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Exercising Other Peoples Horses

12K views 61 replies 16 participants last post by  Corporal 
#1 ·
Okay well... Last night I posted an ad on Kijiji about exercising and working with horses. This was late at night, about 11 pm or later, and I have posted an ad before about this, but nobody got back to me. Well... great news, I got 3 replies!!!!

Now, in my ad, I was clear on how old I was, I showed a picture of my riding horses, and doing ground work and I was honest on my knowledge of horses, and what I would do.

One lady is close to where I live, she wan't me to help her out and ride her horses with and for her. She wants to meet me, so I am calling her tomorrow, and making arrangements!!!

The second reply was a person who has 6 tennesse walkers, He has 2 geldings who are green broke... and he doesn't have that much time to ride them, because of his 4 other ones. I emailed back asking where he was... because it all depends on where he lives, if I can go out (I don't have my licence yet, so my parents will drive me, they agreed to this) But if I do have the chance to go out and work with these two TW's, I have a little bit of a problem... well not really, but I have never rode a gaited horse. I don't know what to expect with these two horses... I will probably only work with the 2 green broke ones if I go out there, but I might work with others too.
Any information on how different a gaited horse is, please let me know!

The last ad.... well, this guy did not really want me to ride a horse for him... but he said in his exact words, copied from his email:
'I have a quarter horse Morgan paint cross she's 3-4 years old she has been untouchable from a year on! !!! She's yours if you think you can do something with her for free trainer make a profit! !'
Now, I think he just offered me to take a free horse, and sell her for my profit. What do you all think? He said she is mine for free, trainer make a profit... I think he might be saying he wants to give her to me, but I also think he wants me to take her, train her some, and give her back... for a profit...

I talked to my parents about this ad, and we are debating whether I want to take her or not, if that is what he means, because... I board Breeze for free... I dont really want to start bringing animals to a place where they eat up hay and take up room and not pay. We are going to talk to the owner, and see if we can make an arrangement to take her for summer, and sell her in fall, so I can make a profit.

If this is what this guy means, giving her to me... and the owner says it is okay to get a horse for late spring and summer, what do you all think I should do?

I know this horse will help me with training Breeze, and it will also allow me to enter horse shows, riding, ponying Breeze, and going on trail rides... all of which I cannot do with Breeze. It will also give me more experience with working with a younger horse.
 
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#2 ·
He is giving it to you because it is unsellable, because you can't catch it, halter it, meaning it's hooves have never been done, etc. If you can rope it, it's yours, and good luck getting it on a trailer & bringing it home, lol. Choose the horses you ride for free, carefully! Around here, if I posted an add like that, I would have replies coming out of my ying yang. You make sure you only work with safe ones, in safe surroundings. Good Luck.
 
#3 ·
I am not riding for free though... I will be getting paid.
As for the morgan x, Breeze was the same way, she was untouchable, not halter broke, etc. I had to do everything with her, and he said that she hasn't been touched in a year or so... so she was probably handed as a foal or yearling. If I do take her, I will look at her first, see how she reacts to people and stuff, then decide if I want to take her home. There have also been a few free horses on kijiji, just because people are either moving, don't have room, or just plain old, don't want it.
 
#4 ·
If you do decide to take her, please get a PPE before you do take her. A free horse could end up costing you a large amount of money if she is unhealthy.

Also, I would say that you should go meet the mare before making a decision, and see if you really like her disposition. You don't want to take a horse that you will have to either try to sell/give away again if you guys don't work out.

Do you have a trainer that can help you with a green broke horse?

Congrats on the other two calls too! I have no idea about gaited horses, but it is great that you are starting to work horses for money. I remember being so excited when I started. How long until you get your license? I think that you should start with a smaller client base, and then work up to a larger one, once you get a car. I took in a lot more volume after getting a car.
 
#5 ·
I am getting my licence this november. I do have a trainer I can contact if I need help. I think this is a perfect way gain experience riding young and green broke horses because I am wanting to become a horse trainer when I graduate from school, and make money all at the same time! I get to do what I love, and make a profit while I am at it!

