So I tacked up the TB like normal with the snaffle bit this morning. He is great on the ground and stands to be saddled and bridled with no issues. When we walked over to the trail head (I was with a small group I normally ride with) he stood fine to be mounted from a rock.
Then it all broke loose, he was rearing and backing...throwing his head and crow hopping and kicking his back legs. I use an aussie saddle on him and it fits him perfectly, so I know it isnt a saddle issue causing him discomfort. I basically jumped off of him and told the rest of the group to go ahead and go on the ride and I would take him up to the round pen and figure out what is going on with him.
So am now trying to lead him back across to the round pen and he wont stand or walk next to me, will only do circles around me.
SO the trainer comes by and wants to ride him so he doesnt think he can act up and I will just jump off, so the trainer jumps on and trots him up and down the hills until he is tired enough to handle. The trainer jumps off and he is a different horse, calm and responsive...head down...like it was not him who just threw a fit earlier. So anyway, I walked him back up to the barn and cooled him off and he was perfect. The trainer wants to work with him for the next couple weeks everyday after I get off work.
It was so disheartening having him behave like that, I dont want to have to lunge him until he is worn out just to be able to take him out on a ride. Hopefully these couple weeks will help both of out with the stable trainer.
I think I was also upset about it because when I bought him, his previous owner just went on and on about how good he was on trail. Him being new for me I am still afraid to find out the previously owner was lying about how he really is.
Sorry for the long post!! Needed to vent I suppose. Does anyone else have to wear the horse out just to ride it?? Tips?? Trying not to get discouraged, we are going back to basics on Monday!
Im sorry to hear about your situation. However its good that you are going back to the basics, this will give both of you a chance to get your confidence up. How long have you had your TB??
Could anything of spooked him as you were coming up to the trail head? You said that it was the same small group your usually with, did anything different happen this particular day?
I used to have a horse that would act up just because he wanted to be an **** and in order for me to be able to ride him safely i would have to either have someone with no fear ride him first to wear him out or to lunge him with wouldnt be as much fun to just throw a saddle of his back of go off riding. I had to always plan ahead making sure i would have enough time to lunge him and ride him with enough daylight after work. I would get tired having to always 'fight' him when we was on the ride. I managed to overcome this issue with very short rides and praise after wards. His problem was that he was a very grumpy horse and just didnt want to be ridden. Im sure this isnt the issue with yours however. But with mine i had to ease him back into the idea of riding so to speak.
I hope the work with your trainer will help you both, keep us posted on the process. And good luck
Without being there and seeing the situation, it's kinda hard to give you advice. But lunging/riding until he is tired is NOT the answer. Something may have caused him to react on his instincts (prey animal taking over) and in that situation in order to get his attention and get him to calm down you need to do a 'pattern interrupt.' You need use as much energy as he is and then just a little more to get noticed, otherwise he won't even know you're there. A horse can't think when he is in this state of mind. Now, this doesn't mean you go jerking and whacking and running the horse around. Backing and going sideways and doing TONS of changes of direction are all great ways to get a horse thinking again. The more the horse can disengage his hindquarters the better.
I totally agree. When a horse gets in to the stage where as spirit horse put it 'prey animal taking over' They go into a sort of blind flight where all there attention goes to them reacting and NOT on you at all. So yes lunging will help him get tired and calmer but thats not resolving the problem but working around it. As i said previously i had the same problem and had to go through other means or working it out. Try your best next time you ride if he does the same to over come the 'blind flight' state and try and get his attention back on what your telling him to do. If its unsucsessful 1st time round dont worry, practice makes perfect and sometimes some horses are a little harder to have a 'convo' with then others. Keep going and your help of your trainer should help you too. ) good luck
Thanks jemma I have only had him for a month... It would have been our first little ride not in the round pen, so that was the main difference. He wasnt spooking at anything in particular that I noticed. It was the first he has gone out with my normal riding group, so that may have played some part but he also pulled the same stunts in the round pen, just the 2 of us.
Thanks spirit, I tried the backing, turning and asking him to sidestep also. He got to where he doesnt even acknowledge the bit as well, no whoa and tossing his head when asked to turn. I do know he has trouble turning to the right, but that I am sure is from the track.
I am waiting for a different trainer to call me back about meeting up, I am thinking about not using the one at the stables because I think his advice is iffy....for example, we talked about him chewing the bit and he told me to just put him in a heavier bit...doesnt sound right to me. But anyways, I will keep you informed!
And that's it in nutshell!!! Being out in the big old world with a rider he doesn't really know all that well, can turn them into wacko.
Glad you got home safe and sound.
Working with a trainer you like is a great place to start. He needs time to accept that he can turn to you for reassurance, that your going to keep him safe. In other words, leadership.
Regardless of how well trained a horse is, when I first get them I pretend like they don't know anything. :lol: I run through the basics of groundwork before I ever set foot in a stirup. In my mind it does a couple things, it lets me learn the horse and it lets the horse learn me. Your commands may be different, even if they are the same commands...Horses pick up on everything from tone of voice to body language. To me, confidence/clear communication on the ground transfers to confidence/ clear communication undersaddle.
Good Luck and I think finding a trainer that you too can work with is a wise choice.
Our trainer tells us not to lunge before we ride as a rule but definitely lunge first if the horse seems especially fresh. Early morning crisp air or windy days or spring time seems to bring out the fresh. The other day my horse was fidgety while being saddled. It was an unusually warm day, not like the rest of the zero degree week. I lunged my horse, just for 10 minutes. He zoomed and bucked around, and he is mister lazy. so when the other student came into the arena the trainer suggested she lunge her 18 year old thoroughbred who looked half asleep and not in the least hyper. Well, he put on a rodeo bucking snorting galloping show like we have never seen with him before. Then they both settled completely into gentleman lesson mode. My point is, never underestimate spring fever. Nothing wrong with lunging before a trail ride for a few minutes in the spring.
My girl, Lacy, does a similar thing. As soon as I get on she starts freaking out (her saddle fits pretty well, too) so I've taken to lunging her every time I go out there to help her get out some of her energy and help her get into "working mode". I only lunge (walk/trot, maybe canter, with lots of transitions and direction changes) for 15-20 minutes so she's not tired or anything she's just in a better mindset for working. It seems to be really helping. She still gets a little excited but it's more controllable since she's already been responding to my directions on the lunge and she's not irritated anymore that I'm interrupting her lazy day. Also, when I lunge her a little it helps me get an idea of how she's feeling that day, for instance if she's listening well on the lunge she'll probably behave well when I get on, and if I should change what I was planning to do that day or whatever.
Then if she gets wild after I get on, I just grab mane with one hand (if she's rearing and bucking) and ask her to do lots of turns and serpentines and figure 8's with my legs since that makes her think more about what I'm asking. I won't ask her to trot until she's responding really well at the walk.
Good luck!
Thanks for all the advice guys I didnt get a chance to work with him today, it is super windy and so muddy I thought my truck was going to get stuck! Hoping to start fresh tomorrow!
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