Given up, FFS Dad

Lately I've sort of 'given up' riding, /:
Dad refuses to flatten any part of the farm or ask neighbours for a lend of their arenas so I've only got the option of a busy main road to ride on or steep, wide open paddocks. My welsh gelding is a bit spastic when I try to ride him (he's the 'ride me everyday or I'll buck and bolt' type), and my Clydesdale is completely green so riding on either the road or in the open hilly area is out of the question.
I can't take my gelding to Pony Club because he gets so hyper and takes off/bucks, and I want to sell my Clydesdale soon so I need an arena to work on her in. I'm just so frustrated by it! Dad won't even let me agist any of my horses.
My pony was a jumper/show pony, but I don't have anywhere to train him!

Its at the point where I'm actually too scared to ride any of my horses/ponies anywhere at all.

Fffffssss dad!

Just venting, /:

Why can't you ask your neigbour?

I have a welsh gelding exactly like you. And I am in the same situation..

I feel what you are going through and I am sorry that you are. Unfortunately there is not a lot you can do about the land, unless you ask the neighbors your self.

I can not offer any help with your Clydesdale, but the welsh sounds a lot like mine. Hopefully, my experience will help you out.

Now, first thing first: Your safety is the most important thing.

If he is anything like Pumpkin (The food orientated, I am happy to be my own leader and be by myself type), a lot of ground work will help, I found it helped Pumpkin a lot. Also lunging or lots of exercise before riding helps. He will sill have energy, just a little bit less of it. Once he is behaving well with that, hop on and trot trot trot. Each direction.But of course, do a long good warm up with a quick paced, working walk. After that, do lots of different circle sizes and lines. A lot of neck bending, both ways and side passing. The important thing is to just keep him busy. Don't push for canter until a few days of trotting nicely. Practice feeling very comfortable on the hilly sides. I don't have the flattest land either and it is still a problem for me to ride comfortably on.

If he does buck, sit deep, give a loud ARGH and spin him in a small circle. Than ask him to stand nice for a few seconds. If he does so, praise him. That is important. If he does it again, increase the punishment. He should soon figure out what will happen.
If he does keep doing it and it gets to much for you to handle, get off, and lunge. As quickly as you can, leaving a minimal delay.
If you happen to fall off, dust your self off, make sure you are o.k, and get back on. Just hop back on. There is no point in punishing him now as it will confuse him as to what he is being punished for.

Bolting is different issue. If Pumpkin bolts, and I turn his head to me, he runs sideways. Not a pleasant thing to have to deal with. If he does, kick him on. That way he gets the idea you are telling him to run. Once your gelding gets to his destination, turn him and sprint him away from there... and keep going till he behaves. He will get the idea that if he runs, he will have to do more. Of course, if he keeps it up, get off and lunge.

I wish you a lot of good luck and I know am going through the same thing now.
If you need anyone to vent to, feel free to pm me and let me know.

Good luck, and I really hope things get fixed up soon.

Well be proactive and instead of sitting back saying poor me, get out and do something about it.
Why does your dad have to ask the neighbours? It takes a simple phone call or dropping in, saying 'Hi, I was wondering if you would mind if I used your arena a few days a week to work my horses as I have no safe riding areas at home. I'm happy to help you out doing odd jobs here and there in return for use of the arena if you like'.
Simple.

You know, a lot of Aussie kids growing up with horses don't have access to arenas. Most of us learnt to ride by hooning our crazy, bucking ponies around the paddocks. My property is steep, the only flat area is the house and shed area... definitely no space for an arena.
The cost of flattening even a 20x20m area to ride is enormous! It's not a matter of just getting a tractor in and flattening it, there's a lot of money and thought that has to go into it. So I can completely sympathise with your dad saying that he doesn't want to do that.
Remember that you're dad is not doing this to be mean and nasty to you, he's saying no because he literally cannot offer much help in the matter. I'm sure he wants to see his daughter succeed and it pains him to not be able to give you what you want.
When I was in that situation, I was told 'sorry, but we can't do anything about it. If you want to agist, you have to pay for it, otherwise be grateful that you can even keep your horses at home, and work out a way to ride them'. As a teenager I was already a keen dressage rider, and I was also taking in a number of ottb's and training them on to re-sell. All on a steep property with no arena and fancy stables. And I still did it, I did hill work, I did lateral work on a hill, I did as much as I could possibly do in the limits of my facilities.
And yes, I had horses that bucked, bolted, spun etc.
It makes you a better rider to have to be creative and stick these things out. Once you get the chance to have full use of an arena, you will appreciate it so much more. I have only in the last 6 months been able to get out and afford to agist my horse due to lots of other life expenses. And I can tell you that I hugely appreciate having an arena, much more so than those who have had one at their beck and call since the day they started riding!!

I'm sure there are other options available to you than riding on a busy road every time. Put your thinking cap on and work out what you can do to be able to ride, rather than saying how awful your poor dad is.

Well put kayty completley agree!

Sorry guys for how irrational my first post was. I had just got back from an awful ride so was a bit angry with dad. The stuff I typed sounds so stupid now that I'm not upset haha.

Sorry again.

Dad has finally agreed to fence in part of the paddock at the bottom of the hill (flattest part on the property) which is what I wanted 5 years ago.

Again, sorry (X 3)

Wow you guys have a farm? I have a spot in a rented field