because of this, I feel he is unsafe to ride out on trail or alone. In the corral he cant go anywhere so he is forced to listed to a degree. He has come a very long way since I got him, but need to progress out of this stage or I can’t go any further. Even if I sell him, I feel he needs to over come this so he is a better horse.
Any suggestions??? They took him off the track because they said he didn’t want to run if that helps any……
Thank You,
Patty Ann
Hi Patty
Most of the issues are caused by people giving up when their horse doesnt want to do something.
When you have these issues it is because someone in the past was not consistent and basically taught the horse that he get rid of doing something by just not going in your case.
If your horse doesnt want to go forward and starts backing up, try to continue backing up, and turn him around to be backing up in the direction you wanted to go.
If he wants to backup into a wall, let him, it would not hurt him and he would not do it again. If your horse wants to turn left, turn right. When you have these issues have your horse do the opposite of what he wants.
It is important to react quickly and last longer than your horse, in the end he should do what you want. As soon as he does release all the pressure.
If you want to fix this, the only way is to keep correcting your horse until he does what you wanted. You have to be completely determined that he will just do it and only after he does you can go home, there are no other options.
If you are consistent with this you can get very quick improvements. I am preparing a new training where I work with a few horses that had the same issues. And the owners of those horses were surprised how “easily” it got solved by just lasting until your horse does what you wanted. Your horse needs to feel your determination and that you only leave after he does what you wanted. Most of the people give up five minutes before their horse would do what they ask.
Radek
I have a horse that I describe as having just one loose screw that I haven’t been able to identify. He is normally excellent on ground manners, and under saddle is is a bit cautious but generally good. When something startles him he will generally “spook in place,” even if he is so scared he is shaking while he stands his ground. His one loose screw is that about once every four years he will bolt as someone is mounting. As a result I no longer dare to use him for lessons for fear he will seriously hurt someone. When I’m on him I can touch him all over, poke him all over, make random unexpected movements, etc. and it’s no problem. I can climb all over him when dismounting and it doesn’t phase him a bit. Several times I thought I had figured out the problem and taken precautions so it wouldn’t happen again, but then a few years later he does it again. It wasn’t until recently that I succeeded in getting him to do it as I was mounting myself. I purposely poked him with my toe as I put it into the stirrup, then yanked the saddle sideways, pulled myself up by the saddle, and then poked him with my other toe, at which point he finally bolted. I have never allowed a student to mount that clumsily, so I still don’t know why he bolted with them. After I got him under control I remounted, took him for a ride, then came back and mounted him again a dozen times, sometimes gracefully and sometimes not. He never moved. The only thing in his history that might explain it was once when he was young (and very round) the saddle slipped completely sideways as someone was mounting. I expected him to bolt, but he just took two little hops sideways and stopped dead. His problem didn’t show up until later, but I’m wondering if he remembers that time and has a flashback. Any suggestions? Will I ever be able to trust that I’ve completely fixed the problem?
Hi Roberta,
Horses remember what happened in the past, but if he didnt bolt before it is probably not causing him to bolt now.
I would try to work on getting him to react better on bit pressure as you pull reins to stop. So when he bolts ypu can stop him easier. The easier you can stop him when he is calm, the easier it is going to be when gets scared and he bolts.
If the bolting is not caused by mistakes when mounting I would always back him up to where he was after he bolts and let him stand still over there for a few minutes. It is not enough to just stop, you have to back up as well. I believe it should be fixable, it all depends on how well you correct him after he does it. By correcting well, I dont mean using a lot of pressure but reacting quickly and backing up to where he was. There is a big difference in correcting the mistake within one to two seconds and after 4 seconds. If its four your horse gets the impression he can try it again.
Also with your case because it happens very rarely it will probably take a long time to fix it. But it should be possible 🙂
Radek
Perhaps I should have given you a better description of what he does. By “bolting,” I mean that he explodes forward or sideways – but I have always stopped him within probably ten or fifteen feet and taken him back to where we started. Unfortunately my students were not able to do that within the one to two seconds you say it should happen, so maybe that’s why he has done it again. Maybe now that I have gotten him to do it with me and corrected him quickly, he’ll know he can’t do it? I don’t think it’s willful disobedience, though – it really looks like panic. The first time he did it, I thought the saddle had pinched him. I changed saddles to one that fit better, and he didn’t do it again for a few years. The next time I thought the girth had pinched him, so since then I have always checked to make sure it was settled properly before mounting. A few years later, I had checked everything carefully the day he did it for the third time, leaving me baffled. In light of what I had to do to get him to try it with me, I’m wondering if he does it in response to any slight pinch or poke or discomfort during mounting. Since I can’t absolutely make sure that will never happen, am I being mean to think maybe I should teach him to not be such a sissy and stand still even if something does pinch? Last time I rode him I ended the ride by mounting him twenty times in a row from the left from a mounting block, then twenty times in a row from the right from the mounting block. I started off doing it carefully, and progressed to being more and more careless and annoying, and he never took a step. I’m hoping that if I do that enough times, I’ll erase whatever memory he has of past experiences. The mounting block does help keep the saddle from yanking sideways, as well as not putting the rider in as vulnerable position during the mount, so maybe that’s the safe way to mount for now. But I also want to be able to mount him safely from the ground reliably, since there isn’t always a mounting block out on the trail! Any more thoughts?
Hi Roberta,
I do not think that if you correct it once it would be completely solved. Sometimes correcting three times is enough, some horses need you to correct them 30 times… It is hard to fix something like this since it happens just every two or three years. I am not sure if he does it because of discomfort, it seems a bit too exaggerated for that. I had one horse on my live training that also had a weird problem like this. Sometimes he just bolted uncontrollably. We had no idea why, but then we figured out that it was because we moved our hand above his withers, it was so weird… no sudden movement nothing crazy, just move your hand into a certain spot and he bolted in panic. This is probably not the case with your horse, but there might be something “stupid” like this that makes him bolt. Once we figured it out, I started moving my hand closer and closer to his withers, when he bolted I corrected him, and we kept doing that until it got better. Maybe your horse also has a specific spot where you just put your hand or leg and he bolts, it doesnt even have to be touching him.
Let me know how it goes, I am curious about the cause of the bolting.
Radek
I have a very high strung horse who freaks out when other horse pass or leave him on the trail. I have developed a heart condition which mandates I keep it calm or risk my heart rate flying away. How do I keep him from trying to run away with me when he gets nervous? He is a very strong horse and very difficult to control sometimes. I actually had a bad accident where he got going to fast and I hit a tree and had to stay in the trauma center overnight due to broken jaw and brain injury. I love this horse with all my soul and I know he can be better than this behavior
Hi Lindi,
I would start by improving the way your horse listens to you in calm environment. He should always react effortlessly. When you get on the trail it is always more difficult. When he listens to you perfectly while riding alone in the ring, it should be easier to slow him down when he starts rushing on the trail. It is possible to fix this and make him easier to control on the trail and to slow him down when he gets stressed, but it is not easy. It requires you to work with him daily and you need to be able to correct him. And even if you fix it, if you stop riding daily the problem will go back. I have a horse like this (actually the one I rode bareback in the round pen and in the winter in the field with no reins in one of the videos), he is amazing when you work with him daily, but when you stop, he also gets stressed when other stallions go in front of him on the trail. It goes away as you start working with him regularly, but as you stop, it goes back.
Considering that you should not get your heart rate up too much, and you said he can be difficult to control sometimes, and you had an accident with him, I would think about changing him for a horse with a different temper that would be easier to control. Changing him would not mean you have to stop loving him.
Radek
Hi Radek
I have a gelding and he is 5, he is a standardbred (X-trotter) and every time I try putting him into trot he just paces, he is hard to get him into a trot.
Can you have any advise for me?
Thanks Sophie
Hi Sophie,
If he is hard to get to trot start by asking him using low pressure and then if he doesn’t after one second, ask again using more pressure, and if nothing happens after one second again increase the pressure. And you have to keep doing it until he goes to trot. If you stop before he does it is just going to be getting worse and worse. You need to be super consistent and always make sure he goes to trot in the end. After you get him to trot, stay in trot for like 10 – 15 seconds. Then stop him, and ask for trot again. If you are consistent and repeat this a few times it should become much better quite quickly. There is also an article on this topic over here that I recommend reading. http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Radek
Thank you Radek for your advise.
I followed your advise and it work the way you described I had awesome session yesterday and each time he started passing I put him back to walk and try trotting again. We had a good trotting session for an hour so I don’t believe that he is a lazy horse.
Sophie
HI Radek,
I recently purchased your Saddle Control and have noticed a remarkable improvement In my horse. I’m a 64 year old women who has recently gotten back into horses after a 10 year absence. I purchased a 10 year old Quarter horse who is a good boy, but was not respecting me. I didn’t realize I was sending him mixed messages by not being consistent with him. After following your advice, he has really improved. I can’t thank you enough for fixing BOTH of us. I’m looking forward to the next ebony and video in 2 days. Thank you. Nancy
Hi Nancy,
that is great! 🙂 Lack of respect causes a lot of issues, I am glad you are seeing improvements.
Happy riding Nancy!
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 yo off-the-track thoroughbred gelding. I’ve had him for 2 years, he didn’t do a lot of racing, but since I’ve had him I have begun to teach him basic dressage which he has been picking up well, and I ride him on trails. He’s always been a pretty relaxed and compliant horse, is willing and nicely forward. He is desensitised to most things (flapping flags, noises, other horses etc) but a bit spooky with rustling bushes. Anyway, I have been doing groundwork with him for about a year, and only came across your training recently, so have been watching your videos adding your techniques to those I already use. He’s been going well, doing everything I ask in the round yard (changing direction, changing gait, halting) and we got to a point where he was doing it in a relaxed manner with his head low. However, in the last few weeks he has not been so relaxed, holding his head high and then throwing/flicking his nose into the air a few times each time he goes around. I can feel his energy and that he is not so happy doing the exercises. He also sometimes breaks into a fast canter, which I stop by getting him to change direction, after which he usually calms back down. But he might do this a couple of times each session. He will occasionally add a buck into the fast canter. Not directed at me, just as he’s running. On top of that, lately when I go to get him from his paddock, he turns and walks away, then stays facing away from me. In the past he usually either walks over to me or stands quietly while I walk to over to him. Now, the last time I went to get him, he walked away and then turned around and flicked his nose in the air a couple of times. This to me means he is unhappy with me coming to get him and not wanting to come with me. This is very new behaviour. So, can you please give me some advice on what might be going on with him and how to fix it? Is he challenging me as a leader, and if so, how do i fix this when getting him from the paddock and then in the round yard/arena?
Thank you in advance.
Margot : )
Hi Margot,
there can be a few things behind this. But whatever it is you have to pay attention to always correcting your horse, and correcting him as quickly as possible. Even when he buck for example, so he knows he shouldnt do that. It can be that he is testing you and he is challenging you as the leader, or he can be bored. Maybe you tend to do the same things too often. It is good to do a lot of different exercises and change the environment. If I were you I would focus on always correcting him, and I would try to make things more interesting for him. Try new exercies, do not stay with exercise for too long, as soon as he does something correctly move to something else, and change the environment. Maybe once work with him in the round pen, then go to the ring and have on the lunge line. Or go hacking out, do different things and always correct him.
Hope this helps, let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
Thank you for the reply. Yes, I probably need to do a few more things with him. But can you also offer some advice about the paddock situation … I am concerned with his turning away and flicking his head at me and if this would turn into aggression. If he does this and I walk over to him, is he likely to just run away from me? And if so, should I just continue to pursue him? Should I carry a lunge whip with me?
Thank you.
Margot
Hi Margot,
If you feel like it is getting worse, I would take the whip maybe. In general, if you feel like things are getting worse, it is never a good idea to wait and see if it improves. It almost never does, it only escalates into something much more difficult to fix. It is always good to quickly solve things when they are small and it is still easy to fix them. As I didn’t see your horses behaviour it is difficult to say what exactly to do.
If he is turning away or showing aggression try to immediately correct him even from a distance. For example, if he turns to you with his head and starts to show signs of aggression try to immediately get him to back up, even using your whip. If he turns to you with rear end, use the whip to turn him around, and then again try to back him up. Work as it is shown in the videos. In the begging use very low pressure, but if he doesn’t listen increase the pressure, and continue increasing until he does what you wanted. I would focus on solving these aggressive behaviours, don’t worry about him run away, if he does, just make sure you correct him when he does something agressive, and you can work with him again the next day.
These issues when horses get aggressive are in most cases caused by the people not being consistent and not correcting all the small issues. Like your horse walking in front of you on a lead rope, pushes you and so on. Horses want to follow someone who is going to be fair to them and who they are going to perceive as stronger than they are. If you don’t correct them and are not consistent they will think you are weak and might start showing aggression towards you.
Also, if you feel like it is getting more difficult to catch him, don’t get too stressed about it. Do not just go straight to him and put halter on him straight away. As you get to the paddock, you can walk to other horse first if there are any other horses, or walk somewhere else first, and then to him. Also do not put the halter on take him away immediately. Be with him a little bit, then put the halter on, and after you put it on, you can again stay there a little bit and then go.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Thank you Radek. Will let you know how we go. : )
Radek,
Hi I am new to your ebooks and training. I have actually been using a lot of your techniques and like you have been picking through lots of information from different sources and was happy to find a complete plan in one spot with someone who understands that the relationship with these powerful animals is based on respect and the best ways to get that. . I have a six year old Arab gelding who is very sensitive and was spoiled rotten before I got him. I ride in mounted archery and am planning on using Dash competitively. He is very quick to pick up any type of instruction and tends to react to outside stimulus, although he does well to pay attention to my cues. He is curious about new things and timid and dominant at the same time. And why he may shy away he doesn’t run or turn away from new things. My issue sounds strange to me. He actually listens best and performs best with no pressure. What I mean by that is his best performance is when he is halterless/reinless in an arena or standing freely while I clean and saddle him. He is more reactive when he is tied or restricted. He has only had about 15 rides and I am moving slowly with him as I will be riding reinless in competition. I am wondering if he previously had a bad experience while being tied. he also likes to test his boundaries regularly, I believe due to his previous owners proclivity for treating him like a large dog, he was also kept as a stallion until he was almost 3. I maintain my consistency with him whether tied or free, it just seems to move along a lot slower when he is restricted. Thank you for your assistance.
Hi Sheri,
horses might develop these issues with having a halter if the first owner doesn’t use it properly. I do not know about a really reliable way to train a horse and never use it though. He might listen to you in most cases, but usually, if you get into a situation when he doesn’t want to do something, he would stop listening if you have never trained with reins before.
I would first teach him to stand still while tied to something in a halter. If he has issues with it, make sure you practise it with him in a place where is not going to get hurt, and you can use two halters and two lead ropes at the same time. He should learn to respect the pressure and not go against it. So beeing able to stand still while tied to something is the first step. Then if he doesn’t like it very much while riding, maybe just try to put the reins on, but just leave them on his neck and don’t use them, just so he gets used to having them.
Radek
I have a horse that threw me last fall, (partly my own fault) because I tried a new saddle and bridle he wasn’t used to and he got scared. It was the end of the fall and I broke my hip when I landed so he did not get ridden or worked with for several months. We moved him to a new location this spring and once again he spooked and ran off. Now he is extremely spooky and won’t let me catch him. I can get close enough to give a treat but he rarely lets me touch him. How can I do the ground work if I can’t even catch him? Do you have a video or part of your ebook that addresses this problem. I really want to try your methods on him but I can’t begin until I have his trust and can catch him.
Thank you,
Jan
Hi Jan,
there actually is a video that should help you. There are a few essentials that you should keep in mind in this situation. I would stop giving your horse treats, in this case they perceive it more as “oh ok I can eat her food, so I don’t have to respect her”. So giving treats in these cases usually makes things worse. Then if possible I would move him to the smallest paddock possible, or just work with him in the one he is in in case it is not possible to move him. There are two videos that show you how to deal with these types of issues. You can find them in the bonus section of the training. If you use the top menu, there should be pop up menu as you put your mouse over the ground control or saddle control item that is called Bonuses. If you click on that there are more videos. The last two are what you should watch. One on catching your horse, and the other on taking him away from his buddies. Both should help 🙂 In case you cannot find the bonus section this link should work as well: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-basic-rules-of-horseriding-video-3/
Radek
I appreciate all of your bonus videos. They are very good. My problem is this horse is in a pasture with no real corners nearby to get him in. I will give you more background on this horse which might help explain his behavior. He was rescued from a kill lot a year and a half ago by a friend and we believe he was very abused there and possibly prior to being there. Before that he was a pack horse for an old man and from what we know was a fine horse. When we got him at our equine assisted mental health program he was very hard to catch but we could usually lure him into the round pen with grain and then he allowed us to halter him. I worked with him last year and was trail riding with no issues even away from other horses. The incident where I fell off was a strange thing with him reacting a new saddle with a back strap that might have bothered him and a different bridle than he wasn’t used.to. I was cantering in the arena and he started to make smaller and faster circles until he was spinning out of control and I jumped off in fear that he would fall on me. So now he spooks at the slightest thing. After I broke my hip I couldn’t ride him for over 6 months and then only got on a few times before we moved him to a new location. So his last main experiences of being caught were me being thrown off with a saddle that probably hurt or scared him and being hauled to a new place with new horses that didn’t accept him for several months. He is settled in his new place now but as I said before I am not able to catch him and getting close is only possible with food or a treat. I don’t want to scare him more but am afraid the longer this goes on the less likely he will respect me. I am willing to be patient if that is what it takes. He has made some progress in following me closer when its it feeding time and seems to be okay with me at a distance. Any ideas would be appreciated. I do not have a way to put him in a smaller paddock that is not muddy and dangerous to try to contain him in. Thanks for your help.
Jan.
Hi Jan,
I Would try to give him a treat when you release him as well. That should get him more excited to go see ypu next time. Also I would around feeding time just wait there with the food and instead of trying to catch him just wit for him to come. Then as he comes dont try to immediately catch him maybe just let him come and go a few times. When you have catching him as the first thing on your mind, he is going to be able to sense it and he is more likely to be running away. Also if he is not alone in the pasture but he is with other horses, try to go next to the other horses, and if he goes away just stay with them, and if they are his friends he will probably just come back to them and to you after some time. I hope this will help at least a little, I am not sure what else to recommend at the moment. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a 10 year old quarter horse who was mainly a carriage horse. I have been using your program on him and he has really improved in his ground work and respecting me. I find it frustrating sometimes because one day he is really tuned into me and listens well and a couple days later when we do ground work again I feel he is almost back to step one. I can’t be over at the farm every day, so 3-4 times a week is what I can mostly do working with him. Why is it one day he’s “on” and another day “not on”?
Also, can I work the “walk” exercises that I follow in your video using a sidepull instead of a snaffle bit?
Thank you,
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
you can definitely use the sidepull as well. It is common that horses are better one day and worse the other. Some horses more, some horses less. Over time it will improve and became more consistent. The key is to always correct him, and when he has a bad day, make sure you correct everything. I am working with a horse that was just like that and now she is turning out very good and much more consistent. Horses are like people, we also have bad days. Just keep correcting her and over time the differences between bad and good days will start getting smaller and smaller.
Radek
Thank you Radek, I will be consistent. Thanks for the encouragement.
I just purchased invisible horse control. I thought that contained your whole system. Do you have a package deal if a person wanted to buy the whole lot of training programs?
Hi Kathy,
thank you for asking 🙂 Actually there is deal you can get on the remaining training. I see that you have the precision. If you want to buy a bundle of both Ground Control and Saddle Control you can go to this link:
https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/bareback-without-reins-nowait-auto/
Then scroll down, and in the frequently asked questions, there is a question how to get both of the training programs. If you click on that, there is a button that gives you a discount for buying both 🙂 Let me know if there are any issues and I can assist you further.
Radek
Hello Radek,
I have a 16 year old quarterhorse who has either not had much training or perhaps had very inconsistent training…it is really unknown (rescue horse). I have trouble even keeping him at a walk on a circle consistently. And forget about a consistent trot. It seems like if I try to push the issue, he gets more and more upset. He either really curls his neck and head (as if to get under or over the bit (??) so he doesn’t have to ‘listen’) or starts to buck (which, of course, scares me….so I stop asking….which obviously is not getting respect from him!!!). He is not good about being consistent on the longe line either. Suggestions???
Thank you so much for your help.
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
in your case it is not going to be very easy to fix this I am afraid. It is possible, but definitely not easy or quick. If your horse is 16 years old, it is sort of an equivalent to a 60 year old human. If he is been used to this his whole life, it is more difficult to change it the older he gets.
You are right with what you said when you get scared of him bucking and you stop asking you are basically teaching him that if he doesn’t want to do it, he should just start bucking. The way to fix it is only by asking him until he stops bucking and does what you wanted. If you are not confident about doing it yourself maybe try to get someone else to help. I wish I could help more but I am not aware of anything else that would help.
Radek
jako clovek v sedesati celej yivot to delal blbe je teykz to napravit
Hi Radek,
Zen and I are really enjoying your videos. Zen is a very smart, loads of fun to ride, mastermind escape artist. In the round pen I don’t attach a lead line. He tests me, but is very good with voice commands. He is not aggressive, but does let me know when he dislikes something and he is one of the few that lie or make stuff up. ( he can fake a limp and at times makes a bigger deal out of something that startles him then need be for him. He is an Icelandic horse. I am having an issue in the round pen when I ask him to change directions at times. Not always. Sometimes as he changes direction when his back side is facing me he bucks. When I make him continue working in the round pen once he has bucked once, the bucks get bigger, and he will even start backing up towards me before bucking. I am not into hitting him, causing him any pain, or exhausting him because I am in South Florida and he is an Icelandic horse. And I don’t have the coordination to attach a lounge line and practice. It is such a mess and it sets us way back every time I try. How do I correct this unwanted behavior please?
Hi Nicole,
there actually is a video that helps with your problem in the bonus section 🙂 You can access it by using the menu on the top and going to the bonus section. or by going to this link
https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-basic-rules-of-horseriding-video-3/
Look for the video called “2 things that solve 90 percent of all issues” There is a horse that had the same attitude like yours and how it got fixed. In your case there is a few things I would recommend to keep you safe. I would get a lunging whip and stop beeing afraid of using it. Horses in the nature are used to getting kicked by others. The lunging whip is not going to get Zen hurt. If he can feel that you are determined to not hit him he is very likely to keep getting worse and worse. Correct him every time he bucks and always make sure he realizes that something was wrong. The way to do it is shown in that bonus video. If you do it you are going to save a lot of problems that otherwise would most likely come in the future.
Radek
Zen actually backs up pretty well. I will wk on making him back up even better. We have been doing a lot of backing up because I recently learned that it is great for their top line. And he gives me his undivided attention on a lose lead when we are working whether it’s me walking him like a dog or working in a location. It’s actually an accident how it happened. I accidentally made the porcupine game into a game where unless we are walking, or he was given permission to graze on a lose lead he will always quickly put himself in front of my face, facing me…since he was maybe 3.5 yrs old & he is 16 now. The only time he threatens to buck in my direction is when I ask him to change direction in the round pen. When he changes direction he always changes outward not inward.
Hi Nicole,
that’s good 🙂 Backing up is very important to get respect. You can further improve the respect by paying attention to him not getting too close to you by himself. He should always stay at least half a meter away from you, and then you approach him. He can of course go to see you, but as he comes to you he should not get too close. Sometimes a horse getting too close to you by himself could mean a little threat.
Also while he bucks correct him with a lunging whip, you are not going to cause him pain, but you will let him know that he should not do that.
Good luck to you and Zen 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
Radek
Hello Radek
I have four year old QH mare. She’s very responsive and I was just trying to work on walking and turning her neck to the inside (as you recommended) and keep her going straight. I don’t know how to keep her going straight without her thinking I want her to turn. I know it’s me, because when I get things right she learns super fast. Please help:)
Hi Elizabeth,
nice, that is a good exercise. Don’t worry you can fix this quite easily I am sure. Take a look at the video in the training process blueprint that is about making the circle bigger. The reason your mare turns as you turn her head is that she doesn’t react on the pressure of your legs well enough yet. In the make the circle bigger exercise you are going to be using your leg to get her moving sideways on the bigger circle. As you learn this one she will start respecting your leg much more and you will be able to keep her going straight as you turn her head to the side.
While practicing the making the circle bigger focus on her front legs. She should be going sideways with them. If the pressure of your leg is not enough use a whip to help yourself show your mare what is that you are asking when you put the pressure with your leg.
Radek
Thanks Radek. Just found your reply. I will work on this, thanks so much!
Hi Radek,
I’ve had my horse, a 12 year old Tennessee Walker for 3 years. For many reasons, I have not ridden him regularly in the past several months, and I need to get back to basics with him. He and I join up beautifully during ground work, and he is respectful & responsive. He has started moving at the block when I try to mount, which he did when I first got him, but he was much better with it until I stopped riding him often. Now it’s like we’re starting all over. When he backs up or swings out away from the block, I make him move & lunge him in both directions. This does help. He is very forward moving, and nervous under saddle, which shakes my confidence. I am hoping that your program will help me to get him to listen only to me…Any advice?
Hi Celeste,
it should be quite easy to fix this. When backs up from the mounting block just ask him go forward to where he was, you always have to correct him. If he tries to go sideways away from the mounting block turn his head away from you by pulling your reins. So he has his head turned to the side to where he is trying to move away from the mounting block, but you are holding it with your rein. That will make it hard for him to step away from the mounting block sideways. I hope I am explaining it in a way that is understandable. If he goes sideways away from the block, before you even mount get your rein and his head turned away from you and hold him in place this way using your reins. If he moves backward or forward just always get him to go back. If you correct it every single time, it should get fixed quite quickly 🙂
Also if you want to get him more relaxed try to head and neck relax exercise described in the training process blueprint. I usually calm my horses down by doing small circles walk, while turning their head to the side. Just use your reins to turn your horses head to the side, as soon as he turns release the pressure, if starts to put it straight again pull the rein again to turn it again. Do this exercise for a few minutes and your horse should get more relaxed physically, and as soon as he does he is also going to be more relaxed mentally. Horses have it very closely connected.
