Bear with me guys, this may be a little long but I really believe history is important when asking for advice. This may or may not be a problem yet, but in case it develops as one I want to be prepared. Orion is the type of horse that likes to sit with information and digest it. He picks things up very quickly but he's also got just enough spunk in him to be a handful at times and he can be quite precautious when it suits him. Otherwise, he's very friendly and well mannered for the most part. However, when I first started with him he was ALL attitude and even at eight months, knew how strong he was. Case in point, a picture from his previous home apptly titled, "Whoa Orion!" <IMG src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/JumpTheStars/Orion/whoaOrion.bmp" border="0">
Anywho, we did a few basic respect lessons and took our time and he really turned around although from time to time we have to back up and have a little "refresher". He's always been a sweet horse, but we needed to bond and get to know each other and he had to test me...anyway such a time passed recently although I've given him most of the winter off. Since our little crash course in how to respect mom again 101 he's been great. In fact, we've bonded quite a bit as well, so the problem is this: all he wants to do is be near mommy and follow mommy and love on or be loved on by mommy. He'd even play with me if I let him (except I don't want him chasing me around and thinking it's ok let alone jumping up for a piggy back by accident...afterall, I've seen him in the field with his brother!).
Although it's nice that he really loves me, and now respects my space and that type of thing, a few new problems have arrived. #1 when he does get it into his head that he'd rather sniff something or go somewhere, he just walks off and trys his best to drag me with him. I have remedied this with a chain over the nose during any "working" time which is classified as any time outside of the paddock when his manners button must be on. With the chain it doesn't enter his head to try any of that type of thing. #2 he still has a short attention span. We've worked on this since our beginning together and he has improved quite a bit but he seems lately a little more distracted during work. I know this will come with time and his maturing. #3 The Real Problem. He won't luonge anymore! I only started him on the luonge at the middle to end of last year, more or less by using a basic lead rope and teaching him to move around me as I stood still but still close to me...bending his body. Then I put poles on the ground around me and taught him never to step over them in "my" space. Gradually I moved the poles out and taught him the command "out" as I did so until they were no longer needed. He picked this up like a dream and that was that. I let him have the winter to stew with it as he likes to. Recently (within the last few weeks) I've decided to put him in occassional lessons again. I don't want him being worked often, but just enough to kind of get him thinking about it and refreshing his memory so he's primed for the new stuff. Normally this is what I find to be the best approach with him because he does like to learn a few things at a time and then stew over them and then come back and everything just clicks. Well, a week or so ago he luonged perfectly. He walked out and halted on command almost instantly in both directions without falling in. (We only walk on the luonge for now). Success! Then we had a little falling out for a couple days concerning his barn ground manners and he was given a small attitude adjustment. No problem. We're friends again and closer than ever (I believe because I basically did the natural horsemanship round pen type thing and he finally clued in that mom was a "special and most supreme" horse <IMG height=17 src="smileys/smiley2.gif" width=17 border="0"> ). Except now, if I ask to whoa, he wants to walk into me, and that's only if he pays enough attention to hear it, or if he chooses not to ignore me and trot instead. When he isn't turning towards me to whoa he's just plain cutting his circle in half just to be near me.
So, I'm asking advice on this now, just in case it turns out that it wasn't just a bad day. Should I go back to poles on the ground or does anyone have any other good suggestions to get him back on track? Also, I do realize that his misbehaviour is part of his youth but I still want a horse that not only respects and loves and wants to be with me, but also listens to me and has some independance of his own! (In a safe way of course)