New boy on the block
- Thread starter carthorse
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He's doing well @Huggy and I'm very happy with him. Still a slight problem with the yard mounting block, he really isn't convinced and so I need someone standing at his head to bribe him with pony nuts, and even then some days he swings away or runs back, but we're getting there. Hacking he's being a poppet, very willing even if he has doubts, and he's getting calmer to handle. We've had a hiccup this week because the stables are being reroofed and he found that far too much to handle,, but they weren't working today and despite 5 days off he was as good as gold. He's become very affectionate now and tries to follow me everywhere - I've had a couple of leadropes lost to that 
He's still dropping weight, though I'm now giving a bit of haylage daily as he doesn't need to lose a lot more or quickly. I was thrilled a couple of days ago when a friend's husband, who'd seen him when I was interested in him, came over and said how much better he looked now for a diet, some work, and some consistent handling. Yes i's a little thing but it really mad my day
He's still dropping weight, though I'm now giving a bit of haylage daily as he doesn't need to lose a lot more or quickly. I was thrilled a couple of days ago when a friend's husband, who'd seen him when I was interested in him, came over and said how much better he looked now for a diet, some work, and some consistent handling. Yes i's a little thing but it really mad my day
I think the consistent handling will help with the mounting block too. I "wasted" hours of lesson time teachng the horse I eventually shared to stand at the block and let me mount her without anyone else holding her and certainly no treats.
It was time well spent. But I am probably harsher than you. If the standing its not perfect, I circle round again and approach the block afresh.
This isnt very helpful to you if you have a full schedule and need to get on and ride a.s.p.
Mark Rashid who taught this method, later rejected it as teaching horses to circle! He became much fiercer. But I think placid circling is right for me.
It was time well spent. But I am probably harsher than you. If the standing its not perfect, I circle round again and approach the block afresh.
This isnt very helpful to you if you have a full schedule and need to get on and ride a.s.p.
Mark Rashid who taught this method, later rejected it as teaching horses to circle! He became much fiercer. But I think placid circling is right for me.
@Skib to be honest anything like that just makes him more anxious, and mounting an anxious horse is likely to create problems rather than solve them. He's getting the idea and is being more relaxed about it so I'm sure that at some point we won't need the handler or treats - as it is they don't hold him at all because if they take the rein he runs backwards or pivots even further out. Patience and reassurance is the way to go with him. I also think the yard mounting block isn't well located for him, I've known quite a few horses that don't stand well at it but are fine elsewhere.
Sid was awful at the block when he arrived, or indeed anywhere you suggested you might want to get on him. 3.5 months later he'll stand anywhere. I did do a fair bit of training with him, correcting his position when he moved away, but I think it's as much that he's now happy with his saddle and girth and possibly even his rider!
My horse came from Iceland. Standing still and waiting was something he could not and would not do. He had other issues too. So, after being terrified one time too many, I took him right back to the beginning and trained him all the things I wanted him to know as if he were new to it all. And now, he knows that I give him a small bit of carrot before I clamber elegantly on (ie, when I am tightening his girth), and then he gets "the other half" after I have plumbed in my exploding gilet thing. Then he is allowed to move off but never before his second carrot piece. He knows this. I will literally get off and eat his 2nd carrot in front of him if he as much as twitches if I haven't done the gilet clip up onto my saddle! He stands like a rock.
Surprisingly, Hogan learned and accepted the mounting block quite quickly. I had a post thingy just inside the forest gate I used for a long time, and I now have steps at the yard gate. I expected more of a battle with him if truth be told. If he moved off I had to just keep walking him round and back to it, and he eventually accepted it.
I do think it's something to do with the placement of this mounting block, there are several horses on the yard that really don't like it yet will stand at others. He's just about ok with the block at the yard I tried him at and kept him at the first week.
@Frances144 I tried offering him something when I was onboard - scared him silly!
@Frances144 I tried offering him something when I was onboard - scared him silly!
No I can't move the block unfortunately - if I could I would! I've asked someone to make me a taller step than the ones I can buy, they aren't big enough for me to get on without the saddle slipping - it fits but at the moment he doesn't have much wither and is a barrel shape so even a well fitted saddle will slip with weight in just one stirrup. Years of riding this shape means ideally I like to have a big enough block that I can just swing a leg over, second best is one that's at least tall enough that I can lean over before mounting and put weight down the other stirrup with my free hand.
