Post by Zoe RA on Feb 26, 2010 23:03:16 GMT 1
Stable name "Zulu" is a 16.3hh, 3 rising 4 year old Chestnut Sport's Horse. He is also one of the sweetest horses I have ever had the pleasure to work with, and I am totally in love with him ;D
He was home bred by his owner, and had apparently banged his head on the stable door once when he was younger, and since being at the yard where he is now (for backing and riding away)he had banged his head once going in to the stable and once when something startled him when he was looking out over his stable door. This behaviour has become a self fulfilling prophecy for him, and he had got to the stage where he wouldn't go in his stable for love, money, food, or a broom on his bottom.
When this had happened at home, his owner managed to get him in the stable by backing him in, but this had stopped working.
So, I started of with the usual ground work, leading, backing, moving quarters, moving forehand, backing through L shape, and generally getting him to listen to me. He soon found out that he got loads of ear rubs and scratches if he did what I wanted him to and learned very quickly how to come off the pressure of the line, and this enabled me to teach him to lower his head really quickly.
Once I was happy he could do that with the lightest of asks, we headed for the field shelter, which is higher and wider than his stable. To start with we had a little bit of head throwing (one of his things was to put his nose on the guttering and saying "Look!! How can I possibly fit in there
), but after a little scratch and reassurance, and reminding him how to lower his head, he was walking far enough to have his head under the over hang, and then have his head in the field shelter.
We then gave him a brake because he is only a baby still
After the brake he walked strait up to the doorway and put his head in the field shelter, so I called it a day. As we walked back to the yard, we had to walk past stable, which had the door open. I let the line out and walked under the overhang. Zulu followed me for a lovely rub. I then popped myself into his box and he would have followed me in but I wasn't truly sure that he was relaxed enough not to panic at the crucial moment, so I backed him out and we really did call it a day!
Today I went back, and after a little bit of "oooo, I really can't do that!", gently, little by little, with his head practically on the floor at times, after about 20 minutes he was walking in and out, in and out of his box ;D
Look how good I am at head lowering now?
And I feel rather safer if my head is low ..........
In fact, I don't even mind standing here with my head practically in my stable. Can I have a little kip here please?
Errr, no you can't actually Zulu - I don't want you suddenly waking up and throwing your head up
Soon he was coming in and out like a normal horse
First with me, and then with his lovely, gentle stable girls ...
And here he is in his stable asking his Dad, James, if he is pleased with him ............
Clever boy
I have shown them all how to lead him - IE quietly, slowly, calmly, never in his bridle, on a long line, no pressure, no eye contact - and with a bit of luck he is now sorted. I have also suggested that they rig up a bit of sheepskin on to his head collar to come down over his nose for a while just in case he bangs his head again after a fright, and that nobody fusses him over his stable door for a while so that if he does bang it he can't associate it with people.
Don't think I have ever had so many horsey snogs in two sessions ;D
He was home bred by his owner, and had apparently banged his head on the stable door once when he was younger, and since being at the yard where he is now (for backing and riding away)he had banged his head once going in to the stable and once when something startled him when he was looking out over his stable door. This behaviour has become a self fulfilling prophecy for him, and he had got to the stage where he wouldn't go in his stable for love, money, food, or a broom on his bottom.
When this had happened at home, his owner managed to get him in the stable by backing him in, but this had stopped working.
So, I started of with the usual ground work, leading, backing, moving quarters, moving forehand, backing through L shape, and generally getting him to listen to me. He soon found out that he got loads of ear rubs and scratches if he did what I wanted him to and learned very quickly how to come off the pressure of the line, and this enabled me to teach him to lower his head really quickly.
Once I was happy he could do that with the lightest of asks, we headed for the field shelter, which is higher and wider than his stable. To start with we had a little bit of head throwing (one of his things was to put his nose on the guttering and saying "Look!! How can I possibly fit in there
), but after a little scratch and reassurance, and reminding him how to lower his head, he was walking far enough to have his head under the over hang, and then have his head in the field shelter.We then gave him a brake because he is only a baby still
After the brake he walked strait up to the doorway and put his head in the field shelter, so I called it a day. As we walked back to the yard, we had to walk past stable, which had the door open. I let the line out and walked under the overhang. Zulu followed me for a lovely rub
. I then popped myself into his box and he would have followed me in but I wasn't truly sure that he was relaxed enough not to panic at the crucial moment, so I backed him out and we really did call it a day!Today I went back, and after a little bit of "oooo, I really can't do that!", gently, little by little, with his head practically on the floor at times, after about 20 minutes he was walking in and out, in and out of his box ;D
Look how good I am at head lowering now?
And I feel rather safer if my head is low ..........
In fact, I don't even mind standing here with my head practically in my stable. Can I have a little kip here please?
Errr, no you can't actually Zulu - I don't want you suddenly waking up and throwing your head up
Soon he was coming in and out like a normal horse
First with me, and then with his lovely, gentle stable girls ...
And here he is in his stable asking his Dad, James, if he is pleased with him ............
Clever boy
I have shown them all how to lead him - IE quietly, slowly, calmly, never in his bridle, on a long line, no pressure, no eye contact - and with a bit of luck he is now sorted. I have also suggested that they rig up a bit of sheepskin on to his head collar to come down over his nose for a while just in case he bangs his head again after a fright, and that nobody fusses him over his stable door for a while so that if he does bang it he can't associate it with people.
Don't think I have ever had so many horsey snogs in two sessions ;D