disobedient shetland

Question
My ten year old daughter and I have leased a Shetland, who is very gentle, but he has a tendency to stop and refuse to go in whatever direction he's decided he'd rather not (usually he likes to go back in the direction of the paddock). He's on a lead rope. I ask him, then I pull him quite firmly, then I say 'naughty boy' in a loud voice, but he just digs his heels in and refuses to go.  What do I do here?

Answer
Hi Jane!

This pony has your number and is disrespecting you and his training because he knows there will be no consequences to his actions.  Just like a 4 yr. old boy would run rampant and be horrid if he had no boundaries or parental discipline.

I understand that he is gentle (that's his innate personality) and in fact, you are quite lucky that he exhibits his refusal through nothing more than stopping or what we call "being nappy".  He could be rearing and bucking and bolting back to his safe place....after dumping your child on the ground.  And all those bad things could still happen later on IF he feels he could get away with them!

I would bet the farm that he is over-fed, under-exercised and never corrected.... all this lending to a bad attitude.

Horses are herd animals with 2 main emotions....fear and respect.  Really everything falls into those 2 categories...no hate, rarely love and never all those silly things that humans say horses feel because the human in the riding partnership refuses to really learn to understand how horses think.

No physical beating is necessary or encouraged, just allot of exercise and discipline.  First, he needs to be longed everyday.  If you do not know how, you must learn...perhaps the owner who is leasing will show you how.  He should be longed at all 3 gaits on voice command, this will transfer to when he is being ridden.  Everytime you touch him for the next 3 weeks, should be a "training time".  As much for you as him, maybe more even.

Everytime you do anything with him it must include a goal and the reaching of that goal in a positive manner.  Starting right now I would walk him only on a leadline with a stud chain, with the chain over his nose.  The second you feel him start to balk or be nappy, just shank that chain once, hard and say firmly, "NO!  Walk on" and walk off as if nothing happened and you fully expect him to follow.  Boss mares do not constantly fret and beg for everyone to follow them, they lead by example.  You are now the Boss Mare.

I would not put your child on him until you have resolved the following issue and you have it 99% fixed.  Then, add in the child but, if he balks, remove the child immediately and go back to the training mode.  Each infraction on his part will require less turn-around time to fix because he knows you mean business.

Of course you may love and pet him, AFTER he performs his job correctly.  He IS NOT a big dog or pet.  The safety of your child is in his training and his ability to do as you ask...he is a riding partner to humans.  He must hold up his end of the deal just as you do, right?

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange