IH help to get him going forward.

[nomdeac]

Hi everyone. About a month a go I bought my self a 5 year old fell gelding to give myself confidence. Rocky is a star, he is quiet and gentle and incredibly unafraid around traffic. However I do have a problem getting him to go forward, especially out hacking. He does relax and take longer strides if we stay near the stables in an area he is familiar with however out in the open he takes really short strides and his trot goes nowwhere at all. I think it may be that he isn't confident with the unknown. He had previously been hacked out on busy roads and round farms but all in the same area, on the farm he had been born on. I'm busy reading all the Perfect .......... books at once, but has anyone got any IH tips for me to get him to go forward. I'm quite anxious myself having just returned to riding after a 14 year break, so it may well be that I need tips for me and not my lovely Rocky. I'm just going off now to lead him on a walk around a hack which I would like to ride him, as I feel completely confident on the ground. He is very sticky and slow in his movements at the moment, like trying to stop and start the Titanic!!

[alonerawnut]

I was going to recommend going out on the lead - he just sounds unsure of his new environment. With our cob, if we're asking him to go somewhere new, we just lead a short way along the new route, give him loads of praise and head back to the "safe" area nearer home. Next time out we go just a little further before turning back. We built up to riding in the safe area then getting off to lead a little way down the new route, before getting back on to ride home.

I'd be very pleased that his reaction to somewhere strange is just to take things steady - much better than his adrenalin going up and all sorts of exciting things happening! And a month is quite a short time to get settled in.
Good luck - how exciting to have the summer ahead with a new boy!

[nomdeac]

Thank you, Alonerawnut. I tried leading him out on our hack today and he was really good. I was just going to get on him when the man who monitors the wild birds on the place turned up carrying a big aluminium ladder and proceeded to wander all over our hacking field checking hte bird boxes up his ladder. This was more than I could face and so Rocky and I stayed in our little paddock and practised our steering and did a bit of trot work. We did however look at the man up his ladder from the safety of the paddock so we aren't frightened of that anymore. I'll do more leading/ riding tomorrow morning when hopefully it'll be quieter. Thank you

[portiabuzz]

glad its going well, long may it continue ;D ;D

[bevnfurryfriends]

Rocky sounds gorgeous . Just take things slowly and both your confidence will gradually increase. I had to laugh when you said just as you were about to get on the man with ladder appeared - just the sort of thing that would happen to me LOL

[edie]

If he's only been with you a month, it could be everything is just unfamiliar, as you say. When my 4 yo daughters pony arrived, for the first 3 weeks my Hubby just took her for a walk every day (no tack,just head collar and lead rope), they covered all the routes that they might take while out on a hack within a 3 mile radius of home. Yes we were being super careful because it was our daughter and she is so young, but it worked so well that I would never skip this part for any new horse or youngster that was just starting. And if you are very confident from the ground it will give Rocky confidence too, as you also have to consider that he may know your true feelings about going farther from home probably better than you do, he could be holding back because he can sense that you are not completely sure that you really want to go that far yourself. Sounds like your in safe hands/hooves with Mr Rocky

[portiabuzz]

hope things still going well x

[dalesfan]

How's it going?

[portiabuzz]

ahh the new purple DF has arrived

[nomdeac]

Thank you everyone. Rocky and I are still doing well. Still building our confidence up though and I need to remind my self to take it steady and be happy with slow progress. I've just read through all your suggestions and they really were helpful.

[portiabuzz]

good to hear keep up the good work xx

[nomdeac]

Hi Everyone, just a quick update following all your very supportive and helpful advice. Rocky and I are still doing great. I had an equine physiotherapist out to look at him Highly recommended. She and her lovely students came and assessed him and gave him some magnetic therapy and some massage and recommended exercises. They told me he has under developed muscles in his quarters and back, especially on his left side. A lot of the exercises they taught us were the same or very similar to the IH foundation ones. Lots of backing up, some trotting poles at slightly different angles and raised heights. We were to do lots of long reining and walking out in hand on the road and on the verges to improve his properception. He wasn't to be ridden for 6 weeks either. We did all the exercises like a religion and then the physio came back. Rocky is much improved in all his movements and was ready to be ridden. What a difference, we have steering and we can go forward. Out new exercises are to trot up a hill with me standing in my stirrups to keep the weight off his back and to get on him on the off (right) side. We had a bit of s set back when crossing a stream when I fell off when the bank gave way underneath us but we're ok now. I follow a lot of the advice in Perfect Confidence and Cathy Sirrets confidence blog too. Today we hacked round a 80 acre field for 45 minutes, doesn't sound much I know but it's a big deal for us when I daren't even get on him when I got him in April. So thanks everyone x

[ladyndibs]

Lovely update, so glad you're taking it steady so often the little steps are the ones that pay off in the long run, it really helps cement the bond between you as well, some pictures would be nice :)soryy don't know had to add a smiley face.

Looks like I do know but just can't spell..............

[portiabuzz]

thats great xx

[nomdeac]

Thank you everyone, I've just managed to get back on this board. Well Rocky and I have had a few set back since then. I've actually come off him 3 times since then. He has a crisis of confidence which makes me panic and which results in him bolting/spooking and I fall off. I've been told not to ride by my GP for 2 weeks since the last one as I have damaged one of my vertebrae. Having said that I am NOT giving up. I am doing lots of excercises with Rocky inhand again to build up both our confidence and am working on my own core strength and fitness as much as my back will allow. I re reading Perfect Partners and the Mark Rashid books. Thank you for your support this far and I'll let you know how my little furry fell and I get on.