New Horse

[Marsha Cassada]

I am trying out a new horse with the understanding that if he doesn't work out he will return to his owner. He is 35" with a very long back. My harnesses will not fit him. I am ordering a longer back strap for one harness and sending the back strap off to be lengthened on the other.

Rowdy has been extremely socialized, worn a saddle and toted children. I put the harness on him and it was a non-event, so I am hoping he will take to driving readily. He has never worn a bit, however, so we will be working on that. I had to order a wider bit for him as he is larger than horses I've had before. I decided to order the french link for him.

He is unregistered. His mother was registered, but sire is unknown. I think the sire must have been a shetland, however, as Rowdy poses like one and has the overall look of one. His mother was a very nice little driving horse.

One thing I really notice when we are out for our walks, he really likes to move out. No dawdling or looking around. I think this characteristic bodes well for his driving style.

 

[paintponylvr]

He's cute, Marsha.

Hope he does well for you. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

He's cute, Marsha.

Hope he does well for you. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks! Hope my new bit comes today. I've been reviewing my TTouch book with some training methods and personality types.

I am thinking now Ranger might have done better with a bitless bridle, since his mouth was so short. Perhaps bit discomfort was part of his behavior problem. This horse has a nice, long mouth. A vet did his teeth recently, but I will feel better when my dentist comes in spring.

Can you tell me any experiences you may have had with a horse with a long back? I think for driving he should be fine.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Got the new bit and the harness parts so I tried them all on him last night. He stood pretty well while I figured out where to punch the holes.

As we prepared to ground drive today I was taken aback to find that he WILL NOT MOVE if he does not know what to do. I finally got him to walk forward by pushing him from behind and then he went willingly. At first there was zero response to rein pressure, but I just kept working and he was beginning to figure out that something was going on with the bit. If I asked him to whoa, he had to have a push from behind to get going again. I've heard about horses like this, but never encountered one before. His long back is really something to get used to--his head seems really far away when one is behind him!

We're starting with ground tying from the beginning of the harness training and I think that is a good thing.

He was quite spoiled, so we are working on respect. Not many treats; I like to use scratches. He must take a step back away from me when I approach. I can see his ears coming up and his demeanor is more outward now.

I saw him galloping as fast as he could go in the pasture this morning. I don't think he has ever lived anywhere where he could gallop.

Any hints to work effectively with a horse that won't move when he is unsure what to do would be helpful.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister came to help me today. We put the halter over his bridle so she could get him to move forward with the lead rope on my cues. It was a different problem as he wanted to follow her! But he was giving to the bit pretty well by the end of his lesson. She helped me put the sulky on him--I was worried he would not fit in my vehicles. But he fit fine. I will try solo next time, but if he still seems unsure, she will come back and help me again.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I think, Marsha, that your new horse needs a bit of work on cues before you try to drive. I don't know his background but it sounds like he is new to driving and if so he needs first to understand a 'go forward' cue with you leading him. I do this first while beside the horse and then I ask them to walk around me in a circle that gets larger and eventually I step more behind them so when I try to drive them ahead they understand that it is ok to walk ahead of me. Next I will put lines on either side of a halter and ask with the lines that they flex their neck toward the pull while I stand at their shoulder then further behind them. When they will give to the lines and go forward I can begin to ground drive. They should understand 'whoa' before all of this starts anyway. The fact that your horse will stand still when confused is IMO a fabulous bonus. It suggests he will have the mind to be a truly reliable driving horse to me. Much harder to deal with one who wants to dance in circles when confused. If after you are confidant the horse knows to cue and command to go forward, I use walk on, but anything that comes easily to mind each time (using the same words or phrases is important) even a cluck sound, will work fine, and can be relied on to turn when asked from halter and bit the horse still refuses to walk forward because he is unsure you can try 'unlocking' his feet by having him step to the side a step or 2 the try forward again. He sounds to me like a lovely sensible boy and I expect to be seeing posts in no time about your wonderful excursions with him

BTW, I've explained this in more detail than you might have needed because I thought it possible a less experienced person than you are might read it and would want to know the process more clearly. It may be that you have done all this already and just not posted it so if it seems redundant please just ignore it

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks for all the tips! I've worked with him on walks for a couple of weeks and I thought he was doing very well at giving to pressure. I thought he was ready for ground driving. But the bit threw him for a loop. Something new. I am thinking he just needs to build confidence in what he knows. I think his owner worked with him some at first, but the last couple of years he has just been standing around in a pen.

Also, I think I will lower the reins to the sides of the saddle and see if the pressure there gives him a better cue than the reins through the terrets.

 

[lucky seven]

Marsha you described Seven to a T, he just stands and looks at me if he doesn't understand what I'm asking and if he doesn't want to do what is asked. Also, I have learned from the few times he escaped and visited the people down the road that he moves right along when I'm walking him back home. Head is up, ears are perked and I have to high step it to keep up with him. Eventually he should make a fine driving horse.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We soloed yesterday and he has figured out walking ahead of me. Now we can work on giving to the bit. My overcheck won't fit him so I will extend it with a bootlace. He keeps moving with his nose on the ground so we need to deal with that. Not eating grass, more like a hound dog on the scent.

