Crosstie Fidgeter

[theprancingpony]

Ok first thing that needs to be fixed with my new horse is he is a very energetic, and fidgety, horse. I know how to keep him out of my personal space when we're working in the crossties, but how exactly do I get him to remain (relatively) still? If he only fidgeted his legs around I wouldn't mind, but he swings his butt around all over the place. He's very curious and always wants to know what's going on, and he loves people and getting rubbed. He moved over and backward when I tell him to, but he still moves on his own!

How do I get him to stand still? :confused:

[ProvidenceJRhtr]

It's a slow process. It's just reminding him everytime to stand still. And if he paws. I slap on the shoulder is good, my horses fidget when they have to go the the bathroom(oee). But otherwise with constand reminding they stand really well. :D

[theprancingpony]

well when he swings his butt around and i'm on one side of him and he's swinging his butt away from me, i can't be on the other side of him to push him back. the butt swinging bothers me most, really. i mean, can that be solved with a slap on the shoulder?

[Lindsayanne]

Will he yield to pressure/poking on the hip or barrel to move back around? You might try poking him back over when he swings towards you, and when he swings the other way, walking around, and making him move back to the center. It would get old FAST, but if you had patience would probably teach him if he just stands still, the he'll get out of the crossties much sooner and not have to work moving back and forth on your cue.

I had a similar issue with Regal when we moved to a different barn for a few months this summer. Our crosstie stalls have walls in front and a wall on one side- so they can't move too much. When I had him crosstied in aisles he'd step up, step back, step up, step back all through grooming and tacking up. Finally I'd just stop and make him step back in to place each time he moved even an inch. Wasted a lot of time doing it but within a week it was 90% better.

[theprancingpony]

i'll try that, he responds to prods in the tummy to move. it just seems like there's got to be some other way. oh well, patience is a virtue! :)