Radek
ustupovat bycikem hlavu otocenou k sobe a aby sel od ni, taky aby couval.
kdyz odejde do strany otocit mu hlavu od sebe aby neodch
Hi Radek,
I have a question about stopping: when you stop with your legs forward (like a reiner), is your full weight on the horse’s back or more in the stirrups with your seat slightly raised to get off his back?
Also, in doing the half pass to the left, I see your left leg is held out away from the horse’s side with your right leg pressing him to move to the left. Again, where is your weight? I’m assuming you are not sitting with your weight evenly in the saddle but probably more in the left stirrup or on the left seat bone?
Love your videos and ebooks. Everything seems so simple one wonders that people do it any other way.
Hi Patricia,
while stopping I put slightly more pressure in the stirrups, but I do not raise in the saddle. While stopping it is good to not lean backward or forward. If you do it bit different than I do, it is not a big deal the important thing is to always do it the same way 🙂
Regarding the half pass to the left, I put more pressure into my left leg that is held out away from the horse. My right leg that I press him with and urge him to go has less pressure in it. But again that changes in the pressure are not very big and I do not lift myself in the saddle. If you need to you can use a dressage whip to help yourself.
Hope it helps 🙂
Radek
Hi Rates
I have had my 8 year old cob for 5 years, he is good as gold most of the time. I have started your course as I would like my horse to respond to my slightest of aids. I have gone right back to groundwork work stage, he will move his hindquarters but when I remove the pressures he continues to move for another half a circle. When I try to back him up I am finding it difficult to back him up straight, he keeps trying to turn.
Do you have any suggestions on what I may try.
I don’t have access to a schooling area only my field.
Hi Tracy,
seems you are doing well 🙂 These are normal and very small issues. If he continues to move after you release the pressure it could be because you are still tense. Sometimes horses can feel if you are tense or nervous or something and they might continue moving. It is good to relax yourself when you want your horse to stop, they can tell and they will most likely stop and relax as well. Also, you can just stop him and correct him if he continues moving. But just really focusing your mind on “ok now I want you to move” and then “ok I am relaxed.. you can stop now” should really help.
Regarding the backing up, it is very common to have this issue. When he starts turning too much, just stop, correct his position and ask him to back up again.
Radek
I have started having problems with leaning in and the completely wrong bend at the canter. As soon as she thinks we are going to canter she throws herself to the inside and I cannot get her bent the correct way. She ends up making my body twist to the outside and we have a wrestling match over which way to bend. We always had this to the right but now it is both directions. I may be putting my weight in the wrong place. Where should it be to correct this?
Hi Lynn,
there are a few exercises to help you fix this 🙂 If you go to the Training Process Blueprint, take a look at the “making the circle bigger” exercises. Learn the one in walk, and then continue with trot and and canter. Those exercises are basicaly about learning to make the circle bigger by going sideways. Start with walk since that is the easiest to learn. Focus on the front legs crossing correctly as you move sideways on the bigger circle. As soon as you learn it in walk just learn the same in trot and canter. You will get much better control of your horse, and it will solve your bending issues 🙂 The best is the watch those videos in Training Process Blueprint since otherwise, it is a bit tricky to explain it in a message over here.
Radek
Hello Radek, Today I was practicing backing my horse up walking towards her. She is always very good at backing , I would just wiggle my finger from a standing position and she backs. Today because I was walking towards her and making her move quicker, she wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t get her to stop going back.
Which was a shock. She never did this before. She acted as if I was going to eat her up. I was able to pet her neck after some time but she had a look like she didn’t trust. Help please!
Hi Radek
I have had my 8 year old cob for 5 years, he is good as gold most of the time. I have started your course as I would like my horse to respond to my slightest of aids. I have gone right back to groundwork work stage, he will move his hindquarters but when I remove the pressures he continues to move for another half a circle. When I try to back him up I am finding it difficult to back him up straight, he keeps trying to turn.
Do you have any suggestions on what I may try.
I don’t have access to a schooling area only my field.
Hi Tracy,
seems you are doing well ???? These are normal and very small issues. If he continues to move after you release the pressure it could be because you are still tense. Sometimes horses can feel if you are tense or nervous or something and they might continue moving. It is good to relax yourself when you want your horse to stop, they can tell and they will most likely stop and relax as well. Also, you can just stop him and correct him if he continues moving. But just really focusing your mind on “ok now I want you to move” and then “ok I am relaxed.. you can stop now” should really help.
Regarding the backing up, it is very common to have this issue. When he starts turning too much, just stop, correct his position and ask him to back up again.
Radek
Hello Radek, I think I figured out my horses unusual behavior. I didn’t ever believe food could effect a horse, but that day, my horse was given sweet feed. She was not her usual calm self. (sweet feed not on her normal diet.)
Since, she is back to her normal self!:)
Thank you !!!
Hi Elizabeth,
oh, that is interesting. It is good that is back to normal. Otherwise, in these cases, it is just good to try to calm down and slow down your every move. Sometimes it can be that something stressed us out and our horse can sense it and then behaves differently. It was a nice observation with the food 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek. I have been following your programme with my 3 year old Merens. She has been really easy to train and she is now 3and a half. She was backed at 3. She has been very good and we had managed to get her to trot. I don’t ride he a lot just a few times a week for 10 min. About 3 weeks ago she bucked me off as I was trying to mount her. I landed very bad and broke my pelvis in 2 places. It will be a few months before i can ride again but I am very worried that she might do this again. There was no obvious reason why she shoul do this. Any advice would be good. Should I go back to basics. Thanks Radek. Margaret Latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize for the late answer I somehow missed it before. It can have quite a few reasons why it happened, it is hard to say what was the real cause. Sometimes horses just do something to see what happens and how you react. It is sad that it ended up like that. Sometimes with young horses it can also be caused by them having too much food in comparison to how much they get ridden. They end up with too much energy that they want to burn. Just giving him less food could help. Also riding just 10 minutes is not much, before you try to mount in the saddle again it is good to lunge him for some time before and get him tired. And another thing that is definitely good is to grab one rein before you mount and turn his head completely to the side. Then start mounting while keeping his head turned to the side. Only let him straighten it after you are securely in the saddle and he is calm. I hope you recover soon from the injury.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I love the Training Process Blueprint, which I believe is for under saddle.
I would love something just like that for ground work.
I just got my horse a week ago, and he was supposedly a “lesson horse”, but he is seriously lacking ground manners. I am having to work with him on “back up”; he tries to “lead me” in stead of me leading him. He’s a mess in the cross ties….
I know your ground work videos talk about all these things, but I think a nice print out like the under saddle blueprint would be really nice to have.
Thanks!
Hi Susan,
thank you for the suggestion 🙂 It is a great idea, I will probably start working on it during next year. If you watch all the videos in ground control you are also sort of going to see how it goes one after another but the blueprint would be better that is true. I am not sure if you have watched one of the bonus videos called “2 Things that solve 90 % of all issues” it is in the bonus videos section. It really should help in these very early stages.
The important thing is to never step back, or even lean back if your horse gets too close to you. It should always be him who moves away from you. There is a limit of course and if you were in danger of course step back. But if it’s not necessary you should always be still and your horse should back up.
Radek
Thank you! You were right, I didn’t really look at the bonus videos!
And WOW, those bonus videos are GREAT.
The place where I board my horse doesn’t have a round pen, I CAN longe him, but getting a change of direction on a longe line, is not as spontaneous as in a round pen.
I will continue to work on backing up, which I can do with a lead rope and a longe whip, and on respecting MY space when I’m leading him. Hopefully that will solve SOME things. I will also work on getting him to stand still for me.
Thank you SO much your videos are all brilliant! This “online coach” is wonderful too! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My teacher actually wants me to get rid of this horse and find another instead. I am hoping that with your help I can transform this one into a more acceptable horse for me, and acceptable in her eyes as well.
Thanks again!
Hi Susan,
it is surely possible to really improve the way your horse behaves. If you see improvements it should be possible to get him to behave better. If you continue trying for a longer time and you dont see any difference it might be good idea to consider another horse. It is nothing to be ashamed of not every horse is a good fit for every person 🙂
I am glad you enjoy the training!
Radek
I have not heard the term before. What is a One Sided Draw rein? I use an inside sliding rein when I lunge, lunge line running through the bit and back to the upper girth but I have not heard or seen something called a one sided draw rein. Does it go on the inside or the outside? How is it attached? My draw reins run from my hands through the bit to the girth between the front legs or to the sides on the girth.
Hi Elise,
The one sided draw rein is the same as the what I reffer to as just a side rein. I am not a native english speaker and when I was writing that I thought that is the best term, then I have figured out that just side rein is probably better way to call it. The way it looks is shown in the third video of Ground Control. You can even order it in the store section of the members area. The side rein goes through the bit and is attached to the saddle and to the girth. I use it only on the inside side when lunging. Hope this helps 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek. I haven’t had a reply from my post on 22 November and I wondered if you had received it. If not can you let me know and I will repost. Thanks again. Margaret latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize for the late answer I somehow missed it before. It can have quite a few reasons why it happened, it is hard to say what was the real cause. Sometimes horses just do something to see what happens and how you react. It is sad that it ended up like that. Sometimes with young horses it can also be caused by them having too much food in comparison to how much they get ridden. They end up with too much energy that they want to burn. Just giving him less food could help. Also riding just 10 minutes is not much, before you try to mount in the saddle again it is good to lunge him for some time before and get him tired. And another thing that is definitely good is to grab one rein before you mount and turn his head completely to the side. Then start mounting while keeping his head turned to the side. Only let him straighten it after you are securely in the saddle and he is calm. I hope you recover soon from the injury.
Radek
Thank you Radek. Very good advice. I usually do turn her head to one side but unfortunately this time I didn’t. A hard lesson learned. I will always make sure I do this in future. Yes she had put on a bit of weight so I will cut back on the feed. I should be able to start riding again in may so I will work with her on the ground until then. She is always such a nice horse this was very unusual but very scary.
I will take her out for walks in hand and get her used to new things. Thanks again for replying to me
Margaret
Hello!
I don’t always know which lead my arab/ Paint (both sides pleasure bred and very smooth) is on. Don’t tell me to look down because I can’t see either unless he is going straight at a gallop. He is black and white with a long thick mane which confuses the eye and he has short strides, so there is not a big shoulder movement.
If I set him up I usually can tell but if I’m just cantering and then ask myself which lead he’s on I’m only guessing.
I’ve been trail riding for over 50 years and leads were just not a problem. The horses took care of it. But now I have a chance to ride in an arena and suddenly leads are important! Any suggestions, tips?
Hi LaDora,
I see it can be tricky to tell. But I guess the best way would be to get someone to watch you and tell you which lead you are in, and then really focus on the seat and the way your horse moves under you. You should be able to learn to distinguish between left and right canter after some time if you have someone to help you with it. Also while turning it should become a bit easier to tell which canter lead you are in.
Hope this helps 🙂
Why does a huge eye suddenly appear occasionally throughout your video? It is annoying and distracting.
Hi LaDora,
the eye is there to draw attention to the upcoming slow motion replay. We want to replace with a spinning arrow because you are actually not the only one complaining about it. I apologize for it, we didn’t realize it is going to be distracting when we were making the video.
Radek
Question: I have a mare that does really well most of the time. She will stand and sleep not moving while I groom her and tack her up for a month or two. Then one day, she stands for about 5 minutes, then starts moving. I put her back and she moves and this lasts about a minute then she freaks out and starts rearing, kicking, jumping in the air, so I work her back and forth until she stands quietly again. It can take 45 minutes to an hour to get her to calm down again. What should I do when she has these episodes? I can’t figure out why 99% of the time she is so quiet and then 1% of the time she is so impatient and what to do about it.
Hi Elise,
you react well. The only way I know of to improve this is to react as fast as possible and just ask your mare to do simple things fast one after another. Go back and forth, if possible ask her to do some circles around you and quickly ask for different things so she doesn’t have time to think about anything else. Some mares can be a like you describe, but you should be able to improve it.
Radek
Thank you Radek! Your advice is invaluable! Happy new Year!
Hello!
Thank you for your advice but that is my problem. Finding people who have the knowledge and the time to watch me is a challenge. I think the only real solution would be to take lessons regularly, but at $40. a lesson that’s not an option. I trail ride too much and don’t ring ride enough! lol
The spinning arrow would totally distract me. Please don’t! Another clinician uses his logo, a kangaroo, which turns swiftly and smoothly, then back to the lesson in a split second. It fits the concept so it is not distracting.
LaDora
Hi LaDora,
I understand lessons are never cheap 🙁 In case you can always make a video of yourself and send it to me and I can give you advice based on that. I can’t give you real time feedback, but if it’s something that doesn’t need real time feedback you are always welcome to send me a video of you riding and I will be happy to help 🙂
I am glad you liked the stationary arrow more. Some people like the eye, some people like the spinning arrow, and some prefer the stationary it is hard to chose what to use 😀
Happy riding!
Radek
I just watched your second video where the arrow was used. It is fine. Glad it’s not spinning. Perhaps you could change the background behind the arrow to not be a blaring white. A softer, lighter blue than the arrow? I am a retired art teacher and images are important to me. To me the white still slightly distracts, but much better than the eye image. 🙂
LaDora
Hi LaDora,
great to hear that you like the stationary arrow more. The latest design is the same arrow with the video blurred underneath and the arrow slowly spinning. However, none of the videos that include it have been translated to English yet so I can’t show you at the moment.
Thank you for the feedback, the idea with the background is good. Maybe I should show all three types and do a vote to decide there is a lot of discussion about it actually 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I was wondering if you do groundwork before grooming and/or tacking up your horse or if you do it after.
Thanks! Love the videos.
Maren
Hi Maren,
I basically do ground work 100% of the time I am near my horse. Since the first moment I get near him. However for example, if you want to do serious ground work exercise I do groom my horse before taking him to the roundpen, but I approach the grooming itself as a training already. I want my horse to react on my pressure and move away when I want him to. And stand still when I want him to stand still. If he makes a mistake I correct him even while grooming. Your horse will be improving much quicker with this approach.
I am glad you like the videos! 🙂
Radek
PS I like the large eye. To me it says “Pay attention, this is important!” Like in Spanish, when we say “Ojo!” (Literally, “eye”, meaning, “Pay attention!” or “Be careful!”)
Hi Maren,
thank you for the feedback! 🙂 The opinions about the eye are very divided. I am even thinking about doing a vote across three versions that we have to finally discover what is the best 😀
Happy riding!
Radek
Hi Radek,
I purchased a horse a few months ago and though she does really well respecting me on the ground, and most of the time in the saddle, there are times she thinks she can do what she wants instead of what I want. I purchased the ground control training to go over every step in case I missed something. I do not have a round pen though. Is there a way to make an arena into a round pen? Or is there an alternative way to do these exercises?
Hi Laura,
it is surely possible to be in the ring instead of a round pen. It is more difficult but it is possible of course. I want to make a video on this topic. I am searching for a horse to make it with that was not doing any ground work before. Hopefully, I find a horse soon so I can make the video.
Basically, I would start doing the same things as I would in the round pen but I would just have my horse on a lunge line while doing ground work in the ring. In the beginning, it is better to keep him closer to you, that gives you more control, and get the very basics down. It is good to not try to rush forward with the training in this case and make sure that you can do the exercises well enough before moving on. It is quite tricky to explain everything about it over here. I will try to make the video about it as quickly as possible.
Happy riding!
Radek
Hi Radek
I have just purchased all of the training and am keen so start. However am I able to do both the ground control and the riding at once or should I just do the ground control first before going onto the riding?
Thanks in advance
Sabina
Hi Sabina,
It is definitely good to be able to do the basics of Ground Control before you start riding. It is good to at least be able to get your horse to go around you in trot in a roundpen, be able to stop him and change direction. If you know these basics it is no problem if you start riding and working on both Ground and Saddle at the same time 🙂
Radek
Hello Radek-
Can you explain how you set up your side rein? It seems longer than I expected. I have it hooked to the large ring on the cinch, then run it through the ring on the snaffle bit then again through the ring on the cinch before it is short enough to hook on a ring. Kind of like a “Z” pattern. Is that correct?
Thanks! Enjoying your methods…
Hi Jaime,
the ways in which I set up the side reins are shown in the third video of Ground Control it is the best to see it visually 🙂 The side rein has the two rings, and they can be moved. Every horse is a different size so the rings on the side rein should be adjusted based on the size of your horse. I hope this helps let me know if you have problems with the setting the side reins up. Preferably send me a picture and I can tell you if it is set up correctly 🙂
Radek
I just joined the program! I got the ground control and the saddle control. Then there was an option of adding Precision for $27. I watched the video, but I am still unclear what added benefit Precision is over the other two programs. Will you clarify? Thanks. I look forward to getting started.
Hi Kathleen,
Precision overlaps with Saddle Control. Saddle Control covers everything and it is meant for you to follow it over time as you progress. Precision is more of a take a look and apply what you learned. You can read the ebook in one day, watch the video that comes with precision the other day and when you go riding you will immediately know how to get your horse to go exactly where you want more precisely.
It is going to show you how to get your horse to go perfectly straight, make the circle perfectly round. And always go very precisely exactly where you want him to go with your minimal effort and need to be correcting him. You can take a look at my riders test over here:
https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/test/
Precision is basically showing you how to pass that test on the highest level. It shows all the exercises and principles. It is not a long complex training but if you incorporate what is there you will be able to guide your horse easier with less effort and more precisely 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
My horse has always had a bad habit of chomping on the bit as I ride, and hanging on the bit. He likes to pull on my hands, and I don’t know how to break him of this. I don’t know if he’s doing it out of boredom, or just acting like a baby because he’s 6yrs old. His habit seems to be distracting to him and making it harder to teach him new things and make progress. Do you have any idea of how to fix this?
Thanks,
Ally
Hi Ally,
it is quite hard to give you advice in this case without seeing how exactly it happens. The best would be if you could send me a video fo you riding so I can see what exactly is going on. If I saw it I would be able to help much better. There can be a few different things causing this.
Radek
Hello Radek,
I would like some help please. I am currently going through your programme and I am really think its very good to follow. However, I fell off my horse 12 months ago and broke my pelvis. My horse stopped suddenly at speed as a bird flew out in front of him and I fell off.
I then decided to join invisible Horse Control to get a better rider and to train my horse better.
I am doing lots of ground work with him to build his confidence and have always done a lot with him. However, he still breaks/stops at speed when lunging when he gets scared and I am worried if I am riding again and he does this, I will fall off again.
Is there anything I could do to stop him breaking/stopping when he gets scared? It happens so fast, it’s impossible to stay on when you are cantering.
I am worried that what ever I do training with him, when he gets scared he may always do this.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Best wishes
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
There might not be a way to make absolutely sure that your horse won’t ever do it again. You can work on improving it by urging your horse immediately after he stops and not stopping until he is going again. The way to do it from the ground is shown in the second ground control video. In the video, the horse is slowing down at the door of the round pen, but the way to correct is the same as when he gets scared and stops.
Horses, like humans, have different tempers. Your horse naturally stops when he gets scared. It is a reaction that is rooted very deep within him and it might not be possible to change it, you will be able to improve it, but most likely not remove it completely. Also, you would have to correct him when it happens from the saddle, and that would mean staying in the saddle when he stops and urging him to get going again… I would recommend getting a different horse with a different temper. There is nothing wrong with your horse but in your case maybe you would be a better match with another horse 🙂
Hi Radek, I have just received the Precision training and I really like it but am a little confused with something in the e-book. On p. 16 you are talking about making the circle smaller (in walk) and say ”I have my outside shin away from the horse, I put more weight into it and then press my horse with my inside shin to ask him to make the circle smaller” This does not make sense to me , and doesn’t look like the picture. Am I missing something? Thanks
Hi Jane,
oh, that is embarrassing. There was a mistake in the eBook it is supposed to be “have my inside shin away from the horse, I put more weight into it and then press my horse with my outside shin to ask him to make the circle smaller”
I have fixed it now, when you download the eBook it should be correct 🙂
Happy riding and thank you for letting me know about the mistake!
Radek
Hi Radek,
I watched the first video in Saddle Control. It is going to take me a LONG time, I think, before I will be able to advance to the second stage! Hopefully, once I start applying the techniques, it’ll go faster than it seems it will go.
I do have a question about the unilateral sling that forces the horse to keep his head in proper position while lunging. You mentioned in an email to me that you don’t have opportunity to work with gaited breeds where you are. I think most gaited breeds do a higher head bob when gaiting and there are differences in the way different breeds necks are set. I have a Tennessee Walking Horse and this breed as well as some others have necks that are set on higher and carried more upright than Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Why do you want the head low? Do I and the gaited horse folks ignore the lowering-the-head instructions while moving? What about the Friesian you were working in the Ground Control video? It seems Friesians’ necks are set on higher, too.
Lots of questions from a relative newby. =D
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
every horse carries his head a bit differently. Your horse doesn’t need to carry his head like the horses that I am riding in the videos, his way to carry it is of course going to be different. When horses carry their head too high it usually means that they are a bit stressed and cautious. If you can calm down a nervous horse by lowering his head. The height he carries it doesn’t matter that much it depends on breed, it is just important for him to have it in his relaxed position. That usually means that his neck is going to be arched down. So the line on the top of his neck is going to be longer than the line on the bottom of his neck. You can take a look for example at the relaxing head and neck exercise in the Training Process Blueprint. You are basically just asking your horse to turn his head to the side. If you practice that exercise your horse will lower his head to whatever his comfortable natural position is. Then you can use the exercise to calm your horse down in case he gets stressed.
Radek
Thanks, Radek. I think I understand and I think that will be a great tool, as my mare tends to get a little nervous at times and then starts to accelerate her speed. I’m going to find the training in the Blueprint Training section and watch.
Question. My mare has been doing awesome but she injured her hind leg and I have to treat it, very very painful. I feel like I have lost everything. I can’t even get to the leg now. She tries to stand still but as soon as I touch it, she moves and moves and moves. I feel so bad because I know it is extremely painful. I have to do it though. What do I do? I am losing her trust.
Hi Elise,
that is a tricky situation 🙁 You should however try to correct her, don’t let her run away from you. Maybe get someone to help you. So one person holds her and keeps her occupied and the other person takes care of her leg. Try to get it done as quickly and as gently as possible (I am sure you do already) I hope your mare gets better soon!
Radek
Thank you Radek! We managed to get things to recover and it didn’t affect her long term. She is back to standing perfectly quiet while I handle her legs and doesn’t move an inch. I was afraid of “breaking my horse”…..but as soon as the pain went away, so did the moving. I also added Neosporin with pain killer to her treatment plan and the painkiller helped a lot.
Hi Elise,
thats great, I am glad it ended up well 🙂
Hi Radek,
I’m loving your videos and your articles. You are a gifted teacher and not many are able to explain difficult concepts like you do, so I’m grateful.
Last month I had a hiking accident due to what they think was a seizure. And so, until the Drs know more, I am not allowed to ride my horses for six whole months!
I don’t want my horses becoming bored of all the ground work I am now doing. They are used to a broad range of activities (galloping, riding in the mountains, arena riding, jumping, reining and dressage) to engage their enthusiasm for learning. Before the accident, I took MANY trail rides to break up the arena schooling. Now I do ground work, liberty work and take them for walks in the mountains in hand….using all of your techniques to keep us learning and growing together. But given that I’ve suddenly got this ‘opportunity’ to only work in hand for 6 months, is there anything specific in terms of goals, curriculum, etc that you would suggest so that we turn this into a positive experience for all of us?
Thanking you in advance.
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
I am sorry to hear that, I hope you get better soon. There are a lot of things you can do with your horse from the ground. For example get your horse to go over cavaletti while lunging, or you can try going somewhere where there is a little hill and get your horse to go over it. So he has to go up and down while lunging. It will strengthen his back. You can try to get your horse to go sideways away from you, practise speed control and stopping. You can try sidepass from the ground. I am sure that the six months will be interesting and you will be able to enjoy them 🙂
Radek
I have 2 mares that do very well with ground training so far. They back easily, turn forequarters and hind, sidepass, stand, gait transitions, and stopping. My only concern is that I have a 60 foot round pen, and they both like to short change the ring, meaning they don’t ride the rail. They will both cut in at the walk and trot, but not dangerously close to me. I have an major leg injury at this time so I am not able to run around the pen to keep them to the full outside ring. Should I be concerned with this? If so, how would I change this behavior?
Hi Judy,
you don’t need to worry about it as long as your horse makes the circle round. If he maintains a nice circle it is ok if it’s smaller. There is a video on asking your horse to make the circle bigger while lunging in our Facebook group 🙂 If you are not already there you can join us by using the top menu of the members area and watch the video there.
Radek
Hi Radek, well where to begin? Firstly I think my pony has had a personality transplant!!
He is a Welsh part bred 14hh now rising 7 – I’ve owned him since 8 months old. We started having problems regarding being very pushy on the ground although he is amazing to ride. Then he has been difficult to catch- walking or running away from me. I’ve tried all the different techniques regarding food or paying attention to others but whereas I could catch him it was tricking him into it not him wanting to come to me. Today I spent a very content 2 hours with my pony. I tried the techniques you showed on the video – within seconds of starting to lead him around by the other horses he was following hoof perfect!!! Stopping a respectful distance – trotting with me and stopping really suddenly -just exactly like your pony!!! I even sat on him bareback and walked around the school. Incredible- now I am waiting for the next videos.
Thank you so much.
I’ve never been able to cuddle him and stoke his face but today he stood really calmly and still whilst I brushed him and stroked his nose!!
It probably doesn’t sound a big thing but it really is!!!
Louise and ChiliBean xxx
Hi Louise that is great! Sounds like a big improvement 🙂 Hope you will enjoy the rest of the training as much as what you have seen so far.
Radek
How do I send you a video please?
Hi Louise,
there are a few ways. Probably the easiest si to post it in our fb group. Or if you want to send me one over here, you can for example upload it to youtube and then post a link over here 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, please can you accept my login on Facebook? Louise
Hi Louise,
we have accepted you 🙂 Thank you for joining us!
