Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Backing up to avoid working

From: Nora

Hi Jessica,

Our 6 year old AST mare, Magic, has a bad habit of backing up when she doesn't want to work or when she doesn't want to be moved away from her friends in the arena. She responds to all forward cues, including tapping with the crop, by going backwards. Lately, I have been keeping her walking backwards until she tires of it or hits the rail, and then I ask for a forward walk. She will then comply, but it doesn't mean she won't pull the same antics the next time we are working. How do I break her of this?

Hi Nora! Actually you could be on the right track, asking her to go backwards until she is tired of it -- but this isn't always a practical method, especially if other people are riding in the arena! :-) It's also a bit risky, because one of these days, she'll hit the wall and not want to go forward, and the only other direction is UP. Before she learns to rear, let's just see if anything's bothering her, and then teach her to go forward EVERY time you ask, not just sometimes.

My first reaction to any problem of this nature is to look at the horse to see whether she is sore anywhere, or whether her saddle could be pinching her -- a pinching saddle can make a horse want to stand still or back instead of going forward. If your saddle is positioned properly (not too far forward!) and you can slide your fingers under the saddle at the front -- not just under the pommel, but under the front edge of the panels as well, and walk and trot without your fingers being squashed, then it probably isn't the saddle that's the problem. But check it just in case -- and check the bridle as well, in case you have a too-tight browband or an uncomfortable bit. Then check her mouth in case her teeth need floating, or in case she has wolf teeth that need removing.

Now, if everything is just fine... read on.

If this is, as you suspect, just a case of the mare not wanting to leave her friends, you need to make it clear that although you are ASKING her to go forward, you can TELL her to go forward if she doesn't respond to a polite request. You have to be clear, definite, and calm about this.

The basic moving-forward exercise requires a steady, secure rider (good basic position, safety helmet ON with harness fastened) and a whip. Sit straight, loosen your reins and hold them in ONE hand, and ask her to go forward -- use the aid you would LIKE her to respond to (a light squeeze with the calves, not a kick). Your whip should be in the OTHER hand. If she doesn't respond to the soft leg aid, repeat it and add a kiss or a cluck. If she doesn't respond to THAT, reach back and hit her, once, HARD, on the rump. The idea here is for her to go FORWARD. If she walks, trots, canters, or leaps forward -- that's fine, we won't be picky. The single hard smack means "You WILL go forward NOW!" and the loose reins give her room to go forward. If you ask with tight reins, she has no place to go (other than back, or up!); if you ask with loose reins but hold your whip in the same hand as a rein, you will catch her in the mouth at the same time that you're telling her to go forward -- clashing your aids and confusing the horse.

If she doesn't go forward (which would surprise me greatly), repeat the entire process. If she DOES go forward, at whatever gait or speed, just go with her and praise her. Circle the arena once or twice, praising her, then relax, ask her to halt and stand, then adjust your position, take your (loose) reins in one hand, and use your soft leg aid to ask her to go forward. Again, be ready to repeat the leg aid with a kiss, and then to reinforce it with the whip.

It shouldn't take very many repetitions of this exercise for her to learn that leg DOES mean forward. But remember: the aid must be clear, y you must be ready to reinforce it, and you must praise her if she goes forward in any way whatsoever.

- Jessica

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