Current mood:

aggravated

x-posted
Okay, so my 2 year old gelding has this habit of stopping and refusing to go forward. (His dam has the same habit, and was nearly ruined by an amatuer that allowed her to do this, and encouraged it by backing her. I think it's common of the Encoriva line.)

So today, I was just skimming old issues of Horse & Rider when I found an article by John Lyons on what not to do, and one of the columns was if your horse balked. He says do NOT slap them with your reins, a whip, or reach around and smack their hindquarters. He says it gives them a mixed message because when they bolt, you lean and/or hold back on the reins. Yeah, I guess that's true.

What he says to do is: "Teach your horse to move forward, or speed up, in response to a gentle squeeze or light bump from both legs. Just like every other training cue, this iis one that must be taught through careful training sessions and be practised regularly."

........


IF HE DID RESPOND I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BEAT HIM!!!!!!!!!!!




*Edits* I've been riding him for months, and I'm sure he knows what I want. I've been lightly bumping him with my legs the whole time. He's just ornery!

My use of the word "beating" in this sense was out of humor and mockery rather than malevolence. As far as "beating" my horse goes is using the reins to slap him, etc.

Wow! A joke turned into quite a topic!