Radek
I am needing alittle help with the exercise of stretching the neck and back where you relax the horse by asking him to turn his head left and right whilst walking in a straight line. All 3 of my horses tirn their heads when asked except they do a complete turn…i apply more leg to try n hold them on the straight but to no avail….
Hi Joanne,
it depends on the horse, some horses are more difficult to get them to turn their head. I am not sure I understand everything correctly. You are able to turn your horses head to the side on the straight line but when you do a turn you are not able to turn his head?
Radek
I rescued my pony from a lesson barn. When I first got her she was really leg sour and pretty much resisted everything I asked her to do. She’s come a long way, but the last few times I’ve ridden her, she’s been really resistant to moving into a canter and bucking when I persist. She used to just kick out when she was being bratty, and but she hasn’t done that in quite some time. Then kind of out of nowhere, the last few days, she threw some pretty nasty bucks that were close to getting me off. I persisted and got her to do what I asked every time, but I’m not sure what to do to let her know bucking is NOT OK. It’s like once she gets over her hiss fit at being made to do something she doesn’t feel like doing, she’s fine, but I really need to skip the testing step.
Hi Erica,
sounds like you are doing everything correctly. It is important to react as quickly as possible when you get the feeling your horse is about to buck. I correct my horse when he starts bucking by urging him to go forward. Every time he starts bucking I start urging him to go forward to tell him he shouldn’t be bucking. If you always successfully correct your mare she should eventually get better. Usually, it takes just a few lessons to get much better or even completely disappear but it all depends on the horse and if she was used to doing it in the past and for how long.
Radek
Radek, Thanks for your very thorough explanations. I have an 8 year old Welsh Thorougbred cross whom I raised from a foal. She is an accomplished and reliable driving horse and also trained for riding, where she is also calm and obedient. When handling her on the ground, she is too quick for my taste. She wants to walk faster than I can walk, but is improving using the reminders I have gained from you. In the ground exercises you suggest, she is so sensitive that she will move around her front legs too quickly or take more steps than I want at a time. How can I slow down her reactions to my very soft cues?
Hi Linda,
every horse reacts differently. You should be able to make her slower and more relaxed by making all your movements slower. Try to get relaxed (if you are tense your horse can feel it and it is going to make him faster) and also slow down all your movements. Your horse always tells you whether you are using too much pressure or too little by the way he reacts. If your horse reacts too quickly. Just move your arm slower for example. Some horses react on very subtle cues.
Hi Radek,
I sent a longish message to your reply of March 27, and don’t see it posted here. Did you receive a 2nd message from me re: my pony bucking when I urge her forward. In short being urged forward is what she generally bucks about. She was very leg sour when I 1st got her, so I always go with least amount of pressure to increasing it if she doesn’t respond. She knows and will often respond to just a voice command, but she is resistant to moving into canter unless she’s feeling good. And that’s where I get the bucking. The more pressure I use, the more pissy she gets. So if I’m going to correct her for bucking I think I need a different way.
Hi Erica,
that is strange, I did not find any response to my reply to you. It probably didnt get sent properly 🙁 I dont really know about any other way to solve it. I would practise speed control in trot. Then for example the transition from trot to canter. When you trot try to stay in fast trot most of the time. The way to fix the bucking that I know of is just to keep urging him until he stops bucking. Everytime he bucks you should urge him forward. The faster your horse is going the more difficult it also gets for him to buck. It is difficult to be able to do this for the rider, you really have to be very consistent and urge your horse everytime he bucks. You can even help yourself with spurs or a whip. But in general if you do it correctly your horse will stop bucking very quickly and realize it just makes things worse for him. I was working with a horse that had this exact problem and it got fixed in just two days. But it depends on how long your horse have already been doing it.
Hi Radek,
I know I have a looooong ways to go in learning the basics and growing with my horse, but I’m wondering if there is anything I should be doing as I’m working on the basics to point me in the direction of bridleless riding. I haven’t seen any mention of it in the training.
Hi Kathleen,
basicaly your horse has to react very well while riding with reins first. React on very low pressure, stop absolutely reliably and quickly enough. You should be able to get your horse to stop without pulling your reins and he has to stop quickly, so you can see he really puts some effort into stopping. Also just start practising bridleless riding with reins first. Just put your reins on your horses neck and try to ride without holding them. First maybe in a small enclosed area like a roundpen, then maybe a closed ring and you will see how things go. It is important to always have control, while you practise with your reins on your horses neck you can still grab them in case he doesnt listen and correct him. I would only take them fully of however after I know that my horse is one hundred percent reliable when i ride with them attached but not holding them.
Hi Radek, I just watched the second ground control video and have a quick question: does it matter which way the horse turns in the round pen when you are lunging and changing direction? Does it matter if she turns into the fence or if she changes direction by facing into you? Hope you can help. Thanks, Ros.
Hi Ros,
I have an article on this exact topic 🙂 you can read my opinion about it over here:
http://radeklibal.com/should-my-horse-turn-around-with-his-head-or-his-rear-end-towards-me/
Happy riding!
Radek
Radek;
My horse Peanut has been ridden in different styles, Western, reining and some English. He does wonderful on your ground work. I can do some liberty ground work. So here is my problem I set up the course and we did not do very well. He did not want to go my way but his. It did get better after about an hour just walk and trot. He does this with me and I don’t know if he is just confused or I am confusing him. He also does this funny canter step when you are in trot and not sure why? I also have issues keeping him in the speed I want. I have been riding him in a straight Happy Mouth bit and and a Passoa saddle but I am wondering if I should go back to my western.
I have had lessons but again did make some process but not as much as I was hoping for that is why I joined you. I think you have felt sometime as I do now that the pieces are not coming together. I even took lessons on schooling horses to improve. What do you suggest to get him listening better in the saddle? If I carry a crop he does better but I would really like to transfer that ground work to saddle. The person I got him from was one of those riders I wish I could be but he did ride him with spurs and a high port bit. His a calm horse and has been through the mounted patrol course and that is why I bought him.
Thanks
Deb
Hi Debbie,
thank you for writing in. I am not sure what to advise now, it would be the best if you could send me a simple video of you riding. I would be able to get a much better idea of what’s going on and give you advice. Otherwise I would recommend taking a look at the blueprint. try doing the exercises starting with the simplest ones and tell me which ones are you having issues with and how. I am always happy to help 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek
I have read the first e book and found it really useful with my riding and already I have noticed some improvement in my horse paying more attention to what I am asking and concentrating on me more while riding.
My horse has a certain amount of respect for me and I can make him wait while I mix up his food without him pushing me over to get to it (which he used to do) and he will stand still to be tacked up and cleaned generally. However, the problem I have is he hates to be brushed and hates having his rug put on and that is the only time when he will turn around and act like he wants to bite me. I also worry that he will be disrespectful with other people.
What do you suggest?
Thanks.
Sue.
Hi Sue,
when your horse shows intention to bite you I would push him away immediately so he knows that he should not do that. With the brushing, maybe try using a softer brush if possible. Otherwise, I would just work on improving the respect even further. Let me know how it goes, I actually cannot recall a time when I would have an issue like this only with brushing. Hope this helps! 🙂
Radek
Hi,
I rescued an Arabian mare from a kill pen about a month ago. She is now out of quaranteen and we just started working wit
h her on the ground. She is in her older teens and all I know about her is she came in with a pack string. Anyway we had her on a long lead and were trying to get her to trot around and when my daughter raised the whip to reverse her she reared up and came at her . We think maybe she was hit with a whip.She steped back and hit her on shoulder with the rope. Then continued being very slow with the whip and she didn’t try it again. Ears back when with whip. The next day we worked her without it and she was ok. She also has attitude when asking for the back but started getting better. I haven’t had experience with a horse that may have been abused with the whip. We are going to try and desensitize her to whip before we use it again,Thanks for any input.
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
I apologize for the late answer! There so many places to be checking for messages that I forgot about over here.
It seems that you are doing pretty well. Just be slower around her, your every movement should be slower. I am sure she will improve based on what you are saying. Just watch out for doing sudden movements around her and it she should improve 🙂 let me know how it goes!
Radek
Hi Radek. I am ready to restart training with my now 4 year old French Merens. She was backed at 3 and at 3 and a half she bucked me off and I broke my pelvis. My riding instructor rode her yesterday and she was very good. I would appreciate any advice in regaining my confidence with her. Regards. Margaret Latto
Hi Margaret,
what works for me is to mentally get ok with the possibility of falling again. It’s good to “not care about it” if you think about it, and think about avoiding it all the time, your horse will sense it. Maybe I would try to ride on some really reliable horse that you can be confident about first. It is no easy to get straight back on the horse that caused you such an injury. Starting on some other reliable horse first and getting mentaly ok with the posibility of falling again is what I do myself. I wish you all the best and a lot of happy moments in the saddle! I am sure there will be a lot of them 🙂
Radek
Dear Radek,
I have a long standing problem with my Fell mare regarding traffic. I have had her for 10 years now and to begin with she was very difficult in almost every way. But we got the help of a natural horseman in our area who taught us a lot of the techniques that you use and now she is generally very good , except in traffic. For a few years I was able to hack out alone but then a very long and rattly lorry went past us very fast and she has been terrified of high vehicles and anything that rattles ever since. We live a short distance from a great hacking park but there is 5 minutes of occasionally busy road to get to it, and I am not prepared to ride down it anymore. I have ridden down it with other horses who are very calm but if anything high or that rattles goes past her she either runs forward or perhaps more dangerously , runs backward. I have resigned myself to saving up for a lorry but I wondered if you have any ideas. I am able to get her past anything pretty much using the techniques you showed in the pig video, but its just not safe with traffic . also the drivers round here are not very respectful so there is that uncontrollable element in the equation. The only other thing I have not been able to deal with is a gypsy caravan drawn by a cob, coming towards her at a spanking trot, she turned and galloped off, but in that case the driver did not slow down when he saw I was having trouble . Luckily I have only ever encountered that once, and I think my mare must have thought that the pony pulling the cart was running away from it and so she should run too !
I love all your videos and articles, thank you for providing the service you do .
best wishes,
jane
I had a mare that was petrified of traffic, we put her in a small pasture right next to a busy road for 30 days….problem solved. Just wanted to share something that worked for me.
Hi Elise, thanks! That is a great suggestion 🙂 If you can do that Jane, I would definitely try that out.
Thank you for that, i don’t think it is possible at the moment , but maybe in the future.
Hi Jane,
I would probably just try to walk with her to the hacking out place with your mare from the ground. She should be calmer that way if you have her respect. It would be extremely difficult to get to stop being scared of the traffic. You can never approach them and get your horse to see them, like I could with the pig. Your mare would need time to get familiar with the car going by but that is not possible. So I am really not sure about a good and safe solution to this.
Radek
Hello Radek, question for you. How do I create Impulsion? I watch your videos and your horses seem to have impulsion. My mare does what I ask very nicely, but she doesn’t seem to have impulsion while doing it. It was very clear the other day when she was a little afraid, I had amazing impulsion while doing the same moves. Her lateral work that day was fluid and I could feel her using her back. I am not sure how to create that feeling when lunging with the single draw rein and when riding. She is just flat, does the moves but doesn’t put any effort in and really doesn’t use her back and lift.
Hi Elise,
I improve the willingness of my horse to perform the exercise by asking with little pressure, and if its not good enough i ask with just enough pressure to get an exaggerated reaction. There is a video on it actually. You can find it bonus videos section it is called “how to get your horse to react on low pressure” It shows the way of getting your horse to react more willingly. Hope it helps 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek
I enjoyed the video of the horse going over the tarpaulin. I have A Thoroughbred gelding who reacts by rearing up when he is scared of something.
When I take him up to an object like a tarpaulin or a muddy puddle for instance I can do the circles etc but when I get really close up to the scary space that I want him to go over or through, I feel afraid to push him because I know he will rear up and I usually fall off.
What can you suggest for this situation.
Many thanks
Wendy Roigard
Hi Wendy,
I see, I would try to get him to walk over it from the ground first. If he rears you can smack him with the lead rope and ask him to back up in front of you. While backing up there should be at least half a meter distance between you and your gelding. It is good to have a long lead rope. Or if smacking him with the lead rope doesn’t work well, you can move to the side and pull him to the side to throw him out of balance while he is rearing. He will not like being out of balance and he will probably stop rearing. After you get him to walk over the tarp or through a puddle, from the ground without him caring about it, you can mount and try it from the saddle, is he is completely ok with the scary object from the ground, it should be ok when you get into the saddle. 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek. Help me!!!
So Chili and I have come so far since we started following your way and ridden he continues to be amazing but the respect on the ground is beginning to slip. He is starting to forget when tied up. Come into my space. Be a little pushy. Snatch his feet back. Back up a step or two then stop etc. He only behaves if I yell at him and I feel bad doing that.
What do you suggest?
Hi Louise,
it is important to react as quickly as possible, when you see that he is starting to move into your space you should correct him immediately. The faster you react the less pressure you are going to need. Also be super consistent, some horses like to test and try to push the boundaries as soon as they see a hint that they could. You don’t correct them when they try to be slightly pushy once and they immediately start building on it, seeing how far they can go. I would focus on the consistency and reacting as fast as possible. It should improve again 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Radek
Thanks Radek,
Going to try that. Just discovered my new saddle of $4,000.00 is hurting his back. This is the second saddle that had been fitted by a qualified saddle fitter that doesn’t fit.
This will not be helping the rearing situation.
Surely I can’t be the only owner of a TB horse with a short back, slightly roached, with usual dip behind the withers, that is so common with that bred . Getting frustrated with saddle fitters.
Cheers Wendy
Wendy,
how did you figure out it was not fitting well? I am in the same position. Altho we have two Very different builds of horses.
Thanks
Amy
Hi Wendy,
it is hard to tell without seeing it in person. However it is not very usual for a horse to be rearing because of a badlly fitting saddle. It could be of course, but usually it has other reasons as well.
Radek
Hello Radek.. Your videos are very easy to understand and follow. I like that you talk slowly so that I can process what you are saying and showing us. I wanted to know if there is a video on how you train your horses to come to you in the pasture?
Hi Melody,
I actually do not have a video on this. Some horses will do that easily, some might not. It depends on quite a few things, I dont have a way to train my horse to come to me in the pasture. Usually if you have respect, work with your horse frequently enoough, and do things correctly, so he can enjoy being with you as well, he will come to you, or a least he is not going to be trying to run away from you. Also the way you normally catch your horse in the pasture can influence this. If you are trying to catch your horse too quickly, and you just go there with an intenion to quickly catch him, put the halter on and go straight away, he will probably be running away more or wont come to you.
Radek
Hi, I just received a video from you and when I opened it, it disappeared! It was showing a test on a mare that had only been ridden 2 years and before anything happened it was gone. I looked on iPad, phone and computer and no video. Can you please send it again as I am anxious to see it. Thanks. Harriet
Hi Harriet,
sure, was it this one?
https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/members/guide-precisely/riding-test-precision/
Happy riding!
Radek
I just purchased the ground control training. I have a question however before I purchase the main training course. I have never had riding lessons. Owned a Welch Pony up into my teen years. Rode her all the time and she came to me just green broke. I went 40 yrs without riding as an adult. Last year did some trail riding at commercial trail riding stables. Last Autumn I purchased a 20 yr old Morgan who was currently owned by the Commercial trail riding stable. They used her for trail rides and every summer she got shipped off to a kids summer camp where she was ridden by all ages from 5 and up. I am told that in one point of her life she was a show horse and she was used for driving as well. So basically a been there done that horse.
My question is… at 21 yrs old…. is she still trainable as she needs some re-training. She won’t canter when I request her too. She sometimes stops and will not go forward unless I spin her around and head the way I want to go. Most of the problem is me I am sure as I have never been taught to ride officially so I am afraid I am giving her the wrong ques. She will not lunge. Often when I am grooming her she likes to walk forward so I am constantly backing her up to where I want her. Are we both to learn the correct ways?
Hi Pam,
it is more difficult to re-train a 20 year old horse, but it is not impossible. It seems your mare might even be trying just what you personally will allow her to get away with. If you are correcting her it is all good. I would not be too afraid about the ques, if you were riding before you probably know them well enough. If you are not doing some mistake like pulling your reins while asking her to go forward it is probably not causing the issues. There is probably not much specificaly about getting your horse to canter when he is just standing still in Saddle Control. There is one video about what to do when your horse bucks when you ask for canter. When your horse doesnt want to canter you do basicaly the same as you would when he bucks when you ask for canter. You can watch it here: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/how-to-correct-bucking/ the important bit is to keep urging until your horse does what you were asking. No brakes in between, just keep urging and be more stubborn than your horse 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I am finding it impossible to saddle my Icelandic mare by myself after she was attacked my another horse while she was tied up.
I bought her from her breeder 4 years ago who said she moved when being saddled so there has always been an issue there, but I always managed to saddle her myself. She is not in pain and wont even let me put the saddle pad on, but if someone holds her she stands and it is easy to put on her saddle. I have done a lot of ground work and made massive progress in general but this is a huge set back, any advice would be welcome.
Jenna
Hi Jenna,
I would approach it the same way as when you start a horse. Start with just the saddle pad. Maybe put her on a longer lead rope so your mare doesn’t feel as trapped. Then try to put on the saddle pad, if she moves, move her back. After you put the saddle pad, take it off and put it again. Continue taking it on and off until your mare doesn’t care about you putting it on anymore. It is good to have a few hours and just practice this. Get your horse completely not care about the saddle pad. When you manage that you can do the same process but with a saddle 🙂
Radek
Ahoj Radek (no, I don’t really speak Czech :-),
I had introduced my gaited horse, Duke, a little while ago on your FB group page. He has been doing well on the ground, very respectful and good transitions from halt to walk to trot to canter and back, in the training pen. I have started mounting him, in a fenced-in, grassy square for now. First, we practiced standing still while mounting. He does that fairly well now, and if not, usually after one correction. I can then sit on him and he won’t move. If I, however, ask anything of him – light leg pressure, pick up reins, etc. – he will start rushing forward in a nervous, fast gait. I am not so well versed in the U.S. gaits but I don’t think it’s a rack (tölt) but believe it might be a running walk. While he responds really well to the bosal on the ground (no bit currently), he only gets more nervous if I put on any kind of pressure on his nose from the saddle. He is VERY responsive when I use one rein and ask him to turn or yield hind pressure, but again, he always has this enormous amount of nervous energy. I have been dismounting every time he starts rushing (and he will stop short when my right foot leaves the stirrup and let me dismount, which is very helpful!) and then tried again. After one or two tries he actually walked for 2-3 steps and then broke into his little run again, after which I again dismounted and started over..etc. He obviously has had training and was perhaps shown as well. He knows how to park out (stand lower for mounting, which I don’t ask him to do but he offers when I, apparently, give him the cue to do so) and is probably used to someone getting on and then rushing forward immediately. I think many gaited horses in the U.S. may be taught just one speed – run. Since he was very anxious and shy of people when I first met him, I wonder whether he was trained the “cowboy” way, fairly roughly. Since that may be the case, I have been using only the hybrid halter, which can be used as a training halter or for riding as a sidepull-bosal, with either direct or neck rein, in order to stay out of his mouth for now, since he may have been ridden in a painful walking horse bit. He obviously understands both reining cues but under saddle I have so far used the direct rein to have more control over what I ask for. Today, I went back to practicing stopping, accompanied by vocal command, and had him backing up on the ground when I say back and slightly pull the reins on the halter backwards. I thought perhaps he does not know to stop and/or back when in a bosal. He might just be used to a bit. Sorry – this is quite long! but in addition to the above, do you have any other ideas on what I could do to get him to walk quietly when desired (instead of gaiting immediately)? I think he will need to be reconditioned to realize he does not need to always rush, which, I know, can take time. Thanks!
Hi Annika,
in this case I would recommend walking for a longer period of time. If you stop too quickly he might never learn to walk slowly. If he speeds up just turn him on a small circle and continue walking on a circle. If he rushes jut make circle smaller to slow him down. Try to be doing as little as possible in the saddle. Just get him going for as long as possible while doing as little in the saddle. Also ask your horse to turn his head towards the inside of the circle that helps with getting him relaxed. Also slow down your every movement. When you move your arm it should be slow, if you do anything with your legs, it should be slow. It will probably take a few days but you should be able to improve rather easily 🙂 Also keep in mind that some horses are naturally faster than others.
Happy riding!
Radek
Thanks, Radek. Glad you’re back 🙂 It was hard to get him to just relax and walk. All he would do was gait rapidly. What we ended up doing was I had my partner get on him and I worked him from the ground. After a few minutes, Duke realized that he didn’t have to be nervous about the rider on his back, and he relaxed. I led him to the training pen, and around it numerous times at a quiet walk, and worked with the usual halting, backing up, etc. Then my partner led him and I mounted Duke. After a few quiet circles, I took up control from the saddle. At first, I only used calm, slow commands, hardly any bosal/rein pressure and very slight leg pressure – to which he reacts quite strongly. I managed to get him walking fairly relaxed (still not a completely slow walk, but yes, he is a gaited horse and has a fairly fast walk to begin with) and I think he is realizing he doesn’t need to run and worry about the rider all the time. He is now doing fairly well on the left circle, on the right he still is nervous, left seems to be his favored side. I will try your advice at asking him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle. First, when I tried that, he just rushed inwards, but the more he relaxes, the better that should go.
Hi Anita,
great! I am glad you are seeing improvements. If your horse goes inside of the circle when you ask him to turn his head, move both your hands towards the outside of the circle. You can also help yourself with your leg to push your horse towards the outside. There is a video no making the circle bigger in the Training Process Blueprint 🙂 I reccomend taking a look you would see it in detail.
If your horse reacted quite strongly it just means that the pressure was still a bit too high. For some horses a little touch is enough. You always know whether you are using the correct pressure by observing horse. If his reaction was a bit too strong, use even less pressure.
Radek
Hi, my daughter has a new horse, a 12yo mare we purchased 3-4 months ago. She is very well trained & is a competent show jumper. For the 1st 6 weeks she was perfect, did not put a hoof wrong & all was going well, however, my daughter has now fallen off this horse 5 times in a short time, my daughter (17yo) is a very competent rider & normally sticks like glue, she does eventing & has always been a very confident rider, but it seems this horse has worked out how to dump her. She will be cantering along beautifully towards a jump or even just cantering in a paddock without a jump in front of her & she will suddenly duck out to one side, she drops her shoulder & moves very quickly, she doesn’t seem to be shying at anything & does this at random times. My daughter has now become quite nervous riding her & isn’t keen to do much with her now, which is only going to make things worse, What would you do, sell her & move on or persist & risk further falls & losing confidence even more??
Hi Alison,
I apologize for the late response, thank you for the email to let me know. It is a bit of a tricky situation. If your daughter already fell 5 times I would not recommend her to try to fix it. I think just selling the horse or giving him to someone else to fix it would be the best way. It is not very easy to fix this issue and if you want to fix it, you have to be able to stay in the saddle after the horse ducks out to the side. It can be fixed by staying in the saddle and immediately asking your horse to move sideways back to where he ducked from.
Radek
Hi Radek, thanks for this great program, I’m really getting a lot of great guidance from your videos and ebooks. I really appreciate your methods and consistent way of training. I have been starting at the very basics with my thoroughbred who raced until fall of last year. I’m working slowly through the training blueprint and still working on large circles at a walk, he does great to the right but always wants to cut in/step over to the inside with a straight body instead of following a natural bend when going to the left. He is generally responsive to pressure from my legs to get him to yield when we are walking a straight line but he is very resistant to the pressure when working in a circe like this, to the left. Any suggestions? I do occasionally offer treats while doing big stretches on the ground and he’s able to easily reach well past his hip to the left with no hesitation, he’s actually stiffer/more hesitant to do the same stretch going to the right, surprisingly.
Also, in looking forward on the blueprint, I was watching the video on relaxing head and neck- I understand the initial phase where you turn the horse’s head more than normal while circling, but how do you keep them from turning/walking in a circle while.wanting to ride a straight line during this exercise? And when waking a circle and turning his head to the outside of the circle, how are you keeping him on the intended circle without walking to the outside? Is it just applying leg pressure? Or is there more to it? Thanks again for a great program!
Hi Robyn,
I see, I would start by riding on a small circle and trying to practice moving to the side to make the circle bigger there. It is much easier to ask your horse to make the circle bigger when you are riding on a small circle. Also when you start asking for your horse to make the circle bigger, keep increasing the pressure until he does at least one step, then immediately stop. If you ask him, he doesn’t do it and you stop asking, he is not going to understand what the pressure means.
I keep my horse in a straight line or on a circle while turning his head to the side mainly using my legs.
For example you want to walk straight and turn your horses head to the left. Move both of your hands a bit to the right so they are more on the other side then the side your horse is turning his head to.
Then with legs, put more weight in the outside stirrup (in this case the right one) and create pressure with your left leg. That is it 🙂
Radek
Thanks for the response, I have been traveling a lot lately and have only been able to ride sporadically, so I’ll give it a try and see how things go!
Great Robyn, let me know how it goes ????
Hi Radek,
I have been following your programme for a little while now and am finding it really helpful. My mare Ruby and I are making good progress in most areas. We have one small thing that we have been struggling with for a while though……..stopping from walk using just our seat. She does it nicely using my reins or my voice but not the seat only. The slowing/stopping from trot and canter is pretty good and we are, more and more, able to do this using just our seat position. However, when I ask in walk she just does not get it. I have watched and re-watched the videos and tried my best to follow your advice but, even if Ruby starts to understand, it is always unreliable. Sometimes she dribbles to a stop, other times she doesn’t stop at all. She has now started objecting to going backwards after I ask her to stop from walk. Can you give me some help on this please.
Thank you,
Anita
Hi Anita,
that is strange. But if you can stop asking with your seat from canter and trot it is already very good. In walk I would just focus on asking with your seat, and if your mare doesn’t react stop her with the reins. Ask with your seat, if nothing happens within one, maximum two seconds ask by pulling the reins.
