Problem with join up???

Question

I've tried join up with my horse twice now and although he does join up with me I've had a few problems that I've never had with other horses before. He's an extremely dominant horse and will kick out at me when I first send him away, runs around like a lunatic for the first 10 mins bucking and rearing, but eventually settles down. I can get his ear fixed on me and he licks and chews (although only once or twice and for a few seconds) but he never lowers his head. Is this just an idiosyncrasy of his or does it mean that the join up will not be as successful. I've kept sending him away for half an hour after i've got all the other signs but he never does it.

Also, after we do join up, he follows me around etc. lets me touch him all over, pick up his feet and everything, but it doesn't last very long. As soon as I stop playing with him or take the halter off, he goes back to being dominant. Should I try doing join up again straight away or will this just take practice?

Answer 1

You should do some TTouch with him. Do you know what TTouch is? TTouch is a kind of massage for horses. It's really comforting to them. With your 2nd and 3rd fingers gently massage, in tiny clockwise motions, all over his body (especially his neck.) You could do this whenever you want to but especially before working with him. It's a type of bonding. Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

I don't put a lot of stock into the signs (chewing, ear trained on you, where your eyes are at on the horse's topline controlling his movement, or lowering his head)...to me, join up is communicating to a horse that they are safer and happier if they let you touch them and be near them.  You are teaching a horse that its "safe place" is near you.  That any indication of the horse leaving you (or "unjoining" from you) will result in you driving him away and having to work more.  His natural instincts will give him the desire to seek out that "safe" place that is near you.  And it kind of re-adjusts a horse's mind.

However, for some horses, this is a one-time necessary thing, and after that, repeating it doesn't gain much ground.  If you try join up with an old very-trained horse, he is apt to look at you like you are SUCH a bother and what in the world are you expecting him to do???  I normally reserve join up for spooky horses, horses that won't let you catch them in the field, or a brand new colt I am just beginning to train.  I have found that they only benefit from it at the beginning.  After that, it should be a continuous habit, that they allow you near them and are not wanting to get away.

So this really depends on your horse, if join up is even necessary.  You say he is very dominant, and give examples of kicking, bucking, rearing, and running like mad for the first part of your session.  To me, this sounds like a simple case of over-abundance of energy, not really an aggressive or dominance issue.  This is the type of horse that will goof around on the lunge line, too, for the first few minutes.  I recommend just pushing him through this, getting the "kinks" out of his muscles, much like a child getting the "wiggles" out.

What I'm not sure of, is when you say you take the halter off, and he goes back to being dominant....you mean he won't let you touch him?  Or he kicks at you then?  Because those types of issues need to be worked through, if he is acting out and it is a potential danger.  Join up may not cure this, it may be a bad habit he has formed, or a sour attitude he has developed.  I would try different techniques with him, catching him at odd times during the day, just to take him out to graze while you brush him, etc.  I would watch his attitudes and body language and try to see what situations he gets moody or dominant in.  To really find a solution, you'd need to evaluate your actions and body-languages around him, and see if it's a real problem, or if he's just got too much energy.  

As I said before, join up may not be the real answer here...it may be as simple as changing his diet to something with more forage and less grain or "hot-energy" foods.  Good luck with this, and please don't get hurt.

Answer 3

Sounds like a good one! Just keep pushing him away. Wait twice as long before join up. Make him earn his place in the herd. I had the same problem with a stud that was cut at 6yrs. It was extremely difficult! I had to wear him down pushing him away for over an hour before join up. Now he is more loyal than my dog. He actually protects me from the other horses. (so he thinks) Your going to have to be more dominant than normal. Good luck!

Answer 4

Your horse is not only dominant, he's a bit stubborn as well.  Keep working with him and if you have to be firm with discipline, do so.  He sounds like a very capable and intelligent horse and continued work will pay off in the end.

Answer 5

Yes... keep on him. Mine did that too. Remind him. Make him work, just like in a herd where the dominant mare runs him out of the herd and wont let him in until she is ready. Do it daily for a week and is he goes back to being dominant then do it over and over again.

Good Luck