Stubborn yearling?

Question

I've been having trouble getting him motivated,as in move forward while leading,he'll stop plant all four hooves and refuse to budge.I have had to resort to having him back up a few steps and then turn in circles,had him stop and stand then try to move forward.Somtimes he's real good and walks with me,other times it's like pulling teeth.Considering he's an 800-900Lb belgian, impossible to manhandle him and foolish.Should I just keep trying and have patience? I've been working with him twice a day for 15-20 minutes each,and am wondering if I'm considering all my options.Could it be just the fact he's young and a short attention span,am I working too long at a time? Any recogmendations?

Answer 1

yearlings can be very stubborn but the mistake that most people make is how they lead them. DO NOT PULL ON THE HEAD! If you pull too hard to make them walk you can injury their spine. You can move a disk in their neck or any other neck/spine injury is possible. Put the lead rope around his/her hind end and pull from there that way the pressure is off the neck and head and they are more likely to move without injurying themselves.

Answer 2

He is not sure what you want him to do.If and only if he has been handled from birth  use this method.it is used for foal and yearling.Be careful! Be consistent at all times for a FEW minutes a day at the same time.Get someone to help you with this if you can to a least hold him while you do it.When you get better you can do it by yourself,you want to make sure he doesn't get tangled in the line.Things to try.1)use two lead lines,one regular and one lunge line Feed stores sell very long thick cotton lines with a brass clip.Take the cotton lead line and clip it on the bottom ring of the halter bring it around his rump and to your side.Hold it firm so as not to slip,don't let it slip pass the hocks. Hold it DO NOT wrap it around your hand,a no,no.For safety reasons always stand by the animals shoulder,never,never in front of him. as you ask him to move forward you use your Voice as a firm command"Walk" you can also click to him.Put gentle pressure on the lunge line so he feels pressure on his rump.Everytime you say "walk". when he moves forward STOP the pressure.Even if he moves a few feet you have done your lesson for the day.You are right in observing that he has a short attention span,all young horses do it's quite normal.That's why the few minutes.The idea is horses move away from the source of  pressure to get relief. Just as they do with leg pressure.Have someone help you hold him as you do this. If he picks up his feet been groomed he should be used to being touched.Don't overdo it and NEVER hit a horse for any reason other that protect yourself as when a stud thinks you're his girlfriend.2)Walk him in company, under a shedrow or in a very small round pen.Take another horse(this would be an older horse called the lead horse) and let him follow.when the lead horse stops you stop baby when the lead horse starts let him follow.Remember YOU have control of a horse as long as you control the head,If you pull toward you the head follows and the rump and kicking back legs kick opposite direction.Also to move a horse that plants like a tree move him side to side,throws them off balance and nature tells them to walk rather than be off balance.Hope this works.

Answer 3

A good way to teach a foal to lead is by putting a halter and lead rope on them in a confined area.  Leave it on for a few days.  The foals learn by stepping on the rope.  They learn to give cause when they step on the rope, they don't like their heads being yanked and pulled and what not.  They learn to move with it that way.  It worked like a charm on my two mares that I had from day 1.  I had mine leading by about 6 to 8 months old..

Answer 4

Circling is just a great method to interrupt the undesirable action and redirect towards your intended goal.

Have you tried a butt rope?  It works best with a helper.  You're right, (and I might add wise to understand this) you can't manhandle him.  The butt rope just applies steady pressure or resistance if he backs.  

I don't think you're sessions are too long.  Just end them every time on a positive note, praising him for something he has already mastered.  

There's no replacement for time & patience and it sounds from your post like you have both.

Answer 5

Your not working with him too much or too long.

I had a colt that was stubborn like that,  He would plant his hoofs in the ground and refuse to move.  I put a long lead rope around his rear hooked to his halter and through it, to the front and when I pulled on it,  It made him want to get away from the rope across his rear. Make sure you cross it over his shoulder and across his back on one side He finally learned how to lead without it.  I hope I explained it enough for you to get the idea.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I had this problem with a yearling too, i tried the rope around her butt didn't work. so finally i decided to back her all the way to where we were going, it took awhile but after a few times of her backing up all the way we had no problems going forward. but every horse is different, try zig zagging too , or circle him all the way to where you are going if you make him work he'll figure it out that just going forward is alot easier, it may take a few trys and a few different tactics but he'll get, patience is the key with young horses. hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 7

You can try the butt-rope method...it's commonly used for foals that are just learning to lead so it might help him.

If it doesn't help, or after you've moved past it, when he balks, don't pull straight forward on his lead. Step to the side and turn him slightly. Horses have extreme force pulling straight back, they not only tense their muscles but use their body weight, simply no way a human is going to "pull" them forward.

By turning them though they lose that advantage. Almost all horses will automatically move their feet to shift their weight in that direction. By breaking the feet loose from the balk you've won half the battle. When he starts moving to turn just keep walking and move off and then turn back in the direction you wanted to go.

Don't make a big deal or issue out of it, but do that every time he starts to balk, best if you can do before he actually gets all four feet planted. It also works to get his mind back on you and off his balk. Before long he'll catch on that baloking only makes more work and stop even thinking about balking.