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Very Oral Horse

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Very Oral Horse
  • jensayles2

    Posted : 7/8/2011 5:24:26 PM

    Harley is 2.5 year old gelding. He's been through 30 days of training and I've been working with him on my own since. He is the in your pocket horse! However, he's got this funny personality. He loves to run around with "things" in his mouth. Buckets, balls, pails, we've even got him a boat bumper on a string. He is so funny to watch.
    He has wonderful ground work and learns quick. He learned lateral flexion right away so that I can do a one reign stop. So now, I saddle him and get on him. He is still learning to move out but he'll take two steps, turn and try to bite my leg. Now I've got him walking half way around the round pen and he'll stop on his own, swing his head and try and bite my leg. I've tried jumping off him right away and make him lunge circles. I'm just not that quick. So, I've tried using verbal cues to correct him and it works a little but he's still trying to eat my leg. It's almost like he sees the stirup and my foot and thinks it is something to play with. I know I'm supposed to wait until he commits the crime but I really don't want to be bitten on the shin. He did it once and it was more of a pinch than a bite and he doesn't get nasty or anything. I correct him and he will stand there fine. Any other ideas to get him to stop turning to bite my leg and stirrup? Ideas to keep his mind on moving forward rather than stopping on his own?
     
    PS. He's the first horse I've ever trained. We've had him since birth. I can get him to do anything on the ground. I just don't want to push him too hard in the saddle but maybe I'm not pushing hard enough.
  • trainer101

    Posted : 7/9/2011 6:54:07 PM

    If he moves out fine on the lounge line with a click then he has the understanding of how to move when you are on.  The simple fact that he takes two steps, stops and then turns to nip your foot tells me that he is just a bit disrespectful of you being up there.  If your on the ground and he goes to nip or play with your shirt what do you do?  Does he do this on the ground?  Instead of waiting for him to bite you work on his forward movement.  Get on and flex him quickly from side to side so that he doesnt have time to pause, then ask him to walk out.  If nothing use the end of your reins up on the shoulders LIGHTLY to give him first warning, then harder until he moves.  Now if this is a disrespect thing chances are he will take a couple of steps and then get a bit more aggrivated with his nip.  He's expecting you to let him stop when he wants and tell you his dislike but keep correcting the stop and make him do a working trot for a while before asking for the stop again.  Just because he behaves on the ground for you does't mean you have the same level of respect up there.  You have to prove to him its no different than you being on the other end of the lounge.  Also if you ride with spurs when he reaches around for your right foot, roll the rowel on the left foot until he moves his head away.  Its not a gigging action just a roll to make it uncomfortable so that he thinks if he stops forward motion and turns to nip his side starts bothering him. 
     
    Also  check your cinch before you ride.  Saddle him up and lounge him around.  Watch to see if he is focused on the stirrups or cinch at all by trying to reach around and nip at them or if he is ear/eye on you.  If its the cinch bothering him you will notice it here in the groundwork portion.  His ears will tell you what it wrong as will his body.  Witih this kind of horse the best medicine is to get him out of the round pen as soon as possible.  This kind of horse gets bored quickly and will begin to focus on his dislike of the roundpen and what goes on in there until he becomes soured.  Take him outside to the woods on the 14ftlead line and have him go over logs, around trees, through creeks or ditches.  Anything to get his mind off of the fact he's working.  It will give him a purpose to the training and give him a fresh mind back in the round pen.  Also this helps the horse become more aware of you and the relationship he needs to have.  By letting trees come between you, then having him change directions quickly helps him realize that one critical thing that if his mind wanders around he will meet the tree.  If he is focused he will move so that the tree remains on the outside of his circle.  Hope this gives you some ideas.  Good luck and have fun!
  • jensayles2

    Posted : 7/10/2011 2:44:50 PM

    THANK YOU! Yes, He is fine under saddle in the round pen while on the line. Doesn't offer to nip anything while I lounge him. However, yesterday, when I got on him he just quit moving out all together. I sat on him and he cocked his hind leg and just stood there totally unresponsive to pressure. You described the nipping problem exactly. So, Today I will work on the respect thing while on him. I'll try the out of the round pen exercises and let you know how it works out.