Hello
I just acquired a wonderful 4 year old arabian/saddlebred gelding. He's a 'failed' show horse. The original owner sunk about 80 grand into his training and he just hated showing and would spook at something at least every time in the arena. He is reactive. His original owner just wanted to get rid of him/put him down so he wouldn't suffer and she didn't want to 'waste' anymore money with him. So I stepped in to take him.
I took him outside for the first time yesterday. He's been cooped up in a stall for at least a week, I don't know the last time he was even lunged, he immediately went into lunge while on a lead, he had so much energy, so I bought a lunge line and when his show package is off his feet we're going to lunge him.
He's very reactive, but also very well trained, so he spooks quite a bit but he remains somewhat in control. He doesn't try to take off, but he does scare rather easily. I think he is a wonderful animal, he's got great ground manners, and I think he's got a ton of pent up energy and a ton of potential.
I used to work with off the track arabian for endurance racing but I've never had a horse that I have had to retrain to even be comfortable riding outside, he's never even been to pasture.
I'm just looking for simple, from the ground up exercises I can do with him besides just walking him around and letting him get used to being outside. I'm going to hold off on riding him outside until he is comfortable. He does not like being indoors and they don't have an indoor area where he's being boarded so unfortunately my options are a bit limited.
Any advice is appreciated. :runninghorse2:
I just acquired a wonderful 4 year old arabian/saddlebred gelding. He's a 'failed' show horse. The original owner sunk about 80 grand into his training and he just hated showing and would spook at something at least every time in the arena. He is reactive. His original owner just wanted to get rid of him/put him down so he wouldn't suffer and she didn't want to 'waste' anymore money with him. So I stepped in to take him.
I took him outside for the first time yesterday. He's been cooped up in a stall for at least a week, I don't know the last time he was even lunged, he immediately went into lunge while on a lead, he had so much energy, so I bought a lunge line and when his show package is off his feet we're going to lunge him.
He's very reactive, but also very well trained, so he spooks quite a bit but he remains somewhat in control. He doesn't try to take off, but he does scare rather easily. I think he is a wonderful animal, he's got great ground manners, and I think he's got a ton of pent up energy and a ton of potential.
I used to work with off the track arabian for endurance racing but I've never had a horse that I have had to retrain to even be comfortable riding outside, he's never even been to pasture.
I'm just looking for simple, from the ground up exercises I can do with him besides just walking him around and letting him get used to being outside. I'm going to hold off on riding him outside until he is comfortable. He does not like being indoors and they don't have an indoor area where he's being boarded so unfortunately my options are a bit limited.
Any advice is appreciated. :runninghorse2: