stubborn and difficult horse

Question
Hi, I have recently started working with my friends horse( he has been a "pet" for about a year and I hated seeing him go to waste). He is about 15 years old(based on a vet's guess)and we have no clue as far as his breed, but he is definitely a mix. The problem I have with him doesn't happen every time I ride him but it happens often enough that I can't think of any other ideas to fix it.He is very stubborn when it comes to going the left;most of the time he holds his head to the outside and twists himself so that he is almost walking sideways. (I have tried to get him to walk straight by using a rail as a guide but he turned out and bunny-hopped.) Once he has himself like this, he bites down on the bit and turns to the inside of the arena and trys to  buck(he has a habit of throwing his weight and twisting himself to get his rider off balance, which is when is he most likely to buck). I have tried working him on a looser rein which he seemed to really enjoy but occasionally he took advantage of having his head. I would love to be able to ride him all the time with a loose rein, it would be more enjoyable for the both of us but I want to be sure he will behave himself. Right now I am using a full-cheek snaffle for a bit and a flash. Is there any reason why he is doing this? What can I do to prevent it in the future? or is this something that he will always do that I will have to remember when I ride him? Any advice helps.

P.S. My friend rescued him, he came from a bad past. We don't know what happened to him before she got him. Also he IS built to buck;he has the short back legs.



Ashley

Answer
Hello Ashley,

     I do congratulate you on trying to help this horse. It is almost guaranteed that he has been abused and confused by his past. You need to not label him as stubborn-most of the time horses do not do what we want because they do not understand...or they cannot physically or mentally  cope with what we want.
     The first thing that I think you should do is to get a chiropractor to check him out. From your description he almost certainly has physical problems that cause his correctness.
You always have to be certain that an animal is not in pain or discomfort before starting a retraining program.
    The chiropractor will tell you when you can safely start working with him and then it should be ground work first.In-hand work, correct lungeing, NO round penning or the bad Natural Horsemanship techniques that would include plastic bags,flags, etc. He does not need this. He needs massage techniques, TTouch, and then he will be physically able to carry a rider. Bucking is often caused by a lack of balance. This horse needs help to be able to in both directions so that he can bend. He is not doing it because of stubbornness.
    When you do start riding him, I recommend a Bitless Bridle. Start work in a large pen.
Check out your riding, your position, and your training techniques. It is a life-long process.Also read the chapters on horses in Dr. Temple Grandin's books. That will help you understand the responses of horses.You are welcome to write again to EXPERTS or email me at Summersdressage@aol.com.