My question is specifically to dealing with an established problem horse.
So I am working on getting my Equine Canada certified coaching license (exam in a month, yikes!). Not saying the license is an end-all, be-all or anything, but it hopefully goes to show I am not a green rider. I also do some part time work for my coach, training green horses on the ground and under saddle, and also training some problem horses.
I have found the green horses are SOO much easier than a problem horse that comes in because they have been getting away with bad behaviors at home for years. But I find the more challenging ones teach you lots. So I've had horses that bolted under saddle, especially if outside, herd-bound/barn sour horses, rearing horses, one little bucking bronco who was kind of fun, but after I just rode it out for two rides she settled right down and is now a kids horse, never offering to buck again. All of these things dealt with fine.
I have heard different things from different trainers- some try to ride it out and some get off and go back to hard ground work when a horse is misbehaving. I have done both, but I'm a little fuzzy as to when to do which. Case in point:
So yesterday I took this mare out on a trail ride with a group of fairly beginner riders- I wasn't coaching, just along for an extra person. The mare I rode has been getting away with problems outside for ages, and came in for training. She is herd bound, will try to run back, spins, rears. Anyway after several weeks of training the issues resolved and she was good, beautiful under saddle, so calm and steady. Then her owner rode her again for a month or two, and yesterday was the first ride I had on her after that- she was horrible! She wouldn't stand still if we were waiting for the lead horses to cross a stream, was prancing around, then she backed herself into a tree stump prancing and got all upset about it, tried to bolt (she didn't, I didn't let her), she reared and got a crop to the head...anyway, I figured the group with me wasn't super experienced and I didn't want the other horses feeding off her, so I got off. The group went ahead without me, and she had to stay, and we did the trail on foot, not in visual or calling distance of the others. If she was being bad she got to back up on the trail going butt-first, which she did not appreciate so she calmed down quick. We got to the barn and she worked hard. Worked well on the ground and under saddle, but periodically if any other horse went by the arena, she'd throw a fit. Once they were gone it was fine, then if it happened again, she'd do it again. So I think we rode for over an hour, and the minute she made consistent progress once or twice I got off her. It was baby progress and I was not incredibly happy with it, but it was time.
Anyway, she is now in a separate pen by herself, learning to be away from other horses, but I felt like yesterday was a huge defeat! I definitely did not get off at a good training time even though it may have been safer...what are your opinions on riding it out vs getting off and demanding good ground behavior? She was perfect on the ground by the way...
So I am working on getting my Equine Canada certified coaching license (exam in a month, yikes!). Not saying the license is an end-all, be-all or anything, but it hopefully goes to show I am not a green rider. I also do some part time work for my coach, training green horses on the ground and under saddle, and also training some problem horses.
I have found the green horses are SOO much easier than a problem horse that comes in because they have been getting away with bad behaviors at home for years. But I find the more challenging ones teach you lots. So I've had horses that bolted under saddle, especially if outside, herd-bound/barn sour horses, rearing horses, one little bucking bronco who was kind of fun, but after I just rode it out for two rides she settled right down and is now a kids horse, never offering to buck again. All of these things dealt with fine.
I have heard different things from different trainers- some try to ride it out and some get off and go back to hard ground work when a horse is misbehaving. I have done both, but I'm a little fuzzy as to when to do which. Case in point:
So yesterday I took this mare out on a trail ride with a group of fairly beginner riders- I wasn't coaching, just along for an extra person. The mare I rode has been getting away with problems outside for ages, and came in for training. She is herd bound, will try to run back, spins, rears. Anyway after several weeks of training the issues resolved and she was good, beautiful under saddle, so calm and steady. Then her owner rode her again for a month or two, and yesterday was the first ride I had on her after that- she was horrible! She wouldn't stand still if we were waiting for the lead horses to cross a stream, was prancing around, then she backed herself into a tree stump prancing and got all upset about it, tried to bolt (she didn't, I didn't let her), she reared and got a crop to the head...anyway, I figured the group with me wasn't super experienced and I didn't want the other horses feeding off her, so I got off. The group went ahead without me, and she had to stay, and we did the trail on foot, not in visual or calling distance of the others. If she was being bad she got to back up on the trail going butt-first, which she did not appreciate so she calmed down quick. We got to the barn and she worked hard. Worked well on the ground and under saddle, but periodically if any other horse went by the arena, she'd throw a fit. Once they were gone it was fine, then if it happened again, she'd do it again. So I think we rode for over an hour, and the minute she made consistent progress once or twice I got off her. It was baby progress and I was not incredibly happy with it, but it was time.
Anyway, she is now in a separate pen by herself, learning to be away from other horses, but I felt like yesterday was a huge defeat! I definitely did not get off at a good training time even though it may have been safer...what are your opinions on riding it out vs getting off and demanding good ground behavior? She was perfect on the ground by the way...