Test yourself each week as I challenge you to answer the question below. I mean this. Sit down and write an answer. Don't wait for my answer next week. If you have been reading my Weekly Questions and Answers for the last six months, you should be in a position to do this. Send your answer to my team at: [email protected]
Why should you bother? Because it will help you focus. There is probably a comparable question in your life that needs answering... or will be. If you can gain insight into how to go about answering a practical question that is loosely related to your problem, this exercise will help you answer your nagging question. Then read my answer. I want all of my students to learn to be better trainers than me.That's good for you and good for horses!
~ Monty
NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION
How do I stop my pony from moving when I try to mount? My family's pony Dusty rarely stands still when I go to mount. He also doesn't like being tacked up. When he sees the tack, he walks off to the other side of the yard, because he knows being tacked up means 'work'. I do manage to tack him up and then the biggest problem is mounting, because then he either steps sideways or walks forward so that I can't mount. When we first got him (nearly 2 years ago) he was fine, but then it just came on. I would be really struggling to mount, and he would be walking forward like a racehorse. Then a few months ago I decided I'd try and work with him, although I didn't have any set things I would do. This is what I did though.
I'd attempt to mount (bareback) and when he moved, whether it was forward or sideways, I'd then push him back to the spot where we started. His habit had gotten so bad that whenever someone put their hands on him and at the same time stood on the side you mount from, he would threaten to kick, stomp his hoof, and then usually move sideways. Thankfully he didn't move to the side I would be standing on, but it was and is a problem. Anyway, my working with him did help a lot, but now he's gone backwards again. I'm going to try what I did again, but do you have a solution?