The first reply to my ad, I have seen her horses, and I have kind of met her (not actually talked to her or anything) but I know what her horses look like, and know how some of then act (I have met some of her horses)
 
#6 · (Edited)
I am getting my licence this november. I do have a trainer I can contact if I need help. I think this is a perfect way gain experience riding young and green broke horses because I am wanting to become a horse trainer when I graduate from school, and make money all at the same time! I get to do what I love, and make a profit while I am at it!
For my first few green/unbroke horses, I worked WITH a trainer every step of the way, I did not wait until I had a question or a problem. Learning at the same time a green horse is learning is a good way to get hurt. To create a confident animal, you have to already know what you're doing. Becoming a horse trainer sounds nice in theory, but to go about it without the help of a trainer for the first few years seems backwards to me :/

And I am sorry for sounding pessimistic, but it will be a matter of when there are problems, not if; nothing personal, just the nature of working with an unbroke animal. And you need experience to be able to work through them, hence the trainer. Few people on this forum will say, if any, that a person unfamiliar with working an unbroke horse will complete the process of breaking smoothly without any hiccups. If I were you, I would contact the trainer sooner rather than later to help you :)
 
#8 ·
I have worked with young and green broke horses before, I have been thrown, but I have gotten back on. I have went through fences and still got back on, even with a huge bruise from where a horse stepped on me. I do know a lot about working with young and green broke horses, and I think I am ready to do it by myself, and only contact my trainer if I need help.

I have ridden green broke horses for at least the last 2 years, last year I hopped on a 3-4 year old green broke mare at a camp I went too, she was JUST broke, but I handled her great for the most part. There were a few minor issues, but that related to an injury she had that we did not know about until after she tried to buck me off, and rear, and stuff.

I do however, think I am ready to ride green broke horses without my trainer with me.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Have you ever worked with a horse that was basically unhandled? And not halter broke? That is a whole 'nother ballgame... From that description of the mare, she did not sound even green broke...

How many horses have you put the very first ride on? And all the ground work etc leading up to it? Something else to consider...
 
#11 ·
My only concern Breezy is that by getting on green broke horses you are putting yourself in a training role. Exercising a well broke seasoned horse is one thing, but with a green broke horse you are constantly having to teach them and remind them, it's riding with thought to everything, not just exercising.

You do as you please. But do keep in mind that good things can be undone real quick with a green broke horse if you're not careful in how you approach riding them. A green broke with only thirty rides on it can be sent back to day one with just one bad ride.

Please be careful and use good judgement.
 
#28 ·
But do keep in mind that good things can be undone real quick with a green broke horse if you're not careful in how you approach riding them. A green broke with only thirty rides on it can be sent back to day one with just one bad ride.

Please be careful and use good judgement.
Exactly what happened to my gelding...I thought I had a reasonable amount of experience to work with a green broke horse with only some rides on him (I've ridden for 12 years and worked with green broke horses and taught a 4 year old filly ground work). He was great when I rode him at his previous owners, and I rode him a few times at my barn and one day he threw me and it has become his new thing...it put us far back in training and I had to find a trainer to help me now since I can't overcome this hurdle on my own...I'm now wishing I had contacted a trainer before I even began riding him, but its too late to undo that now.

Good luck and keep us updated.
 
#13 ·
I've been riding other peoples horses for more than 30 years. I love doing it.

But, I'd pass on the unhandled one, just because it will cut into your time with others. Let someone else devote the necessary time to that project. Having your own to get going under saddle will keep you busy enough and you've already committed to her.

I wouldn't worry about riding the TWs, though. If you can put some miles and manners under saddle on them, the owner can fine tune the gait and you will most likely pick up on it while you are with them.
 
#14 ·
Thanks guys, and yes I understand that I still have a lot to learn, and that I won't know everything by training 1 horse. In my ad, I stated directly : 'I am not a trainer' and the first reply, I know about the lady (my sister was friends with her nephew) and she is a horse trainer. She wants me to meet her, and come and help her because she said 'I simply don't have enough hours in a day to work with all my horses' some are young, some are old. I know she is a trainer, and if I work for her, I will learn a lot.