Regarding the backing up, I would actually focus on backing up first, before improving the stopping. Every horse backs up a bit differently. Start by just backing up maximum of two steps. Start with lose reins, pull them gently and gradually. If your horse tries to walk forward pull your reins harder, if he starts moving backward, immediately start releasing the pressure. If you pull the reins gently and your horse doesnt back up start tapping him with your legs and urge him more that way. As soon as you can do at least the two steps you can try more, but when you ask for, for example four steps, pull the reins, when your horse start backing up, immediately start releasing the pressure, if he stops backing up, gradually pull the reins again.
Also dont ask your horse to back up too many times every day, horses get easily tired of it and they can start fighting with you.
Radek
Well I’ve waited over a week for a reply, disappointed I haven’t heard from Radek yet!
Hi Alison,
I apologize for the slow response, we were in remote areas with bad internet. Here is the answer: It is a bit of a tricky situation. If your daughter already fell 5 times I would not recommend her to try to fix it. I think just selling the horse or giving him to someone else to fix it would be the best way. It is not very easy to fix this issue and if you want to fix it, you have to be able to stay in the saddle after the horse ducks out to the side. It can be fixed by staying in the saddle and immediately asking your horse to move sideways back to where he ducked from.
Radek
Hi Radek
I have been trying to get my horse to lower his head in walk but when I pull the reins to my chin he throws his head up instead. Also if I tap my shins constantly he breaks into a trot then I have to pull him up. I feel like I’m confusing him.
Hi Jenine,
it is important to watch out for your horse moving his head lower even super slightly. With your reins, do not pull them, just keep them slightly tensioned so they are not lose but be super gentle. With the legs try to tap your in a different way then when when you ask for trot. Be very gentle with the pressure and just wait for your horse to start moving his head lower and then immediately release the pressure. Even when he lowers the head very slightly. The release of the pressure is very important, especially with this exercise.
I don’t know how to get cust. support any other way to ask my question. I ordered your DVD ‘s on ground control & I am wondering when I can expect them. My email is peggyjohnsonusa@gmail.com. Thank you
Hi Peggy,
you can get the quickest response by sending us an email at radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com if you have a customer support question 🙂 I have checked it and your DVDs were sent on 22 August, so they should be arriving quite soon. They usually take up to 30 days to arrive.
Radek
I have been riding Blade for about 2 years and he goes well out hacking. Recently we have become scared to go out so I would like to exercise Blade in my menage. However Blade finds this very boring and doesn’t move forward without excessive encouragement. When he does break into a trot it’s erratic, I become unbalanced, falling behind the movement and he then comes to a stop. He likes doing anything from the ground and loves just standing around people who are talking. In fact when I have someone in the school with me he is constantly trying to stop and stand next to the person in the school. I’m now at the stage where I feel that riding him is a chore.
How can I get Blade to be as responsive to my touch in the school as he is when we are out hacking?
Hi Norma,
I would try to get him to go in faster paces most of time while you are riding in the school. You can spend half the time in slower trot and half the time in faster trot. You should also ride in canter, and the same way in canter also try to ride in slower and in a faster pace. Another thing I would focus on is making each riding session different. Ride for different amounts of time each time, and continue learning new things. For example turns on the haunches, practising the exercise for relaxingy our horses head and neck. Horses usually get bothered if the riding session is always the same and they just go around the ring. I have an article on this topic as well, you can find it over here: http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Radek
Hi Radek, my horse is eleven and I have had him eight years , I have had many horse and they have gone well for me , but this guy thinks he is a race horse he just wants to go, if I walk he wants to trot if I trot he wants to canter , and if I canter he wants to gallop. I’ve tried every thing , please help thank you . He hates any contact with the reins , I have tried bitless but he just takes the piss. If I lung him , he is a star , if had his back and teeth checked , he is a monkey .
Hi Sue,
when your horse is too fast in the saddle but ok while lunging it usually means that he is scared of something and he is trying to run away when you are in the saddle. It is not very useful to compare him to other horses, every horse can be very different in this sense. I would always start riding in walk on a circle. The faster your horse goes the smaller the circle. I would ask him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle. Just pull your rein and as your horse moves his head release the pressure, try to avoid just pulling the reins and holding his head to the side by force.
This relaxes your physically and once he gets relaxed physically he also relaxes more mentally. It also teaches him to react better on the pressure when you pull your reins. If my horse goes too fast I never ride on straight lines, I would have to keep slowing him down by pulling the reins and he would start hating the bit. Instead, ride on circles and slow him down by making the circle smaller.
If your horse goes too fast make the circle smaller. You should be able to ride without slowing him down by pulling reins, just make the circle small enough so he cannot go faster than you want him to. When you get him to maintain the pace you want on a circle in walk, you can start practicing it in trot and then in canter. Horses that are too fast usually take more time to calm down.
For example, they might take twenty minutes of riding on circles until they calm down in trot. Once you get to trot you should stay in trot until your horse calms down, even if it takes twenty minutes. After he does do a few more circles. The same applies for canter. Riding on a circle shows your horse that might be cantering for basically unlimited amount of time because a circle has no end and he is likely to calm down and start going in a slower pace. I also have an article on this topic over here: http://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-fast/
Radek
Hi Radek
I am really enjoying your approach and style in sharing good horsemanship methods. I have ridden and started colts most of my life, with a short break the last few years. I am purchasing a young Filly and want to build a bareback and bridle-less relationship with her. I want to depend so much less on my hands and more on mind and body language. Your program is great at taking what I know and showing me how to tweak it. Thank you.
My question is about ground work in the round pen. Do you have an opinion about whether the horse should turn/change directions by turning in toward you or out toward the fence? The early work in your 2nd groundwork video, has them turning out. Is turning in something you encourage as they progress? The older palomino horse is turning in more. Does this denote more respect and less wish to escape? I know that ahorseback, one often turns into the fence to encourage the horse to set back on the hind and come across more quickly with the fore quarters.
I’d appreciate your thoughts and opinions.
Thanks,
Rose
Hi Rosa,
cool! I recommend starting by just riding with reins first and then transition to riding without them. It usually makes things much faster and easier. I am preparing an extra video on this so you will receive when it is done 🙂
Regarding the turning around towards the outside or inside, a lot of people actually ask about it, so I have put together an article about it where I explain the difference between both and how to ask your horse to turn towards you. You can read it over here: https://radeklibal.com/should-my-horse-turn-around-with-his-head-or-his-rear-end-towards-me/
Radek
Radek,
Thank you for your response. As always you very clearly simplified something that is often made much to complicated. The article was very helpful.
I am sincerely looking forward to starting with my filly.
Best wishes and Blessings,
Rose
Great 🙂
Hi Radek, thanks very much for this great program! I have a question for you- I understand your method of moving the hind end to ensure the correct canter lead is picked up, but what exactly do you do to cue the canter depart? I’ve never had a horse that knew how to go from walk or stand still to canter and have always had the forward momentum of trot to move up into canter. What signal do you give the horse so it knows to go into canter rather than just speed up or go into trot? Thanks very much! Also, just a suggestion, if there a way you can alter this forum thread so that the newest questions/contents are put at the top? I’m usually reading from my phone and it takes forever to scroll down to the bottom to see what new questions/answers have been posted. Thanks!
Hi Robyn,
that’s a good question. It is quite difficult to explain it though. I believe that the precise way (or signal) you ask your horse to canter is not important. A lot of times people try to move their leg in a very precise and specific way to make sure they ask correctly. But your horse doesn’t know what the correct way is, for him the correct way is the way you teach him. More important than focusing on specific movement is to be focusing your mind on the action you want your horse to take. A lot of people focus so much on the way they should be moving their leg that they forget to think about “I want canter”.
Usually, when you just keep “I want canter” in mind when you make the move, your horse will end up understanding. When I ask for the first time, I just focus on canter, I move my horses hind end to the side and then push him with the leg stronger to ask for the transition to canter itself. So for example if I want left lead canter, I use my right leg to move my horses rear to the left and then I press more to ask for canter.
If your horse doesn’t react, just ask again, every second until he goes to canter. You cannot stop until he does what you want.
Regarding the walk to canter and stand still to canter, I only start practicing those after I can do the trot to canter transition well enough already and I ask my horse in kind of a similar way as I did it in from trot.
Hope it helps, let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek
Hope you don’t mind me adding a useful tip I pick up from a Monty Roberts book – bend the horses head away from the lead you want (counter intuitive as on a circle you expect to have the correct bend). It blocks the shoulder so he strikes off with the correct lead. You ask with right leg as above but bend the horses head to the right also so the left shoulder is open. It was how I taught my Arab as I had no facilities for schooling so we were doing straight lines on forest trails.
Thanks Rachel that is a good tip, I do it this way when I first start practicing transitions to canter.
Hi Radek,
I just acquired a 16 year old Holsteiner, who was trained as a jumper. One day, just after I got him, while trail riding we had to cross a trickle of water about 15 cm wide and barely moving. Corvino took a a leap about 5 feet up in the air. Being totally unprepared I went off. No one was hurt thanks to my excellent helmet. I would like to know the best approach to keep him from leaping. Now that I know he will do this I have been working on my approach to little creeks like this, by distracting him while we are approaching the creek. Like playing with the bit and entering the vater sideways. It seems to help, but I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. I would appreciate any ideas.
Thanks
Eva
Hi Eva,
walking sideways and keeping your horse occupied while approaching the creek seems good to me 🙂 What I would do is that I would cross the creek repeatedly after you cross it for the first time. Just keep going there and back until your horse completely calms down. If you have managed to get him to go over it already a few times it should be quite easy now. Just remember to keep crossing it there and back until he calms every time he gets scared of it. I recommend taking a look at the first video in the third chapter of Trail Control called Increasing your horses’ self-confidence, and you can also watch the one on crossing water. They show pretty much what I would do in your situation with the creek.
Radek
Radek I bought the trail Control because I have problems riding out with my mare. I can do all the things you suggested in the arena so that she is listening and connected to me. Even if I try to lead her out she seems scared and wary of everything. It is difficult for me to organise another horse to be here and anyway I want to be able to ride out on my own.
I am not very brave so have had someone ride her who is not bothered what a horse does, she rides well and does eventing. The horse was worried and tight with her on board too.
Any ideas please?
Gerry
Hi Gerry,
the easiest way to get your horse comfortable is to go to a one place away from home, like a field and just ride as you would in the ring. First few times your horse could be tense, but after three times he should be fine. Focus on riding on circles and doing the head and neck stretch exercise to get your horse relaxed. After your horse gets comfortable riding on some field away from home, you can gradually do more and more unknown loacations and your horse should be getting more confident over time. I reccomend watching the trail control videos in second chapter.For example the video 10. video 13 and so on. The horse from those was probably quite similar to your horse 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have recently purchase a standardbred Mare, 8yrs old. She is Pacing instead of trotting, used to be a trotter. The people I purchased her off said that she did that when they first got her as well. Can you please give me some techniques to get her out of this habit?
thanks
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
if your mare goes like this for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJhFxiKjBoo and is already 8 years old it is not really going to be very easy to “fix”. Each horse is comfortable with something. If your mare likes to go likes this and was taught to be going likes this, I am not sure if its worth it to try to change her so she goes in normal relaxed trot. Maybe it’s better to get a different horse. Trying to change her nature so much probably would not work too well. It depends how your horse was trained if she was trained. She could be fast because its her nature and she was taught to go fast. Or she could be scared of something and that is why she goes fast. If you want to slow her down, just slow her down normally release the pressure on time, if she speeds back up again slow her down and release the pressure on time. Do not just stay pulling the reins constantly after she slows down. It is possible to slow her down like this, but the release of pressure needs to be correct.
Radek
Thanks For the Video Radek. That is seriously fast pacing. Abbey doesn’t pace that fast. Thanks for your advice.
Hi Radek,
I just have a question about my horse standing still while I am around him. I was watching the video with you and the pinto in the arena. How do you let the horse know whether you want him to stay in one place or to follow you around? If you move away and the horse follows you, isn’t the horse doing what you want as long as the horse keeps a respectful distance and stays out of your personal space?
Thanks, I am thoroughly enjoying your e-books and videos! 🙂
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
that is a good question. I actually use a word that I say when I leave. Different one for when you want your horse to stay and a different one when you want him to follow you. If you want him to stand still and he moves just correct him like it was shown in the video 🙂
Radek
Excellent question Kimberly – I was wondering this. I say ‘Stand’ and put my hand up for him to stay still. I say ‘forward’ if he’s to walk towards me (and I look at his front feet, not in the eye which might challenge him to stay where he is) and I say ‘lets go’ if he’s to walk behind me and we are both facing the same way. I also say ‘catch up’ if he’s falling behind…..i probably have more vocal commands than normal but it works ok I think.
Sounds pretty good the way you do it Rachel, more complex than mine 🙂
Hi Radek
Will you have any training on trailer loading? My horse has always been difficult with this. We make progress then she decides to be difficult again. I have spent hours using different methods without losing my temper but feel that we are really getting nowhere. I have left it for 2 or 3 months and have been working on your ground and saddle control ( which have been hugely helpful with her generally) in the hope that this will ultimately help. However I thought I’d ask for your suggestions before starting again.
Thanks
Hi Liz,
I have been preparing this video for some time, we filmed with two horses, but I would like another one as well. I don’t have enough shots to make a good video. It should be ready quite soon, but when exactly I am not sure 🙁
What generally helps with it is gaining as much respect as possible from the ground. So your horse always walks behind you, without trying to get infront of you. stops when you stop and maintains a distance, and backs up infront of you. When you manage this loading should become much easier as well.
Radek
Thank you Radek. I look forward to the video and will use your suggestions in the meantime. Very much enjoying your training programmes.
Hi Radek
Do you think repeatedly flexing a horses neck to their sides is an appropriate thing to develop ‘softness’ in a horse? This seems common in training for western pleasure or reining but I often see the horses overly bent at the poll rather than vertical, and this is how my quarter horse mare also seems to be reacting. She has become very light on the bit but overly bent.
I have been given conflicting advice from two friends I respect who both train horses and have done well
Can you advise whether I should do this or not?
Thanks Sue
Hi Sue,
I do flex my horses neck to the side to calm them down, get them more relaxed, strengthen their back muscles and to make the react on the bit better. I do recommend practicing it. While asking my horse to turn his head to the side I generally want him to keep his head at the same height, or he can put it a bit lower if he wants to. I dont want him to be putting it higher. There are videos on it in the Training Process Blueprint called relax of head and neck 🙂
Radek
Thanks 🙂
Hello again, came up with another question for you, Radek. My horse is generally fairly laid back and reasonable when it comes to scary stuff. I’ve used your methods to work with him through some situations that would have a lot of horses running for the hills, and it has worked well so far. In this situation, my farm is the flight path for some military practice runs for jets, and there is never any predictability to when it’s going to happen- they always come in twos, but they can be together or several minutes apart. Sometimes they are high or slow and it’s not any real issue. The problem comes when they are low or super fast, it can be ear splitting and shake the windows when it’s really bad. Those don’t happen all that often, and sometimes we will go weeks without having a fly-by at all, but I was just out with my horse loose in the field, saying hi to him, and we had a low/fast jet go by, he got very wound up and ran around rearing and bucking. Granted I didn’t have a halter or lead on him, but shoot, it even hurt my ears a bit. I assume you would work through this in the same way as with the mare who was afraid of the pigs, but how do you work with something that is so inconsistently present and completely unpredictable? I hate to think of that happening when I’m riding. .. on the ground I think I could work through it, but can’t really see any way to practice or get desensitized to it since it probably happens more often when I’m NOT working with him and he’s free to bolt and be completely silly about it. Any suggestions?
Hi Robyn,
I would do basically the same as there was in the video with the pig. As soon as you hear the jets get your horse occupied. It is hard to fix it since it is unpredictable. Just as soon as you hear the jets even a bit get your horse super occupied, so there are no delays between when you ask for things. I wish I could recommend something better, but in this case I don’t know.
Radek
Hi Radek,
So my paint/quarter horse gelding is generally an amazing boy, and willing to please. I have also practiced walking and trotting bridleless and he does well, still working on bridleless at the canter. So with this in mind I have one little issue that seems to come up often. In general, he anticipates the canter. I’ve made conscious efforts to make sure my cues are clear. But he still anticipates for that brief period before I have back to where he should be. As I’m lengthening his strides at the trot, he wants to sometimes fall into the canter. When I ask for the trot he wants to canter. What are your thoughts on this, and how can I fix it?
Hi Holly,
I would ride on circles, if your gelding tends to go too fast, make the circle a bit smaller. If he is not rushing you can make the circle bigger again. Also by what you are saying maybe you are using a bit too much pressure. It might feel like you are using a very low pressure, but maybe your horse still feels it is too much. Still of course make sure that he listens, but if he is too fast after you ask for trot you might be using too much pressure. It is good keep your mind calm and try to use even less pressure. You can always tell whether you are using the correct amounts of pressure by observing the reaction of your horse.
Radek
Have made great progress since using your training methods. However out on a hack she still looks and looks – sometimes stopping. Usually I can get her attention by bending or moving her sideways but sometimes she stops and locks on to something she can see or hear. When this happens it’s often impossible to turn her or move her. She becomes rigid. In this case I usually dismount and lead her for a bit. Not sure if this is the best way forward but it seems that I cannot mover her otherwise. Also sometimes when I circle her while out in a hack -if she is anxious about something -it seems to make her more agitated
Hi Liz,
getting down on the ground to get her attention back is a good approach if it becomes impossible to get her attention from the saddle. Get down, get her attention back, and then mount back into the saddle and go to the same spot where she froze before and keep going around until she completely relaxes. Another thing is to react as fast as possible when you see that your horse wants to stare at something ask him to move his head away from it as quickly as possible. It is not going to prevent your horse from seeing the scary object but it will basically tell him that the thing he is scared of is not important.
Radek
Thanks Radek. Tried it today when things got tricky. Usually I would dismount, lead for a bit and get back on and continue. Today I dismounted led her , got on and went back to where she had stopped then carried on as you suggested. A good plan. I should have thought of doing that myself after goring through all of your training books and videos!
Hi Liz, sounds good. No worries I am here for you to be asking things 🙂
Thanks for your all your training videos.
I have a question in regards to lunging a gaited horse. I am a part owner of a horse in a very rural part of Greece.
She is a 4 1/2 yr old mare, the breed is arravani.
Her gait is a pace, but when she goes faster she does canter. The dam was a pacer that won awards in racing on the Island.
When riding she is very lazy to start. She is so relaxed when I saddle her she closes her eyes.
If I ride her awhile to get to a suitable dirt road and canter her she does much better. She only wakes up after a canter, when pacing she speeds up only to slow down after a while. This is why I am wondering if she should be lunged prior to riding, or is it not good for her gait?
I am trying what you taught. Ask once, again firmly and three – what ever it takes.
I used a whip. The first time she did kick, I kept going like you said. The next ride when I used the whip she just flattened her ears but did not really pick up the pace. I am guessing that my whip is not at all punishing. I started using my voice because she responds to it, but I don’t like doing that.
She is very smart. She learned the word “ back” after saying it two times and holding the food above her head in a closed fist. She backs up quickly when I walk into her as you have taught. She stops on “Woooo” without reins. I think it is her favorite command. She trusts me when we are riding, even coaxing her to pass a very large tractor on a small road. She is very brave and works thru the rare times that she gets frightened. She comes to me when I go into the pasture. This year, I have ridden her bareback with just a halter to the beach. She swims in the sea with a lead rope. I have spent a lot of time grooming and handling her and she is very friendly.
The villagers say the problem is she does not respect me as a rider. I believe she respects me in every other way, even when testing with food as you have shown.
Is she respecting me as her groom and not her rider? Is she lazy from too much time in the pasture with her sheep and goat friends? Am I spoiling her with too much grooming?
I am only with her for 4 months in the summer. I need to plan what I will do next year.
She is very smart and deserving of getting the best training. I need your help!
Thank you,
Chrissy
Hi Chrissy,
I lunge my horses the most during the first year of the training. Mainly so they learn to keep a steady pace and so their back gets stronger. Lunging is good if you want to improve the way your horse keeps his pace, otherwise, it is not necessary. Regarding the respect, it is hard to tell, but by what you are saying it seems like you have some decent respect. You can send me a video I would be able to tell more. Regarding getting her react better on the pressure I have a video on it in the bonus section hat could help, I am not sure if you have seen it. It is called “how to get your horse to react on lower pressure” Just head to the bonus section and scroll down it is there 🙂
Radek
Hello, my horse and I have come a long way with you help and for that I thank you, but now I am wanting to attend more events in groups things have got dangerous. She is 10, good ground manners and attention on the ground, done dressage, pleasure rides (10-16 miles) and some cross country but…. I wanted to join the local ‘drag’ Hunt (where a scent is dragged by a runner )and then the bloodhounds find he scent and aim to catch up to the runner. All good harmless fun cantering, jumping and galloping around the UK countryside following the hounds. My horse however cannot cope with all the horses. To see how she would react I went on a Hunt Ride out which is more about newcomers meeting new friends. My horse got very wound up and wouldn’t stand still at the meet then trotted on the spot , panicked if horses were behind her and was only calm when every other horse was in front. My question is, Is it possible to calm an excitable horse down? Valerian does nothing, or Magic Calmer paste they only seem to make her worse. Please note that the rest of the riding we do I have no issues with her at all.
There are a few issues here – the over excitement in groups, the dangerous behaviour when galloping (she will suddenly stop and throw me off or quickly turn to the side to get me off in canter and Gallop. With her being narrow across her shoulders staying on is very difficult even though I have a safety strap and a neck strap.
My trainer says she’s holding me back from things I want to do and I should think about selling her because my confidence and skills are not such that I can successfully alter her behaviour.
If you can shed any light on how to positively move forward for me and my horse I would be very grateful.
Many thanks in advance
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
it is hard to say, it would be good to see your horse on a video or something. If your trainer said it would be wise to change your horse maybe it is a good idea. Some horses naturally enjoy some things and hate other things. It is like people, someone likes parties and meeting people and some people are shy and hate parties. By what you are saying it doesn’t sound like a big problem in the training, or that you are doing any mistake, it just sounds like your horse doesn’t like it around other new horses and gets nervous. It could be very hard to “fix” it.
Radek
Hi Radek
I have a four year old unbroken Andalusian gelding that I have done everything with, except the final stage – getting on –
and unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence I once had. Your videos and instruction are exceptionally helpful, but I can’t see anything there to talk/walk us through first rides – including safety and troubleshooting. Is this something I’ve missed in your tutorials, or something you might consider releasing in the future?
Looking forward to your reply
Warm regards
Christine
Hi Christine,
I actually did not cover that yet on purpose. I believe that is a very critical stage. Each horse is likely to react differently, it is hard to make a good video on it. There might be no issues and it might be completely fine. Or there might be serious issues where you have to know how to react immediately. If you are not confident about this stage I recommend getting someone to help and then take over as soon as you feel confident enough. No one should be attempting to do this if they are scared.
Radek
Interesting question from Christine ? I will be getting on my 3 1/2 yr old Qtr Horse soon. I looked back at the diary I kept of what I did to start my Arab. As he was already over 5, I was keen to get on quickly so after a month of leading and long reining in the forest, I got on bareback and he didn’t care at all (I didn’t have a saddle). Looking back I see that’s not the usual approach so may do it with a saddle this time. Your thoughts on what you have learnt to do or not do would be very helpful (both these horses are low in the herd, shy types).
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
that is not typical what you did with your arab. Nice! I am not sure if it would work with many other horses though. Before I try to get into the saddle for the first time I first teach my horse to bend his head to both sides while I pull the rein from the ground. Then I start trying to put my leg into the stirrup without actually mounting in the saddle, I just keep my leg in the stirrup until my horse calms down and stays still. I do that with both sides. Then I start standing in the single stirrup and again wait for my horse to calm down and stand still. I only get down from the single stirrup when my horse stands still. I repeat it a few times and if everything is ok I mount. When I mount for the first time I keep my horses head turned to the side the whole time. When it is to the side he is not likely to just bolt forward. That is kinda what I do, it is bit simplified because it would be a long text 🙂
Radek
Hi, I have had had great success with your training with three of my horses, but Sookie, still has issues. She is the least dominant in the field, I have 4 horses. She was doing ok (ish), but then she had a bad sub solar abcess which will take a long time to grow out. She has now reverted to putting her ears back at me every time I walk past the stall door.
When I take her in the round pen, she backs up, but slowly and grudgingly. She puts her ears back when I ask her to turn on the forehand (but she moves away instantly), but not when I ask of turn on the haunches.
She does what I ask, but reluctantly.
How should I proceed?
Many thanks for your help so far
Cerian
H Cerian,
I don’t know about a simple way to get your horse to do it more willingly without putting their ears back for example. Usually, it just goes away with time. Practise as if she was fine, and try to keep improving over time. As you improve and your horse gets more familiar with performing all the exercises it should solve itself 🙂 It might not work with every single horse but vast majority is fine after some time.
Radek
I have a new Percheron gelding who is over 18 hands high and has not been ridden, just used to pull a wagon. He flinches when anything moves near his head or body. He also will not pick up his feet and they need to be trimmed badly. He would not let the farrier trim him and broke the cross ties in the attempt. How do I get him past this?
Hi Caula,
When your horse flinches away it is usually because you are moving too fast. Try to make your every movement slower. Eve if they already feel super slow. If he has particular spots he is scared of try to move your hand closer and closer very slowly. As he starts getting nervous, keep the hand there. Don’t move it away when he gets uncomfortable because that would teach him that you go away when he freaks out. If you remove your hand when he gets calm he will learn that he needs to calm down and then you remove it.
Radek
Hi I have signed onto your course. I have a 19 year old mare that will not be caught. I have to bring the whole herd in to bring her in in the winter and hides behind the others and will run off. Once she is caught although tense she will back up stop walk behind etc. Help, I need to catch her so I can start the course
Hi Denise,
There should be a video on this actually in the bonus videos section. There is also a new updated and better video coming really soon as a part of a new problem solving series. You can watch the old one in the bonus section and as soon as the new is finished up I will post about it in the Facebook group 🙂
Radek
Hi!
I have signed up for your course and I love it, I am however running into a few issues with my mare. We are just starting on the ground control series as I want to get her right back to basics and solve some of the issues I have with her. She is a 15 year old section D mare that I purchased last summer.
