Planting!

[drummersmum]

It does seem that my lovely lady is a moody mare this week!

My Mctimmony lady is here today, I am paranoid that something is wrong and that she isn't just testing me..it stems from having a lame horse for a year, I analyse every missed step! So that will put my mind at rest!

First she got her tongue over the bit twice...she hasn't done that since she did it when I first long reined her.

But planting....she just stood there, with her ears half pinned and her back humped and refused to move, she only did it on the left rein and in exactly the same spot each circle, just past home and right in a patch of clover so we sat and I asked and she stood and I swished the whip and she stood and eventually after a tickle on the hip she moved! It happened 4 times and eventually it got boring so I took her in the big field for a walk, where we trotted 2 perfect circles before she stopped...it was a kind of done that, had enough type stop, she feels antsy under you and if you push her she has that feel like threatening to buck but she didn't and I was shattered trying to keep her going!

On a plus, she was very light today, steering was lovely and when she was working nicely I could feel her starting to engage ;D

So what do you think? Should I just persevere? Have we got over the honey moon period?

She totally redeemedherself in the stable though, she had had her tea and I was faffing and I came back round the corner and she "who whoed" at me, just a tiny sound and wiffled her nostrils

[harleydales]

Persevere. Harley used to plant sometimes and I found taking him off-balance made him have to take a step and then I pushed from there. Sometimes his head would be almost touching my boot before he stepped!

The other thing I did with him when he went into a grumpy period was use spurs. Very small rounded ones that he would really hardly have felt, but they did work. If I asked for something and didn;t get it the spurs came into play and he switched back on. Not everyone is an advocate of spurs though.

[drummersmum]

Thanks, I will keep at it and the circle sound like a good idea, although just standing, she seems to get bored and go in the end....I just don't want to end up in a battle!

[harveydales]

Seems to be a "Dales thing" this planting. Harvey used to do this and even would run back at times. I did use the small circle method to keep him moving with success but when he did serious plants when he was worried about something, I found the best thing was to stand still and wait, praise him for the slightest step forward and not let him go backwards. I found if I had the attitude that I could wait all day but we WILL go forward, then he tended to give in very quickly. Luckily he grew out of that phase quickly.

Like you I don't want to start a battle I can't finnish so prefer the slow, persistant and consistant methods.

[SuzieP]

Yes - persevere Em. Most horses seem to go through a phase when they test out new owners to see where the boundaries lie. If you've checked everything out and Livvi is fine, then your firm and consistent approach is the way to go.

I agree with Pam re the battle LOL

[drummersmum]

Thanks ;D I will persevere...do you know I got right pissed off with one of the kids at the yard, she said, just give her a smack, she's being naughty and needs to know...what is it with some people I just know that that isn't the way with Livvi, I can't believe how connected I feel to her!

Anyway, enough sentimentality....She was out a bit but nothing major, good muscle and very even but out over her loins. My Mctim/massage lady was hilarious, every few minutes she would just stop and say, oh she is lovely and oh she is gorgeous! I just grinned and said I know! ;D

[greydales]

Cherry will plant sometimes if she's not sure about something, but generally if she's given time to look at it she'll go on.

Saturn was the world's worst planter and he also used to run backwards in the early days . I have always used 'milling' (turning the horse or pony tightly around my leg) as a solution for many undesirable behaviours - and it's worked for rearing, napping, planting, and running backwards! Not so effective with bucking as usually there isn't as much prior notice , but if I felt that they may buck I'd use it then as well. Although the type of bucks Cherry does (so far touch wood! ) haven't been too unseating ... lol

I think Olivia is testing to see what she can get away with, it doesn't sound like she's worried, just getting a bit stubborn and deciding she's going to stop where she wants (ie by the gate/towards home etc). You need to get her front legs moving - either by turning her tightly around your leg or by moving her from side to side. If she threatens to buck and you get that feeling of her back up then I'd circle her tightly and ask her to move on immediately, rather than use the whip to move her on as that may just induce a buck! But it seems to have worked for you - just carry on doing what works Em.

It's inevitable you are going to have hiccups now and then, you are still building your relationship with Olivia and don't know how she is going to react to all situations yet. She probably doesn't either LOL!

[drummersmum]

Well the circling works a treat even better it worked when I was being yelled at to give her a smack!!!

My problem now is that if she doesn't want to go forwards in trot she will try a buck! If its not one thing its another!

I persevered today though, patted myself on the back for sitting some pathetic bucks but not getting nervous, have come away smiling and I think she realised that I wasn't having any of it!...until tomorrow!