# Walking behind me when leading...UGH!!



## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

Fancy has good manners when leading and great manners on the cross ties, but she will NEVER walk beside me! It doesn't matter my pace, even if im walking very slow she will ALWAYS be slower than me and when I try to draw her up with the rope she won't budge. She also often braces, and as hard as I pull she WON'T come. HELP!? The thing about walking behind me is getting extremely annoying...


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Behind you as in in your foot prints or behind you as in not at your shoulder?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Stand at her shoulder, line in right hand, whip in left (horse between you and wall). Reach back with left hand and tap, and then walk on. If the horse lags behind even a little, tap again. She should walk/trot/stop within one lesson. Then follow up, ALWAYS. 

It is just too dangerous to allow a horse to be behind you, they can spook and jump onto you (I have seen that, the results were surgery for the handler.)


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Without more info, only guessing on the why of the problem, but if she's generally good, but sometimes for no apparent reason just refuses, and she want's to 'heel' you all the time(as in like an Aussie cattle dog or horse), it may be that she sees herself as the leader & is doing as you ask so long as it suits her. Meaning that you may need to earn more respect & be more assertive.

But then again, perhaps she gets 'stuck' because she's unsure about stuff - frightened. Perhaps she won't walk beside you because she's previously been taught not to... need more info.

I'd be teaching her to yield better before worrying about specifics such as where she is when led. Instead of trying to pull her forward(or whatever direction), I'd suggest putting some pressure on the lead, enough to make it mildly uncomfortable for her, and hold that pressure - don't pull - until she comes off it. As you're not pulling, it should also be an instant reinforcement for her when she steps forward. I'd also make a point of positively reinforcing 'good' behaviour too & working in little steps, not expecting too much for too long.

I don't want a horse getting ahead of me when leading & I like to be able to see them without turning around & I tend to just politely nudge/bump them when they're in 'the wrong' position. That & positively reinforcing the Right position


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## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

Phly said:


> Behind you as in in your foot prints or behind you as in not at your shoulder?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Not at my shoulder. Like, behind me but to the side of my shoulder


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

What equitate said. You can also use a dressage whip or carrot stick to do the same thing. I find a carrot stick handier.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

I don't think she was taught to do that; she hadn't been really worked with for a while before we got her. Her owner had another horse, and she was in college and brought that horse with her to college so not much has been done with Fancy. She is a VERY quick learner and very responsive and smart.


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

As long as they aren't directly behind me or more than a foot nose/my shoulder, I don't have an issue with it.

I ended up with a horse that will speed walk up to my shoulder if I "leave her behind" on a loose lead while she's still*turning around or such. Her nose is parallel to my shoulder/arm and in line. Which I both like and dislike. Instead of just having room to do what I need to while holding her, I have to physically turn around and have her stand or she'll crowd and come right up to my shoulder. With ST, if I let her lag behind when we started leading, that's how she stayed. If I started with her at my shoulder, that's where she stayed. I loved it. Personally, if you know the horse (I knew ST wouldn't dare jump into me because she knew I'd beat her backwards to the other end of the field) and both the horse and you know the route, I see no harm. In a new place, I'd rather the horse be at my shoulder so that my lead can be shorter if there were to be an issue.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TBforever (Jan 26, 2013)

miover does this i will walk him, and he walks behined me as hes like sniffing my butt ****....i dont feed him by hand nor carry treats. i just stop and correct where i want him to be...cos if he walks behined me and gets excited he will knock me over and stepon me so i dont think it is a safe thing to let them walk behined me


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

My guess is she's or was trained western, even possibly cow horse, barrels, rodeo. If my guess is correct, it's extremely likely that she's trained to lead like that. Behind you, off the side. Thats just my guess and ive been wrong before. I personally have no issue with it. It's LEADING not walking with you. Just different then some people prefer. Ya can't rightly lead 3 or 4 horses at once if they all wanna be at your shoulder. If you want her up with you, some tips have been given. If she leads fine behind you, eh, let her be. Opinions may and will defer. That's mine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

QH Lover said:


> Not at my shoulder. Like, behind me but to the side of my shoulder


My guy does the same.....it doesn't bother me....I just loom ahead of him....he follows


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## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

But she'll also always take a while to speed up and match my pace and it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to get her to trot!!!


