“Stacy, I have a mare I started last fall and she is a little cold backed. Would the rope exercise have shown or helped that problem? Have you had this issue with a colt before?”
Usually the rope exercise will help. I do so much groundwork that I haven’t run into this problem with horses I have started. I have had it with horses that were brought to me. The exercises will help it; in some horses it goes away, in others it improves. Prevention seems to be key.
Watch again how much preparation/prevention goes into Jac’s training.
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Yes, about cold backs, I always did ground work until a colt would roll his eyes and fetch me the longline when I came in the barn. That worked well with Arab & Q-Horse youngsters, and well with a 2 year old mustang I started, but not so much with the 6 year old mustang. But I’m convinced another month of planned work on the longline and he’d have been a pussycat.
Bill Swart, Mt Pleasant Mi
My gelding is 9 and has had a difficult time learning a flying change from left to right. He has a very nice, easy change right to left. He feels like we are teaching a right handed hitter to hit left handed. He has been off a year due to an injury and is now coming back into training. I have had him totally checked over and resolved soreness issues that I thought might have caused the proir training issues. Do you have any suggestion to help us? I would really like to accomplish this goal. Thanks you are truely amazing.
Lori-your question became todays blog!
Now you can read what I said as well as the comments on the blog and on FB, hope it helps!
Cold backed as in……?
I have most often heard the term used when addressing a horses that when first saddled shows signs of resistance. That could include; dancing around during saddling, arching back when girthed up, walking off stiff legged or taking tiny steps, resistance to move forward followed by bucking, etc.