"Playing the Hero" -- when to 'stick with it' & when to realize it's time to move on.

I'm 45 and I held on to a horse for three years. The horse was a good horse but he has a spooking issue. I couldn't get to where I wanted to be with riding because of it either. I wouldn't say it was ego that kept this going but pressure from really good riders who would say this is a great horse do this or do that. I finally have had enough and put him up for sale. I also worry that he will go to someone who can't ride him and will end up as one of those horses that get passed around.
The one thing I've noticed about owning a horse is experienced riders seem to forget when they started out and knew nothing. Just my opinion

What about when you have so much experience, and it took 20 years to learn it, and your body gives out?
It is so hard to turn away from horses, you know you know how to fix.
Because your body just can't take it anymore.

"The horse was a good horse but he has a spooking issue. I couldn't get to where I wanted to be with riding because of it either. I wouldn't say it was ego that kept this going but pressure from really good riders who would say this is a great horse do this or do that. I finally have had enough and put him up for sale. I also worry that he will go to someone who can't ride him and will end up as one of those horses that get passed around. "


This is a very difficult place to be in; I was almost there myself. You could try Friendship Training - I have just posted about this on another thread in this forum. It is working wonders for my spooky, stubborn, resistive gelding - I am only in the early stages of the program but already he trusts me much more and is willing and eager to try for me It has not only helped my horse, it has greatly increased my confidence. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Regards
Frances

What is friendship training? Very curious

Chandra, friendship training has already been discussed on this forum quite a while back....
Friendship Training ?????

Thank you smrobs,

I rode horses for other people last summer, and generally only ride horses I raise and break myself. I grew to realize how spoiled I had become with my horses very easy obedience and was so burned out at the end of 3 month/15 horses, I went back to riding just mine, which I don't even do as often as I'd like.

It is amazing what horses with beginner riders will do. They get away with something, then go about their merry way and do whatever they want, with the poor beginners trying to cope with a "beginner friendly" horse! Half the horses I got in the ride were from beginners whose story was always the same - they get the horse, everything is perfect, then the longer they have it, the more problems pop up until they can't ride the horse at all.

This doesn't really go with the thread of getting a horse above you, but, depending where you are in your riding, some people need to take a few more lessons before jumping right in and getting a horse they have no idea to control. It could lead to a good horse having some not so nice qualities.

Hi Chandra,

Friendship Training is a positive reinforcement program which helps develop a deep, trusting relationship between horse and human. It is quite different to most types of horse training where you use pressure and release to get the horse to do something; in FT you train by rewarding the positive behaviours. It is also very holistic as the aim is to provide the horse with a social and physical environment that will maximise their physical and mental health.

I am only in the early stages of it with my gelding, but it has made a huge difference to his willingnes to try, and to my confidence.

It was discussed, but it seemed that all the discussion was by people who hadn't done it? I read most of the thread, I may have missed a few of the posts.

I thought it was worth my posting on it because I am actually doing FT and am amazed by the improvement it is making in my horse's attitude. I agree the program looks a bit 'out there' when you first read about it - I was quite sceptical - but wow, seeing is believing. It may not be for everyone, but it surely does work.

Regards
Frances

Wonderful post!!!