I have an appy, we got him last June, he is actually my moms horse, but she has been on him only once(she's got some fear issues). I also have a TB that I board and spend what little spare time I have working with her and don't really have much time to work with her horse as well. Last night I had a little extra time so I decided to do some work with him. I started off riding him in the round pen, he was neck reining nicely, but was a little stiff. I just walked on him since it's been a while since he's been ridden. Since he was behaving I decided to open the gate and ride in the pasture(round pen is in the pasture). As soon as I opened the gate he headed for the barn(which is open and also in the pasture), I tried to steer him away but he wasn't really responding then when I was trying to make him go away from the barn he chucked a little buck, it wasn't anything serious, but a protect buck, but every time I tried to get him to move away he would buck. I eventually decided to get off and lunge him in the round pen since I wasn't getting anywhere. I'm going to try to make a point to ride him at least once a week, but I need some ideas on getting him away from the barn, he does pretty good on the trail, but it was getting late and my helmet was at the boarding stable so I didn't feel like taking him on the trail was a good idea.
Also when I was free lunging him I could not get him to go clockwise. He would W/T/C counter-clockwise but wouldn't even trot clockwise, I would try to get him to go and he would refuse to go and then turn around and go the other way. When I would try to get him to change directions he would see me heading towards to rail and he would go as fast as he could to get there before me so I couldn't get in front of him. Very frustrating! I have a trainer for my TB, but she can't come and help me with him and I don't have a trailer to bring him there. I'm sure he will get better if I work with him more often, but I'm not quite sure how to fix the bucking thing.
Just realized I put this in the critique section lol, can someone please move it to training, I didn't notice that the forms have moved around
Keep him on a longe line until he is going solidly in both directions.
As for the riding issue, that's classic-as-can-be barnsour. It's a fixable issue, but if you aren't up for the task and can't ride a good buck, I'd strongly suggest bringing in an outside trainer. What he needs is a whuppin'. He doesn't want to leave the barn, tough. Make him. I'd guess that most of his bucking is a bluff, but there's always the possibility that he could blow up, so just prepare accordingly.
I wasn't very prepared yesterday lol, my lunge line and lunge whip was at the boarding barn so I had to use a lead rope to try to get him to move, not the most effective tool, and i kept whacking myself with it lol. When I go up to see my TB I will bring that stuff back with me. I used to own a bucker, but that was the first buck I've ridden since I gave that horse away, so that was the first time I rode a buck in about 5 years or so. It caught me a little off guard when he did it, but I felt completely balanced through it, I just worry that he might blow up, did i mention I also left my helmet at the other barn lol. I would have tried to push him more had I been wearing a helmet but I figured the next best thing would be to get off and run his but in the round pen. Getting an outside trainer really isn't an option as I cannot afford a trainer for her horse and she isn't going to get a trainer because she is perfectly content with him just being a pasture puff. So I'm pretty much on my own. Maybe over the weekend I will take him out on the trail, I'm sure I can get one of the girls from the neighbors barn to come out also.
While my instinct is to say to keep after him until he lunges both directions, I once started a well bred little sorrel filly that would only go one way in a round pen. In fact, she was so bad about the other direction that she would try to jump out if I tried to push her. I eventually moved on to other things and started riding her. Once I was in the saddle she never had a problem with directions and is still probably one of the nicest horses I have ever trained. I don't have any idea why she would only go one way but it never effected any other aspect of her life.
I'm not saying that you should give up on getting your horse to go the other way but just don't get stuck on it if you can't. I would also suggest that you can't solve the bucking problem only in the round pen. Eventually you have to bear down and ride him. Doing some ground work exercises will help him get softer and start you both feeling of each other but to solve this problem you may still have to swing a leg over him and warm up his butt with a crop.
I'm not too terrible concerned with the only lunging one direction because he seems to have had a decent amount of training on him, he just needs a refresher. I don't know the extent of his training as he came from new holland auction, but when I first got him he w/t/c right on cue, and went anywhere he was asked. I wouldn't have even lunged him if it weren't for the small bucking and myself not willing to risk getting thrown without a helmet. When I started lunging him he was really bucking up a storm, so maybe it would be good to lunge him before riding, maybe if he gets it out on the lunge he won't do it while being ridden(wishful thinking). To be honest, I'm not to keen on the idea of taking a crop to his butt, at one point I was trying to do those games with the "carrot stick" and anytime the stick got close to him he would rear, and well, I've never ridden a rear before, and I would like to keep it that way :wink:. I did give him a sharp no and popped him with my hand when he did it. I think maybe I'll start desensitizing him to the crop so I can ride with one if he starts his stuff. If the weather is nice maybe I'll do something with him tomorrow...well, actually, I think I may end up in a crappy mood tomorrow, I gotta finishing shaving a 200lb long hair mastiff that tried to bite me twice while grooming, then almost took my arm off after I walked him. I can really see him putting me in a foul mood tomorrow :evil:. Won't be a good idea to work with Legacy if I'm already pissy lol
If your he wants to be by the barn If its possible and there is a grassy area I would work him near the barn. Wheather it be on lunge line or undersaddle and then walk him away from the barn and let him rest. Continue this and each time increase the distance between the barn and where you let him rest.
Eventually he will realize that being near the barn is hard work.
Also a thing to consider my TB was a race horse and he all the sudden decided one day that he wouldnt lunge to the left. And come to find out that he has arthritis in his hocks and stifles.
Experience tells me there could be a problem if he will only work in one direction so please check that there's nothing wrong with him before you start to push him too hard.
I recently had the same problem with my gelding who wouldn't trot or canter on the right rein on the lunge. A week or so later a huge abscess burst through the heel bulb of his near hind, so obviously it was too painful for him to push off with the outside leg. He was absolutely fine on the left rein.
I would also get him checked by an equine physio if you have access to one in case he has some stiffness in his back which is also making him unwilling to work on that rein.
If you don't find any problems healthwise, I would take it slowly and build up his confidence and also work on taking him away from the barn a little further each time you ride.
Horses that haven't been properly schooled are often one sided. Horses are often more compliant on the left side (right side in the brain). The off side is the reaction side. Start by asking him to bend his head in both directions. Don't force it. One his near side he may bring his nose close to his elbow yet on the off side you may get only an inch before you get resistance. That's ok. Be patient and work at this until you get at least a noticeable bend. Sometimes a treat under his nose to guide him helps, but just one. When he is supple enough to bring that nose around, and it may take a few sessions or more, you have just removed a lot of resistance. Before you do anything with him, spend the time and do this first, as a refresher exercise. You will find that sometimes the offside is more relaxed than the near, it switches back and forth. It also helps set the horse's mood to a more relaxed one. Let us know how it goes. He will be more sensitive to a knotted halter, not a flat one.
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