Full speed….ahead? nope…backwards.

[REisen Shine Farm]

So, our haflinger team has been getting in shape for the season,and admittedly we are especially green teamsters. We have this issue with our older mare, who is generally more docile, but less eager to work- every time we hook her to an implement, she snaps into a mode where she only backs up.

 

This is a new phenomenon here. We hooked her to a fore cart several times over the past few weeks, and she was fine. Then, yesterday we asked her pull the sulky around (just around, not plowing at first) and she was reluctant to move forward. Today, we made some adjustments to the traces and the neck yoke height, thinking maybe she wasn’t happy with the angle- but no luck. In fact, she got even more stuck in reverse.

 

We pulled her off the sulky and thought we would ground drive her, maybe hook them to the more familiar fore cart and see if we couldn’t get her moving. But that this point, she would only go in reverse even ground driving.

We ended up hitching her, and then working her just on a lead line to her halter, walking her around etc for a few minutes. After we did this, she did ground drive better- but we decided to pause and end on a good note.

Thoughts? Tips? Help?

[Donn Hewes]

If I could make a couple suggestions;  First look at the thread “trouble getting started” as some of these ideas will be related.   (under – training work animals).  More and more I find my self telling folks that I will give you two conflicting answers to think about.  I guess this is what makes it an art.

First – All ways pay attention to what is going on for the animal.  It is likely not the length of the pole or yoke height, but it could be.  It is likely a green horse that is unsure of what you want / intend.  It has also developed it’s own idea about what it would like to do.   Is the animal relatively calm, but just backing? or is it really nervous, or excited?  This helps determine how much pressure we apply to the situation.

Second  – block out what is going on for the animal.  Focus on what you are presenting to the animal.  They want leadership.  You should be calm, relaxed, and you should be certain that what you are doing is right and what the final out come will be.  You can send this message to the animal.  If you are not that certain you may need to fake that.  That makes it a little harder.

From the other thread; Carl’s pointed stick can be used effectively in this case.  Try to let the animal back into.  That will reduce the overall energy involved and they will believe they have done this to them selves.  Work slowly, calmly, and determined.

Realize please that plowing with a green horse and a green teamster can cause really problems.  If this horse is not ready for this difficult and challenging task, I would wait until the animal has successfully pulled other things.  Logs, harrows, stone boat all come to mind.

[REisen Shine Farm]

Thanks so much for the feedback. The horse isn’t green, she’s 17 and has been working for a good number of years. It’s definitely a teamster issue.

Sorry I missed that other thread, we read through that too. I think if we focus on what we know will happen (moving forward) and adjust our line pressure, and maybe use the pointed stick we may be in better shape.

It’s certainly a work in progress! Thanks again!

 

[Rivendell Farm]

This doesn’t seem likely to be the problem, but I’ll mention it anyway.  Is it possible she has a check rein  (overcheck) that’s too tight, or perhaps she isn’t accustomed to having one at all?  Bob

[wally b]

If she worked fine before I would look for problems like collar sore, nail or sharp nail etc, in the harness, collar or rigging.  Another time I had a mare who had a small, barely noticable, cut in her mouth near where the bit lay.

Check for these kind of mechanical problems.

 

wally

[PeytonM]

When you ask her to move forward are you using vocal commands or kiss? I have a belgian named Prince thats 18H + and well over a ton, I know he can pull some weight cause I’ve used him skidding logs alone and he knows what hes doing in the woods, I tried tilling the garden with a walk behind cultivator and he wouldn’t move it one bit, he would hop and jump but wouldn’t pull it, I was green at the time, I feel it was two different reasons why he acted like this
A) He was hooked single on something he never did but at the same time very close to pulling a log, He didn’t have his team mate next too him like he normally did when I would hook them on a disk or something of that nature.
B) I was green, I was unsure, I wasnt confident in my self and that day I was having a bad day, I learned really quick horses read you off your body language and the moment they see you they know who’s gonna be boss.

Now I can take that same horse Prince and hook him with his team mate Randy and go out and be on a wagon or something and I’ll let them do their thing and not pay so much attention to the horses and I’ll be looking at the field or woods or what ever and Price knows that he will start to act up. All I have to do is stop him walk up to him straight on looking him in the eye and pull his head down from sky so hes on my level and say ” cool it, relax” he more or less gets over hyper and really wants to haul the mail and pull or go just all out and work, but I pet him on the head and just talk to him, he calms down and relaxes and away we go. He is the one horse I love to drive because after I got time behind some lines he is one horse that wants to work and enjoys working.

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