He has a smart bump. Hope that does not mean he is smarter than I!

 

[MiniNHF]

I would work on keeping his head up without the overcheck, the reason being that he will start to rely on that vs being trained to keep his head at a certain height and balancing himself without aid from something else. We always train our horses without overchecks etc and may practice with them on loose the day before we leave for the show and then of coruse have them on at the show that way they never become dependent on them.

 

[lucky seven]

Seven walks with his nose to the ground also, but his reason is to eat the grass. Keep working on that.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Rowdy is doing better ground driving. He is moving forward well with just a wiggle of my fingers and verbal cue. He is still resistant to turns, but is getting softer; I really suspect something in his mouth, or chiro issues may be part of the problem. I will follow up on both of those. We are still working on respect of space; his owner thought it was so cute when he frisked her for treats. He is a big, strong boy and I am determined he stays out of my space, so that is an ongoing lesson.

The overcheck is working well to keep his head up. It is loose enough he can almost sniff the ground, but not quite. He is already beginning to give up that behavior.

So far he seems very sane.

It is difficult for me in some ways to start this new horse, as Ranger zapped my confidence somewhat. That is normal, and we will work through it.

 

[MiniNHF]

One way if you can tell if he is stiff in the neck and needs a chiro is to stand to the side and make him bend his head and neck around to his side, if he throws a fit or shows a lot of resistance that means he has an issue. My stallion went stiff at one point and we had a chiro come out and he has been fine since then.

Teeth can always be a problem, before we even start ground driving we make sure their teeth are done and sometimes have to have the dentist out a few times a year if they are younger and teeth are still moving, shifting around. My gelding had his teeth done this spring and now I need to get the dentist back out again because something isn't right.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have an email out to the dentist to call me when her route comes this way. His owner took him to the vet for floating right before I got him, but I know from experience that usually isn't ideal. I don't really want to haul him 2 hours to the chiro, so will wait till there are enough local customers for her to make a farm call. She was just here last month, unfortunately. He neck seems flexible; I am thinking the problem may be more in his poll, or tmj. The dentist needs to come before the chiro, imo.

He did really well this morning. We did some trotting (not too far, puff puff), transitioning from walk/trot/whoa.

He dropped for me to clean his sheath this morning--he really seems to be a mellow fellow. However, the hitched cart will tell...

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dentist out today. He had a few points but she said he had a very good mouth.

I have led him with the cart hitched and he did fine. I will ground drive with the cart next. Baby steps. He let me clip his head without issue.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I took Rowdy into town today to the Riding Club arena. I felt it would be helpful for him to have some boundaries. Invited his owner to come and see his progress. I ground drove and then got into the cart. He had some challenge working in the deeper footing of an arena set up for big horses, as he is still building his driving muscles. Still did not want to go left; I got by his head and we worked on crossing-over his feet; for some reason he just isn't comfortable turning left. By the time we finished, he was going left a little better. It was easy to get out of the EZ cart when I needed to.

His owner loved on him a little; I couldn't tell if he recognized her or not. He seems more bonded to me. She was thrilled that he was learning a job and looked good.

I wish the arena didn't have such deep footing; I'd love to set up the barrels and cones and work with him there.

I made the commitment to purchase him from her.

Took my camera, but we got busy and forgot to take pictures.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have been working with him, leading him with the cart. He wears a bridle, but I lead with a halter over the bridle. I want him to get used to the feel of the cart in lots of situations. I know this is not ideal, but sometimes we have to do what we have to do.

Had him to the chiropractor today and he was locked up on his left side badly. No wonder he would not/could not turn left very well. Some issues in the poll and tmj on one side. Have to let him rest a couple of days, then we will try and see if he is more comfortable with the left turn.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I am frustrated so I am taking him to a trainer. He led a very spoiled life and I cannot discern what behavior is spoiled brat and what is frustration because he cannot figure out what I want. I need someone to evaluate our progress. After she works with him, we will work together.

He is turning left fine now. I think the chiro really helped with that.

He is perfectly comfortable with the cart and is very sane. We just need to work through our frustration. The trainer assured me that frustration for both driver and horse is normal. But I need help getting through it.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

My hardest one to break has been my spoiled brat one. I don't do a lot with him cause I feel he is too small for my cart so I don't push it. but when I do it's never plain sailing and I'm almost back to square one with backing up and forgetting how to turn. Stick a mint in his mouth and he will roll over and play dead if you tell him too. Maybe driving hasn't got enough "reward" if you know what I mean. Spoiled ones are used to rewards haha.

Hope it goes well with the trainer

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I dropped him off at boarding school today. She took him for a walk then ground drove him, while I observed. She said she could tell already that he had "respect issues"--euphemism for spoiled brat. I told her I really wanted to know if he would be a suitable driving horse for me. She knows what I need. Looking forward to hearing her evaluation!

I've been a little blue this afternoon. Dropping him off was an admission that my training wasn't working. And my Dapper Dan is missing his pasture companion.