5 year old 17h thoroughbred acting up. Help?
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I would tack him up, and lunge him for about 20 minutes 10 min each direction then get on, also have a saddle fitter check ur saddle.
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maybe he's to much horse for you? IDK
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I see the word "recently" in your post. Has your horse's diet changed dramatically from what his previous owner was feeding? Any chance you unintentionally added something that may be contributing to this behavior? Little extra starch maybe? I only ask because the fact that he settles down after the initial hissy fit suggests he's just being a butt.
If it's not food related, I would think at 5 years old, he's testing his new owner, you, as much as possible. Also if you're not making things very simple for him, he may just be acting up due to frustration. I don't know about other breeds, but young TB's need things to be spelled out for them. If you get on and say, okay we're going to learn leg yeild today, and ask for the whole thing at once, you're just going to end up with a confused horse. He needs to first understand how to go forward, then how to go sideways, and only after he understands both separately can you put them together to go diagonally. Does that make sense? Whether it be you or your trainer, maybe take a few steps back and find the holes. Definitely don't take any crap, but also provide him with calm, clear leadership. Please stay safe and most importantly recognize if you get in over your head and call in help if you need it.
If it's not food related, I would think at 5 years old, he's testing his new owner, you, as much as possible. Also if you're not making things very simple for him, he may just be acting up due to frustration. I don't know about other breeds, but young TB's need things to be spelled out for them. If you get on and say, okay we're going to learn leg yeild today, and ask for the whole thing at once, you're just going to end up with a confused horse. He needs to first understand how to go forward, then how to go sideways, and only after he understands both separately can you put them together to go diagonally. Does that make sense? Whether it be you or your trainer, maybe take a few steps back and find the holes. Definitely don't take any crap, but also provide him with calm, clear leadership. Please stay safe and most importantly recognize if you get in over your head and call in help if you need it.
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I've known several young/green horses that would rear/buck/kick in the first 5 minutes of a ride. They like to test everything at this point, to see what they can get away with, although I did find that a few of them would do it because the saddle was in the wrong spot (too far forward), and would stop the bad behavior when the saddle was adjusted or simply put on properly from the get go. Also, depending on how new the horse is to you, he could be just testing you to figure out what he can get away with because he doesn't really know you. That is assuming pain is ruled out, of course.
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How long have you owned this horse? I'd definitely take at least 2 huge steps back...if he's not going to respect you on the ground, is rearing in hand, and you can't get him to lunge nicely...how on earth do you expect to control him under saddle? As a new owner to this young horse, part of your job is to establish your leadership role and that's rarely done from in the saddle.
He's young, he's new to you, new to your barn...alot has changed for him so I'd take him back to basics. Get him respecting you on the ground through round penning, lunging, whatever method you choose...but I don't think you should be ON him at this point. Build a house on dirt and the ground's going to shift and collapse your house...start with a solid foundation.
He's young, he's new to you, new to your barn...alot has changed for him so I'd take him back to basics. Get him respecting you on the ground through round penning, lunging, whatever method you choose...but I don't think you should be ON him at this point. Build a house on dirt and the ground's going to shift and collapse your house...start with a solid foundation.
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I'm not sure if you have the right match in your trainer. Why isn't the trainer stepping in to help you with these problems instead of having you try to lunge him to warm him up for her? If you are having problems giving him the right idea on the ground your trainer should be helping you to get things going in the right direction.
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HMmm ok how are you lunging him? Do you know how to lunge properly and have you lunged difficult horses before?
Make absolutely certain he has no soreness anywhere and make sure his saddle and bridle are a perfect fit. You can often exclude problems with tack by lunging first only in a halter and seeing if he behaves, then in a bridle, then a saddle and so on. You can pick what he's having issues with.
I'd go back to the very beginning with him. When I get horses ott I basically re-break them. I would probably put him in a rope halter, then go through baby steps. Make him walk immediately from a slight tug on the halter, and back up from a pressure on his halter. Yield his shoulders and hindquarters both ways, then ask him to move his jaw away, his neck etc. Every part of him should yield to your touch if you demand it.
Make sure he will lead at your side, not lagging behind and not towing you along. Make him stop when you want to stop, go when you want to go. If he enters your space, give him a hard time about it. Shake the lead, wave an arm, move aggressively towards him until he steps away from you.
Once he's learnt how to behave on the ground, you can pick back up with the lunging. Put him on the lunge in a bridle and roller. Run your lunge rein through the bit and clip it to one of the lower D rings on the roller. Ask him to move away from you by walking towards his shoulder and flicking the whip if need be. Get him walking out on a nice big 20m circle. Once he's walked the circle without coming in or facing up to you, ask him to trot on.
if he faces up to you, get behind him and flick the whip towards him. Some horses are stubborn ******s and you may need to run up and wave at him to really get your point across. If he takes off, no worries just drive him more for a couple of circles so he begins to think they you are actually asking him to run. Offer him the opportunity to slow up, and if he doesn't, drive him again. He'll come to the conclusion that slowing up is far easier than running flat out on a small circle.
Ensure that you are always positioned slightly more towards his hip than his shoulder so that you are in more of a convenient position to drive him should he try to stop and face you.
if you get in his face when he rears and backs up, he has no other choice than to rear and back up so it is vitally important that you get behind him and make him go forward.
Rearing stems from 1 of 2 things.
1. An evasion of the forward aids - a lazy horse may very well rear to avoid going forward, this is a dangerous habit and needs to be nipped in the bud asap.
2. The rider is giving the horse conflicting aids - i.e. asking the horse to go forward, but the giving it no option to go forwards by restricting the forward motion via hanging off the reins, or standing too far in front of the shoulder when lunging. This leaves the horse feeling trapped. He cannot go backwards, he cannot go forwards so he must go up as an escape.
