DeniseJP
Well-Known Member
Weatherly, my 4 year old Morgan filly, was getting to be too much for me under saddle as we were getting started this year- lots of inappropriate behavior so I backed her back to square one and called in a trainer whose methods were aligned with what I wanted to accomplish - going bitless, being able to correct her as a horse would in a herd and working towards being better partners.
The trainer said right off the bat that Weatherly thinks she is the boss and did not know how to properly lead... she usually barges and gets right on top of me - at 15.2 hands she is a big Morgan and she has an attitude.
The trainer had her leading and working on a special line and soft rope halter and Weatherly squealed at her, tried to break away and was not happy being relegated to 3rd in line. I felt like I was backwards trying to handle the rope and the horse but I am getting the hang of it. The trainer never raised her voice at Weatherly or corrected her harshly and never laid a hand on her except to stroke her and give her praise.
I was practicing my lessona day laterand Weatherly was not happy with me or what I made her do - she tried to bolt and when she did not get away with that, she chewed me out verbally with lots of squeals for a full five minutes as she moved in circles around me. When the trainer and I met last Saturday, she got a laugh out of that description but Weatherly picked up on her new lessons and while the trainer is on vacation for the next two weeks, we have practicing to do. She is a lot more attentive and is behaving much better.
So, step by stepI will work with her on the ground work and get her reestablished under saddlewhen the time is right. When Weatherly was misbehaving and throwing the equine equivalent of a temper tantrum, the trainer stood calmly and said quietly, "I am going to outlive her so when she is done we will resume."
Denise
The trainer said right off the bat that Weatherly thinks she is the boss and did not know how to properly lead... she usually barges and gets right on top of me - at 15.2 hands she is a big Morgan and she has an attitude.
The trainer had her leading and working on a special line and soft rope halter and Weatherly squealed at her, tried to break away and was not happy being relegated to 3rd in line. I felt like I was backwards trying to handle the rope and the horse but I am getting the hang of it. The trainer never raised her voice at Weatherly or corrected her harshly and never laid a hand on her except to stroke her and give her praise.
I was practicing my lessona day laterand Weatherly was not happy with me or what I made her do - she tried to bolt and when she did not get away with that, she chewed me out verbally with lots of squeals for a full five minutes as she moved in circles around me. When the trainer and I met last Saturday, she got a laugh out of that description but Weatherly picked up on her new lessons and while the trainer is on vacation for the next two weeks, we have practicing to do. She is a lot more attentive and is behaving much better.
So, step by stepI will work with her on the ground work and get her reestablished under saddlewhen the time is right. When Weatherly was misbehaving and throwing the equine equivalent of a temper tantrum, the trainer stood calmly and said quietly, "I am going to outlive her so when she is done we will resume."
Denise