Marsha Cassada said:
Maybe I need to tighten the breeching so it "engages" sooner. If it is too loose, he may be objecting to the saddle taking too much of the load?
Quite possible. The breeching should come into play just as the traces loosen so that the tug straps barely swing forward or back before chest and rump are taking the load. We don't want the straps to be so tight they make the horse feel trapped but I picture it like a trapeze act- one part swings forward and the next is right there to take up the load with perfect timing.
You don't say how he is when you stand behind him and ask him to back without a cart but it sounds like Dusty simply doesn't understand what you're asking. He doesn't see the rein pressure as a cue, he sees it as someone hauling on his mouth and of course he hauls back in frustration. Do you use a verbal cue for backing? If it were my horse I think I'd put him in the blinker bridle then stand at his shoulder facing forward and softly lift one rein at a time (in front of his withers, not through the terrets) to ask him to give to pressure. I'd play with getting him to first give his nose to each side, then slowly progress to stepping his shoulder over, pivoting on the forehand, sidepassing a little bit, anything he wanted to offer in response to the lightest possible pressure. Any movement would get an immediate release and praise until it's clear he's beginning to understand the game. It's not hard to turn that sort of experimenting into taking a step backwards, for which of course you'd promptly praise the living daylights out of him. Use his verbal command and encourage him to repeat that step back with one rein and the outside rein merely containing him if he's ready for that. Stay soft! Don't worry if he's moving sideways too or spinning his butt as long as he's shifting his weight to the rear and moving his feet. Most horses I've met could go from total resistance to backing at least a few steps off a rein cue in one session when handled like this.
The problem is you're trying to force him backwards with the reins and as you know, you're never going to win a battle with a horse.
Make it easy and fun for him and help him connect the action he takes from your body language with the same action from a soft and inviting rein cue. Use the verbal cue as your bridge, the thing that both cues have in common, and look for the tiniest action to reward. Both of my horses will back up straight beside me at complete liberty and all I did to train it was shape small indications of movement and reward, reward, reward. They think it's fun and in Turbo's case that should be easy to translate to driving as long as I make sure he understands each step from one cue (my body language) to another (the reins when he can't see me.) If I put him in an open bridle first and gently add the rein cue to what he already knows it should be easy to wean him onto only the rein cue.
Just be patient with Dusty and when you ask again in the cart, go back to accepting the smallest effort at first! He'll get the idea.
Leia