In both instances, forward is the key. It sounds like your boy is rearing for the 1st reason, and I would really get up him and establish that flight rather than fight button. Make him aware of the forward aids, make him aware that if he doesn't react to an initial forward aid by moving forwards immediately, what will follow is not nice, a sharp flick of the whip. A horse cannot rear while going forward, it is physically impossible so keep him moving. As i said when describing lunging, get behind him and DRIVE, keep him even a little more forward than what you would lunge a horse normally, forward is the key.
Don't get on him until he is perfect on the ground and is lunging calmly with no hint of wanting to go up or backwards.
When it is time to get on, drop your reins. Let him have his head and neck so he feels no restriction in the beginning. Put your leg on and if he doesn't go, hit him. Sit back, maybe grab a chunk of rein or a make yourself an 'oh ****' strap out of an old stirrup leather around his neck so you can keep balanced if he bucks to the whip. If he does buck, whack him again, do not give up whacking him until he has giving up bucking and gone forward, otherwise you will have taught him to buck to the whip and you'll be in even more trouble!
He absolutely MUST go forward. Walk trot and canter must all be 'pony club' style. Long reins out to the buckle, reins in one hand, whip in the other if you really need to get extreme. Every time he goes to slow or baulk, put your leg on or tap him and keep him moving until You ask him to slow.
Make absolutely certain he has no soreness anywhere and make sure his saddle and bridle are a perfect fit. You can often exclude problems with tack by lunging first only in a halter and seeing if he behaves, then in a bridle, then a saddle and so on. You can pick what he's having issues with.
I'd go back to the very beginning with him. When I get horses ott I basically re-break them. I would probably put him in a rope halter, then go through baby steps. Make him walk immediately from a slight tug on the halter, and back up from a pressure on his halter. Yield his shoulders and hindquarters both ways, then ask him to move his jaw away, his neck etc. Every part of him should yield to your touch if you demand it.
Make sure he will lead at your side, not lagging behind and not towing you along. Make him stop when you want to stop, go when you want to go. If he enters your space, give him a hard time about it. Shake the lead, wave an arm, move aggressively towards him until he steps away from you.
Once he's learnt how to behave on the ground, you can pick back up with the lunging. Put him on the lunge in a bridle and roller. Run your lunge rein through the bit and clip it to one of the lower D rings on the roller. Ask him to move away from you by walking towards his shoulder and flicking the whip if need be. Get him walking out on a nice big 20m circle. Once he's walked the circle without coming in or facing up to you, ask him to trot on.
if he faces up to you, get behind him and flick the whip towards him. Some horses are stubborn ******s and you may need to run up and wave at him to really get your point across. If he takes off, no worries just drive him more for a couple of circles so he begins to think they you are actually asking him to run. Offer him the opportunity to slow up, and if he doesn't, drive him again. He'll come to the conclusion that slowing up is far easier than running flat out on a small circle.
Ensure that you are always positioned slightly more towards his hip than his shoulder so that you are in more of a convenient position to drive him should he try to stop and face you.
if you get in his face when he rears and backs up, he has no other choice than to rear and back up so it is vitally important that you get behind him and make him go forward.
Rearing stems from 1 of 2 things.
1. An evasion of the forward aids - a lazy horse may very well rear to avoid going forward, this is a dangerous habit and needs to be nipped in the bud asap.
2. The rider is giving the horse conflicting aids - i.e. asking the horse to go forward, but the giving it no option to go forwards by restricting the forward motion via hanging off the reins, or standing too far in front of the shoulder when lunging. This leaves the horse feeling trapped. He cannot go backwards, he cannot go forwards so he must go up as an escape.
In both instances, forward is the key. It sounds like your boy is rearing for the 1st reason, and I would really get up him and establish that flight rather than fight button. Make him aware of the forward aids, make him aware that if he doesn't react to an initial forward aid by moving forwards immediately, what will follow is not nice, a sharp flick of the whip. A horse cannot rear while going forward, it is physically impossible so keep him moving. As i said when describing lunging, get behind him and DRIVE, keep him even a little more forward than what you would lunge a horse normally, forward is the key.
Don't get on him until he is perfect on the ground and is lunging calmly with no hint of wanting to go up or backwards.
When it is time to get on, drop your reins. Let him have his head and neck so he feels no restriction in the beginning. Put your leg on and if he doesn't go, hit him. Sit back, maybe grab a chunk of rein or a make yourself an 'oh ****' strap out of an old stirrup leather around his neck so you can keep balanced if he bucks to the whip. If he does buck, whack him again, do not give up whacking him until he has giving up bucking and gone forward, otherwise you will have taught him to buck to the whip and you'll be in even more trouble!
He absolutely MUST go forward. Walk trot and canter must all be 'pony club' style. Long reins out to the buckle, reins in one hand, whip in the other if you really need to get extreme. Every time he goes to slow or baulk, put your leg on or tap him and keep him moving until You ask him to slow.
I would investigate cold back/back pain and saddle fit issues before doing anything else.
It definitely sounds like the under saddle issues immediately after mounting are related to that.
As far as the lunging, are you lunging him in your tack? What happens if you lunge him in a cavesson or bridle alone, with nothing on his back?
It definitely sounds like the under saddle issues immediately after mounting are related to that.
As far as the lunging, are you lunging him in your tack? What happens if you lunge him in a cavesson or bridle alone, with nothing on his back?
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I have a five year old as well (AQHA) but he is testing boundaries also. Yours sound similar to mine in that he just needs to be told whats up and who is it. Having never bought a completely trained horse before, I wonder if it is common for a horse to regress a bit in a new home.....
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