Green horses are not for everyone to ride, even some advanced riders don't want to ride green horses. I guess this is going to end up similar to Allie's thread, but I am going threw an experiance with a green horse at the moment. Chinga, his my OTTB. Had rearing, bolting, bucking, spinning issues. You name it. He did it. But I thought I was invincible, I never got myself seriously hurt. Actually I did but I always blamed it on things like
"Oh he spooked, he didn't mean to". No he'd had enough, bucked and badly hurt me.
"He was sick of jumping" Yes he was sick of jumping. Stopped in front of it, and I went smack over it and badly hurt my tailbone. But of course because he was only a "baby" that was "okay".
So after several other minor injuries, him being horrible everyday. I finally actually got myself badly hurt. My horse was rearing WAY to high, I lost balance, and he went over backwards. I went under him, who was to blame for me being hurt? Me. I know that this could have NOT happened if I'd gotten a trainer to work with him earlier. Now with having a trainer work with him for only a week and a bit he's ground manners and riding manners have improved amazingly! Its beyond incredible, I can actually hop on and feel comfortable. But my main point is, GREEN RIDERS AND GREEN HORSES DO NOT WORK. No one will feel sorry for you when you get yourself hurt because you brought an 8 year old OTTB with serious issues and think you can fix them because you have a "magical bond". Because honestly, from a real experiance I can tell you IT DOES NOT WORK.
So basically, I learnt my lesson the hard way. Got myself a bad reputation on the forum. Achieved NOTHING. I achieved a few things with him, that I am proud of. But the things I taught him because of faults I feel horrified about. So after all this, what I am trying to say is if you are a green rider looking for a horse, take heaps of lessons (being a green/beginner rider is NOTHING to be ashamed of) and get a school master. Don't go for the green horse, because you will get yourself hurt and even hurt the horse. Trust me, the tears and pain are not worth it in the end when your laying in hospital or your horse is getting sold. If you are a green rider and do have a green horse, eaither sell or find a trainer to work with your horse, to ride, lunge, ground work your horse. I got a trainer and my boy has come so far in the week and a half that I cannot imagine not gettig a trainer, I do not feel that I've failed my boy or that I've been defeated I feel good. Because I made good choices in the end. That affected both my horse and I. Affecting us in good ways, my boy is ALOT happier because we are not "fighting" every day and we both are a lot safer.
So I guess what I am trying to say is save the tears for boys (you'll need them in the end!), save the pain for when you stack over a jump, but keep the joy for when your riding your amazing horse and learning heaps of things.
A few photos of what happened when he reared over on top of me, this could easily happen to you-
I only got one the day it happened:
My wrist:
http://img535.imageshack.us/i/dscf2603.jpg/
http://img535.imageshack.us/i/dscf2603.jpg/
Photos I took today.
Imageshack - dscf2600z.jpg
http://img242.imageshack.us/i/dscf2580.jpg/http://img242.imageshack.us/i/dscf2580.jpg/
Imageshack - dscf2579o.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2578yu.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2577p.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2576f.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2575.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2574.jpg
"Oh he spooked, he didn't mean to". No he'd had enough, bucked and badly hurt me.
"He was sick of jumping" Yes he was sick of jumping. Stopped in front of it, and I went smack over it and badly hurt my tailbone. But of course because he was only a "baby" that was "okay".
So after several other minor injuries, him being horrible everyday. I finally actually got myself badly hurt. My horse was rearing WAY to high, I lost balance, and he went over backwards. I went under him, who was to blame for me being hurt? Me. I know that this could have NOT happened if I'd gotten a trainer to work with him earlier. Now with having a trainer work with him for only a week and a bit he's ground manners and riding manners have improved amazingly! Its beyond incredible, I can actually hop on and feel comfortable. But my main point is, GREEN RIDERS AND GREEN HORSES DO NOT WORK. No one will feel sorry for you when you get yourself hurt because you brought an 8 year old OTTB with serious issues and think you can fix them because you have a "magical bond". Because honestly, from a real experiance I can tell you IT DOES NOT WORK.
So basically, I learnt my lesson the hard way. Got myself a bad reputation on the forum. Achieved NOTHING. I achieved a few things with him, that I am proud of. But the things I taught him because of faults I feel horrified about. So after all this, what I am trying to say is if you are a green rider looking for a horse, take heaps of lessons (being a green/beginner rider is NOTHING to be ashamed of) and get a school master. Don't go for the green horse, because you will get yourself hurt and even hurt the horse. Trust me, the tears and pain are not worth it in the end when your laying in hospital or your horse is getting sold. If you are a green rider and do have a green horse, eaither sell or find a trainer to work with your horse, to ride, lunge, ground work your horse. I got a trainer and my boy has come so far in the week and a half that I cannot imagine not gettig a trainer, I do not feel that I've failed my boy or that I've been defeated I feel good. Because I made good choices in the end. That affected both my horse and I. Affecting us in good ways, my boy is ALOT happier because we are not "fighting" every day and we both are a lot safer.
So I guess what I am trying to say is save the tears for boys (you'll need them in the end!), save the pain for when you stack over a jump, but keep the joy for when your riding your amazing horse and learning heaps of things.
A few photos of what happened when he reared over on top of me, this could easily happen to you-
I only got one the day it happened:
My wrist:
http://img535.imageshack.us/i/dscf2603.jpg/
http://img535.imageshack.us/i/dscf2603.jpg/
Photos I took today.
Imageshack - dscf2600z.jpg
http://img242.imageshack.us/i/dscf2580.jpg/http://img242.imageshack.us/i/dscf2580.jpg/
Imageshack - dscf2579o.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2578yu.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2577p.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2576f.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2575.jpg
Imageshack - dscf2574.jpg