Questionable Boarding Situation for First Time Trainer

Question
Hello fello expert, Cheri Howard! I am also part of the all experts "family", but rather working the facets of nutrition. I have sought you out today hoping for some advice for a good friend. I noted that you take questions on saddleseat which is the reason I've chosed to pick your brain!

A friend of mine has been involved in the saddleseat industry for the last several years, having ridden with a prominent trainer and taken steps to improve both her skills in the arena as well as out. Last fall she purchased a 3 year old american saddlebred gelding who had a bout with ulcers but otherwise is fit as a fiddle. In addition, he is her first "training" project starting from the ground up. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to the barn with her to observe him at work and was impressed. As are many "trainers in the make", she sees potential in him, but sometimes lets it drift out of her mind that he's still a baby and just because he looks big on the outside, his mind is still developing. This horse is an excellent mover, definately tries hard and wants to work, and just needs time and consistency. His biggest issue I saw is not staying on the bit and falling out of frame, sometimes bracing against the overcheck. However, that only occurs when he breaks the trot into a canter and then is brought back down. Within several strides of coming back down, he gets back on the bit, etc etc. My concern is more for my friends confidence and the advancement of the horse. We live in an area that is by and large, a hunter jumper community (SE GA/NE FL coast). The barn she is boarding at is home to a gal that is an excellent instructor for children but, self admittedly, is not a trainer and sends all her young horses out elsewhere. Everyone at the barn aside from my friend is paying full board and lessons (the "showmans" package so to speak). My friend, since doing her own training, and since her boy has suffered from ulcers, is solely doing pasture board as the owner doesn't offer half stall/half turnout. The owner is very condescending and rude to this boarder, and often makes her feel inadequate or "second guess" herself...even though the trainer herself admits to not being a trainer. She can afford to go a little higher on board, but not much. The real problem lies in finding a barn in the area that is welcoming to saddleseat riders. Her enthusiasm and determination is admirable, and her horses well being is always priority with her. But the negative atmosphere she's involved in is taking its toll and I want to advise her as best as possible. Do you have any suggestions for her handling her current situation or any tips for looking for a new location? My advice to her was, for the time being, keep doing what she is doing, keep in touch with her old trainer and at least use him as a sounding board or point of contact, and when the barn owner becomes negative with her to just thank her for her input and request that, if she feels she can offer a solution or be part of the solution to please do so...but otherwise, just leave the situation alone.

Thanks so much for sharing your time and expertise! -Samantha Simons, www.simonssez.com

Answer
Hi there.  Nice to hear from a fellow horse lover.  Your poor friend.  I feel for her.  I know from listening to other people and talking to my boarders that they have all been somewhere at some time that made them feel uncomfortable or they were forced to endure unwanted advise in the form of having it shoved down their throat.

Tell your friend this for starters.....  there are a million different horses....everyone with it's own personality.  Her horse will do what she is asking it to do because it respects her and loves her and will want to please her.  if it can figure out what she wants, it will try to do it.  

With a million different horses comes a million different opinions on how to train.....tell your friend that what works for and her horse is what is RIGHT!  Just because it isn't how someone else would do it...doesn't mean you're wrong!  It means you are smart enough to figure out what works for you and your horse.

And yes, a 3 year old is big enough to train and grown up enough to go to work but lacks the attention span to be consistant. Not to mention if the horse is just learning, he is going to have to TEST the waters periodically to make sure his owner really really really thinks he HAS to do this TODAY?  Ha ha.  

I have one suggestion.  At that early of an age and if the horse is new to being worked in overchecks etc...with his head set and neck up etc...  make sure your friend is not pushing to long.  Her horse may be laying on the overcheck because it's neck is getting tired.  It is one thing to keep the neck high and stay collected.  It is another thing to do it for long periods of time when those muscles are not developed yet.  Keep the perfection sessions short and sweet for awhile.  If she is riding...tell her to push the horse and demand perfection for a rail and then back off for the corner and the next rail and let the horse relax a bit.  Then push the horse back up and get him collected for another rail.  The horse does not have to go lap after lap after lap of perfection and up and under etc...  Making the horse uncomfortable is not the key.

When working on the lunge line in a bitting rig or whatever she is using to teach headset and collection.....tell her to make sure she also lets the horse have lunge days with no equipment and just exercise time.  Keep the work days short and demand perfection all 3 gaits, up under himself, propelling from behind, both directions, and no longer then ten minutes total.  Hard workout in a short burst.  The horse should still have worked up a sweat if he was working off of hindend and working his shoulders and holding himself proper.  

Make sure of this.......  hot bloods are not trained to hold their heads up and in.  It is not about the head.  It about getting their butt up and under them.  Push the horse from behind.....up and forward.  If she brings the horse up and under himself, the head and neck fix themselves.  If she is trying to hold his head where it belongs she is working on the wrong end of the horse.  Does this make sense to you?

Propel from the rear.  Everything is from the rear.  If a horse is running around with his nose out...hold your hands steady, just a bit of pressure on the reins, don't let the horse speed up but make him push up.  Bring his butt towards his front and lift his front up.  Do this by squeezing with the calves...even get someone to push the horse from behind with a lunge whip.  But the key is the REAR of the horse....if the horse is up and under and his hindend is working...he will bring his front up and go to work!  

As for the stable...well people are busy bodies and have too much time on their hands worrying about what everybody else is doing.  Tell your friend that she should never stay somewhere she is not comfortable because it makes going to the barn and seeing her horse an unpleasant experience. Until she can find another place.....  tell her to tell the nosey owner that she is paying for a place to keep her horse, not advise.  If she doesn't want to be rude, I would just tell the owner that she is learning, the horse is learning, they're having fun learning together, thanks for the advise and she'll take it under advisement, but bottom line it is her horse and she'll ruin it if she wants to.

It is a hard situation for her.  I feel for her and would hate to be put in that position.  Personally if she loves her horse, is trying to work with it, is dedicated to figuring it out...hell she'll be fine.  Tell her to put her chin up, be proud, and more then likely the owner is jealous of her and her beautiful horse and just wants to stick her nose in there to feel self important.  Ignore her.