She appears nervous but is also incredibly pushy and rude. Asking her to back up usually results in her leaping forwards and through me. Shes a strong mare and I want to get her ground work uptogther so that we can enjoy other things. If I am soft with her she completely ignores me but if I up the pressure even a little she takes it to a whole new level and reacts with very high levels of worry and energy. I’m struggling a little with finding the middle ground and teaching her to give when I ask her to move.
Thankyou
Holly 🙂
Hi Holly, it is much harder to undo the damage that the previous owners did. Regarding the aggression with a horse like yours I would start with making sure she always maintains a distance from you. Correct all the little mistakes. If she gets one step closer to you then she should, immediately correct her. It is important to correct her as quickly as possible, if you take four seconds to correct her when she gets too close to you she will already feel like she was able to do it, and she will continue trying if she can get too close to you or she cant. Pay attention to her every move and make sure she maintains her distance from you. It is a bit difficult to be learning with a horse like this, depending on the situation sometimes it is better to learn with a nicer horse, and then try to work with a more aggressive one. You need to be able to react without thinking about it. After you get her to maintain her distance you can try to back her up, first just one or two steps are enough. Do not try to do too much, focus on the simpler things and make sure she follows your rules perfectly. I would also recommend watching this video, it shows more then I am able to say over here 🙂 https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things/
Radek
Radek,
I have a large pony mare. We’ve made alot of progress in the past few years. She came from a lesson barn with a huge chip on her shoulder. I think she basically respects me, but she’s really moody. Some days she’s pretty eager to please and then there are times, mostly in the winter when it’s cold and windy, when she’s just impossible. I’m pretty sure I handle her the same way. I agree in general if my horse isn’t doing what I’m asking, chances are good I’m asking wrong. But isn’t it possible that horses have their own moods and some days you just have to attribute their behavior to what’s going on with them and not what you’re doing?
Hi Erica,
that is a great question and observation. I have similar experience, mares often have big swings in how they react and behave. Sometimes she might just be looking for a way to not listen, because she is moody that day, it doesn’t have to be your fault for asking wrong. It is important to get her to do what you are asking in the end even when she is not feeling very cooperative that day. With moody horses it is important to always correct them. In general if you do it is going to be improving, and your mare will become less and moody.
Radek
Hi Radek
I love your teaching methods…..my 3 yr old Quarter Horse now has excellent respect for my space and good manners…most of the time. My free lunging is coming along very well even with other horses running around in neighbouring paddocks. He’s had a saddle on a few times with no reaction. I’d like to progress to using the unilateral sling. I have a few questions.
(1) what bit do you start a horse in ? The very gentle Myler with a slight port has him opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out. When I bitted my Arab, he accepted a bit immediately. Maybe I should leave the bit in longer or try a different bit ? Rubber ?
(2) I think I’ll have to make a unilateral sling as I can’t find online to buy. It seems you attach clips to each end of a 2 metre rope but what distance are the loops from one end ?
(3) Do you ever do long reining ? I did this when starting my Arab due to advice I had at the time. It seemed useful for teaching aids.
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
great! In the begging of riding and when using the unilateral sling I usually use a snaffle bit like this https://www.amazon.com/Coronet-Sweet-Iron-Eggbutt-Snaffle/dp/B0011UDOYC I would use the myler bit, or a snaffle bit, but I would not use the rubber bit, horses often start fighting with them, or leaning on them, also they are not so comfortable for the horse because they are too thick. If you want you can get the exact same unilateral sling as you saw in the video in the store section of the members area over here: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/store/ just scroll all the way down and you can order it there. 3. I don’t actually do long reining. But I definitely do not think that it would be bad. It is a bit more complicated, and get complicated especially when your horse starts misbehaving. There are good and bad things about it 🙂
Thanks Radek for your answers and suggestions. The english word for the thing you suggested is ‘dropped nose band’ which sits low and buckles over the bit to keep the horses mouth shut. I prefer bits with long sides on them (fulmer) as these prevent the bit running through the mouth and also teach the turning aid with pressure on the opposite side of the face. I will experiment with some other bits. Thanks for pointing me to your store. Regards, Rachel
Hi again Radek – yesterday (following my 3 questions to you above), I tried the Myler bit again for about 20 mins while I saddled my youngster and free lunged him hoping the distraction would settle him with the bit but nothing changed. He kept chewing and opening his mouth while he lunged. I can only think he doesn’t like the bit ??
Thanks again
Rachel
Hi Rachel, I would try another bit, it seems he really doesnt like it so much. I would also try using this https://www.hidalgo-shop.cz/nanosniky-2/westernovy-nanosnik-z-kulate-kuze-na-nanosniku/ I all of a sudden forgot how it is called in english, it is to help you to get your horse to keep his mounth closed.
Radek
Hello Radek, my name is Lauren Schwartz
I need some advice about teaching my horse to neck rein. She reacts perfectly to her bit, but I want to have her responding more to the feelings of the reins on her neck. She is mildly responsive to them but often when I want her to turn, she needs more encouragement from the bit. I could just not be using enough leg, but I was just wondering what advice you could give me.
Thank you!
Hi Lauren,
it takes quite some time for a horse to learn to react just on the neck rein. Usually it takes a few months. Basically, I teach it in a way that I just ask my horse to turn by touching his neck with the rein, if he doesn’t turn I then pull on the bit a little bit. If he reacts on the neck rein, I do not pull on the bit. Over time your horse should improve if you are consistent.
Radek
Hi my daughter has a pony that snatches down when being ridden so she looses her reins he then will throw his head back up n constantly do this, he used to only do this when Boeing ridden on grass but now has started to do it on the roads too, he is up to date with back, teeth etc checked his bit and brow band isn’t tight, we have tried a daisy rein on him and grass reins, what can we do when he attempts to snatch down? X
Hi Hayley, my guess is that your horse never properly learned what the pressure means when you pull the reins. This issue usually comes when the rider doesn’t release the reins in the correct moments. Your horse learned that the way to get rid of the pressure is to try to snatch down and pull the reins out of your hand. The way to fix it is by just holding onto the reins and don’t let your horse pull them out of your hand. You should hold and only release the pressure as your horse stops pulling on them. It can be quite difficult to hold them especially if your daughter is younger so I would just get something like this: http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/…/33E9/C9DA/DSGRAREI.jpg
I have a 6 year old Mustang and continue to have the same problem. When he becomes worried while on line and me in front leading he will take his head usually turning to the right and run away. I am unable to hold him or stop him at this point. Any suggestions?
Hi Judy,
two things could help. The first one is a good rope halter. The second thing that should help is paying more attention and reacting faster, constantly look at him and as soon as he starts turning his head away from you, pull the rope and ask him to look at you. If you react slower and only after your horse already turned his head it becomes pretty much impossible to hold him.
Radek
Hi I have a youngster that is rising 7 I have just joined your training programme literally less than a wk ago so got a lot of work to do on the ground and in the saddle, I would love to go bitless at sum stage bit as he is so spooky n tends to shoot forward if being spooked from behind when being ridden, do i start your training programme bitless right from the start as I should gain the respect and trust or do i do in a bit? Not sure what to do I’ve just removed his noseband as the more I looked into it I realised it does not do a lot, or do i buy a micklem bridle the best around with the bitless option ahhh need help??? X
Hi Hayley,
I would definitely start with the bit first. I first start with the bit, if I want to go bitless I first just try putting the reins over my horses neck and riding just using my seat. I start in a roundpen. If everything goes well, I can start riding in the ring. If I see for some time that my horse reliably listens when I do not hold the reins, I can try to ride without them. But in the begging definitely ride with them. Then ride with the reins on your horses neck so you can grab them when he doesn’t listen to correct him, and when you no longer do need them at all for some time, you can start riding without them.
Radek
Thanks so much for the advice. Prior to following your advice this horse could not be lead any where he chose not to go. The most important thing you said was to be sure you are determined to complete what you set out to do. This horse changed almost over night, thank you. I am now interested to ride him. He was started about 2years ago but I don,think he could have been very safe. With the changes I see he now appears to not be afraid of much. What program do you suggest I purchase next to move forward. I have a 20 year background with natural horsemanship but I must say your information was a game changer for me. Thanks so much. Judy
Hi Judy,
Oh that is great! I do not show the actual very begging of starting your horse. Mounting in the saddle for the first time in any of my trainings. I think it can be dangerous and it is better to at least do it with someone experienced physically with you. But the saddle control otherwise shows all the exercise I do from the most basic ones like turning on a big circle in walk, or stopping from walk. There is the training process blueprint that shows all 44 exercises I do. Its great to use it as you progress. It would definitely be the best choice for you at the moment. You can get it in the store section if you want 🙂
Radek
Hi Redek. My Mare is a contradiction. Most of the time she is gentle and comes running when I call her. She will stand still when I tell her to, when I groom her or saddle her and back up when I point my finger, stand still to mount etc. However she has periods when she is quite dominant and simply decides that she does not want to do what I ask. For instance, when I am lunging her loose in the round pen or on a line she will frequently cut in on the circle and I have trouble keeping her In a round circle. I swing the lead rope or whip toward her shoulder to tell her to move away but it doesn’t seem to help. Also, when I ask her to canter she will frequently buck or kick in my direction before cantering. I have followed your advice and put pressure on her with the whip when she does this. Then she will canter for half a circle and break to a trot and I need to do the same thing all over again. Any suggestions for what I might do differently?
Thanks!
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
sounds like you are doing all the essentials all right. I would focus on reacting quicker. For example if she makes the circle smaller, try to correct her already as she is doing the first wrong step. From my experience a lot of horse will tend to turn inside of the circle to make it smaller always in the same spot. So get ready and start correcting her immediately. That makes it easier and she will be more likely to listen to you. If she doesn’t react, you have to increase the pressure, step towards her and use your whip. You know you are using the correct amount of pressure by observing how she reacts. If she doesn’t react, you are most likely reacting too slow or/and using too little pressure. If you continue correcting while she is on her period it should get better over time and the differences should get smaller.
Radek
Hi Radek
i have paid for Precision course but it says i havent paid so, cant access can you please sort this out for me thanks Shani
Hi Shani,
sorry about that it seems there was issue with the system. You should be able to access the Precision now 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a 4 year old Comtios x cob gelding who was started in October of this year when he was three and a half, by a professional who uses techniques almost the same as yours, so he can perform most of the ground work exercises that you have set down quite well. But i am having a problem with his very dominate personality. He is very strong and heavy ( 600 kg and 15.2 ) and whilst he will lunge and do the exercises in a round pen i have constructed in the field, if i take him into the field, away from the pen to look for a dry bit ( the pen has got a bit muddy as it has rained for what seems like years in Devon ) when he decides he has had enough he will swing his head down, turn and tank off. I have no hope of holding on to him as i am 110 lbs and 5 ft 3ins. He also has a tendency to walk over me and try to get in front of me when being led and when corrected in a calm and firm way will stamp his front foot angrily and bite me. This also happens when he doesn’t want to lunge. I never do more than 10 mins at a time 2 or 3 times a week in between short hacks so he is not bored. He is also very dominate in the field with the other horses, herding them around when i go in, to stop them coming to me or just when he wants to eat their bit of grass. I got your ground work package to see if it would help with his manners and to help calm him because, for a fat lad he is very active and agile and wants to do everything at 100 miles an hour, he jig jogs when ridden as he wants to go faster and is quite impatient, and when brought back to walk will also stamp and get cross ( underneath all this i think he is quite a stressful boy ). He is of corse still very young and i am working calmly and firmly to correct these traits, but could you give me some advice on the biting, barging and dominate aspect of his personality. I am not inexperienced ( 50 years of riding but you can never stop learning )with a background of braking and making and have worked with and owned horses all my life but this stroppy boy is proving a bit of a number and uses his bulk against me !!!!
Hi Karen,
I see, I worked with an extremely dominant horse recently as well while making a video. (you will be able to see it in Problem Solving in a few days) It seems like you are doing things right. The key is to react as quickly as possible. The quicker you react the easier it will be to correct your horse. If you get the Problem Solving there will be a video specifically on a dominant horse, otherwise I recommend to watch this: https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things-problem/ If you see that his behavior is not getting better and you become scared of him, my recommendation would be to sell him and get a different horse.
Radek
Hi Radek,
Thank you so much for your advice,i watched the link you sent and copied your body language, it worked a treat !!!!!!! I now have a lovely boy who walks behind me ( most of the time ) he will stand in his stable and wait to be told when to eat ( advice from a previous video) He no longer walks over me, bites or stamps at me, its like he has had a personally transplant !!!!!. I just needed to be a bit more definite about my intentions. Like you say , stop any bad behaviour quickly and just be on the case. I will be getting the problem solving package as i am sure he will challenge me again, but for the meantime i am so happy and so is Broozer ( clue in the name should have realised when i bought him ) He seems happier now someone else is in charge. Many many thanks for your fab training,
Karen
Hi Karen,
awesome! It is interesting how horses like when they have someone in charge 🙂 Keep up the good work, keep working on new exercises I am excited to hear about how it continues.
Radek
Hi Redek. I need your advice.
I have a four year old mare- I bought her as 3 year old- she was beautifully mannered and doing really well under saddle. She was used to being with a group of horses. At my place she is the only horse. We do have some cows. At first she was very timid of the cows, but over the year she has become extremely dominant- she chases the cows all over the pasture. Lately when I halter her and try to lead her to the barn, she has started rearing up at me- challenging me. In addition- I had gotten in the habit over the winter of taking her blanket off when I bring her in (its winter and cold here in Canada) and letting her roll in the indoor pen. She loves it. But now, when I put her in the pen to lounge her or try to work on getting some respect- each time I ask her to circle- she will ignore me and lay down and roll — then get up rear, buck and shake her head at me.
Generally when she rears up, in the pasture I don’t have my whip at hand, but I haven’t let her get away- I keep working with her to get her to follow (have to admit its scary). In the arena, I have swatted her with the wihip- she will kick out at me but move away- but will only lope for half a circle and then break to a trot. I don’t know what to do with her. My pen is a little too big for me to get the whip on her instantly each time she refuses an ask but I do chase her till I get at least a few strides.
I stopped feeding her grain and for this past week have kept her in a smaller paddock (not out in the 40 acre pasture)
As I write this, she sounds totally awful. She is not always. For instance. She comes when I whistle- always whinnies when she sees me, stands still when I groom her, saddle her etc, backs up beautifully at the wag of a finger ,moves away from pressure, lifts her feet at a soft tap etc. She is just so unpredictable.
Also- I am not a novice with horses- have had many over the last 50 years and have never had this behavior from any. The only thing that is different from my perspective is that she is the sole horse on the property- do I need to get her a companion- or would that make it worse? Should I sell her before it gets worse?
Advice? Thank you so much for any suggestions you might offer.
Debbie
–
Hi Debbie,
since you are not a novice, you didn’t have problems like this before and you are sometimes a bit scared of her, I would recommend to sell her and get a different horse. It might get better if you let another horse with her but I maybe it wouldn’t. In case the videos that I recommend is this one in case you haven’t seen it https://invisiblehorsecontrol.com/2-things-problem/
Radek
Hi Radek,
I am loving the simplicity of your training methods and videos. I have a 7 year old Appaloosa gelding who I have owned for 8 months. He is so completely different from my previous thoroughbred mare…….i am really grateful for all the things I can do with him ie. I can catch him, load on a trailer, ride him without having to lunge the he’ll out of him first, rug him, worm him, ride out on the trail and many more, however I have a couple of fundamental issues that need to be addressed that I am hoping your training can sort out……..
He tries to dominate by getting very close when I am training both in the round pen at liberty and on the lunge. I find it difficult to get him onto the outside track, he cuts across when changing direction. I have to have very strong energy with him ( which is very difficult as I am naturally quite laid back) and he is quite lazy. I find i am having to work really hard even to get a trot and then it’s difficult to time the release of pressure. I also have similar issues riding in the sandschool, when I first got him he refused to move at all………now we have progressed to trot and slowly he is moving on less pressure.
I am loving your groundwork exercises he backs up but not as snappy as I would like, he already knows moving his hind quarters very well and I love your method for moving fore quarters and I think with practice it will work ( have tried several other methods unsucessfully).
Would appreciate your thoughts…….
Hi Ali,
There is a video on making the circle bigger while lunging in the facebook group. Here is a link to the post https://www.facebook.com/groups/1482413931769800/permalink/1491924080818785/ hope it works. If he is lazy while lunging, I would always try to keep him in a faster pace, It is going to be difficult at first but it should be improving. With the timing of the release of pressure, it is important to start urging and continue urgining without stopping just increasing the intensity until your horse goes to the exact pace that you want, when he does immediately stop. The intensity should be gradually increasing with no breaks. You can also take a look at this article, I describe a principle that I use with some lazier horses, it helps to get them to react on lower pressure so you do not end up with a horse that you have to be constatnly urging. https://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Radek
Hi Radek,
Training is progressing well and I am now able to push my horse out on a bigger circle when lunging and freeschooling which is great. I still have to use a lot of pressure to move him forward but am seeing some improvement in this too……you are constantly in my head telling me too ask with light pressure, increased pressure and the third time to ask to achieve what you want even if it is with an exaggerated response from my horse. I am getting a lot of disrespect towards me ie. pinning of ears and bucking out but am dealing with it by showing him he gets more pressure from me if he does this behaviour. I am feeling quite confident, but it does look to the outside world that I am punishing my horse!
Ok so to the next issue, when riding my horse he tries to push me into the fence, my thoughts are to use my outside leg to push him in, but this is not always possible, I tend to carry my whip in the outside hand to try to push his shoulders away from the fence and obviously use my reins. This works for the moment doesn’t seem to stop him from doing it again. I heard one way might be to make him turn into the fence so he has to move his hind quarters away……..how would you tackle this issue?
Thanks Ali
Hi Ali,
Congrats on the improvements! 🙂 I believe that you should be doing what is right, if others feel like you are punishing your horse it is their problem. I think it is better to have a good relationship with your horse, rather then end up with him being dangerous just because of a worry of some other people might think. Regarding the fence, I would try to always maintain a bigger distance from the fence. At least like two meters from the fence and then even if he gets just a little closer to it, immediately correct him. The faster you correct him the easier it is. I would be able to say more if you sent a quick video.
Radek
Is the new DVD training set “Problem Solving” repetitious of any of the previous training set of which I own three? I want to make sure I’m getting new material before I order it.
Hi Patricia,
there are some videos in the Problem Solving that you might have seen before, however there is around one hour and fifteen minutes of new content that is only over there and never seen before. I wanted to put all the problem solving videos that I have in there. They are hard to make because I need come across a horse that really has those problems. So the guaranteed new content for you would be a little over an hour of video and the ebook that comes with the training as well. If you want you can take a look and if you do not like it just let me know and I give you a refund 🙂
Radek
Is the concept of “fake it until you make it” an impossibility for me with Tuck? I still feel fear after experiencing a concussion & a blow to my chin {in 2 separate instances over he last 6 months}, the first while riding & the second while completing a ground work session in the round corral.
Hi Kim,
you mean like “fake it until you make it” in terms like pretending to be confident while you are not? Most likely a horse will see through that in my opinion.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I just watched the video on the horse that was afraid of the drone. My horse does this with objects and reacts pretty much the same as your horse did but my horse will stop and then rear. I push forward but sometimes she he rear even higher. What do I do in this situation. I have not watched all the videos yet I am working my way through slowly or I will forget what to do. I need to learn by watch then try.
Linda
Hi Linda,
when your horse starts rearing you have to keep urging her the whole time she is rearing, if you stop your horse will learn that if he rears you will stop urging. First turn his head to the side which is going to make it difficult for him to rear and then keep urging without stopping until he stops rearing.
Radek
Hi,
i’m just going to get this out here now, i’m green to horses….. I have ridden before as a child many times but haven’t much in the past few years…. last winter i bought my first horse, a 16 yo percheron x hanoverian mare(alert, nervous but loving), she is friendly but has no manners (as she was injured in youth and her hind leg never healed right), her owner basically retired her as a light trail horse at young age, so i will be excited to work with the new ground work i’m learning here with her, i can say she takes a lot of pressure to notice your there let a lone that your asking for anything… i was feeling very discouraged in her training as i’m a small girl and she’s a heavy 16.2 draft horse who was a dominate mare (and her mother before her) in the field where i got her from. this program has given me new hope for our relationship!
last summer however, my family and i rescued a bunch of equines, 2 gaited missouri fox trotter mares 10 yo(emotional and grumpy) and 13 yo(suspicions yet testy), 3 yo morgan filly (super timid and reactive), 2 yo curly morgan filly(shy but curious), 1 mini mare(crazy wild) and 2 mini donkeys (unknown ages). i’ll be asking for lots of advice and help regarding the 2 youngsters for sure in time. the gaited mares are little skittish and deeply bonded together, 1 doesn’t like it when you have a rope or anything that resembles a halter and lead when you walk near her, almost like she knows she’ll have to work and isn’t interested…. without any ropes she will gladly come up to you and cuddle…. / the other one is much better and staying and waiting, but she pins her ears often at the other horses and people…. she use to be a dominate mare but is having to take second place under the older draft mare and she hates it! she will aggressively chase, bite, kick etc the other horses, with people its just the pinned ears and she turns her head away from you normally at the same time, i have been lightly smacking her shoulder or butt when she does it to try and get her to stop, will this stop or is it a personality thing? (also am i doing the right thing here in trying to correct it?)
also 1 last thing, my mini mare, has more problems than all my horses combined, i’m going to work with her just using what i’m learning here first, so i can figure out what the main problems are and those ones i am having trouble fixing…. (she is one horse that not much upsets her, you know how some horses when separated pace like crazy and loose tons of weight, – she is totally overweight right now which is why i bring up this particular scenario, she will just stand there and eat the stall, i swear if you gave a ball of manure to her she’d probably pick through it and eat whatever remaining hay is in it!) but to give an idea, i put her in with my mini jack to try and get both of them to mutually respect each others space… well that didn’t work, she rammed into his belly side on like a “T shape” and knocked him clean off his feet and he landed on his back/side, not to mention the double barrel kick she gave him later in the belly… well 24 hours later…. make that 2 weeks and he’s still scared of her! she charges him if she thinks he has any food thats better than hers, etc. i’ve tried putting her in with the full sized horses….. that didn’t work either! she beats up the youngsters and pins her ears and tosses her head wildly when the mares make her move away from something….. i guess what they say about small packages is true! i’ve never seen or heard of anything quite like her.
thanks for your insights,
ashley
i’ve read that clicker training is the best way to train donkeys, any ideas on this?
Hi Ashley,
the ears back and turning the head away from you from my experience means more of a fear and shyness. I would just focus on moving slower around the horse. Make your every movement slower so you are more predictable. If she was moving towards you whit the ears back then I would definitely smack her, but if she is moving away she is more likely to just be scared.
Regarding the problems between your horses in this case I would just leave them separated, since you cant be there with them at all times I don’t really know about a way to do something about it.
Radek
Hi Radek, in only a few groundwork sessions I am really seeing a difference in my horse…….i am hooked on your training! A couple of questions, firstly I am trying to get him out on a bigger circle using the method you described…….he also sees this as a cue for increased speed ……… Will this just get better over time? Secondly I am thinking to purchase your saddle control series my only reservation is that I ride English style……will I be able to implement your advice from the videos still or does it not matter?
Hi Ali,
it is quite common for horses to start going faster when they go on a bigger circle. If he also goes on a bigger circle it is all fine. Most likely it will just fix itself over time as he gets more familiar with the exercise. The saddle control should be just fine if you are riding English 🙂 it doesn’t focus on particular discipline.
Radek
Hi Radek.
I just want you to how how very much I appreciate your training style and advice. Every minute that I spend with my horse, you are in my head. To be consistent, always. Not think I want to be nice to my horse just because she has been good… she doesn’t understand why this time I let her do what she wants and next time I don’t. I am consistent and fair all the time. I have also started to be consistent with her need to pay attention to me all the time, and the second her attention goes elsewhere I get her to move or do something. I feel like it is working. In the past two weeks, her attitude has changed dramatically as her has her display of respect for me. Thank you for your amazing instruction.
Hi Debbie,
it makes a big difference doesn’t it? 🙂 I am glad you are enjoying the training
Radek
Hi Radek,, my Irish Appaloosa type 7y o gelding cannot lope on his left rein in my round pen,,,,,, my round pen is not perfectly round ,, just a safe area in a 17 metre sort of circle,, he gets a bit agitated and breaks into a huge trot ,, then i ask him again to go into lope and he runs bigger and bigger in trot and goes into a counter canter again,, i feel he needs to work in trot with the side rein fixed into a more correct head position,, and wait until he is a bit more used to a better bend to the left… or do i insist he sorts out his legs….he is so willing, but head carriage is not good ,,, he is relaxing well in trot and stretching down his neck,,Do i just lunge him instead of loose schooling him.. to get those back and neck muscles working correctly,, and also how long should i lunge that side … 10 minutes each side or 5 minutes each side ,,,,?? ,, it is Really good to have you there to ask questions,,
Hi Jean,
while you are lunging with the side reins I usually lunge without them first around 3 minutes to each direction. Then I put the side reins on and I lunge in each direction around five to ten minutes depending on your horses shape. All together both directions could be around twenty minutes, but in the begging it is going to be less. Just increase the time as your horse gets in better and better shape. With the canter lead problem try to focus on the way you use your whip to ask your horse for canter. You should be moving it towards the rear of your horse, not up and down. It also could be caused by the previous owners, maybe they were just practicing canter to one direction. It could be easier to solve from the saddle wile riding.