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## Laffeetaffee (Dec 5, 2012)

QH Lover said:


> Not at my shoulder. Like, behind me but to the side of my shoulder


That's actually exactly where they should walk if you're leading for respect. I'm pretty sure everyone has been told when they first start working with horses that the correct way to lead a horse is under the halter with your hand on the clip or lead rope. But this is totally unnatural for any animal that is following another animal. If I was to say to you "okay, we're gonna go somewhere, follow me!" and I hold you by the arm and push you out in front of me and start walking, you'd be walking a little funny and probably be a little uncomfortable because I'm holding you by the arm. But if I said "follow me" and left you alone, you'd probably walk somewhat beside me but probably a little bit behind me because that's how you naturally follow someone.

Now it IS disrespectful if the horse is lagging behind and taking his sweet time, and for that I use a lungewhip in my left hand and if I want him to speed up, I take the slack out of the lead rope. If he doesn't speed up, I give him a threatening wave of the lunge whip and immediately drop the slack and lower the lungewhip if he speeds up.

Warwick explains it a bit better than I do =D


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## morganandme (Feb 11, 2013)

My horse did this for the Longest time to...I got a lead rope with a chain with a clip on the end...here is a pic...
http://img.smartpak.com/product/highres/18498_HunterWhite.jpg
The starting on the side you walk on( left or right of the horse ) yo slide the chain threw the side...usually on the noseband...slip it threw the opposite loop then bring it back to where it hangs just below the chin.... When she is behind you give just a little yank down word and tell her with a click (or what ever ur cue is) and see how it goes it worked 4 me


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

morganandme said:


> My horse did this for the Longest time to...I got a lead rope with a chain with a clip on the end...here is a pic...
> http://img.smartpak.com/product/highres/18498_HunterWhite.jpg
> The starting on the side you walk on( left or right of the horse ) yo slide the chain threw the side...usually on the noseband...slip it threw the opposite loop then bring it back to where it hangs just below the chin.... When she is behind you give just a little yank down word and tell her with a click (or what ever ur cue is) and see how it goes it worked 4 me


This is a HORRIBLE idea. The shank of a chain is meant to convey the cue to stop. Whatever the horse is doing, the chain being yanked is a cue for it to stop. If you have a chain on your horse, you should not have any tension in the lead unless you're giving a correction.

If you want her up closer to you, get a whip and tap her when she lags, don't yank on the lead or pull it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

I actually used to always lead horses with my hand always ON THE BUCKLE! But my trainer taught me that that's NOT right xD So yes I give her lots of slack, as much as I can without her being able to trip over it. Thanks for the video! Warwick has helped me a ton through working with Fancy


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

It just creeps me out to have a horse walking directly behind me--I don't mean when I lead through my 34" wide stable door, but all OTHER leading times. It also creeped me out when Aragorn was laying down (trying not to die) and the horse laid down next to him. 
"Please, PLEASE, don't squish him--*he's too P R E T T Y !!!"*
Use a long dressage length whip smacked at the girth line behind you and insist on perfect leading every time. Also, I lead my horses on the near and the far side, as often as possible. If one of my horses walks up like he's gonna walk into me I back him up. Since we've been doing this dance for awhile, I don't flash a whip in front, but I do tap his hooves with it to continue backing. At this point my 6yo's will back up into the stall wall, or the fence or the side of the barn, or even a wheelbarrow, if I ask. Don't start out asking for this bc they'll spook.
Good manners are the MOST important training to do.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Could also be that you are not decisive here, letting her lag once, wanting her up further another?

And may be you are looking at her too, which will slow/stop one.

Carry lash whip, trailing behind you, walk off and if she lags tell her to come up and then reach behind you/crossing behind with whip and lightly tap once.

