Anyone care to share the most creative evasions you’ve seen when starting young horses?
I watched my friend’s appy flop to the ground and refuse to get up in a round pen session…he didn’t slip or anything, just stopped, slowly laid down and didn’t budge until trainer walked over to him.
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I have one who came equipped with no “go” button. For a while, I rode with a dressage whip in each hand because if I used spurs he just totally shut down. His most favorite gait of all is whoa!
We wait now, until horses are older, 4+, to start consIstant work. Younger ages seem to have no ability to pay attention more than a few minutes. Forcing the issue is when horse starts evading, turns it into a game of disobedience.
We will pony younger animals, exposing them to new sights with a calm older horse setting a good example. They wear tack, saddle or harness to get used to the feel while moving. We practice being tied and standing quiet for long times, loading, riding in trailers, standing tied in trailers. We visit friends where horse is unloaded, tied to trailer, tacked up, walked around, untacked and reloaded. Gives them good basics for later in life. Everything except ponying is in short sessions, never over 20 minutes.
By age 4, horse is ready mentally, physically, for learning and training. Ours soak up their longer lessons, progress steadily without evasions. Makes working with them more fun, not frustrating.
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Red is NOT young, but if you put someone new on him he “magically” doesn’t know how to do things.
“Of course I don’t know how to side pass!”
“No ma’am, I do not know how to pick up a simple lead. Whatever do you mean?”
“Pivot? What’s that?”
He is SO not a beginner horse, LOL. Such a stinker.
So far, we’ve been doing good, with two youngsters.
My little gelding has half attempted a buck once, but really, his best trick yet was laying down in a sandy spot while on a trail ride. My husband had no idea what to do, pony laid down so carefully and looked SO proud of himself. :lol:
The ones who lay down are quite frustrating, as others have mentioned.
When Montana was a youngster (5 is young in Arab land, right?), he was really bad about slipping one rein into his mouth where it attached to the bit, then blissfully ignoring my attempts to steer, stop, or…do anything that wasn’t his idea, really. Clever little jerk. 
mine is not young, 11 years, but she would stick her nose straight in the air and loll out her tongue until finally getting it over the bit. I gave up and put her in a hack. head still goes up and tongue still hangs out, but no bit to get it over. instead of entire trail tide she only does it once in awhile on the way home. she is now much more fun to ride