Radek
I am working my duaghter’s 10 year old mare, starting from basics i.e. groundwork, after a traumatic ‘flight’ incident a year ago. I do not ride her. She has been left behind with me, as my daughter has moved away and it is my dream to rehabilitate her, back to the beautiful co-operative horse she once was. She is a quick learner but has always been “flighty” and unreliable out on a hack – I now understand that this was probably lack of groundwork and trust issues. She was started by us and she was such a quick and willing learner we probably neglected her psychological needs on the way. Given we are making excellent progress with the help of your groundwork training, the BIG issue remaining is that we have never been able to load her onto a trailer to take her out and get more experience. She has always been claustrophobic and box walks in a stable (a large one) , even, after 10 years of having to come in at night in the winter (because our land is very, very wet) with her best friend (aunty) to talk to next door through bars. We know she has never ever been kept in for extended periods and have come to the conclusion she is just very ‘horsey’ and naturally prefers the open. Until she can go out and do things, she is deemed as “not worth investing the time in” by her owner, and will always be left behind, or even, heaven forbid, eventually sold for little money. SO, my question is…
Is it just a matter of keeping up with the leadership training and gradually introducing enclosed spaces in order to get her to stand in a small stall such as the trailer would be and starting this process all over again, just like the groundwork leading etc?
Desperately hoping for miracle here!
Hi,
some horses are naturally more claustrophobic. Ground work and respect should definitely help. I think almost all horses can be taught to go into a trailer. If she is scared of closed spaces you should have a lot of respect the more you have the more your horse will be willing to push himself. If you manage to get her into some smaller space like the trailer, always remember that once you manage to get her in there ask her to get out and then back in again, so she gets more comfortable with it. Then practice it daily if possible.
Radek
Hello I have a Mare that I’ve had for 6 years, she’s very smart and we get along wonderfully but at times while out on the trail she will start to prance and although it’s very comfortable and i can do it for hours it’s not what i want her to do. I have an issue making her come back down to a walk. I’d love to see a video on quieting the ride back into a calm walk. Thank You Michele
Hi Michele,
I dont have a video on this at the moment 🙁 I would ride on the circle, change direction and wait for him to calm down. Out on the trail going forward it is difficult for the horse to calm down. While riding on the circle your horse has to pay more attention to you and will get less distracted and stressed. If you have Trail Control take a look at the videos about the begging of riding on the trail I show some of the exercises over there.
Radek
Hi Radek. Cyrus – my 10 yr old full arab that I have owned for 6 months is seemingly perfectly mannered on the ground and under saddle! He responds to the lightest of commands and respects me. We have formed a bond. I bought him off a lovely person in the hopes of training him for dressage. The previous owner did competitive trail and endurance on him – on a long rein. She told me that riding with a contact wasn’t really her thing and she only allowed me to purchase him to do the dressage as she considered me a kind rider. Cyrus didn’t seem to realise that he could go forward on a contact of any sort. He has a very high head carriage and when things get ‘busy’ up goes his head making me feel like I’m no longer fully in control as I don’t want to jab him in the mouth and it isn’t established that light contact means lower the head. Unfortunately a month ago he took fright (no idea at what) and I woke up in hospital, luckily no injury but severe concussion. I am now wanting to start back riding him but I don’t want this to happen again. I watched your first training video and I’m inspired to increase his lightness. I can follow your lead but even when he’s mooching around his paddock he has a high head. I’ve had him checked over by the chiropractor and no problems. I am interested in buying (or making a unilateral sling but can’t find any instructions and can only guess and don’t want to do it wrong. I’m not a side rein believer. I also lunge in a serrata as recommended by Manolo Mandez. I have also purchased another very expensive training system (TRT method) for my previous thoroughbred that had many issues but as the problem there was my instability on the ground – the horse pulled me over several times and I considered it my fault for not staying on my feet. I’ve gotten older and only have 80% of normal balance due to a double spinal compression.
Cyrus is my dream horse and my last horse and I really want to work with his already great ground manners. Thanks for reading all of this – I do appreciate it.
Hi Jacqui,
thanks for the question. My experience with arabs is that they are often good from the ground and they are very sensitive. They react on everything and can react a bit violently if you use too much pressure by accident. You have to be very smooth. It seems that your horse doesnt understand the pressure of the bit very well. If you have Saddle Control, take a look at the training process blueprint. Start with the relaxing of head and neck exercise in walk and then trot. This exercise is great for teaching your horse to react on the pressure of the bit. You will be pulling a single rein instead of two when stopping and horses usually understand it better in the beggining.
Radek
Please could you give me the diameter of the round pen – both the ideal and the minimum? If I can only build one training area, should it be round or square? If square, dimensions please.
Hi Anne,
the ideal diameter of a roundpen is 18 metres, it also depends on the size of your horse. If you have a really big horse it can be 20 metres. The smaller round pen is around 16 metres, a 16 metre in diameter roundpen can cause issues with canter if you have a big horse in the begging. For starting a horse and working with a young horse, roundpen is the best option. With a more experienced horse for riding I would prefere a square of at least 30×30 metres or 20x40meters. Ideally around 30×60 metres.
Radek
I have a big problem with my 12 yo quarter horse gelding. I have had him for two years now and he has bucked me off 4 times. Yesterday was the 4th time. I had just gotten on him in an arena and asked him to walk. He just exploded and bucked me off. I have tried changing saddles, taking off spurs, doing groundwork, getting a vet check and having other people ride him. He has only bucked me off which leads me to believe it’s a behavior problem. He knows he can do it and if he doesn’t want to do something I ask, he will. I’m ready to sell him to someone that is bigger and stronger st this point. I might add that the only other people I have let ride him were men, I am a woman. He has had great training in the past and can do a lot but I think he is not right for me. I’m very sad about this but I can’t risk more injury.
Hi Lorraine,
by what you are saying I think that selling him and getting a different horse would be a good idea. I am not sure why exactly he behaves like that and how hard it would be to fix it for you.
Radek
I have a ten year old horse that I have now had for about a month. I have him in a mild snaffle bit just like what I was told he was used to going in and we ride English style. I am having two issues with him. The first is that he is fidgety all the time and will not stand still in cross ties or while being saddled. The second issue is that he chews on the bit constantly. I have had his teeth floated and had a chiropractor check mandibular alignment. The vet could see no issues with his mouth. I have tried a simple chain bit and a French link and it has not changed the behavior at all. I keep a very loose rein on him and even with that, he chews on the bit even when the reins are slack.
Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Caula,
some horses chew on the bit. It is often because someone before you didnt use the bit correctly. He could have learned it with the previous owner and now he just does it because he is used to doing it but doesnt have a reason anymore. If you want you can try riding bitless, with hackamore or bosal or a halter for riding (we are just about to start selling those actually, so if you want one just let me know.).
Radek
Hi. I have a 6 year old welsh cob x tb mare. She is still green but easy to handle and ride etc. She has started moving around when I try to saddle her. I’ve tried to put her back on the same spot consistently to try to stop this but it is getting worse not better. It is mainly on her off side that she does this. She’s never done it before and is a recent habit. I can’t see that she is in pain so I think she is playing with me. I just don’t know how to stop this behavior. Apart from that she is fine and listens to me. I use your training on all my horses and find they respond really well.
Hi Michelle,
I would check if she has back pain. If she doesnt, I would try to put the saddle on her slower. Just slow down all your movements while you are putting the saddle on. Do not throw it on top of her. Also while you are tightening it do it gradually. Do not tighten it up all the way right away. Tighten it up a little bit, then finish tightening it up just before you mount. Also while correcting your horse and backing him up to where he was, react as quickly as possible. As your horse does the first step immediately correct him, before he does another one. If it takes you 3 or 4 seconds to correct your horse he will already get the feeling that it was ok to do that.
Radek
Hi Radek,
Thank you for your program. I will soon be using it extensively.
I have 2 questions or actually concerns:
1. The $17 was not charged to my Master Card on April 6th. I do want to keep to this program and continually get new material, yes please.
2. I am wanting to look at your instructions on lunging with a halter and lunge line. I cannot find it in the program. Please direct me.
I am looking forward to master navigating to all the material available to me. This is exciting.
Thank you,
Cecile Corbiere
Hi Cecile,
I appologize for the slow response. It looks like you were charged on the day you wrote. As I checked it, it all looks to be in order 🙂
Everything about lunging is in the Ground Control section of the members area. If you use the top menu, click on “ground” there is a lot about lunging in the second and third video. I reccomend to watch all three though 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek
I have been working on the halt, as well as the precision riding. My mare has really got the halt, and goes very easily into halt. She is very forward going, and the problem that I am now having is to maintain rhythm. So when she speeds up, and I ask her to slow down, she goes straight to halt. So I am doing something wrong – should I be using different aids for halt and for slow down?
Thank you
Hi Shirley,
the aid should be bassicaly the same for slowing down and for stopping. I think the problem is just in the pressure you use when asking for slowing down or at the speed at which you increase the pressure. Try to use even less pressure when just asking your horse to slow down and try to increase it even more gradually. Try to avoid pulling your reins too suddenly. Let me know how it goes.
Radek
Hi radek! I have a question about how to build muscle along my horses back. Do you have any proven exercises to help me do that? Could I send u a pic of his back?
Hi Amanda,
definitely send me a picture, you can send it on my email radek@invisiblehorsecontrol.com I do have some exercises for exercisizing your horses back muscles. You should do those exercises maximum like ten minutes per day. For example the relax of head and neck in walk, in trot and in canter that you can find the training process blueprint is great for strenthening your horses back muscles. Also you can do some lunging with the side reins like it is shown in the third video of ground control, that also helps to strenthen your horses back.
Radek
Hello, can you explain how to correctly adjust the length of side rein when just beginning to lunge with one?
Hi Leslie,
when you are starting out always make it more lose. Over time you can tighten it a little bit. Your horse should have his head more or less straight, never make it so tight that the rope would be tensioned at all times, there needs to be a position when it is lose and only tension when your horse puts his head in the wrong position. The process of putting it on is best shown in the third video of ground control. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Radek
It is going great! This is a 10 year old aqua but lots of holes in his training. Obediently takes the bridle, but was very anxious and gnawing the bit before you even mount. I’m just starting to get on him now and he still does it a little, but I think with more consistency and getting busy with the walk exercises. He will come along well. He’s pretty great minded!
Hi Leslie,
some horses do that but if you focus on being gentle with your hands he should just stop doing it eventually by himself 🙂
Radek
I’ve had my Icelandic mare, Gifta, for 6 years. I kept her at home – a small backyard stable in her own paddock with her mini friend. I also had a boarder’s horse. She always loaded and we went trail riding in many different places. Last October, I downsized. I sold my property, and had to board Gifta. I found a small stable, similar to what I had. Gifta and her mini friend had their own paddock and run in stall. Now she has become stubborn and will not load on the trailer. She is not afraid of the trailer, because sometimes she will go in, but won’t stand long enough for me to put up the butt bar and ramp. She is just being stubborn and will not do what I want her to. So we have not been able to trail ride because I cannot get her into the trailer. And there is no place to trail ride off of this stable. I’m trying to figure out why her personality has become so stubborn. Other than that, she seems very relaxed and listens to me. She lunges well, goes forward and backward on command, but will not get into the trailer any longer. I am just frustrated. I spent 3 hours working with her today. Sometimes she would go in the trailer, but then back right out. Other times she absolutely would plant her feet and not go in. Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Barb
Hi Barb,
I would try urging her to go forward back into the trailer as soon as she starts backing out of it. Then you must not stop urging until she gets back there. If you stop or take a break she will feel like she wont and it is ok to do that. It will probably take a long time, but just keep urging until she gets back. When she does stop. If she backs out again do the same. Keep bugging her when she is outside of the trailer and leave her alone when she is inside. That should fix it 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, many thanks for the ground and saddle e-books and videos–at last, someone who explains WHY to do things and in what order–hoorah!! i have a 10year old welsh cob who was broken to drive when i bought him 5 years ago. i have been riding him for 4 years now. i have done lots of ground work with him and some straightness type work as he is a bit one sided, and have revisited this with your ground work lessons. Today i started with the single sideline ( i have tried 2 side reins in the past with no success–he just put his head higher. So i have been lunging without any reins and he has learned to relax his head a bit but i would like it a bit more! ) and it worked fantastically on the left rein–he lowered his head and lifted his back within a few minutes. on the right rein he avoided the pressure from the bit by turning his head to the inside of the circle even when i was asking him to keep out with his front end; which he did obediently. i tried with the rein a little longer but no better. so then i got an elastic side rein and put that on the outside rein, just from half way up his ribs direct to the bit and quite loose. that seemed to help though he became less willing to go forwards in trot. is it o.k. to do this and should i just persist and urge him forward or is there a better way. many thanks, lesley.
Hi Lesley,
it is quite hard to judge like this. Could you make a video? If you want a straight horse it is necessary to practise bending to both sides. I would spend time with bending and then time with just getting him to be more willing to go forward. It is not good to try to want more things at the same time. When you learn things separately it is much easier to get them together later. I am not sure how well your horse does if you could make a short video that would be great and I could tell you much more.
Radek
Hi. My mare is 6 years old. She is a bit hard to ride and still quite green. At the moment every time I ride her, I first do ground work then get on and ride her. She is fine for the first couple of minutes at walk but then gets frisky and wants to trot. This is fine but she tosses her head or puts her head down and threatens to buck. I push her forward. I’ve mainly ridden her in the round yard but just started riding in the arena. She gets ridden every 2 or 3 days at the moment and she does this every time. What do you suggest to stop this problem? I feel that nothing is working and I don’t want the situation to become worse. I’d like to be able to ride her without this happening as I am starting to lose confidence riding her.
Best wishes,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I would be able to say more if you sent a short a video. It is quite difficult to tell. Usually when a horse wants to be fast by himself, it is usually caused by something that the rider does. Some horses might be just fine while others are not. I would recommend slowing down all of your movements, especially your arms. When you start riding ride more on small circles. When your horse gets scared ask him to turn his head towards the inside of the circle and make it smaller, then change direction often and keep him occupied until he calms down. If you would be able to make a short video I would be able to help more.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 year old arab who is always “fussing” with his mouth. He is easy to ride but I do dressage with him and he will NOT take a strong enough contact on the bit, he goes behind the bit of just snaps,in which i mean opens and closes his mouth all the time, its an evasion I know, but I have tried everything, It is now holding us back as he wont take the contact and move forward with it. Ive had everything checked, teeth, back, etc, he has just a jointed snaffle, I have tried, a straight bar, french link, but hes the same in any bit. I have light hands and I think thats the problem, hes too light in my hand, he even chomps with his mouth without the bit in. I am willing to try anything you can suggest,
Many thanks,
Gill
Hi Gillian,
from my experience this sometimes happen when you start riding without the nose band or when the nose band is not tightened properly. I am not sure about other way other than the nose band that prevents the horse from opening his mouth. The nose band should be comfortable when he has his mouth closed, but it shouldn’t allow your horse to open his mouth too much. I would try to eventually during the riding session let your horse go on a completely lose rein. In dressage you usually are on always on contact, i think its good to let him stretch a few times during the lesson. If you send a video I would be able to help you more.
Radek
Hi Radek.
I have a young 4 year old WB mare that has just been backed. Most of the time she is stunning and then sometimes she is so naughty and I don’t know how to work with her when she is in one of those moods….. I used to have a huge bucking gelding, now a have a sensitive Diva mare and don’t know what to do! OMW
Last night I was riding in the arena where I always ride and she got ‘frightened’ of the chair on the side. It’s always there and she always goes past it. She was a bit fresh and it was a bit colder, so as we passed it she tensed and I ignored it, then each time she kind of tensed and I gave her a tap on the shoulder / rode a small circle and rode her forward past trying to let her relax into the ride. Normally this will work and she will stop doing it, however last night she got worse until she gave a big spook after about 10 min of riding and almost got me off.
Someone then tried to help me and it became a huge fight. This has worked in the same spot in the past, but last night it didn’t work getting firmer and in the end I said its not working and we must stop after about 30 minutes of fighting…. So I don’t know if I need to use more pressure or less pressure when she reacts / spooks at things. Do I tackle it head on and demand or do I ask? 🙂
What should I do? I can also relate to Michelle Path with her mare.
Is she challenging me? Do I need to be more dominant? She is great on the ground and very good at lunging, except for the odd occasion where she is impossible and stands on her hind legs and I go home crying. I know it sounds weird that she is so good and then so naughty, but that is her….
Please please help me….
Thanks
Karen
Hi Karen,
it always depends if your horse gets scared of you or the things around. If you have a suspicion that your horse is getting scared of what you are doing, for example movements that are too sudden, then you should try to calm down and do everything slower and calmer. If you think that your horse is scared of things around and not of you, then you dont have to be too hars, just enough pressure to get your horse to listen to what you want. For example get him to turn his head away from the scary object. Horse always look at what they consider the most important. Your horse will still see it when you turn his head away, but it will tell him that it is not important. If you feel like your horse is just fighting with you, it is important to try to get what you want by being calm and persistent, remain calm and keep correcting your horse until he does what you wanted without getting too stressed. Try to not just do rapid movements and use overly too much pressure and “punish” your horse, it could just make it worse.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a 9 yr old quarter horse mare, 14-3. I am re-starting here. She is great on walk trot, collects nicely, moves off of legs. The problem is her transfer to canter. She “runs ” and goes way too fast and doesn;t seem to want to slow down. I work with her in the round pen on a long line and encourage her to slow down and to transition slower, but it’s taking a long time. Any suggestions??
Hi Greg,
starting in a round pen is a good idea but it is also good to ride on the horse while teaching him to go slower. You can also ride on the circle in the ring. I would focus on staying in canter until you see that your horse is starting to get tired. When you see that your horse would like to slow down from canter by himself already because he is tired, do one or two more circles and ask him to slow down. In the begging do not slow your horse down too much by pulling your reins. If you feel like your horse is too fast just make the circle smaller. It’s better to just stay in canter for longer, or make the circle a bit tighter and let your horse discover that the slower pace is better for him because he might be cantering for some time. Mainly focus on your horse maintaining a steady pace and avoid slowing him down the usual way, just stay in canter long enough for him to get tired and slow down himself. Also try to be as passive in the saddle as possible. Some people get a bit tense in the saddle in the canter and they squeeze him which he thinks means that he should go faster. Every horse has a pace that is natural to him, some are faster some are going to be slower. Not every horse can canter super slowly.
Radek
Hi Rakek,
I have a 5 year old gelding, a large, strong Friesian x Boerperd with whom I am working (ground control). I have had him since he was born, and he is a real darling but very strong willed. A young woman, a friend of mine, has been working with him and riding him for the past 2 years and is using R+. Both she and I ride bitless. I have never worked with him as she does it all and I just stick to training my rather speedy Friesian mare. Since, my friend broke her leg 2 weeks ago, I started working with the boy, who has a number of issues, chief amongst which are that he hates leaving my mare and bucks and rears if one tries to take him away. Otherwise, he is rather slow and I actually find him really boring to ride. He pretty much does what he likes when he chooses and is so strong that one has very little influence when one is in the saddle.
I have started the ground control course and am having the following problems:
Leading. He will sometimes follow, sometimes not. I do keep up the pressure and pull sideways and he does eventually move off, but it takes a while. He walks VERY close to me and stops just about on top of me.
Backing up: I am working on this a lot. I can get him to back up, but he does it very slowly and reluctantly and it is never straight. He moves backwards and slides his backside sideways and if he manages to get enough of an angle so that I am no longer right in front of him, he moves forward. I have been using the end of the lead rope to move him back, but today I used the dressage whip which he did not like and was threatening to rear. I persisted and he didn’t rear but it still was not great
Moving around the front legs. Doing this quite well
Moving around the back legs: Terrible. I managed to get 1 cross over step of the front legs in each direction but no more than that and we have been practicing daily for a week. He tries to chew the lead rope, he walks right over me even when I put myself right in front of him and if I give him the slightest bit of space, he just walks off!
I must admit that I get really annoyed with him but the fact that I am irritated doesn’t seem to affect him at all. My mare, on the contrary, would go into orbit if I was as irritated with her as I get with him.
I have the feeling that I should be concentrating on backing up and leading until I get that working really well before I carry on with the moving the front feet around the hind legs. I just need to get and keep his attention. He is behaving exactly like my 2 year old grandson!
How would you proceed with a boy like this? Please, any suggestions would be most welcome!
Hi Anne,
in the bonus section there is a video called “how to get your horse away from his buddies” it shows quite a lot of things you are having issues like taking him away from other horses or what to do when he walks too close to you. When your horse starts to get too close to you it is important to correct him as soon as possible. If you wait even just a few seconds he will get the impression that he can do it and correcting him will be very difficult. It seems that what your horse really needs is for you to be persistent. By what you are saying it seems that he listens to you when he feels like. Focus on correcting every little mistake he does. He starts getting a bit too close to you, immediately correct him. Be super persistent at all times when around him. I also recommend taking a look at the video “2 things that solve 90% of all issues” that is also in the bonus section. Regarding the moving around back legs it seems like you are doing quite well, if you can do one step it should be just about practicing it and soon you will be able to do more than that. With him consistency is the key, you always need to require him to behave 100% as you want and if he doesnt immediately correct him, which might be taking a lot of time but it is the only way I know of to improve with a horse like yours.
Radek
I have a haflinger that is new to me. I get respect on the ground. Ground work in a pen is great. In the saddle in the pen the horse is very responsive. That’
s where the good ends. To ride him away from the pen he balks, backs up, head tosses, occasional small buck, and fights the bit. I’ve used encouragement, spurs, and even a riding crop. If he takes even a step forward I praise him. However, he continues this backing up. I’m getting frustrated.
Hi Debra,
if he starts backing up, just let him back up while you continue urging him forward. The key is to not stop urging after he starts backing up. The key is to not let your horse have a rest after he tries to back up. Only stop after he goes forward again. You don’t have to be trying to walk away completely, just ride on the circle next to the round pen and gradually move the circle further and further. There is a 20 minute video on this exact problem in the problem solving series in case you have it 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek
Today I was lunging my mare in the menage and she was doing well from walk to trot, trot to walk. But when I asked her to canter by lifting up the whip as I do in trot, she pulled back and started bucking. I think maybe I was doing to much because I haven’t been lunging her for more than 3 days with your methods.
She got distressed and scared. I calmed her down and had her move forward again but not asking her to canter again. I think she was previously chased a lot with the whip lunging??
How should I handle this situation?
Interestingly, she doesn’t like to go into canter transition in the saddle. She just gets faster and faster in the trot before she canters. I want her to trot/canter transition from a slow trot into a slow canter eventually.
She is a sensitive horse and very smart.
Hi Carla,
I would first get her to canter in the roundpen without a lunge line or a lead rope. When using a whip to urge your horse in the roundpen do not move the whip up and down, keep it at the same height and just move it towards your horse. As I do it in the videos. If you move your whip up and down your horse might perceive it as very aggressive and get scared. Try to first urge with a very low pressure and gradually increase it if she doesn’t go to canter. Also if it is difficult to get her to canter, you can increase the pressure by just walking closer to your horse, you can be on the level of your horse rear around 2metres away from him walking behind/next to him. After she goes to canter you should continue walking in the same distance because if you go further she might see it as you telling her to go slower again. especially in the beggining.
After, you manage to get her to canter for longer, it should also become much easier to get her to transition to canter as well.
When you start cantering in the saddle, focus on staying in canter for longer. Try to increase the time you can ride in canter at once. The transition is not that important in the beggining just focus on getting your horse stay in canter until she gets tired.
Radek
Took my haflinger out again today. He was fine as long as someone was walking beside him. As soon as that person was out of eyesight the backing up began in earnest. Nothing I did from the saddle made any difference. It did not matter who was walking beside him, as long as he could see a person.
Hi Debra,
some horses feel more secure when someone is next to them and they get scared when they dont see anyone. It takes time to fix this. Get the person that is with you to gradually get further and further from you. When you are riding keep your horse very occupied at all times. Ask your horse to turn his head to the side, do a circle to one side, then to the other side. Then stop, back up, start going again. Go on the circle again. he cannot have too much time to think. He needs to learn to listen to what you want without watching out what is happening elsewhere. He needs to be relying on you.
Radek
Thanks, Radek. So far your training material has worked wonders. I will work on this more.
great 🙂
Hi Radek… I have a problem with my horse attempting to kick out at me on her left hind leg when I try to pick up her hoof. She doesn’t do it with the other feet. She’s not being mean but warning. I don’t know what happen to make her do this. I’m not strong enough to get it and then hold on until she stops trying to pull it away. Thank you for suggestions. Melody
Hi Melody,
it shouldnt be much about strenth to keep your hand on your horses leg as she is kicking or moving it. Let your horse to kick as she wants but try to (if possible of course) to just keep your hand on it. Not trying to hold it or prevent the movement just hold it, until she calms down, then after she calms down you can let her to put her feet back on the ground. If you are not able to hold her leg with your arm you can also try to loosely put lead rope around it and use that instead of your hand. Then again just wait and after she calms down you can let her put it back on the ground. There is going to be a video on this exact problem soon. I worked with a horse with this problem a few days ago so we have the footage it is just not edited yet.
Radek
Hi there, I’ve been working through the groundwork series and starting the riding series. In the ebook when you talk about using side reins to strengthen the back, you mention that when you see the horse tire, he’s done for the day. Can you explain what you see that tells you the horse has had enough? The same question regarding when you start riding and you notice that the horse’s back has done enough. Thank you!
Also: how would one send a video? Sorry, I just wouldn’t know how!
Sorry! Please disregard the video, reading directions does wonders.
Hi Leslie,
you can just upload to youtube and send a link that is the best way, or also post it in the facebook group. But that one is harder for me to keep track of.
Radek
Hi Leslie,
while lunging with the side reins watch the side rein, if you see that he is not keeping it lose anymore and sort of laying on the rope it means he is pretty tired. While riding in the saddle, you can feel the back of your horse moving a bit down, you just have to feel it, it is not easy to feel. Try to focus on the way your horse with his back, you should be able to feel when it is arched up and when it is arched down.
Radek
We are going to be in Belgium/Germany end of Sept. are you around maybe we would drop into your stable!
Hi Laurel,
I am going to be home in Czech republic in September most likely 🙂 If you are around Prague let me know.
