trouble running in the round pen....

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

I have a problem with my mini not reacting when i use a whip in the round pen as well as he used to. I guess i accidentally de-sensitized him to the whip, and he has never been really scared of anything as a baby (like flying bags, hes not afraid of the whips in liberty, so it was hard to get him moving at the show) . And now i cant make him move without tapping him a couple of times in the butt with the end of the whip. Even running straight towards him spanking the ground doesnt get him going really fast, just a slow trot. But once i get him loping he is fine. I dont know if its with him being a wee bit out of shape (he has a slight hay belly-not a major one though). Also, whenever i make the horses run in the pasture, he just stands by and watches the others run. Hes a bit lazy, and i dont want to have to use physical force on him! Has anyone else had this problem? How have ya'll dealt with it?

 

[chandab]

When I've had a horse with little or no reaction to a whip, tying a plastic grocery bag to the end sometimes works. The krinkly noice it makes is often enough to get the most stubborn horse moving. Unless you happened to have desensitized him to plastic bags as well.

 

[Carolyn R]

The whip isn't meant to scare your horse but rather as an extension of your arm/ hand to enourage or guide him the direction you want him to go. You should be able to lead off with your hand and a lunge line and use the whip to help them move in that direction after you have asked nicely once with no reaction. Even after they go the direction you want and need encouragement to pick up their speed and they complete what you ask, you should be able to bring them to a stop, have them face you and be able to touch them or rub the whip over them without them being afraid of it. It is more about getting them to move when you ask then it is about being afraid of the whip and getting them to move away from it in fear. Try small tight circles lke 3 feet circles and bopping the handle against their rump getting them to move their hind quarters out and away from you in a circle, Then after they do what you ask, keep them moving with verbal cues allowing them to have more lead, only tapping them with the whip to keep them moving out and away, if they stop or slow and won't move forward, bring them to a tight cirle and repeat it. I was told by the trainer for my BH , when starting a horse with lunging to focus on the hind quarters and getting them to move out and away from you rather than trying to pull them in a circle with the lead. Hope it helps.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

My minis are desensitized by the whip but they have go when I ask them to move. Try to follow these steps, point with your finger which direction you want to go, if he don't move then start clucking, if he still doesn't move start spanking the ground, if he still doesn't want to move then bring the whip closer to him and if you can touch him with it then IMO that's his problem. And I want them to go with energy I give them a chance to go faster by repeating these steps and I will smack them if they don't take me seriously. He doesn't have to go fast but he needs to respect what you want him to do and at least take off with some energy. The important thing is don't worry about whacking them with the string, he'll get it eventually, you just don't want to baby him to eventually he'll just ignore you.

 

[Mr.T]

you could try a plastic bag at the end of the whip for the noise. or you could fill an empty soda can with pebbles- that noise might be different enough for him to want to move.

 

[Sandee]

Just letting you know what happened here not implying anything. My stallion/gelding was that way. The guy that trained him to cart said he was just lazy. I had him at another trainer (who I will gladly recommend if asked) and he came home willing and easy to move. The difference? Well, I know they feed differently than I do. They feed more grain. Then there is the consistant exercise every day. The horses are exercised and returned to their stalls. I sometimes exercise. I sometimes just turn out. Key word, I believe, consistant!

 

[Marty]

What's your temperature? Maybe its too hot for this.

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Hi! thanks so much for all of the replys! I tried a plastic bag yesterday in the round pen, and it really didnt help. Thats why i have trouble in liberty classes with him and have to hope he is hyper before the class, which he usually is, just doesnt have a lot of spunk. Anyway...i think its also hard to get him moving because there is a lot of grass on the sides of the round pen, and he is too busy trying to eat! I decided to just do something with him outside of the round pen, like jump or trotting poles or just tour around the property and then put him back in the round pen, and it worked!!! well, for a while haha. I tried Clinton Anderson's round pen routine (point in the direction you want him to run, cluck as a warning if he doesnt go, spank the ground as if "i told you so") this helped a lot! Hope this problem goes away soon!!! Thanks to all who has posted!!! And for someone who asked for the temperature, I work the horses at 7:30 at night now that its daylight savings, and it is like 80 at that time, but in the fall i work them after i get back from school when it gets cooler.

Bailey and Jazzy

 

[dreaminmini]

Just another thing to think about. Is he feeling okay? Is there any other differences with him? How are his feet? Is he eating ok? It's unusual he wouldn't get running when the whole herd started.

Hope everything is ok and it is just some laziness from the heat of this ridiculous summer.

 

[Lil Timber Buck]

Another thing that might help you is to move as far behind the horse's driveline as possible! This is the horse's drive line

The further back behind that you stay as you ask him to move forward, the more "pressure" you are adding to move forward. If you accidentally step in front of him or stay right at this line while you lunge him, the less natural motivation he will have to move forward. Just something else to think about. Hope this helps

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Just another thing to think about. Is he feeling okay? Is there any other differences with him? How are his feet? Is he eating ok? It's unusual he wouldn't get running when the whole herd started.

Hope everything is ok and it is just some laziness from the heat of this ridiculous summer.

He acts just fine. Of course, when i watch him just stand there when the others are running im looking through a window. When i go out there and that happens he stays by my side like a dog. I see him get pushed around sometimes by the others. Bentley is the head of my band of 3. Then Jazzy and Devil switch off roles of what i call "B's BFF". Sometimes Devil gets pushed out of the herd, and Jazzy gets to be Bentley's BFF. Then Jazzy's pushed and Devil takes his place. I have weird minis. Anyway, whenever he is by himself and i go out to the barn to clean stalls or something, he loaps over to me and follows me from stall to stall. Ive never incountered a horse so dependant of someone when theres other horses around. I think with him being an outcast sometimes, he could feel unwelcome when the other horses run around? Of course its summer, so it mayy be to hot for him. Also, he plays with Devil alot, so its not like hes kicked out or something, i think its with him being a pushover.

Wow going way off topic! As i was trying to type, he does much better in the round pen. With all of ya'lls advice, we finally put the pieces together. He now knows voice commands, I dont need to use the whip all the time anymore. Also, somehow i taught him to come to me when i say lets go! Im so proud of him!

Bailey and Jazzy <3