Horse will not stand still

Hi Lance,

My horse refuses to stand still. It just seems like he has to move. When I try to make him stand, he moves his feet and it really does not matter to him which way. Forward, back or to the side, for him, any direction seems to be okay. The more I try to force him to stand, the worse it gets until I give up and let him walk a little and settle down. Can you help?

Jenn

Jenn,

First of all, I will answer your question with a question. When you put your horse out to pasture, is he able to stand still or does he gig all over the place? If he is able to stand still and if he does it a lot, then we know that he likes and prefers to be still.

Since the only time he seems to have trouble is when you are on his back... I think that we have found the problem, you. That was not meant to he harsh or rude, but until we identify the issues, how can we fix them? Since your horse is able to stand quietly in the pasture and unable to do so when you are on his back, what is the difference between the two situations? The answer is pressure. There is something about you that drives his nervousness and agitation up to the point that he thinks he has to move.

I found a clue in your own words "The more I try to force him to stand, the worse it gets until I give and let him walk a little and settle down." Since your horse fights your efforts to make him stand still, stop trying to make him stand. I know that sounds backwards, but that is your answer. Consider what is really happening? Because you know that he will not want to stand, you most likely start out with a little bit of a hold on his mouth. This is pressure and he wants to find a way out of it so he moves. Then you tighten your hold which increases the pressure and he moves more. So you tighten again and he moves more and tighten, move, tighten, move, tighten, blow up.

Can you see he ugly cycle that the two of you have going?

You might solve the problem with this approach. Walk him to the point where you want him to stand, stop him and release all pressure. That means to drop your hand, give him a very loose rein and sink into the saddle in a very relaxed posture. The message you want to send your horse is simply ahhhhh. That will send a very clear signal for him to do the same... relax. Because a pattern has been set, he will still be playing the old game and will want to walk off. Let him commit to the mistake by taking a step or two. Then, take a hold of his mouth with your hands, lift his belly with your spurs and make him back as hard as he can for at lest four or five steps. Be sure to keep him backing until he gets round in the neck and pole and gets soft in your hands. If he is unable to get soft and round, that is another problem that should corrected before you worry about standing still.

Now, quietly walk him back to the spot where you first asked him to stand and again release all pressure. You may have to repeat this process many times, but eventually, he will learn that it is easier to stand quietly than to do all the work associated with moving. My basic theory is that I never force a horse to do anything. I simply ask and if he refuses, the result is strenuous work. When the work is completed, I quietly ask again. It has been my experience that most horses will quickly learn that trying is mush easier than refusing. Good luck.

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