Horse Likes Trail Riding Alone

[3kidsandahorse]

I would be the first to say--my horse is wierd. :tooth:

He is not a pocket pony. Most ASB's are. He does not care whether he is turned out alone or with another horse as long as he is dominant. :flame:

He is very nervous. I've figured out it's because he doesn't like being taken hold of, and when I'm with another horse (TWH/QH usually) there's a lot of stopping and waiting. We're working on that. With another horse, he usually ends up jigging, snorting, popping up, then eventually acting up. :001_9898: He absolutely positively WILL NOT follow another horse. Alone, his head is generally down, his ears are up, and he's very relaxed.

I don't care to ride alone, but I'd like him to ride with others quietly. Is there something I can do to get him to relax with other horses? Or are there ASB's that just like to be alone?

[shayna]

I read this in one of my books (I am the official book worm!) and I thought of it as soon as I read your post… she says that this is not easy but very effective with consistency… you need to do this on a very long trail ride with several willing friends, she suggests bribing them with food! HAHA

(forgive my typing… I know there are grammatical errors I didn’t feel like correcting but I was in hurry but I wanted to respond!)

The game is called “leap frog” or lead follow stop and go” and its purpose is to teach your horse that when she is out with other horses she must go quietly whether she is first last or somewhere in between and whether she is going ahead alone or stopping and standing while the others go out of her sight. she must do all of this calmly and at all gaits and she must be calm about passing other horses and being passed by them.

The game is played like this: The riders take their horses out in single file at a walk. The last horse in line trots past all the others and takes his place at the head of the line and then the new “last horse” does the same thing until every horse has been first last and in the middle many times. The next phase involves the last horse stopping standing and then trotting past the others passing them and continuing until he is out of sight aof the others at which point he is made to stop and stand until the others arrive. Then it all begins again at the trot, with the last horse cantering past the others and when everyone is comfortable witht that the last horse is asked to stop stand and then canter well past the others stop and stand again and wait for the others.

[3kidsandahorse]

This is a good idea, Shayna, and one I've seen expressed in other forms by other people. I've done something like it actually. With less than favorable results. :oops: I'm lucky I wasn't hurt. :wub:

It would be Step 3 in our Other Horses intervention plan. I would like him to be relaxed in the leadership role before I ask him to be relaxed in a more submissive role.

[sunridge]

I think it's typical ASB behavior. :whistling: Is your horse also dominant?

All of my main trail horses have been dominant and I have had the same trouble to varying degrees with each of them. Highly competitive beasts they are. They all have been stellar alone but in group it can be a battle. One thing I've noticed in particular is horses feeding off each other. If I ride next to jiggy horse I will definitely be riding a jiggy horse even if I wasn't before.

My trainer (who trained all my riding horses) says it's very common for dominant horses to act this way.

Also none of these alphas behave well when riding with each other in fact they are worse. OMG! off to the races.

I feel your pain but I don't think there are any quick fixes for it. I've been trying for 10 years now with Echo and I still end up riding way ahead of the group alone. :yeehaw: If you find a solution other than waiting for them to age let me know! lol

[3kidsandahorse]

He is the most dominant horse I've ever ridden. It took me months to get him to accept me as leader some of the time. It's actually nice sometimes, cause he can get me out of the middle of a forest thicket in short order, safely and without my help. Dem Saddlebreds is smart!

He loves to go forward, he loves to go fast. I should call him Corvette--he's a 2 seater with 4 on the floor! :tooth:

[sunridge]

I actually like the way these horses ride out but apparently with most riding groups I'm the odd man out. Their work ethic is so pronounced, always very deliberate. I've realized now they are not for everyone. Horsemanship dynamics have changed along with everything else, most people want the easy button. In the end they miss out on fabulous challenges and an extraordinary horse.

I have always thought it funny when people say ASB's are dumb. when it's actually their intelligence that's makes them a PITA. Echo reminds often when I'm the dummy,:oops: he keeps me humble.

[3kidsandahorse]

I hear ya. The poor BO thinks he's a nutter.

So I'm basically screwed as far as riding normally with others? Or can I work with him so I can eventually do what Shayna suggested?

[shayna]

Does he ride well with others in the arena? maybe try riding fairly close behind a super laid back horse in an arena or a small field and then move into bigger and better rides?

[sunridge]

Mine have gotten better. However mine have not exhibited dangerous or intimidating behaviors for me. No rearing, bucking etc. Just really go forward, jigging and side passing. And I am able to ride along side, behind, ahead of others now just rarely on the buckle. We rarely get to just mosey along. If they get upset, like someone passing, then they go to into their default mode. Jigging, snorting, pulling. Echos nick name is Prancy Pants. They even have a name for the behavior, ' having an Echo moment.' *sigh*

Just to be clear the horses I talk about are trail horses only, and happen to be my herd leaders. I have other submissive ASB's that don't "show themselves" but then they are fearful insecure types that don't readily go forward. Which to me is a whole nuther frustration. lol

They can get better but I wouldn't expect you'll ever get a typical QH ride, read: just a passenger from them. It's just not how they roll. The only time I gotten to be a passenger on Echo was a 75 mile , 5 day mountain climbing pack trip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He was bored out of his mind and just found other ways to entertain himself. Much to my chagrin. Definitely needed a few of these at camp each evening :margarita: :margarita:

[3kidsandahorse]

Does he ride well with others in the arena? maybe try riding fairly close behind a super laid back horse in an arena or a small field and then move into bigger and better rides?

There is no indoor arena. The small outdoor ring is usually wet due to poor drainage (especially now) so no chance to even ride with another horse except on the trails. There is an old mare there that is unflappable but I haven't tried riding with her since I figured out what his triggers are. She's slow, so what I gain from unflappable I lose because I have to stop and wait for her. :sad:

I'm working on having him stand quietly. Once we get better at that, I can try it with a horse approaching at snail speed and see what happens. He just likes to go forward.

Sunridge, I have a lot of 'Echo' moments. I call that his "dressage moves". To his credit, the couple of times he was dangerous were because I was holding him too tightly. I know him better now.