[quote=skwright]
Hi. I have this problem also with a 5 yr old QH gelding. I don't have a round pen. Can I still use the stick/bag while he is on a rope? I have roped off an area in the pasture to work in and there are two other horses that may or may not be near us. Should I rope off a smaller area within that to be sort of like a round pen, or just stay on the longeline? He doesn't throw a shoulder into me, but he does crowd me. If I try to stay at his shoulder or behind, he just ends up planting his front feet and swirling on his hind, and I am the one going in circles around him, instead of the other way around. BTW, I am brand new at this and only have a couple days a week to work with him. Thanks for the input.
Use your thumb at the point just above the point of his shoulder when he crowds with his shoulder. He'll move back.
Swinging butt towards you aggressively is unacceptable. You have to be pro active, and when you see him getting ready to do that, either remove all attention by walking away (before he actually has his butt towards you) or use a training whip and thwack him over the shoulders. You can smack his butt if he's swung it towards you , but you need to be at an angle where he can't kick you.
With babies it's easy, when they turn their butt, you just walk away, and they'll come around. Keep an eye turned, because they'll just sort of kick out for fun a lot of times, and you need to be watching that.
With grown horses who are doing it to intimidate you, you have to be a lot more creative. If they try it, I'm all for lashing them, not viciously, but give them a sting...but try to do it in a place that doesn't inspire them to kick, and make sure you aren't right behind them when you do it. I like right over the withers, hopefully while you're next to them. Otherwise, walk away, turn your back and walk away (keeping an eye out); they'll turn around and when they do, reward them with kind words or if they come close enough, loves and scratches.
Scratching is a wonderful way to teach a horse to face you, btw. Whenever they're facing you, scratch their itchy spots...behind their elbows, on their withers, between their front legs, under their bellies, even the base of their tails or underneath between titties (if they're mares). Eventually they'll forget about trying to scare you off and come up for loves. Sounds silly, but it works. And when they run at you backwards, (colts will do that initially, trying to get you to scratch their rears) just walk away. They'll turn around and come at you the right way.
A horse that charges, however, gets a whip waved in the face or the chest (which is better, but sometimes you dont' get a lot of time to aim) or across the withers. Don't do it, as I said, viciously, a light swat will do it with a training whip, and it lands where it lands. But charging is something that needs to be checked and quickly. You don't have to injure them, just stand your ground and make it obvious to them that they can't approach you in an aggressive manner. Quick is one thing, intimidating is another.
And in fact, it doesn't even require a swat. Generally just waving a training whip at their chest or at their face will avert them. Then bide your time and let them come up to you nicely.
A charging horse, as in full out trot, gallop or fast walk, who's trying to run you over, gets a smack. Chest is best, but you know, sometimes, at the speeds and the dimensions you're dealing with, it ends up being neck or face. Try to avoid eyes, that's not good. At the same time, if it's you or the horse, you get what you get. I'd never aim for a horse's eyes, and I've never blinded one, but I've been in situations where there are multiple horses including colts and unbroke wild horses, and the whip lands where it lands. Just dont' wield it too forcefully, it doesn't take a vicious swing to make the point. I've accidentally hit horses above their eyes, I certainly wasn't aiming there, but when you have a few racing at you, you sort of swat away; they're moving and the whip is moving, and sometimes it will hit a head or above an eye and make it blink. Like I said, just don't wield it so hard it's going to blind them if that happens.
But back to lunging. What's the purpose of lunging a horse you've had at least 5 years, providing he's a riding horse. Is it just a power struggle? I'm all for putting a saddle on a horse and tying him up and letting him stand for a bit once he's past the lunging stage, if you really feel he needs that much of a warm up before you ride. Then get on him and ride him to warm him up. Unless he bucks or something. I'm not denying there's a point to lunging some horses, but is there a point to lunging yours, besides just making a point? Some points aren't worth making, and some horses will always react adversely to lunging once they think they have the idea. It's like taking a 5th grader and forcing him to participate in preschool scholastics. If it isn't necessary, why fight about it?