Has he been checked for pain? Does his saddle fit? When was the last time his teeth were done? Does he have arthritis or old injuries that might be bothering him? Posted via Mobile Device
Pain should always be the first thing to investigate, especially in a 21 year old horse.
Back pain from saddle fit or poor riding.
Arthritis in any number of joints.
Teeth problems (can effect bit AND bitless).
Ulcers.
^21yo horse is not equivalent to a 90yo in my book... unless you know some very sprightly 90yo's! I'd say more like 50's. And as with people, depends whether they're 'old' then or not ;-) But agree with the gist, dunno if I'll be up to energetic piggyback rides... or farriery past my 50's...
Either this horse has been terribly mishandled and poorly ridden or it has a BIG physical problem. Most well trained horses that are older than this horse and reasonably sound are still very useful. They are often the horses I search out for beginner and very young riders.
He sounds a lot like a big horse I bought last year for the commercial trail string. He was a big, mostly TB show hunter. He was very well trained at one time. He went from big-time show hunter to a lesson horse at a H/J barn. He got sore in his hocks and stifles and started refusing and running out on jumps so he was sold to a family for a horse for their daughter. He was working very nicely for her on the flat for lessons and trail riding. The people moved from Dallas to rural OK and quit working with an instructor or trainer. This horse got so spoiled that he refused to canter, reared and refused to leave the barn. He would walk backwards 100 yards or farther and finally rear straight up if you did not let him turn around and go back to the barn. They took him to the local auction and were too afraid of him to even ride him through.
I picked him up for $25.00 over the killer bid. I had talked to the owners enough before the sale to know that he was a 50/50 shot at being too unsound to use for trail riders. It took 3 days of ground driving and my husband riding him for a 100% turn-around. He is a wonderful trail horse and will stay here as long as he stays comfortable being ridden.
The only accommodation we make for him is to instruct his student farrier to not lift his hind legs as high as a farrier normally would. We have ridden him with and without Bute and he rides exactly the same so we know he is sound enough, at least now, to keep trail riding him. We got lucky with him and he sure got lucky.
Joey was a race horse in Texas for a while. But he didn't do so well so they sold him to a guy who moved to Ohio and he went to shows and jumped for a few years. Then a nice lady I know bought him and kept him for 6 years then I bought him. He has a nice friend horse so he's not lonely. I have had him for two years. I pretty much know his every move before he does them. Last year he bucked me off and I didn't get back on him. But I had to ride it out the next day and he did pretty well.
If he trots out and canters out OK without a rider, I would guess he is much like the horse I bought. A well-trained horse can get incredibly spoiled in very short order with poor riding and/or poor equipment. Then, even if the original cause (if there was one) is removed, the bad habit remains until someone straightens him out like we did the big horse I bought.
Does this horse move soundly without a rider? Has he been checked out by a Vet or Chiropractor? If he is sound enough for the purpose you want him for, then he just needs a good rider or trainer to 'straighten him out' and you need to learn to ride better and read a horse better.
No. Just no. He is NOT "showing off" when he bucks while being lunged. He is being incredibly disrespectful. He's telling you basically "You're not the boss of me."
This horse has your number. He knows exactly how far he can push and get away with it. And I can guarantee you it started that first time he bucked you off and you didn't get back on, if not before. I'd be willing to bet there are a ton of other seemingly "small" misbehaviors that he is allowed to completely get away with, as well.
I see two options here: get a trainer for you and the horse, or get rid of the horse and just take lessons until you've learned how to handle a horse properly. Posted via Mobile Device
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