As for the rest...Yes, definitely, I feel round penning (exactly as I teach it in my round penning section on my site) is going to help you get a better start there and teach her: you're the leader, she's the follower. A horse that turns a hind end to you is showing grave disrespect and not respecting you as leader. She wouldn't dream of turning a hind end to a perceived lead mare. So doing the round penning exercise will definitely help you to get the pecking order down correctly, you perceived as leader, she, the follower and much more. And also, the last section of my round penning section there, you can then apply, after she's latched on to you, densitizing her better to human touch all over, using advance/retreat as I teach it there, if you feel that is necessary. Make sure, however, that you really read/study that round penning lesson tutorial carefully, because one of the problems I see "out there" often is people do round penning all wrong, missing entirely the point of the exercise. It is not about mindlessly running the horse around & around in circles until they are tired or something, but the opposite: it's a very specific form of communication to get established from the getgo the leadership position and psychologically draws the horse into you BY CHOICE, which is a great way to get them in a proper frame of mind before you really start to train.

With the younger ones like yours, there are some precautions I'd like to mention here, however:

1) Don't run her hard/too fast, to keep her still-developing legs protected.

2) Don't run her too long either, because her lungs are still developing.

3) It's not so much running we're looking for in effective round penning, but directing the horse in some direction we instruct, so they know you are the leader, even when they are at liberty.

4) With younger ones, get them turning often and you won't need to run them hard/fast then, nor wear them out too much.
 

So, I see round penning as, with some horses (not all) that it's simply: a precurser to training. A foundation before the real foundation is laid down. And you usually don't have to do it repeatedly, if you've done it right the first time. One time should get it right, two tops often. From then on, the horse has the pecking order down clearly, and even cues to come to you to be haltered. She knows from then on never to turn a hind end to you rudely, etc. That's how I think it is used most effectively. Just a tool...to begin with. After that...then real foundational training needs to begin and that's what I wanted to show you next...what should come after the round penning with your filly that'll get her training foundation laid down nicely, right now, while she's still young and highly impressionable: Here's where I would suggest applying horse whispering/natural horsemanship training techniques in a very clear step by step program, which you can learn more about in my DVD set, the Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System, and you can order that here: CLICK HERE

After watching the videos, and after learning and applying the methods, you, as the horse's primary teacher will have taught the horse:

• How to be bonded to you more deeply so that he trusts you to the max and he will be far more willing to do whatever you ask, even when he is in doubt;
• That you both have a "bonding place" (a "safety zone") to come back to always, from then on, if he's ever upset or afraid, on the ground (or later, in the saddle); we plant a one-rein stop in the foundation of every horse, on the ground first, so that in the saddle, it is automatic. This keeps you safer and the horse more rational, and feeling supported, bonded, connected more deeply emotionally to you.
• How to relax him when he is tense about something before he is called upon to react negatively.
• How to have him yield easily, in any direction when asked -- he'll learn how to yield properly to pressure to receive the release of pressure. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want, not from the pressure itself;
• How to progress bonding to even deeper levels to the point of downright intimacy; makes a horse feel like he never had it so good being with his owner!
• How to move him from the rear, and him learning to do that rationally, which is so important to teach a horse to do before you ever ride them, and which you'll be using for a lot of other things like trailer loading, going in and out of a gate, into a stall, and so many other places/situations; this also teaches a horse that you are in charge of their feet.
• How to address effectively any fears (and his reactions to them) that you flush out in his behavior at any given time; my program focuses greatly on finding the fears before they find you and fixing them -- safely on the ground first! Even lay folks can do this. It's all about: safety. This then builds a far more rational, confident, happy horse, because, in essence, you have effectively raised his "fear/anxiety bar." And you will have taught him simultaneously in the process, how to turn to you for nurturance support when/if he is ever afraid or upset.
• How to do all this first on the ground, then later in the saddle, in that order.
• How to keep you safe and the horse safe at all times, throughout all of this --- always my biggest training focus.

This video set will help you to lay down an even stronger, more solid and trusting foundation under your horse there that will then serve you well, tremendously, actually, when you do step up into the saddle up the road. By the time you complete the steps, you will have a transformed horse. The final steps (up the road when your horse is old enough) are in the saddle and those exercises will more deeply plant into your horse's foundation the one-rein stop/the "safety zone," and more, that will turn her into a far, far more rational, trusting, happier -- and safer -- horse in saddle as well.

And you can do this yourself if you just back up and learn a few things yourself there. This video set will get you there the fastest with your horse, which is why I'm recommending this route. It's designed for anyone on any level, horse or human, to get professional trainer-like results.

And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE

I'm a very strong believer that every horse owner is their horse's primary teacher/trainer whether they realize it or not. Every time you are with your horse, he is learning something. You just want to make sure he's learning what you want him to learn, not what you don't want him to learn! Natural horsemanship training techniques are gentle, effective, and powerful. Works with every horse every time!

But it's real important to back up and break down all teaching steps in a way that you are releasing baby-gives, allowing the horse to feel the release for the right answers incrementally, so that they learn that's really what you want.

I do strongly feel that this route is going to turn your situation around with your horse, making your filly the calmer, rational horse that you envision her being, while simultaneously building stronger and stronger confidence in you for handling her as well.

One last link on my site that I think might help you there -- to learn a little more about natural horsemanship and prey animal psychology in general -- my "What is Natural Horsemanship" link here:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/WhatIsNH.html

I hope all this helps, and let me know if I can be of any further help to you there. Good luck to ya! And thanks again for writing.

 

 

 

 

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