Ground Manners?

Question

Hi,

one of my horses is a 5 year old Anglo mare. She is a dream to ride and highly dressage educated. Shes a joy to train and own.

But she has no respect for anyone on the ground, she leans and pushes. It's not really an issue for me, because I tell her off and make her stand. But if little kids want to pat her she might see another horse and forget they are there.

Are there any exercises I can do to help her be more mindfull of humans on the ground?

Answer 1

If she minds for you, that is good.  However, she probably does not consider little kids who run and jump around etc. to be like adults; therefore, does not act the same.  All you can do is work with her when she acts up around them.

Answer 2

I love ground training!  It's my fortay!

Here is an answer I gave to someone else not long ago for a disrespectful mare.  It's long that is why I copied it.  

(using a rope halter, not nylon)

When you lead your horse(A good 3 foot slack in the lead line is great.  Do not hold the clasp under the chin!) she should never be allowed to walk with her head before you. When she does this SHE has asserted herself as being the decision maker.

You need to snap that lead and make her back behind you. If you feel her encroaching again snap it again and back her off.

Have it in your mind the distance she is and don't let her take one little step past that...closer to you. If out of the corner of your eye you see her stepping back up, snap her back and hard to get the point across. Take that lead and wag it back and forth really hard and fast to make her back up.

********edit**** When I snap I don't mean yank their nose down. I mean to put some tough pressure on that and wag that lead so there is a tremendous amount of energy traveling through it...wag it back and forth hard hard hard. Rope halters work best for pushy horses on the ground***********************

When you are standing there with her and she takes a step into you and you move....she asserted herself as the boss again.

You cannot let her walk into you no matter what. Take the end of that lead and smack that shoulder or you smack that shoulder with your hand. Make her move away. Then you go back to being calm. If she pushes back into your space repeat it.

This goes for any instance you come across. If she comes into your space without you inviting her, she is wrong and needs to be told so. You are the boss and you did not invite her to be buds with you yet. She needs to wait.

No mouth. A mouth on you, nibbling can be a small indication of trying you. Now my guys can be mouthy but they know what the limit is. They know this alpha is fair and just and will ALWAYS knock them if they put teeth on me without my permission (I do alot of mouth rubbing on them and rub their teeth so I'm sorta different than others)

All treats should be given in her feed bin or a pan.

YOU choose where they move and where they go. YOU invite them close to you...THEY are the ones to move their feet, not you.

:)

Respect will start with leading.

edit:  To get her to pay attention to you at all times when on the ground and not forgetting the kids around her...keep her snapped into you.  Keep her working mentally.

A little 'wiggle' on the lead will carry to the rope halter and she will wake up again.

If she takes a small itty step with you there or the kids snap her back to where she was plus one extra step.

Have friends help you.  Have them make distractions so you can test her and then snap her back on you.

She will realize that each time she loses her interest in YOU she will be 'bit' and punished.  Soon all eyes will be on you and only you but maybe just a quick glance and then back on YOU.  It'll take a few times but with help from friends, you can get it done.  You just need to teach her that YOU are the only thing in her life that matters.

I let my hubby know "a horse cannot see where his feet are if he's standing still and just moves it a step.  He knows it's going to move somewhere down below but no clue where so if your foot is there...you were too close to his circle"

I save my hubby's toes :)

edit:  Well thank you galloppal...I don't know all of the methods.  I just know what I use right now and what has been working for me!  Man this little filly I have has tried them all too! Whew she's a bugger!

Answer 3

walk 1step forward, walk backwards 2steps (and visa-versa)

ummm

Using the leadrope bring his head low then up then low then up....and so on

with 4poles in a square 2 on the ground, 2 raised on the otha poles. Try and get him to complete 360*c cricles going anti-clockwise and clockwise.

another thing i just remembered stick a red ribbon in her tail and mane meaning bad vices e.g. kicking, rearing, biting!

If i think of some more i'll tell u i cant think at the top of my head

Goodluck!

Answer 4

you might look into Clinton Andersons methods they worked with mine but he wasn't really disrespectful much before...but its a good way to establish a bond as well....

Answer 5

I am a trainer. Put a bridle on her and walk her up and down your neighborhood. stop every once and a while. if she tries to get infront of you, pull her back. You are the herd leader and tell her where to go. Don't let  her get infront of you or go in another direction. She will soon respect you. Do this every day.

Answer 6

Well, she is definately meant for only an advanced rider/leader, and I would try to make that known, in a kind and gentle way, to others who may be tempted to go to her.  In the meantime, she is young and probably just needs more experience.  If I were you, I would just make up my own challenges.  Every time you ride, spend at least 15 min. before and 15 min. after doing nothing but ground work.  Pick different places to walk to, halt, turn, back, stand for a min., etc.  With something like this, it is definately a consistency and time/practice thing.  See if you can enlist the help of other experienced horsepeople to help you, so that she learns to respect others too.

Unfortunately, I don't have specific patterns/excercises, but again, I think it would be best to do random things.  Horses get used to certain excercises/patterns.  Whatever you do, don't do the exact same thing every time, or as you know, she will be obeying the routine and not necessarily the leader.

Different patterns, different leaders, different tasks, do them often, & age... (walk, trot, halt, turn, circles, stand--don't let her get ahead of you, make her stay next to/behind you)

Answer 7

The process of teaching a horse to ground tie sounds like what would help the problem you have with her distraction.  The leaning and pushing means she needs training to respect your (and everyone else's) space.

Several good trainers have videos and books out that outline step by step the methods to train these things.  I use a combo of Parelli and Clinton Anderson, with some others thrown in.

In order to do anything I would advise, you'd first be better off to purchase a rope halter and loop attached lead (10' long), so I won't go into it now...if you go that route, several people on this site can give you pointers, including me.

EDIT:  Just noticed Buckinfun on here...listen to her...she is one of the ones who knows the methods I refer to.

One thing to add...my horses ground tie, and kids and dogs and whatever you can think of (goat, pig, chicken) can run under them, around them, etc.  They stand and they don.t take a step while the commotion is going on...they didn't come by it naturally, but they came by it with natural horsemanship training.

Buckinfun....neither do I.  But we know enough to help the ones who don't know what we know.