One of my horses will only be led........?

Question

One of my horses will only be led on his right side. He is also my newest and bigest but still scared of every other horse.
What can I do to teach him to be led on his left side? Also how come he does this. I can't tell you much more because like I said I just got him about 2 weeks ago. He also raises his head when you have him on a lead rope and show him bits. Is this just because he is new or something esle. I also know that he went to the sate championship in Minnieapolos for 4-H. That is all I know about him other then he is scared of our smallest horse which is about 5 or 6 hands smaller than my geld. And that he likes to be scratched on the neck and will move to were he wants to be scratched. Is this just because he is new or other reasons? He is also a draft(probaly Nokier(by his coloring(which is how I know)))/ Quarter Horse... so he is a big boy. And by big I mean REALLY big! So please help me out here! I need to know if I need to start working with him on that.

he is 15 years old and my draft went to state so he is a well trained rider thank you very much

Answer 1

You need to establish respect with that big fella. Drafts can inflect a lot of unwanted injures because of lack of respect. Also since he is new to you he is going to try and push every button he can to see what he can get away with. Start with ground work, there are so many things you can do on a lunge line (stops, rollbacks, side passing, etc) All of these things will teach him to stay out of your space. With the head raising, you need to teach him a cue to lower his head so you can use it when you need to bridle him. With your pointer and thumb press down on both sides of the pole. As soon as he moves just a millimeter down, release. If and when he resists keep the same amount of pressure until he releases for you. Do this enough times and the slightest touch on the pole will have him lowering his head to the ground in no time. Also, make sure you practice everything on both sides (bridling, saddling, mounting, leading) If you need anything else let me know : ) You can do this! Good Luck

Answer 2

More than likely the case is that this horse has just never really been worked with on ground manners. What you need to do is establish respect with him, and then work to desensitize him to everything. If hes being spooky then that means hes not paying attention to you. You need to have him focus on you at all times when you are leading him, and teach him that you're not going to hurt him or get him hurt. Its normal for horse to move where they like to be scratched, they can't tell you "a little to the left there" so they simply move them selves. Mostly you need to spend time on the ground with your new horse, letting the two of you get to know each other and establish your relationship. Make sure your horse knows that you are the boss, especially if he is a draft, or you could run into some serious problems.

Answer 3

how old is the horse? it sounds like hes only used to being lead from the left side, just gradually, with treats, get him used to being lead how you want... train 5-7 minutes a day, with lots of treats when he does as you want...
with the head rasing, id say previous owner probably was jerking at his bit/mouth a lot, thats why he throws his head..what kind of bit are you usung? when i had a horse, there was a thing called bit wrap, and you wrap in on the bit, its great for horses with soft mouths..and they love the taste..why hes scared of a smaller horse is hard to say, have you had his vision checked by a vet? maybe he doesnt see the little dude and it freaks him out..
why did you buy a draft horse anyway?lol, just curious, they dont make for great riding horses, but they are great for pulling stuff...good luck

Answer 4

I would stand on the correct side with his lead, and use the lead to turn/spin him, by his head, in circles until he moves with you. Being slightly annoying will make him move as going with you is preferable to spinning in circles. If it is a dominance thing, he will test you a few times until he learns you will spin him when he stops moving.