I am not too worried about the TW's. It will be good for me to experience different horses, gaited or not.

It will all depend on whether it is even possible to get another horse at this point, before I even consider going to look at the horse. If I do go and look at her, I will make my decision on taking her or not, depending on how she acts, and reacts to certain things. I think it will be good, if I do take her home, to get the experience of actaully breaking a horse, and putting on the first rides, with my own horse... not someone elses, for the first time.

I was also going to ask my trainer if she was looking for someone to work for her, because she is just down the road.
 
#16 ·
I guess part of me just doesn't understand why you are interested in working with other peoples horses right now when just over a week ago you started a thread asking if your horse was respecting you... in my mind, to work with other people's horses, you have to know and recognize what respect looks like, otherwise training can get undone pretty quick (which can lead to an unhappy owner). It seems like Breezy has come a long way, which is great, but that she still needs a lot of your attention. Maybe I'm way off base...

And I think your interest in working for the trainers near you is awesome!
 
#18 ·
Breeze is respecting me way more now, I can tell, I posted that to ask how well she was respecting me. This afternoon, my friend is coming out to see how things are going. I don't know what time yet, but she will (unless the whether changes or something)

I do know Breeze needs a lot of work still, and will take up a lot of my time... but I want to ride other peoples horses for more experience in handling different scenarios, and even if Breeze does take up more of my time... she doesn't take up ALL of my time. I am going to ride other peoples horses, but I have still yet to decide upon taking on another untouched horse.
 
#19 ·
That lady got back to me, the one who asked how far I would travel, and it turns out she is about 2 hours away, so I am not sure if I will be able to go, but she has a herd bound horse, and her 14 year old daughter (1 year younger then me) has been trying to work with her alone, no help. I really want to help her, because I have dealt with extremly dangerous herd bound horses, and knew how to handle them (rearing, bolting, getting too nervous and trembling, and flinching at every noise) but I don't know if I will be able to go out there to help, because of how far it is.

I also got another reply asking what training method I use, so I replied to the person, and told her that I am not a trainer, but with my filly I use various methods, and my own kind of thing and stuff. So if she wants me to train her horse, I think I will turn her down, because right now I want to ride, and help out with horses. Not train them right now.
 
#21 ·
I have worked with multiple herd bound horses before, including one that was dangerous when seperated, he would rear, lash out, try to bolt, and get extremely newvous and flinchy. I got him over his herd-bound-ness by myself, with no help at all. Once I stopped working with him, the owners let him get back the way he was before, because they never seperated him.

Also, in my ad, I stated my age, what my abilities where and even said I am not a horse trainer right in the ad, and I have still been getting replies to trainer, and work with young horses. Some replies from people who are very experienced, and still ask me to help, or work their horses.

If a person did not think I was capable to work with a horse, they never would have emailed me.
 
#26 ·
If a person did not think I was capable to work with a horse, they never would have emailed me.
What someone says is their experience on paper doesn't always match their true abilities. I only take what someone tells me their experience is with a grain of salt. Until they show me what they can do, I don't always believe what I hear. The proof is in the pudding; oftentimes, someone's animals reflect exactly what they know,or don't.
 
#24 ·
My parents are all for it! They say 'you and your sister can even make a business out of this' and stuff like that, because my sister will be driving me.

I know the risks involved, and the one reply to my ad, that I am really interested in, is one from the horse trainer, who would like help with all her horses, because she is the only one who works with them, because the person who did help, moved. Her horses are well trained, some are young and green broke, and I will be riding them, if I do get the job there, I have to meet her and her horses first. I am calling to make arrangement today.

As for the other jobs, I know the risks, I will also be working with livestock that are just as dangerous as horses... I am going to be working with cows and their calves for the next 3 months. I have worked with foals and yearlings, and green broke horses. I know what I am getting into, and I know the risks involved.

Nobody can talk me out of working with horses, because I am going to do this... I may not work with untouched, or unhandled horses, but I will be riding other peoples horses.
 