Radek
I signed up for the bundle at $185, but as I already have saddle control, you are substituting problem solving. Thx Kathie thorpe
Hi Kathleen,
I was not able to find the transaction for the bundle I have sent you an email where we can solve it 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek, I have a pallimino that is such a classic, I broke her in at the age of 8 and she has been threw injuries she shouldn’t of survived. One being were the saddle flap goes, I use a stock saddle for I’m a trail rider, Just wondering due to the muscle being riped out in the area were the flap goes and part of the muscle used to flex in a circle if that could be the issue why turning left appears hard for her? She is now 13 years old and going nice finally after 2 years of rear and spin on the trails cause she can’t get her way or she has picked up that the other riders are that nervous lets scare them they move out of my space. She is actually rather brainy and a good example of horses needing routine and if that routine changes well you can get a wild confused horse or one looking for guidance from me. Also when she gets paddock sour and you ignore her signs of telling you she acts up and backs my words up that if the people I ride with don’t go out when I say she is getting bored in the paddock and I can tell them she will do some nice fireworks they haven’t seen and think it’s not possible for her. Gypsy and I have a close bond that when were out on the trails she is constantly looking for my guidance and if she feels she can’t fit in the gap or that the ground is going to disapear or something she looks for my encouragement. I don’t know how to link Videos for you to see, I could put them on the groups wall, I also have just recently broke a harness racing horse into saddle who is coming along fine. For with Gypsy it be easy if you did see a video of her turning left when she wants and then when she dosen’t want to. I have learnt one thing out of watching the videos so far is that i do a lot of stuff the same as you. For years people told me that my way is all wrong and yet I get results. I keep saying to them pressure & release and alot of consistancy, I have a video of Gypsy going great along our road and 2 trucks comeing by and when I first started the road work we were a rearing, spinning oh try bolt home but correct and stop her imediately, and ask to go forward once they passed, I done the road work with trucks and cars nearly every day and with in a few months she was what I knew would happen a complete angel and just go forward or stop calmly and not worrying about the trucks at all.
Hi Janita,
sounds like you are doing great. To send the video the best way is the group or just upload it to youtube and send me a link to it over here 🙂 Consistency, and pressure release are the key 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek
When do you transition from a snaffle bit to a curb or shank bit?
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
it depends on the horse, some horses I just continue riding on the snaffle bit their whole life, especially the horses that react well, stop well, back up well and do not go against the pressure. Basically I switch to shank bit usually when I want to use less pressure to get my horse to lower his head or he continues to not react well enough on the bit. I usually consider the switch after years of training.
Radek
Thanks!
Hi Radek.. I wanted you to know that what you suggested in my last question about not being able to pick up my mares back leg worked. I only worked with her legs and the rope a few times and now I am able to clean all of her feet out. thank you. I have another problem. She is partly blind in one eye due to infection when she was a baby. She is 3 yrs old now and I’m starting to ride her. When working in round pen and lounging on her bad side she keeps turning around. I realize she is scared on that side but I think she can feel what I want from her. What can I do to help her relax and not be so spooky on that side? I don’t want her to be one sided and not be able to trust her if she gets scared in the future out on the trail. thank you again
Hi Melody,
that’s great that it worked. If she changes direction by herself in the roundpen just as soon as you see that she is starting to turn around, correct her and make sure she doesn’t. I would let her turn her head to the side or something, but otherwise if you just correct her from turning around she should be improving over time. There are a lot of blind horses, a lot of them it is hard to tell even that they are blind. Just correct her and she will improve 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek…Well we are improving in the round pen, I’m happy with Dixie’s progress. I was wondering if you had specific program step by step, week by week, training schedule for taking a young horse like Dixie (3 yrs old) from first rides to finished? I’m following your blueprint and watching the videos and reading your articles but I still feel like I go out to work with her without a goal. Just asking her to do things and working until she understands. Maybe that’s what it’s all about? I feel like I’m wandering and need a step by step program. I just ordered your side reins, but at what point in her training do I introduce them? If you already have videos that give that information can you please list them in order for me. I’m so excited to do things right with this horse and I love the way you teach. You are a blessing and I thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience. Happy Riding, Melody
Hi Melody,
thank you for the feedback! 🙂 Regarding the side reins, when to start using them and how to use them is described in third video of Ground Control. I use the sidereins even after I start riding. I alternate between riding and groundwork with use of side reins. They help to strenthen your horses back to get him more ready to carry the weight of the rider. The way I progress I tried to describe in the ground control and saddle contro. When you follow the ground control the things are explained in an order in which I practise them with my horses, there is nothing that i do that I skipped in there. I was thinking about creating some sort of scheldule, but it really varies quite a lot with each horse. In general I move through the exercises based on how well the horse does. But doesnt matter how well the horse does it, I always try to move further and get my horse to do it better and better, even if he is already very good, there is always some room to improve. I feel like once you stop trying to improve, things start getting worse. I consider the constatnt aim to be improving one of the most important things when it comes to ground work. During ground work it is not as crucial which exercises you start with first and which you do later. In the ridden exercises it is very important from the ground it is not as important. I am preparing a training process blueprint which is going to explain everything I do from the ground in a bit more detail, but it is likely to be ready only at the end of the year.
Radek
My horse is a thoroughbred. I am able to get her to do half pass, turn of forehand, turn on the hauches move her head to right and left, circles large and small put her head lower, stop without reins from a walk…
but I cannot get her to stop from a trot or canter without a great deal of pulling on the reins. Any suggestions to what I can try next?
Hi Katherine,
you can do a lot of exercises already, nice! 🙂 A lot of thoroughbreds have issues with stopping, they were sort of breed that way. What helps me with horses that do not want to stop without reins helps me is to say the command to stopping and if the horse doesnt stop, pull the reins in around two seconds. Some horses take longer, some not as long, but every horse will sooner or later learn what the verbal command means and will start stopping without the reins. It is also important to really relax in the saddle and imagine as if your horse was already standing still, that can also really help with getting her to stop without pulling the reins.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a 10yr old Fjord. I’ve had him for 7 months.. I have a small arena to work my horse, but not a round pen. When I want my horse to lunge, he just turns to face me. Sometimes, I can get him to lunge for a few minutes, but then he just turns to face me and when I try to get by his side, he just keeps turning. What can I do so get him to lunge?? He’s pretty easy going, doesn’t get excited about anything, but if he doesn’t want to do something, I have to be forceful. Sometimes I can verbally ask him to move over and he does and other times I have to make him move over.
Hi Claudia,
there is actually a video where I show how to solve it when he just stands like this facing you and doesnt want to go on a circle. You can find it in the third video of ground control. It is I think right after the first minute of the video. The video shows me kind of chasing the horse around. The important thing is to not give your horse a break when he is facing you, you have to keep urging him the whole time that he is facing you without any delay or a break in between. He has to realize that if he does it, you will keep bothering him until he starts going on the circle. Just keep urging him until he goes on the circle.
Radek
I am enjoying your videos and training very much. I have a 18 year old gelding ridden on and off but barely trained until he was 15 years old. I owned his mother too and rode her more often because she was well trained. I am over fifty now and know at times I have confidence issues, however my biggest problem seems to be riding with my gelding we will mount find and start walking fine and then he seems to get irritated in the cinch area and starts biting and want to stop or act like he wants to go to the washroom… if I continue to push him through because he will stop every few minutes if I let him he either goes along fine or gets more and more irritated with me almost to the point of not going forward at all… any suggestions would be appreciated. ps I have done lots of ground work, he leads fine forward backwards etc…
Hi Kim,
sometimes horses act very differently from the ground and from the saddle. In general horses are usually more difficult to handle if someone started riding on them later on when they were already older rather then when they were still young. Starting to ride and teaching something new to a 15 year old horse is much more difficult and takes much longer than if the horse was younger. It is really a significant difference. I worked with horses that started beeing ridden this late and it was always difficult. They can learn but often when they get good, they also get too old to be ridden by that time already. The way I work with horses who started later is exactly the same as I do with a young one, the only difference is that with an older horse it is going to be much more difficult.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have just ordered the rope halter from you as I know they are very good. Can you tell me if it is ok to tie your horse with this kind of halter please?
Hi Leonie,
thank you for getting my halter! Sure you can definitely tie your horse with one of my halters on. 🙂
Radek
hi Radek, Irefer to your video ” walk” at the minute 4.44 :bending the neck on left and right side, while walking straight .
can you explain how you can manage that ?
I can do it on the ground ( …. more or less…) but I am not able on the saddle.
my horse is an old one ( 22 years old) and unfortunately pretty stiff. and I feel that this job could help him a lot.
thks and nice evening
barbara
Hi Barbara,
it is going to be more challenging with an older horse to do this exercise. But it would definitely be helpfull. The key is to get your horse to react very well on the pressure of your leg. So you can push him to the side, or in this case, prevent him from turning as you ask him to turn his head. Try to practise side passes and turn on the haunches. Also it is much easier to start practising turning your horses head to the side while riding on the circle, try to get your horse to turn his head towards the center of the circle. Focus on getting your horse to just turn his towards the inside of the circle without making it smaller. When you manage that, try to get him to make the circle bigger while his head is still turned towards the inside. When you learn that it is going to be much easier to turn his head to the side while walking straight. If you are still having issues, you can try to be walking next to a fence that will help you as well. When you learn to turn his head to the side while walking straight to both directions you should have a pretty good control over where your horse goes.
Radek
Good Morning, I have a 4 year old Friesian that is really going well on your program, he is soft and reacts well on small pressure. Since last week I have been having problems with him in the walk to trot transition, he never did this and has been in the saddle for 10 months now. When I ask for the transition I would say trot and if there is not quick enough reaction I will put light pressure on with both legs. When he hears the word trot he throws his head up and I really have to increase the pressure before he starts to trot, but now every time is a battle where he use to be soft and quick on the command.
I did not change any tack and ride with the same boots and spurs.
Regards
Hi Jaceline,
I am not sure what exactly the problem is, I think it could be that the horse is getting bored. Maybe you are doing similar exercises over and over again, or you are not trying to be improving further. I am not sure if it is your case since I have not seen what exactly is happening but it is often the case. It is good to always try to be learning new exercises and improving the way your horse does the ones he already knows. Each training session should be different, or you can also be changing the environment a bit so it doesnt become too stereotypical for the horse.
Radek
Hi Radek,
In the store there is the option of buying a copy of either of the training options on DVD for $10. Does one receive the complete training for either ground work/saddle control etc on DVD or only one video or how does that work?
Angelique
Hi Angelique,
there is the whole training system on the DVDs. All the videos that you find in the members area for that training system are going to be in the box. We have this option mainly for people who are having issues with playing the videos or online, or just prefere to watch them from a DVD.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a horse which was born and raised here. He has always been good in traffic but a few weeks back he suddenly spooked badly at a flat bed truck which had traffic cones in the back. Thought this strange as he has worked in the arena with cones all his life. The problem was this happened in a narrow country lane so there was no room to do circles and change of direction with a truck at the side of you. He did the same when the truck came back and passed us.
This has affected my confidence as I do not know why this has started and I do not know what to do when you have not got room to move the horse about. What should I do?
Thank you
June
Hi June,
I see, if your horse knows the cones from the ground it doesnt mean he is not going to get scared of them in another situation. It is quite common. It is hard to be solving anything in a narrow space as you said. What I do is that I at least turn his head away from the truck, that tells him that I do not consider the truck important. If he continues to be scared of trucks it is good to find a place where there is a lot of space next to the road, where you have space to work with him. I usually solve it like that, you dont have to be solving it in the narrow spot because that would be very difficult. Solve it first somewhere safer where you and your horse have space.
Radek
Hi Rakek,
Thank you for the reply. I would just like to make sure, if I click on the link ($10) for DVD at the bottom of the video, do I get sent a DVD with all the videos for in that training system for $10. Also do you post to South Africa, there is not a link where one can download the videos perhaps?
Hi Angelique,
yep when you order the DVDs for 10usd you do get all the videos in that particular program you ordered the videos for. Usually there are 2 or 3 dvds for each program and you do get all of them for the 10 dollars.
Radek
Thanx for the answer. Just about the postage to South Africa, does it get posted to South Africa, or is there a link at which one can then download the videos?
Hi Angelique, yes when you get the DVDs they can be posted to South Africa no problems, the postage is already included in the price. The videos are not available for download but you can always watch them from over here 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I am battling to get one of my mares to canter. I have been doing the ground work and am now at the 3rd video of the ground work. She does everything else very good, and obeys excellently, but I battle to get her to canter. she will just start trotting faster and faster and then she will give a few steps in canter and then back to a very fast trot. Can you please direct me to one of your videos where to get a horse to canter or help me with what I could do please.
Thank you
Angelique
Hi Angelique,
it is not unusual to have issues with getting your horse canter. The easiest way to overcome it is by working with your horse in a roundpen. In the roundpen all you have to focus on is just asking your horse to speed up to canter. The roundpen guides your horse on the circle, you can have your horse on the lunge line or you can be free lunging. I would use a long lunging whip to ask your mare to canter. It is not about spanking her once hard to make her canter. Just keep asking repeatedly, do not try to scare your mare. Just keep constantly urging her until she goes to canter. When she does go to canter if you know that after a certain time she is likely to slow down again, try to start urging her again just before you think she would slow down. In the begging try to get her to canter one circle. Try to get her to do one circle without slowing down to trot. Then you can let her rest and try to canter in the oposite direction. If she hesitates to go to canter you can increase the pressure by just walking closer to her. Also when she goes to canter pay attention to staying close to her sort of behind her rear, like it is shown in the video, so you can urge her better in case you know she is likely to slow down again. In around a week she should already be able to do three circle in canter.
Radek
Thank you so much for the answer, I have a much better picture now of how to get her to the canter. I would also just like to make sure about the size of the round pen. What size is the round pen you use? As I was wondering if the round pen I am using could perhaps be too small for her, that she battles to get her strides going? It is an Arab mare.
Thanx
Hi Angelique the best diameter for a round pen is 18m (60feet) but anywhere between 16m (52feet) and 20m (65feet) is just fine 🙂 For your Arab mare the 18 metres ion diameter should be perfect and pretty much fits all horses.
Radek
Hi Radek
When mounting from the mounting block. As soon as I reach the top of the mounting block he moves backwards. I have a bad knee so I have to use steps. He waits until I reach the top before moving. What should I do?
Linda
Hi Linda,
in this case it is good to teach him to move towards you from the ground. Get a longer whip and sort of reach over your horse and tap him on his back or ideally a little bit from the other side. Keep tapping him until he does a step towards you. When you teach him to move towards when you tap him with a whip you can use the same technique when he moves when you are trying to mount. I am going to be making a video on this, so stay tuned. i will post it in the Facebook group when it is ready 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
I would like to buy all of the training systems to have available when I’m not able to be online but I’d prefer to get them on a flash drive. Is it possible to purchase them on flash drive (rather than DVD)?
Lorraine
Hi Lorraine,
sure I can send it to you on a flash drive. However since they are much more expensive than DVDs it would be 20usd instead of 10 per training system.
Radek
I already have an account and purchased a halter but cannot register since I already have an account. I would like to keep the same account email and password.
Please help.
Thank you
Hi Marie, I have answered you on your email.
Hi Radek. I have an 8 year old Anglo Arab cross Connemara who has not been ridden for 2 years. I have started training her again and have followed all your steps from groundwork to riding her. She responds well on the ground but it is very difficult to keep her moving forward. I have never used spurs and I am a bit unsure how she would react to them but I am exhausted just getting her to walk. She is ok if my husband walks in front of her and she follows but seems to lack confidence on her own.
She has a very friendly temperament and enjoys her work. Can you help. Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi David,
you do not need spurs if you are not comfortable using them. I would reccomend using a whip instead. It is probably better and easier to use. If you want your horse to start walking ask twice. First time ask using low pressure, the second time ask using more pressure than the first time. If your horse still doesnt go, ask him to go using the whip. Use enough pressure to get an exxagerated reaction from your horse. You do not want her to just start walking, you want an exagerated reaction, your horse should realize at this point that he should have done something differently. Always use the whip if your horse doesnt react on your leg the second time. If you are consistent with it, it should improve quite quickly.
Radek
Hi Radek, I am trying to teach my part Arab to jump. Treats it as a scary object. I was practicing just poles on the floor with a wing each side. She tripped over the cross pole then the wing fell and she broke it. Now she has gone worse and does not want to go near the poles. I can get her over but it is obvious she is afraid. I would like to go further and jump a course eventually. She is 8 years old and spooky. She has a good jump but is afraid of everything.
I have practiced with objects and slowly she is good and even gone around the area with a black plastic bag over one ear and trailing behind her. She is a good learner but I would like to know how to proceed with the poles
Hi Linda, I would start with something as simple as possible. for example lay the pole or osmething on the ground and walk over it until she completely calms down. Then try it in trot, and then in slow canter. Always wait until she gets completely comfortable. Try to let her to discover that everything is ok on her own, do not push her too hard, but at the same time do not let her go until she relaxes around the scary poles. Arab horses in general take a bit longer to realize that something is not scary so it is good to be patient with them.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a 13 year old TB gelding who walks ahead of me and I try to stop him and have him walk behind me.
He will walk behind me and then speed up to walk ahead of me.
I would stop him and then make him back up. then start walking again. then the process starts over again.
He also is staring off in different directions and when I try to get his attention (eye) he has a blank look in his eye and does not even seem to notice me even though I would make him move his hind end to try to get his attention. He just goes through the motion of moving his hind end and then keeps staring at what ever has his attention like I was not even there.
How do I get him to follow behind me in a respectful distance since I correct him through out our 1 hr walk.
Hi Grace,
my guess is that it would help you if you corrected your horse quicker. Usually it takes long to improve this if you react too slow. Your reaction has to be immediate when he starts getting too close already correct him. You can try to stand infront of him facing his head and then start walking backwards watching him going forward. Keep your eyes on the horse and as soon as he makes the distance shorter correct him.
If he is not looking at you, pull on the lead rope and just ask him to turn his head towards you. Again try to do it as quickly as possible when you see that he is turning his head to look at something different. When you are asking your horse to start walking you do not ask him in any specific way other than that you start walking. Then again you ask him to stop by just stopping yourself. Do not do anything else. If he doesnt start walking or stops too close to you then just correct him and back him up to where he is supposed to be. Also you can try a little exercise in the beggining. Get a whip and stand infront of your horse. Get him to a certain distance and just stand still. If he moves closer to you, just correct him immediately with the whip and ask him to back to where he was.
Radek
Hi Radek. I haven’t recieved a reply from you and just wanted to check you received my last question about moving forward in the saddle. Many thanks. Margaret latto
Hi Margaret,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Radek
Hi Radek. I’m finding the training programme really good. I have a rescued 3 year old Gypsy Pony who was backed a few months ago. He’s doing very well and is very responsive particularly in the halter I bought off you. He has always been ridden bitless. My problem is that he eats at any opportunity when we hack out. He is out in the day, comes in at night. Has hay and a low calorie feed and mineral supplement. He can be very strong when he wants to get his head down to eat a nice bit of grass.
Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks. Pam
Hi Pam,
in this case it is super important to be consistent and never ever let your horse eat when you are in the saddle. It is going to be very hard in the begging, I would probably use some kind of side reins to prevent him from going all the way down with his head because you will probably not be able to hold his head up just using your hands. With side reins he would immediately realize that it just doesnt go lower. After some times you would be able to stop using them and just correct him with the reins if necessary.
Radek
I have been trying your method of circling when my horse spooks but she is still the same. There is a line of bushes down one side of the arena and a break in the bushes where she can see through. When the wind moves the trees it is movement and sound that gets to her and she spooks. How do I handle this?
Hi Linda,
I am not really sure what to reccomend other than getting your comfortable with the place everytime he gets scared. When he gets scared, turn his head away from the bushes, and start getting closer and closer. Get all the way there and wait until your horse completely relaxes. Try to stay completely calm yourself. If you get stressed or anoyed that he is scared of it again, he will sense it and he will think that you are scared of the bush as well. With some horses it can three months to fix something like this. But if you get them to relax right next to the scary thing every time, it will go away eventually.
Radek
Hi Radek
Jeff is going very well in his halter on the trail.
He has never been shod and is kept out during the day but in at night.
My question is should I pick out his feet before taking him out hacking?
Thanks
Pam
Hi Pam,
yep I would definitely pick our his feet before taking him out hacking. He could have a rock for example stuck in his feet and get problems because of it.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 year old Standard Bred mare. I have only had her since May 2018 and I am trying to learn how to work with her and teach her. I have had horses in the past but never did “training” with my horses on my own. I am trying to be a leader for her.
When I enter her paddock she will come to me and stop just enough distance to smell my hand. Then when I reach out to stroke her head she backs up and raises her head up and away. What can I do to encourage her to not back up and accept my attempts to touch her?
Thanks for any help,
Judith
Hi Judith,
in this case just slow all your movements down. Every single movement should be a lot slower. In case she backs up infront of you, just move very slowly towards her and try to touch her again. Walk very slowly and move your hands very slowly. Your horse will be much more confident and less scared if you are moving very slowly.
Radek
thanks so much for answering and for the advice! I am excited to follow your training and see improvements.
Awesome 🙂
Hello Radek,sorry it’s been a while ,work commitments health issue in family..but we are comming out the other side..
I’m training a young horse of very close clients ground wrk comming along there daughter rides onlg wen im there we are doing basic walk trot tranistions ,getting him used to pressure by leg..iv had to do a little more on this on ground as he occasionally has tendancy to shoot forward at speed like something has shot up his behind..can you suggest anything else ..iv put ropez round him used varios traing methods to get him used to having thinhs there and he is fine…but nog stopped thos occasionsl shooting forward wen on him ??? any advice would be appreciated thanks Beverley Pecka
Hi Beverley,
some horses are super sensitive to certain aids. It doesnt matter how other horses reacted, some horses freak out when you move your hand a little bit. Try to focus on your movements and make all of them very slow and fluid. She might be reacting on a certain movement you, or the daughter of your client is making.
Radek
Hi, I wanted to know in your opinion,at what age do you suggest do you start to ride ? My horses are 20 months I’ve been lunging them with a saddle and they are both doing very well in their ground manners .
Thank you ,
Brenda
Hi Brenda,
I usually start riding when my horses are around 2 and a half years old. Around 30 months old. But it depends on the breed, quarter horses are fine with 30 months, but for example arab horses I would start riding quite a lot later, somewhere between 3 and 4 years old.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I’ve watch all the videos for ground work,
My horses are doing great !! I’m just wondering
What’s next ? They are 20months old so I can’t start riding yet ! Is there something else I can be doing to prepare them for riding ? I’ve already been lunging with a saddle and side reins .
I’m wondering should I placepoles on the ground to get their coordination down ?
I’m at a stand still 🤔 thanks ahead of time for your help Brenda
Hi Brenda,
puting some poles on the ground is a good idea 🙂 In this phase I usually focus on getting the horse to maintain a steady pace by himself, and also on getting them to make the circle perfectly round. At this stage it is good to not overdo it young horses can get bored of doing the same things if you work with them too often and then they might get worse temporarily.
Radek
Hi Radek
My horse have been out on another property and one of them is terrified of floating due to him being sick once and falling many times. I can get him on the float with a bit of difficulty once on he is a mass of sweet due to fear. He can be floated if he has the whole float to himself , but if i put my mare on he cant get his footing around any corner no matter how slow or careful I go. He scrambles every turn. The last time floating him with my mare now has her harder to get on and she was good. What should I do. Also I tied them up to the float to spray them for flies(bad move) again my mare was good to spray then when I went to do my gelding He lost the plot smashed into me I was thrown into her and knocked under her feet. She went totally nuts. She is now scared on tieing to the float(impossible to spray) and in the rope halter I am worried it has damaged her as she is so nervous and seems to be hurting behind the ears( It was one I bought from some clinic for ground work.) Is it dangerous using rope halters on horse rearing and going nuts? It pulls right down to her nose and has rubbed her bottom gums raw too. It seems even tied to her normal post if she pulls back now she goes nuts rearing and hurting herself. Please any advice on these problems. Regards Angelina
Hi Angelina,
it seems to me that you have the right approach, I have so far not seen a horse getting hurt by a rope halter, but I am not saying it cannot happen. It probably can. I would probably just continue using a rope halter. If your halter slides too much maybe getting one in a size that fits better would help. Otherwise I am not really sure what to recomend in your case.
Radek
I’ve asked a question ! Your supposed to be there to help yet I’ve gotten no response?
Hi Brenda,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Radek
Just an update. I seem to have a problem with my horse being tied up to anything. I am not game to tie her at all now. She stands still no worries to rug, brush, do her feet myself, or saddle up untied. This is ok at home but how do i retrain her to not rear and go nuts when tied fast to a post ,rail ,or float. when ;out. I am scared to try again only to enforce the wrong habits. Please help Angelina
Hi Angelina,
I know basicaly two ways to teach a horse to stand still while tied to something.
The first one is to put two halters on at the same. They do not have to be rope halters, web halters are fine as well. Then get two strong lead ropes. Then just tie your horse to something strong and make sure the area around it is as safe as possible. then just let your horse tied, let him tied until he calms down. You have to leave him there until he calms down and stops trying to get away.
The second way is to get your into a box stall or a small enclosure and put one halter on, then tie him to a rubber rope. The rope should be able to stretch to all corners of the box. The point over here is that your horse will be able to move with his halter around his box stall to all corners, but if he gets further from the point where he is tied to the rubber rope will be pulling him to get back but not hurt him. Eventually he will realize that it is just better to stand still where the rubber rope is not pulling him anymore.
One of these should help, in your case probably the one with the stretchy lead rope would be safer.
Radek
Refer,
I don’t understand how you can say
You have a couch ready to help when the questions asked aren’t answered?
Disappointed, BrendaT
Hi Brenda,
I appologize, we had some strange issue with the system and it was not showing me the messages people write. Now I was wondering why is there nothing and we discovered there was a problem and retrieved everything. I have answered your question, hope the answer will still be at least a little bit helpful.
Radek
Radek purchase your training information on trail riding. there has not been any new information added to this segment. do you plan on updating or sharing new ideas?
Hi Jan,
we are not planing any updates to the trail riding at the moment. Can you access all the chapters? There is quite a lot of content. We are now just working on training process blueprint from the ground and on a training on how to start a horse. So these two should come first and then we see what to work on next 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek and thank you for educational videos!
