My horse won't obey my commands....?

Question

My horse won't obey my commands when she's away from her buddy.... I haven't tried riding her in the pasture with her horse buddy, because I'm nervous she'll show off..... How can i get her to obey my comands in the round pen without being mean?

Answer 1

It sounds like shes buddy soured. Horses that are kept with a buddy tend to bond with them and sometimes that bond is hard to break. One thing you don't need to be mean to her, but you need to be firm and show her that you are the boss. Once she learns that she can't get away with anything she will start to obey better. My daughter has a horse that rears everytime she takes her away from her friends and she just pulls one rien tight and makes her do tight circles, some horses do not like that. After that the horse usually does whatever she wants. Never let a horse get away with anything because it can become a bad habit.

Answer 2

You just have to show them whose boss. if you don't the hrse will never listen to you. Sometimes you have to be mean, not like abusive or anything but stern with your voice and actions. Training horses is all about patience and repetition. You just have to keep doing the same thing over and over again. Also try wearing her energy down. When she is tired she will start listening to you. You will know because she will start to l**k her lips and bat her lips. Now you know you have her full attention!! Don't give up, just keep trying. For the buddy issue, just take baby steps. Seperate them for a little bit untill she knows that she can't always have her buddy right there beside her...

Answer 3

go to a trainer and learn more.

you and the horse have alot more to learn if your asking a question like this. . . you havent stated any "commands" that you are having issues with beside a gerneral statement.

you cant fix everything at once and the best person to help is a trainer that knows what they're doing. it's not the horse most the time, most the time it's the rider/owner not knowing the right cues to give.

edit: i wish i didnt come back and read the answers/points you added on. . . I live in the country, and i can find a trainer that will come out and look at my horses if i asked them to *aka Paid them* youre just not wanting to spend money for the help you obvously need. (when i did have my horses here i had my trainer come twice cause i needed her help, and another friend who was more expireced with horses help with my horses. . . so if i can get a trainer to my farm, you can get one to yours)

Answer 4

it isn't mean to be dominant.  You will have to show her the whip and then use it lightly one time.  After that a little harder until she pays attention.

or

everytime she disobeys a command, make her back a distance or go in circles, and do it EVERY time she disobeys.

Answer 5

If you are really wanting to accomplish any kind of training, get her away from her buddy, that goes from being in the pasture with her buddy as well.  Spend some one on one time with her in the round pen, start with simple commands that you know that she will comprehend, be consistent, remember to reward her with a kind word and a pat and a rest, and no, you don't have to be mean to get your point across....on the other hand, the term "being mean" is subjective, isn't it?   That means it is up to individuals to judge whether certain acts of discipline are being mean or not...I have always tried to stick with the same principles that I attempted to use with my children.  Quit worrying about punishment, worry about making it easier for them to do right than wrong, and when they do it, praise them...it's great for taking the pressure off and for self esteem, both for the teacher and the student...works the same way with horses...just think about it...see how you can break down certain tasks into simpler tasks that are easy, make it easy for your horse to complete those tasks, then reward him...who knows, he might get to preferring you over his pasture buddy.  Sometimes, it just doesn't work...if a horse is acting aggressive, then he needs rewarded in the negative, and severely, without hesitation...you can do that in 3 seconds. You would be surprised how quick you can react if you have been run over or bitten deliberately.  Just remember, there HAS to be an ALPHA, it's either going to be the horse or it's going to be you, it's that simple.

Answer 6

Your horse needs to respect you as the leader.  If you watch horses in a heard, the leader is constantly being challenged, so your horse is always going to challenge you.  You need to act like the "alpha mare".

Set her loose in the round pen, and start by making her move out of your space.  Get her into a forward canter and make her go five or six times around.  Then step towards her to make her change direction, and make her go five or six times the other way.  Then ask her to change direction again.  She will most likely turn away from you.  If she does, make her turn around again, and again until she turns towards you.  If she turns to the inside she is respecting you as the leader.  Once you can consistantly do that, you, not your horse, or your horse's buddy, are in charge.

Answer 7

First, take her away from her buddy and walk her around, let her learn that you are also her buddy. Longe her once or twice away from her buddy, and then try riding her. Make sure there is someone with you at all times, preferably a trainer. If this gets to be such a problem that you can't handle it, think about asking a professional to take over.

Answer 8

IF she can't or doesn't want to turn, she may have a structural problem that is painful for her so she avoids it.  Horses do not "show off", it is not part of their thought process.  Your horse needs to be taught proper basic ground work so she will respect you.  Horses do not just automatically "obey", they have to trust you and have enough confidence in themself and you to understand that they will not be hurt by performing the task.   NEVER hit or whip your horse.  NEVER be mean or angry with your horse.  If you feel like you need to do these things, you need some help and you are out of control.  You can never make any progress with anger or violence against your horse.  If you do not have contact with a trainer, look online on ebay.  You can buy training videos from some of the natural horsemanship trainers for relatively low cost and this will help you understand how you can help your horse.  Usually, the Clinton Anderson DVD's are better understood.  Good luck to you.  Be safe and stay calm.

Answer 9

This is a serious problem.

You need to ride her AWAY from her buddy, or he will become a dangerous problem in the future (what will you do when you need to seperate them and she panics?)

Being in control is not mean. If you had kids, would you constantly feed them candy and let them do as they please?

First, ride her in an arena by her self. Have someone there to help you (you can even ride her on a lunge line if you are nervous)

Practice gaining respect. She moves when and where you ask her, and if she refuses, you escalate the correction.

Answer 10

try riding her near her buddy so she gets used to the idea that she will not be separated entirely from him/her. Start out slow, walk and trot (if you can get her into it). then work your way up. It may take time because your horse is going to want to look all around to find out where her buddy is. When she tries to pull away from you, keep firm and turn your horse away from the direction he is looking. He will eventually get the hang of riding and not acting up. Remember start out slow and when your horse does good, stop the training and let your horse relax.