abused/untrained horse and retraining

Question
I have bought and been working with a horse who I was told was abused, but my farrier said he was just never trained. He doesn't show signs of abuse. I have now started gaining his trust and before I figured what was wrong/wrong handling. I think he was cowboyed and hurt int he process. He is a full arab/7 yrs old. He can now be bridled w/o a problem, lets me lunge and started to drive him. He is beginning to trust and loves attention, but if u put any wgt on his back or get on him past just sitting he freaks out and bolts if he is asked to move. I have fallen off twice due to his bolting. I think he was abused with people that had no clue how to train a horse when they got on him. He is clearly frightened. Can you give me any more insight on what to do to be able to ride him w/o him bolting. I have been trying to dead man mount, but he freaks with this also. Thank you for any help you may offer.

Answer
Hello Sarah,

I hope that you can find a knowledgable person to assist you with this horse. It would need to be someone who truly understands horses and has experience, and not someone who has just seen some tapes or attended some clinics.

Start all over with him for now. I really like the T.E.A.M. method of working with horses such as this. I find it superior to many of the marketed methods that are mass produced.Linda Telington Jones has a website, and her methods would greatly help this horse, I believe.

DO NOT get on him again for now. Have you had a good equine vet thoroughly check this horse out?
I also think you shoud have a Chiropractor look at him. If he has any pain in his back, then that has to be eliminated before you do anything else.

I think you need a lot of ground work with him. It sounds strange, but his bolting and throwing you frightened him as much as you. Horses do not make the connection of they are frightened and in pain. It just cemented his fear of anything on his back. That is why I think you need to start over with him. But if he is driving all right, it may well be a pain issue or a memory issue of something that happened to him when someone put weight on his back. Horses have such wonderful memmories,but it can make retraining more difficult.

Best case scenario is that even if there is a back issue it can be alleviated and then you will follow the vet's advice, of course, but get your horse lungeing quietly and calmly. Keep your energy low. Work with someone who is good as your ground persoon. When it is time to get back on your horse, they will be important. They will be leading him with you on him, and then lungeing him, but you will just be there to be a quiet rider.

Saddle fit will be very important, as well as his overall fitless. There is a book entitled THE HORSE'S BACK, which I encourage you to read.

My email and web site :   Summersdressage@aol.com, www.Mitzisummers.com . Keep in touch.