#29 ·
I had a trainer come by today to watch me, she said I was doing things great, and I was handling things appropriatly. She is coming tomorrow to work on things we did not get to do today (she had to go, because of a vet that was coming to her house) but I told her about my ad, and the people who emailed me, and even about the free horse, she said it would be great for me to do all of those things, riding green horses and even getting the free horse, if I had the room for one, and if I go with what I am planning, I will. I am going to a pro trainer, to get more advice with Breeze, and I will even ask her what she thinks about it.

The trainer I had out today, she knows me, my skills, and what I can and can't do. She said it would be great for me to do this.
 
#30 ·
If this is what this guy means, giving her to me... and the owner says it is okay to get a horse for late spring and summer, what do you all think I should do?
That's great you had a trainer come watch. It sounds like your mind is made up, feedback aside. Again, I was not trying to say ever that you shouldn't work with horses.

Back to the original post, you asked what we thought you should do. Sounds like you don't really want to hear what we think, though, based on you justifying various things multiple times :) To each his own, but this is a public forum, and I know personally I took time to try and craft helpful, but respectful, responses. Good luck and stay safe, whatever direction you choose to go :)
 
#32 ·
I'm sorry but the threads you do on your problems with horse you own, and the experiences you so blithely dismiss, getting run through fence, bucked off, reared with, to me say you don't know what you are doing, if you haven't been hurt up to this point? It's because you've been lucky, not because you are skilled.

Couple that with the fact that to every post pointing out the truth, you have come back with bravado is very telling as to your actual skills.

And if you think that people must think you are a "trainer" or good enough that they are eager for you to ride their horses? Tells me they are fools too.

Many people will be glad to get some kid like you who is foolish enough to get on wild, unbroke horses, or problem ones, because they don't want to themselves.

A responsible owner, one with any sense at all, would not be responding to an ad by you, or anyone like you. It just would not happen.

What you are getting is the bottom of the barrel, people who don't want to pay the money to have someone work with their horse.

And just because a "trainer" came out and judged you safe? I know off the top of my head, 20 people in 3 counties that go around and advertise themselves as trainers to all who will listen, but the good horsepeople? We just shake our heads and laugh.

These trainers are only trainers in their minds. No one elses.

And I would be very suspicious of any man that is answering your ad too, as that is good way to end up on Missing presumed dead poster.

Adults have that happen all the time, because they placed ad to sell TV, or answered one. And I can't believe your parents okayed this.

Maybe you will be a great trainer someday. But you are going to have hard row making it without a mentor, and without working up under good trainers. And be hard to get customers who will pay the big money to buy horses to compete at the top, without you being known as an assistant to someone who is valued.
 
#34 ·
First off, YOU DO NOT KNOW ME, you cannot say what you just said and have it be true for the most part, because, yes, I HAVE MADE MISTAKES, but I have fixed them and it is all better now.

My parents know me better then you (a lot, you have never met me, or seen me work with horses) and yes, they said I should do it, they said I should even start a little business working with and yes, TRAINING peoples horses for them.

And I would not be talking like that, because we all had to start somewhere.

What are you saying, I should sell my horse and forget about even looking at another one? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!

As for tbcrazy, I have made up my mind on excersizing horses, but I am still looking for advice on whether or not I should get the free horse, if everything goes as planned, I am listening to you guys about the this, I am listening to what you have to say, and the reasons behind getting or not getting it.
 
#38 ·
Also, may I add, this thread was not started to bash my skills, it was started to get advice on gaited horses, and if I should get the free horse is everything works out with the farm.

Please do not critisize my capabilities, because you don't know me, you have never seen me work with or around horses or anything, so non of you really know what I can and can't do, just by reading the threads I posted about a problem with my filly, because in reality, it is not as bad as it seems.

To me, IMO, the people on the forum, takes things harder then it is, they bash people, tell people that it is wrong to do something, or anything that they can critisize, believe me, people will.
 
#40 ·
I am also not just getting a friend down the road to to help me, she is helping me, but like I also said in other posts, a pro. Trainer down the road (qualified trainer, breeder, shower, gives lessons and boards horses) is also going to give me lessons when I can go down there.
 
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