@Skib the only ones I could see had a rail on that would get in the way, the last thing i want to do is bring the whole thing crashing down around us. I used to be able to get on Jim at 16.3 with my step, but it's the need to lean over to get the stirrup that means I need something a bit taller - once he's matured he'll hopefully have a bit more wither, mind you by then he'll hopefully be standing to mount at the mounting block too!
I bought this
And put it on the yard for hacking. Someone had bought one for the school. It was expensive but meant I could get on 16.2hh Robin without stretching. His old sharer just slipped her leg over. It is relatively movable if horse dosnt mind you dragging it. 2.5 years later it still looks like new.
Robin was also difficult to get on when I got him. When I asked old owner if he had an issue he said he just let him walk off and would sort stirrups and girth on the move. I also taught him that he dosnt move until he gets his polo. I was very impressed the other day. Someone was trying to get in to yard with trailer as I was about to mount. So I quickly go on, did girth, asked him to walk on. He refused! Lightbulb, I hadn’t given him his polo. So gave him polo, asked to walk on and he marched off happily. He dosnt even take the polo, he turns his head and opens his mouth and I pop it in!
And put it on the yard for hacking. Someone had bought one for the school. It was expensive but meant I could get on 16.2hh Robin without stretching. His old sharer just slipped her leg over. It is relatively movable if horse dosnt mind you dragging it. 2.5 years later it still looks like new.
Robin was also difficult to get on when I got him. When I asked old owner if he had an issue he said he just let him walk off and would sort stirrups and girth on the move. I also taught him that he dosnt move until he gets his polo. I was very impressed the other day. Someone was trying to get in to yard with trailer as I was about to mount. So I quickly go on, did girth, asked him to walk on. He refused! Lightbulb, I hadn’t given him his polo. So gave him polo, asked to walk on and he marched off happily. He dosnt even take the polo, he turns his head and opens his mouth and I pop it in!
@Doodle92 I'd looked at both of those. At the moment I think he'd flip if I tried moving the plastic one around him - it took a few days before his treatball wasn't a pony eating monster if I carried it while leading him - plus there's nowhere to leave it where it won't be in peoples way when not in use. The second one just didn't look very stable to me. I'm sure it would be fine to stand on but not I'm convinced I'd feel safe pushing off it.
I don't give a damn if he moves off as soon as I'm on, the irony is that at that point he stands still until asked to move! No, it's getting him to a suitable place by the block and then standing long enough to get on that's the issue. Mind you his mindset is so Welsh that I expect one day it'll suddenly click and there'll be no problem. If the saddle didn't roll it would be far less of an issue as I could mount from a less ideal line up, but if wishes were horses then beggars would ride - though probably not anything with much Welsh in it Before anyone takes offence I love Welshies and many of their partbreds, but if you've had dealings with them you know just where I'm coming from!
- plus there's nowhere to leave it where it won't be in peoples way when not in use. The second one just didn't look very stable to me. I'm sure it would be fine to stand on but not I'm convinced I'd feel safe pushing off it.I don't give a damn if he moves off as soon as I'm on, the irony is that at that point he stands still until asked to move! No, it's getting him to a suitable place by the block and then standing long enough to get on that's the issue. Mind you his mindset is so Welsh that I expect one day it'll suddenly click and there'll be no problem. If the saddle didn't roll it would be far less of an issue as I could mount from a less ideal line up, but if wishes were horses then beggars would ride - though probably not anything with much Welsh in it
Before anyone takes offence I love Welshies and many of their partbreds, but if you've had dealings with them you know just where I'm coming from!I think it is almost impossible with a shared block in a yard. Do you have an outdoor school at your yard? If he were mine I would probably do some daily traiing with blocks in the school. Our school is littered with plastic blocks. So is my RIs. I think they are part of jumps.
My first stage would simply be calmly walking and halting near blocks. Waiting in halt for his head to drop. Leaning over to hold the other stirrup sounds hairy to me. I wouldnt dare. Even if I were physically capable.
My first stage would simply be calmly walking and halting near blocks. Waiting in halt for his head to drop. Leaning over to hold the other stirrup sounds hairy to me. I wouldnt dare. Even if I were physically capable.
I got a decorators step from b&q to use as a mounting block. It is light, folds down flat, doesn’t have rails, is very sturdy, easily moveable and allowed me to get on my 16.1hh horse easily.
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