Why does taking control of your horse's ability to back up help your horse's responsiveness to forward cues? Find out in this week's question and answer!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION AND ANSWER

Question: 

I live on Vancouver Island, and have a nice well trained Reg. Morgan. He is 19 yrs.old. I am an intermediate beginner, riding English at the moment. My problem with Domino is...when we go out alone, he is hesitant to go forward down a hill, and down the road....esp. when he is still close to home. I do a lot of turning him in circles, and sometimes it just doesn't work, and I end up getting off and walking with him to a designated area...and then riding home. This is very frustrating...I am so hoping you can suggest what I do?  How do I read him to convince him to just go forward?  Please help...thanks in advance, Elaine Newman

Monty's Answer: 

Thank you for your question. I will attempt to give you the appropriate answer as this is a question that we hear quite often globally. Before my answer however I would like to say how much I appreciate the island on which you live. Please don't tell a lot of people that you have the sea, the rivers and the nature that qualifies Vancouver Island as a paradise.

I would like to return there soon because I think there is a chance that I might be offered a complimentary tea time visit to one of the world's most incredible hotels: the Empress Hotel in Victoria. The reason I think they might appreciate a visit is that I am now a member of the Victorian order! Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II bestowed Her personal honors on me on June 6, 2011, and since I am such a fan of that hotel I think it's fair to assume that I could be an honored guest.

If they felt that that was too much to ask, I would happy to pay for my tea time visit. It is a world class experience along with their incredible gardens. Your Domino likely needs to complete my lessons as written in my textbook From My Hands to Yours about refusing to go forward called balking, napping, or jibing. It occurs largely because of pain caused by athletic injury, wear and tear, an accident or misfitting tack or harness but could also be a learned behavior.

In the days when driving and working horses in harness was the order of the day, balking was commonplace. A misfitting collar was often the culprit. This piece of equipment was the main contact point as the horse pulled his load. Significant pain could quickly produce a balking draft horse. Before dealing with balking through techniques I describe here, you should take great care to eliminate the potential for physical pain as the cause of the undesirable behavior.

It should be noted that the problem may have been fostered through physical pain that is no longer present. The pain, however, could have been the catalyst to the development of the remedial problem. Once the trainer has concluded that the horse is currently free of physical ailments, he can go on with the training procedures outlined in my Walter Won't Go Forward lessons or from my textbook.

Walter Won't Go Forward Lessons on www.montyrobertsuniversity.com

Almost every balker that I am asked to work with turns out to be a horse that resists backing-up. For some reason, many horsemen seem to think that schooling a horse to back-up will cause him to be a balker. Nothing could be further from the truth. As with loading, reverse is a direction that we should own in a partnership with our horses. The horse that is not trained to back-up willingly may use it against us when he chooses.

The horse that will back comfortably and willingly, either from the ground or while you are riding, is far less likely to be a balker than a horse not trained to back-up. This is an excerpt from my textbook: From My Hands to Yours and you can read more about the equipment I use to create a horse that has overcome his unwillingness to move forward. You will have a happier horse when he is content to go forward.

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Question: Why does my mare pin her ears when I feed her?

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Solve this crisis: discover Monty Roberts' long-lining techniques and trigger radical improvements in your horse. He will carry himself more naturally; work off the bit from the ground, perfect transitions, improve his paces and muscle tone, and develop competition perfect symmetry and shape.  

School your horse to perform with athleticism, improve overall fitness, responsiveness and accuracy. Above all, discover how it feels to ride a happy, well balanced horse who is empowered to move with natural grace, shape and rhythm. School the Monty way: Double Long-Lining. Introductory price of $29.95 for the Holiday Season!  

 

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Sincerely,
Monty Roberts

My lovely appaloosa mare, Leggs, and I enjoy rambling round the countryside (hacks/trails of 10-20 miles) and a few long distance rides each year. Leggs' current saddle pad is a bit too long, rubbing slightly over her lumbar spine/loin area. The problem is that we live in the UK and ride western. Well, Leggs is Western and has been a great teacher so now we amble along happily understanding each other. The point is that there are no Western saddlers anywhere nearby to go and explore suitable saddle pads. Instead I've done some research online and come up with two possible options and wanted to see if any of you have experience of them. I am considering the Cavallo Western All Purpose - Performance Enhanced and the Horsedream Products 30mm pile merino lambskin western pad with a twill outer. I think the outer is a bit like a normal English numbna. I hope anyone with a Cavallo saddle pad could let me know what you think of its performance as to import one to the UK costs half as much again on the usual price - very expensive! Or if you use a merino wool pad without all the extras, like felt and woven exterior, how does it work? I want Leggs to be as comfortable and happy as possible, so if you've got any comments on the above or even another saddle pad idea it would be good to hear.
Liz n Leggs

Editor's note: Monty's answer to this question will appear in next week's Ask Monty. Take Monty's challenge and answer the question before you see what Monty has to say about it. It's a great way to learn!

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