Question:
I have this horse who is 20 but she is a Quarter Horse and
is very strong and when I get on her to ride her she likes to pig root before she settles down. I was wondering if you could give me any suggestion to how I may be able to stop her from doing this and if Join-Up may be a good idea to do with her.
Thank you so much, Brianna
Monty's Answer: Join-Up® is an introduction for the horse to the fact that you understand her language and that you can be trusted. Obviously there is some exercise involved in Join-Up but as I have advised in my textbook From My Hands To Yours it should not be used over and over again for the purpose of expending energy.
The problem you have is rooted in the natural build-up of energy that occurs between work sessions. My recommendation for dealing with this phenomenon is line driving or double line lunging. The use of long lining is fully explored in my textbook and short cuts are not recommended. What I describe as short cuts might be the use of the single line to lunge or loose lunging; no line at all.
Virtually your entire problem can be dealt with by properly long lining with tack on. It will not only solve your problem but you will discover that your horse will become more responsive to your everyday cues and the desires you may have while riding in whatever discipline you choose. It is nice when my answers are a relatively easy fix and this is one of those times.
Editor’s note: Pig Rooting can be described as bucking or a few hops.
Question: I have a 12 year old Arab Mare who is riding with gaited horses on our trail rides. What can I do to help her walk with these other horses? She tends to want to trot or gig when she is with them. She is getting better but I would like some help on speeding up the process of getting her to walk with them.
Monty's Answer: This question is important to more people than one can imagine in a huge part of the world and with a high percentage of riding enthusiasts. Leisure riding is far and away the #1 activity in the horse world. Trail riding with a group is one of the most desirable activities of this fraternity which is so important to the horse industry.
Out on the trail, there are many factors which contribute to a comfortable experience and a less desirable one. One of those factors has to do with the pace with which some horses negotiate the task when compared with other equine individuals. Generally speaking a large part of the enjoyment under these circumstances is human social interaction. A comfortable conversation is hard to have when one horse is walking at 6 miles per hour and another is walking at 2 miles per hour.
Should someone decide to ride a Shetland pony, they might find it very difficult for the short legs to travel at a comfortable pace with normal horses even traveling leisurely. I realize that this example portrays the problem to the extreme. In fact, this is exactly what I intended to do. There are many more subtle examples that still create the problem I describe.
Many of the commercial trail riding operations are utilizing Peruvian Pasos and Paso Fino horses that will typically walk at roughly twice the pace of a Quarter Horse or any of the breeds more typical of the Western disciplines. They are for the most part small horses that tölt. This is a word to describe a natural gait that many would call a single foot or pace. It is smooth and tends to produce a rate of speed significantly higher than most breeds.
It would not be appropriate to expect Jane Smith to conduct a wonderful conversation with Sally Jones while one is on a Peruvian Paso and the other is astride Old Yeller, a Palomino Quarter Horse. What this all means is that we must use some common sense when putting together our groups where these factors are concerned. It is not appropriate to keep stabbing Old Yeller in the sides to get him to walk as fast as Carlos the Peruvian Paso.
If this question is to inquire as to methods by which horses are trained to walk at their optimum rate then let me say that there are methods by which you can achieve this. One must first school the horse not to trot when pressed for more speed at the walk. This can be accomplished by firmly stopping and backing up each time your horse breaks into the trot.
Press him with the normal cues to move forward and then discipline him when he trots and you will eventually achieve his optimum walking rate. In my opinion, any attempt to improve that rate with harsher methods than I have described is unacceptable human behavior toward your equine partner.
Question: Dear Monty, my name is Maya, I'm 11 years old and I have your book about Shy Boy. I was wondering if anyone who really wanted to could have a mustang (or brumby, as we call them in Australia) actually come up to you and allow you to befriend it? I am really interested in learning The Language of Equus and would love an answer.
Monty's Answer: Remember that in virtually every book and article I have written, safety is the paramount theme in the entire body of my work. If the horseman is not safe, the work will not be done properly. Wild brumbies are a long way from being the best companions for an untrained horseman. Possibly I did the world a disservice when I did my documentary on the mustangs. But remember, I have had lots of experience.
Handling wild horses can be a very dangerous endeavor. While the wild horse has the potential to teach I am strongly recommending safety. What this means is that if you get a young horse for a young child, it is essential that well qualified professionals are trusted to get whatever assistance the child needs they get it. It is critical that the professional advises them and stops them when they are taking risks that are inappropriate.
We use wild horses in our school in California but believe me when I tell you that we are extremely careful to qualify students before they do the work. We also provide the appropriate equipment so that the gentling process can take place with the student in a safe environment. I have written and produced DVDs that can specifically inform aspiring students of the wild horse and those lessons should be learned d before engaging in the process of gentling the wild horse.
Please let me end by saying that I love wild horses. I love them for many reasons. One of the primary reasons is they are fantastic teachers. Once gentled, they can become incredible partners. So don't let me come off as a naysayer here. Let me come off as Grandfather who is extremely concerned for a Grandchild.