Correct as needed.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

morganandme said:


> When she is behind you give just a little yank down word and tell her with a click (or what ever ur cue is) and see how it goes it worked 4 me


Any 'cue' applied & reinforced consistently & clearly will teach a horse to do something. The reasons I wouldn't use a chain across a horse's nose - aside from disagreeing with using something harsh & potentially damaging across a horse's sensitive nose - are...

While you can teach a horse to respond to any cue, I like to keep things straight forward. I teach my horses to *yield* to pressure, not come into it(well, with the exception of a breastplate or collar when pulling or such). Therefore downward pressure on the nose means yield that nose down/back. IOW lower the head, slow, stop, back up.

Punishment and discomfort absolutely have their place in horse training, IMO. But this isn't *necessarily or to begin with at least* one of them. I think it's vital to use punishment judiciously and with full understanding of the 'cons' as well as 'pros' of it. For starters, I'd be focussing on *teaching* the horse what I DO want, rather than punishing it for what it's doing - which for all we know the horse could have been trained to do, so don't 'come down on him' for it, just politely teach him the alternative behaviour you want.

If you 'ask' gently & politely for the horse to come forward(physical cue is the halter putting pressure on the poll for horse to yield forward), then you can get 'firmer' if necessary(eg use the tail of the rope to put some pressure beside/behind the horse), but IMO being polite & clear is just as important as being assertive & effective if you want to *earn* the respect of the horse.


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## CowboyBob (Feb 11, 2013)

I have only once really worked with a horse to "lead Right" most of the time if the walk a little slow behind and off to the right then it's no big deal. BUT I hate horses that I have to pull if they keep off the lead rope and keep up I don't push too much. If the hang back and the lead is tight then that is not ok. The one time I really worked on a horse to train her to stay at my shoulder I did a lot of fence work leading up and down a fence. I would hold the lead in my left hand and a lung wipe that had almost no tail left but it work really well to be able to reach her hip I would walk and if she didn't step out and walk tap tap on the hock. if she got to far ahead tap tap on the knee or chest. I could work her to the point she would drop her head and lick and chew. At the end if I leaned forward she would lean forward I could walk stop go backwards turn and she would stay right at my shoulder. I even got to where she would do it with no halter of lead rope.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

CowboyBob said:


> in my left hand and a lung wipe


Sorry, but just have to ask, are those instead of tissues for someone with a bad chesty cough, or...??


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I actually prefer a horse to lead behind me to the side and out of my space. I absolutely hate having a horse walking beside me in my space. If you are walking next to them closely and they spook towards you, guess who is going to get knocked into the ground? I had someone tell me to lean into the horse's shoulder if they are upset by something on the other side, but that does absolutely nothing to keep that horse from jumping into you. 

If they are behind you and to your side they can spook sideways without taking you with them. I know they can still run you over, but I always feel like they will avoid you if they have more room. 

I actually teach my horses to lead both ways as sometimes it is necessary to have them next to you. 

It is other people's horses that annoy me, because so many of them are pushy and disrespectful!


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

QH Lover said:


> Fancy has good manners when leading and great manners on the cross ties, but she will NEVER walk beside me! It doesn't matter my pace, even if im walking very slow she will ALWAYS be slower than me and when I try to draw her up with the rope she won't budge. She also often braces, and as hard as I pull she WON'T come. HELP!? The thing about walking behind me is getting extremely annoying...


My horses (4 & 1 boarded) lead behind the handler. I have never been run over by a horse from behind me leading, they have ran around me but have been knocked over by one leading beside me, and jumped right into me.....maybe she was trained that way. Myself I prefer mine walk behind me because I am the leader.....


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

QH Lover said:


> But she'll also always take a while to speed up and match my pace and it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to get her to trot!!!


Mine walk behind, if I stop, they stop, if I jog off, they trot off, if I turn, they turn......Clinton Anderson has a vid that shows you how to get the horse to move off into a trot while following you, you might be able to find it on Youtube....


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

4horses said:


> It is other people's horses that annoy me, because so many of them are pushy and disrespectful!


Yeah, could say the same about other people's kids too...


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