I have a question. Me and my friend have taken care of 2 trotter (Swedish, non-passers) who competed on trotting track and monte´ up to a year ago. We intend to educate them and I see it as a fun project. Love the trotters temprament and attitude to work. To the question, one of the horses is very tense when brushing and fixing with him, jerking at the slightest movement or sound. He is very kind and as soon as he gets the saddle and saddle on it gets better (not perfect). He is also very scared of his head and snatches and puts his head up when brushing him there. How do you think we should do to make him more relaxed?
Kind regards
Bodil
Hi Bodil,
I would just really slow down all the movements you are making. If the horse ever got hit on the head by someone in the past, he is going to be very nervous of things moving close to it. Just make your every move a lot slower and and your horse will calm down and get more confident. Walk slower, move your hand a lot slower and it should be much better.
Radek
I have had a Dutch Warmblood 16.2 for 2 weeks now. Several problems. Food aggression, he lunges towards me when holding a net or bucket. I make him back off and then put in food, any way to improve this? Going out into the field, he pulls free and gallops away, same coming in. Easy to catch but can just take off back to the farm. I lunged him in the field before walking him back to the stable but am loosing my confidence handling him. He is also difficult to tie up as he paws objects towards him and meddles. He has broken 2 boxes pulled over a bucket with droppings and pulled off rugs from a rack. It is hard to find a place to tie him where there are no objects. If I tie up in his stable he sometimes crushes me against the wall. If the hay net is in he will put his ears back and show his teeth but lets me continue to rug up etc. I have to use a mint to get the bit in his mouth or his head jerks up and down. All this makes me exhausted before I ride. To ride he is perfect.
Hi Linda,
it seems that your horse has a very dominant temper. From the ground it is super important to be consistent. He always needs to maintain at least a one meter distance from you. If he gets closer, immediately back him up. He should never get closer to you than one meter by himself. Sometimes it appears that the horse does the step towards you by accident, however it is never an accident. You have to corrrect your horse under all circumstances. Always correct him using appropriate pressure based on how agressively he went closer to you. It should improve quite quickly, however you have to be super consistent at all times. You cannot just correct him “when you are working him” you have to be correcting him always. Also take a look at the video in bonus section called 2 things that solve 90 percent of all issues.
Radek
I have a nervous mare who makes quick decisions and is cautious about her personal safety. On a small group trail ride, she was afraid to step over the raised metal pipe which keeps motorcycles off the trail, even though the 3 horses ahead of her went over it. I worked with her as you teach, but her response was to back up a long way and to be unstoppable. I saw it as a refusal to go forward and soon dismounted and moved to her side and used taps with a whip on her hind quarters and verbal reward when she took a step forward. Finally, we got to the scary pipe, where she drew the line. She would not go over the pipe, but she would go backward. I tried then taking over her backing, directing and prolonging it a few feet, then moving to her side and asking for forward. She continued to refuse at the pipe, so my taps got harder, whereupon she began to kick and my taps became punishment for kicking. We never got over the pipe and my friends were disgusted with me for beating my horse. This is a very serious matter as refusal to go forward can be dangerous on the trail. She has used backing before to resist standing next to a trail gate I use for schooling at home but we have overcome that each time. My questions are: What would you have done differently and do you think the choice to back up can be overcome? Linda
Hi Linda,
actually there is a video on prety much this exact issue. If you have Trail Control there is a video in the 4th chapter. It is video 22. it shows what I do in this case. It was not a pipe but it was a raised little wooden path. The horse also was refusing to walk over it for years because he fell off it once and then never wanted to go on it since.
The key is to not give up until your horse goes over it, you should be mentally determined to stay there over night if necessary, your horse will be able to feel it. Stay calm, and keep asking her to go forward. You do not need to be increasing the pressure very much if she still doesnt want to move after a long time. Try to keep her moving. Get her close to the obstacle, keep asking her to go forward, if she is refusing, ask her to turn to the side, then to the other side, the ask her forward again, if she doesnt go then ask for turning to left, turning to right, then ask for forward again. Rather then increasing the pressure too much it is important to not stop asking, do not give your horse a break. He can only have a five second break after he did a step forward. Keep her feet moving if not forward then to the sides, and just do not go away until she goes over it. Try to not use so much pressure that she would start kicking or freaking out. Getting down from your horse and trying to get him to walk over the obstacle from the ground is a good move, it is usually much easier to solve it from the ground. Then the super important thing after you finaly manage to get your horse over the obstacle is to keep walking over it there and back until your horse completely relaxes. Then the same from the saddle. It is going to take time again, your horse will probably get nervous again once you get in the saddle, but it will be easier, again just walk there and back until your horse relaxes completely. Also when you manage to walk over it, try to go there again tomorrow. Your horse might not want to go straight away but it will be much easier. Regarding your riding friends, it is good to go with someone that would not mind being there with you as you are solving it, no matter how long it will take. If they were nervous for you to be done already, I would just tell them to go ahead and solve it by yourself.
Radek
Is it possible to download the videos as sometimes the internet is so slow the video stops every few seconds. Very annoying ! Nicola
Hi Nicola,
saddly it is not possible to download them at the moment. However we can send them to you on a flash drive or a DVD 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
Just want to ask, for a new horse that is being trained for riding, do I have to start out with a bride and bit or can i start out straight away with just the halter if she has responded very good to all the ground work?
Thanx alot.
Angelique
Hi Angelique,
you can surelly start just riding on the halter straight away. However I usually start riding on a bit. Simply because if you start with a bit, your horse will get comfortable with it much easier than if you start riding on a halter and then for some reason have to ride with a bit. I would start with riding with a bit, and then switch to riding on a halter. Like that if you have to switch to bit it is significantly easier. Also some horses are better on a bit some while ridden on a halter. If you try both, you will see what your horse preferes.
Radek
Hi Radek!
I have a 5 year old Tennessee Walker mare whom I’ve had since she was 1. I’ve really enjoyed your training series and it has helped me a lot with working with her and getting her ready for trail riding. My struggle is that, because she’s a Tennessee Walker, the trotting exercises don’t come easy for her. She’s more pacey which I would like to discourage. Do you know much about gaited horses and if so are there any adjustments to help support her desired gaits? She also has a hard time holding a canter going counter clockwise. Are there any exercises to help develop that direction?
Thanks.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
what helps to calm down the pace in trot is just staying in trot for longer. I reccomend for example staying in trot for 20 – 30 minutes. Just stay in trot riding around, doing circles to both directions and so on. When you stay in trot for longer your horse will realize that it is better to save his energy and he will relax the pace and naturally slow his pace down. It is good to be riding like this five or six times per week. If you have these long trot riding sessions six or five times a week with most horses you will see improvements in a month or two.
Regarding the canter, it would be ideal to get a roundpen and lunge your horse there. Try to get your horse to stay in canter for at least two to three circles. it doesnt matter if you are free lunging, or if your horse is on a lunge line. Most horses have a place where they slow down. Try to watch out for it, and if you think your horse will slow down, start urging him to speed up right before the place where he usually slows down. As soon as you get your horse to do two to three circles without slowing down to trot, you can work on keeping him in canter for more and more circles.
Radek
Good Morning Radek, I wanted to ask your thoughts on horse personality with regards to horse training. I had really never thought about it before with previous horses, but my 9 year old apalloosa gelding has made me think about this aspect recently as every ” methology” I had used didn’t seem to work or was very limited with him. Other people are very quick to label him as stubborn and lazy, though I have always believed he was unmotivated and needs variety in his training. I can make him do stuff but clearly he gets aggravated and angry when I do this. So I adopted a much calmer approach with him which over time has built up a bond between us and mutual respect.. He is a left brain introverted horse and I also am analytical and a thinker rather being reactive…….I am not sure if this is a recipe for disaster or a match made in heaven?
Hi Ali,
horses have all sorts of tempers. What I think matters the most is whether your horse makes you happy. If you like working with your apalloosa, and enjoy your time with him, then you are a good match. If you do not enjoy being with your horse, or are scared around him, then I would consider getting a different horse. I would not look for more than just looking whether you enjoy working with such horse.¨
Radek
Hi Radek, I started with the first video and I have tried it with my horse yesterday. It is not that bad… He reacts pretty good to low pressure on the back-hand but not at all on the forehand even with hard pressure… How can I improve ?
Second question : Why do so much poeple say that you have to be rude to your horse when he doesn’t listen ? Is to hitmy horse a good way to get what I want ?
Hi Stefany,
with the turn on the forehand it makes it easier to get your horse to stand against a wall and then urge him. I am not sure what exactly is happening from what you are saying. The best would be if you could send me a quick video of what is happening so i can give you a better advice 🙂 You can upload it on youtube and send me a link here or post it in our facebook group.
Radek
Thank you Radek, It finally was a matter of time… I’ve been practicing and it is better ! It was just a matter of time…
Great I am glad things are getting better Stefany 🙂
Good morning radek. First I want to say thank you for helping me being a better rider with a happy horse. Here are my concerns :
I have 50% of Apollon’s respect, my 5 years old guelding. We are together since last march ( 6 months ) and his first owner used to fight with him to get wath she wanted so taht he doesn’t react to low pressure ( on the ground and on the saddle ). He was used to be pushed really hard and I don’t know how to ”undo” this habit. For example he would start walking only if I kick him very hard or if I use a whip.
Also, when I ask him to back up ( on the ground so far ) he won’t. He is not reacting to any kind if pressure. I have to take the alter and push his head really hard if I want to have one step back from him and I don’t like it, no more than him.
What to do ?
Hi Stefany,
to be honest, there is no easy way to fix the problems you are having. That being said it is not impossible. It will just take a long time.
There are two critical things that you need to solve it.
You said that you are using a lot of pressure, however, your horse doesn’t react well. I understand that it could be really a lot of pressure, however who decides about the amount of pressure is really your horse. You cannot be comparing him to other horses.
First imagine how you want your horse to react. Then ask him using low pressure, After he doesnt react, use very large pressure, large enough to make him do what you want him to do. The problem with horses that require a lot of pressure is that someone in the past most likely was not consistent. When you ask your horse to do something, he doesnt do it, so you ask again, in your eyes already using a lot of pressure and your horse still doesnt do it.
A lot of people just give up and stop asking for whatever they want their horse to do because they feel like they are using too much pressure. That is what teaches horses to react on high pressure. They learn that if they can stand being kicked hard, there is a chance for them to not listen to you. So with a horse like this it is super important to always get your way, even when you think you are using too much pressure.
You have to keep asking and use enough pressure to get your horse to do what you are asking. If you do this, in the begging you might have to be using even more pressure than you are now used to, However if you always start with low pressure, and then come with big pressure and you always make sure that your horse does what you wanted in the end, he will eventually realize that it makes no sense for him to get kicked hard if he will have to do what you are asking anyways.
Then he will start reacting on low pressure, because he will know that there is no way to not do what you want anyways. It takes time but if you are completely consistent you can fix it and get your horse to react on low pressure. If you want more details on what I do, I also have an article on this over here: https://radeklibal.com/my-horse-is-too-lazy/
Radek
Thank you ! As long as I know I can solve it I will work hard… It will probably take time but I will do it ! I am as hardheaded than him ;0)
Hi Radek,
Your videos are helping me so much, thank you. I am working with a 3 year old Connemara mare. She does the big and small circles in walk nicely but when I try to get her to relax her head and neck as you demonstrated she turns her whole body to the left or right. Do you have any suggestions for how I can encourage her to keep moving forward and just bend her head and neck?
Many thanks
Alice
Hi Alice,
I see, I would first try walking on a small circle, then ask her to turn her head towards the inside, then make sure you move both of your hands towards the outside of the circle, so they are on the outside of your horses neck. Both of your hands holding reins should be there like that to the side. Then use your inned leg and create pressure. Press your horse approximately on the level of his cinch. Then your outter leg should be moved away from your horse. What I am asking for in this case is for my horse to do two steps sideways making the circle bigger. You might also have to pull gently on the reins if your horse speeds up a bit. It is difficult to get your horse to do that first step sideways. In the begging as soon as you get one step, release the pressure. Do not ask for it too many times in one day. It takes time, but you will manage 🙂 If you struggle you can help yourself with a riding whip. But be very very gentle to not make your horse go faster. just gently tap him on the inside shlouder. When you manage to do this exercise with your horse stepping out of the circle sideways you will have no problems getting her to turn her head only, as I was doing it in the video.
Radek
Hi!
I ride bitless, I mostly use a side pull bridle. I wonder if I use the same cues as you show with a bit.
Cheri
Hi Cheri, yep it is bassicaly the same. The main difference is that with a side pull bridle, you should not ride with your reins tensioned. They should be lose, unless your are asking your horse to do something.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have an 11 month old thoroughbred/stock horse filly whom I am having issues with biting. She is halterbroken, and leads well the majority of the time, ties up well and I am able to do her feet whilst she is just standing in the paddock with a rope over her withers.
Probably every third or fourth time I do anything with her she will put her ears back and bares her teeth very aggressively, I have reprimanded her very severely when I hear her teeth snap near me by giving her a couple of very hard yanks on her halter , backing her up and lunging her a couple of circles, but otherwise am trying to use my voice as I feel that she sort of wants me to escalate the behaviour so that I stop doing what I am doing eg, brushing her. Anything that I introduce she will try to bite aggressively, for example a different brush.
She has always had attitude as her mother is very meek and calm and I never saw her discipline her , her behaviour and attitude improved when I put her in with my gelding.
She has never stopped me doing anything that I was doing but I am concerned that this behaviour may continue making it dangerous for other people as she usually is so pleasant and quiet and then changes with no obvious reason
Hi Pip,
I would focus on getting her to always maintain her distance from you and be super consistent. The video “2 things that solve 90% of all issues” in the bonus section or problem shows the things that will help you. For example when you groom her she should not be turning her head towards you her head should be straight and she should be standing still not getting closer to you. Your horse seems like she needs you to be very consistent.
Radek
Hi Radek.
I often have a lot of trouble loading my horse Rusty into my float. It can take three people to load him. He was getting really good and following me in with a tail rope which always worked, but after i made a change to the float that he didn’t like he now is reluctant to go in even after i removed the problem. I love taking him to new places, and ones he is in the float he travels like a dream, and will stand in there all day. He unloads slowly most of the time. I don’t want to make the experience traumatic and always reward him once he is in. I want to know if there is any other trick I can try to encourage him to want to go in himself. I would love if I could teach him to self load but i don’t know how. Or at least be able to load him easily by myself.
Can you please help me
Jessica (Australia)
Hi Jessica,
when I had issues to load my horse into a float what worked the best was to practise it often. If you only load your horse when you need to go somewhere he is going to sense that you are stressed and need to get somewhere. I would for example do a riding session, then load your horse into the float and after he is fully in, I would give him some carrots, let him eat the carrots, then just unload him without going anywhere. Practise that and it should get a lot better. When you are loading him, you don’t have to push him to get in there fast. Give him as much time as he needs but do not let him to back up away from the float, he should only be getting closer to it.
Radek
Hi Radek
I have been following your programs for sometime and it has help me heaps in training my green gelding and assisted me in gaining my confidence back after a fall. We are now at the stage of trail riding which he is very well behaved but if he gets to an obstacle such as a log to step over or a bridge he refuses to go forward if I really push it he attempts to rear, I can’t even get him to circle he just stands still, I know he isn’t frightened as he will do it at home or if he is following another horse. He is also very hard to get him to be the leader and would rather stay behind
Hi Margaret,
it seems like your horse doesn’t feel safe. The horses that do not like to go first are usually more scared than the others. I would go there by yourself no other behind you. If he goes over a bridge or a log at home it actually doesn’t mean much. Things like this happen often. There is a video on pretty much this exact issue in Trail Control if you have it. I was working with a horse that didn’t want to go on a wooden pathway. If you cannot get your horse to go over a log or on a bridge from the saddle and he rears. Try to get down and get him walk over it from the ground. It is likely to be easier. Once you manage that, walk there and back until your horse completely calms down. Then try it from the saddle. Likely it will again take a of effort but it should at least be possible once you managed from the ground. Also when you go with the intention of working on this, it is good to make sure you have enough time to be there until you solve it. If you have time to be back your horse will sense it and be even more difficult.
Radek
I have a Thoroughbred gelding who likes to play games when in the cross ties…..he paws incessantly and it becomes louder and more assertive the more I ignore it. If I turn around and face him, it stops immediately…..as soon as I turn my back or walk away, he starts again…..what can I do?
This is extremely annoying
Hi Tonia,
these things are very difficult to solve. The only thing I can think of is to just leave your horse there alone or you with your back to him until he stops pawing. If you always get back he is basically controlling you by pawing.
Radek
Hi Radek
some advice please – my horse is now 20 , we hack (trail ride) & compete in Trec competitions (don’t know if you have them over there) at which he is very good. I have had him since a 3 year old & he has always been a bit of a odd character. He has never been particularly forward going & can change from being a bit of a donkey to a race horse – also has a big buck / bound. I am now an older rider & he is about 16hh – cross bred TB / WB / cob. During the winter I am only able to get out & hack a couple of times a week & have to keep him going in the school – a mixture of ground work & ridden sessions. . I try to give him a variety of things to do to keep his attention but I need advice to help me keep his interest & encourage more forward movement without having to exert too much pressure.
I would be very grateful for any help you can give me.
I very much enjoy your articles & all the information you share – thank you .
Kathrine
Hi Katherine,
to maintain attention, you really have to keep your eye on your horse. As soon as you see that he is losing attention, you have to immediately get it back. You have to always be alert checking whether he is paying attention to you. You can get the attention back by asking him to do some simple things, one right after another. For example ask for a small circle to one side then to another and keep asking simple things until you get your horse to pay attention. Do that everytime you feel like you are losing his attention.
If you want your horse to be more forward going, try to keep him in faster paces in general, keep him in faster trot and even slightly faster canter. Start by asking using very low pressure, if nothing happens, then use more, if nothing happens still, use enough pressure to get an exxagaretaed reaction. You first need to be very gentle, use the low pressure you would like your horse to react on. But if he doesn’t listen after you ask two times, you need to use enough pressure to make your horse a bit uncomfortable and get an exaggerated reaction. If you use quite a lot pressure but your horse still barely goes to trot for example it is not enough pressure. Like that you just have to be using more and more over time. If you the low pressure and then the third time you use enough to get your horse to really wake up, he will start reacting on the initial small pressure so he doesn’t get to the third high pressure.
Radek
Hi Radek,
I have a Quarter Horse I’ve had for a year now. Never had any issues with him until now. He has started to break into the trot before asking, he is constantly doing this. He will come back to the walk when asked but will break back into the trot. He did get hurt and wasn’t worked very hard for about a month or 2. So wondering if this is a behavior issue. What can I do to get him to fix this?
Thanks,
Maria
Hi Maria,
I would immediately slow your horse down after he breaks into trot. When you see that he is likely to do it, take him on a very tight circle in walk. It is going to make it easier to keep him in walk. You can be doing tight circles to both directions in walk and wait for him to calm down. What could also help is if you lunged him before you go riding so he can get rid of some of the energy.
Radek
Hi Radek, I have a TB lease horse that I think is lame, but the owner says her vet checks him out fine. Getting him to trot is really a lot of work. Particularly when lunging to the left. I have a video that I would appreciate if you look at and give me your opinion. Thank you.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KIhOxOi4iE0e-_XlxQGX9h5m0Q4IknZQ
Hi Chris,
your lease horse definitely doesn’t seem ok, he is limping. Especially his front left leg doesn’t seem ok. I can’t tell what it is from the video. I would get another vet to take a look at him because there is something wrong. My guess is that the horse is in pain while walking and in trot it just gets worse, that is why doesn’t want to trot.
Radek
Hi Radek
I am trying to teach my horse to bend her head and neck as you recommend in your video. Is it important that she do this while working a circle or straight line as she always turns a tight circle?
Kellie
Hi Kellie,
you can do it on both straight lines and on circles. If you have issues with your horse making the circle smaller when you ask him to turn his head to the side I would start practising making the circle bigger. There is a video on it in the training process blueprint. It is about learning to get your horse to make the circle bigger by going sideways. After you manage that it is going to be easier to get your horse to turn his head to the side and still maintain good control over where he is going.
Radek
I have a rescue mare 8-10 years old. Thoroughbred seems to be her genetics. Extremely smart. Dominant. I have worked with her now for one year. Recently discovered she will not cross creek. Will back up into bushes. Flat refuses. I have tried both in saddle and from ground. What else can I try?
Hi Erica,
I would try to find a puddle first that is easy to enter for your mare. It is usually bit more difficult to enter a creek. Then start from the ground, gradually go closer. Your horse should be allowed to make steps closer to the puddle. Do not create huge pressure on your horse. Always let her get comfortable and then ask for another step. If she backs up immediately ask her to go back to where she was. After she backs up she should not get even one second of just standing still. Start asking her to get back to where she was immediately. After you can get her to walk through the puddle, it is going to be a lot easier to get her to walk through the creek.
Happy riding
Radek
Hi there, I have a yearling filly (TN Walker) I rescued from a kill pen. She’s very shy, untrained, unfed, thin, etc….not even halter broken. It’s obvious that no one has really handled her in any positive way. She needs a halter on, vet care, hooves trimmed, bath, etc but I’m still getting her to trust me. I’ve only had her one month. On her own, she will only get a foot from a person but spooks when you try to touch her or get too close. She has briefly nudged a hand with her mouth, but no more. She has really taken to the younger one of my two mares and follows her around often. I can get this filly out into the pasture by day and back in the barn at night by simply bringing the other horses in and out, letting the filly free to follow them wherever they go. Once the mares are in their stall for evening feeding, she goes into hers on her own. ANY tips or suggestions to get this filly to let us touch her, work with her and put on a halter will be appreciated. She is starting to gain weight and seems happy, especially when she gets to be around the young mare. We are starting from scratch…..
Hi Elizabeth,
I would start by going to your mares, touching them and put a halter on them, so your filly can see it. Put a halter on and take it from your mares a few times. Before you try to put a halter on your filly, you need to be able to touch her. Do everything very, veeery slowly. Your every movement should be slow. Approach her slowly, move your arms very slowly. When you get closer, she will still probably run away, but you just have to keep trying until she starts to stand still while you touch her. When you will be able to start putting on the halter again, you have to do things very slowly. Once you manage to put the halter on for the first time, it doesn’t mean that you will be able to put it on easily the next time as well. Once you manage to put it on, try it again right the next day, likely it will be quite difficult again, but easier than before. Good luck and have fun 🙂
Radek
Hi Radek,
When I ride my pony and I touch her with the whip either left or right side she kicks out at it is this her being disrespectful? I did your ground work and found she didn’t respect me and I’m working on that as well. She is very reluctant to trot which is very annoying. Do you have any suggestions please.
thanks
Heather
Hi Heather,
if your pony kicks out when you touch her with the whip what you need to do is touch her with it again right away. When you touch her with the whip, she kicks out and you do not touch her again, she is learning that when you touch her, she kicks out, you stop. So instead you need to touch her with again if she kicks out so she learns that kicking out with her leg is not the way to stop you from touching her with the whip. Only stop touching her with the whip once you touch her and she doesn’t kick out. Happy riding!
Radek
Hi Radek,
Thank you for this wonderful series! I have been very thankful for your videos on getting your horses attention. I have noticed improvement, but I’ve also realized that my little mayor has a bad habit of not paying attention to me, and about once or twice a year she gets scared of something and turns on a dime and takes off so fast I almost flap backwards onto her back! It always comes out of nowhere, when it seems like we’re having a great time. I have also been using your techniques to change things up as I ride her, such as going in a circle, using transitions, etc. Unfortunately, she knows these things well enough to perform them while still looking elsewhere part of the time! It is frustrating, because now I don’t trust her to go out on the trail or the road for fear she will get scared and take off and I will become a splat on the ground.
I have also started to take her on daily walks, changing direction, pace, and stopping, backing. This has been good, but when we go out of the driveway (we are on a small 10 acre ranch) she is so excited, walking out beautifully but not really paying attention to me anymore. Anything I’m doing wrong, or anything to add?
I feel I should also mention that our favorite thing to do is Rope/work cattle. When we go to the place I can do that (only once a week) she is so good! She loves it – loves working cattle and Roping. We’re still beginner stage, but she can head and heel. Happy place for both of us, and I want to be able to go out to gather cattle with these friends yet the last time we did that, she got so anxious when we separated from other horses that I was a little worried she would take off. Not fun, she definitely didn’t trust me more than the other horses.
Thank you,
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
I see, if she you are taking her on a circle, using transitions and so on to get her attention and calm her down and she still looks somewhere else, you just have to be turning her head towards you, or inside of the circle every time she looks away. Just keep calm and gently correct her, and get her looking to where you want to. Regarding the trail, I would just go somewhere on a field or something right next to your ranch, and just be riding there doing the same thing, making sure she pays attention to you and looks where you want her to look. Once she is good, you can try to go further from the ranch and do the same. Continue like that until she is focused on you no matter how far you get. If she is good with rope/work cattle, you should be able to fix the issues you are having.
Happy riding!
Radek
Hi. I have a 4 year old thoroughbred cross welsh cob who is currently broken in and at a trainers getting worked. He was going super on the ground and riding. Then one day he bolted down the road and would not listen to my instructor at all. Now he also pulls off the lead rope when she asks him to lunge around her in the arena both on and off the rope. He has learnt that he can get away with this. There is no way she can hold him when he does this. Is there some way to fix this problem? He is a nice horse but this is a dangerous habit.
Hi Michelle,
it is hard to solve this when you are not able to hold your horse when he tries to pull off. I would start by getting a good rope halter. A rope halter is the key here. Then you need a long lead rope. At least 4 to 5 meters long. It should be easy to hold in the hand. Sometimes your horse will just jump away and with a longer lead rope you will still manage to hold onto it. When you work with your horse you need to pay attention to where he is looking. Before your horse tries to pull on the lead rope and run away he is first going to turn his head away from you. So while working with him, his head needs to be always facing you, as soon as he starts to look even slightly away from you, you have to ask him to look at you again. If you manage that it is going to much more difficult for him to actually get lose and you will be able to fix this problem.
Happy riding!
Radek