Question
Romulus
Ive been around horses all my life, i was breast fed on horse back. But i got a big, strong, dappeled, red ticked grey 5 year old Arab/Paso gelding, thats making me feel like a rookie and im in my 40's. He is saddle broke for 6 months. When i first got him back from the man that broke the horse he was perfect, i rode him every single day for a month straight, and then nearly daily, which is pretty much normal for us around here. The problem started while riding w/ a friend, we were cantering along a trail, side by side, when went around a curve and my horse lost his footing in the mud, we went down hard, i suffered a busted rib cage, w/multiple fractures, punctured lung and several other things, i had to ride him home 6 miles from that point, he was shooken up a bit, but other wise unharmed. So I go 6 weeks w/ out riding him which i know is the worst thing for him at that point. At first while i was healing, i fed all 3 of my horses in the pasture, after 2 weeks i started taking him out and tieing him and letting him eat. I felt like he was getting spoiled at this point cause he wasnt earning his food.
When i got strong enough to ride again, my confidence level "seemed" high, i think he knew this and played on it, (im normally fearless) Our first ride was fine, it was the next time out, he was seeing the boogy man everywhere and fought me, he didnt want to cross this creek that we've already passed a 100 times and he started bucking, knowing i wasnt a 100% i started back for home, praying we wernt gonna get hurt again, he'd stop, lay his ears back and buck, he showed out all the way home. the next time out i had a friend ride one of my other horses, and he followed this horse w/out incedence for 6 miles...following, when ever i tried to get him out front or canter or anything that wasnt his idea, he'd start the bucking until i let him follow again. Since i have gotten better, ive only taken him riding but once by our selves. Now currently 2 more months of this later (and i know he's learning bad habits) i am strong and cocky again and my confidence level is back to normal, my horse has noticed this and acts better, he has his bad days though, I have still yet to take him out on his own again, i dont want to start something i cant win and him learn yet more on how to be spoiled. He'll buck a little when we change gears and he's fresh and cold out, which didnt matter to me so much, but they've turned into straight up bucking when he's being unwilling. Going up hills, he likes to run as do i, but i dont let him pass the horse in front or hold him back, he'll start to rear.
All this made short, he has lost his willing-ness. He is 5, i still have his mother here and I know he's a Mama's boy. If i take all 3 horses out he does fine, he wants to go riding really bad, he sat on the bench for 5 years due to my finances and finding some one to break him, if he's in the mood some times he'll want to lead out front and when i dont let him he starts to rear up,(ive let him do this several times, we like to run) when i try to make him lead when he doesnt want to he starts to buck. If i ride w/ a crop he listens better, never use it, except to rub him w/ it, the only time ive ever popped him w/ it is on the butt when we first started riding to get him to cross streams, he just knows i have it, he even pulls it from my pocket when he can and chews on it. several times on the trail ive simply bailed real quick landing on my feet (i dont want him learning this either that all he's got to do is show his butt and i'll get off of him) a good yank on the riegns and deep firm voice and a shussssh straightens him right out, then he'll stand perfectly still for me to mount and we can ride w/out incident, only once have i had to bail off and do this twice in one ride. I use training forks from the breast strap and a snaffle bit, he stops and turns on a dime.
I guess what im asking is how do i get back in charge, how do i push threw his unwillingness, i dont want to do battle simply because he aint in the mood that day, i try to be very careful not to give mixed signals. He's not aggressive, just this bucking and rearing junk when he dont get his way, he's not confused, we had nearly 3 solid months of riding before we had the "wreck". He's a super smart. Comes to the gate every morning for me to get him out, even puts his nose in the halter, stands still while i mount and all that. Its just the afore mentioned stuff. Some times i get to thinking he's simply playing. Theres no such thing as riding the ruff off him, before a ride, it only gets him all jazzed anyway.
I bred this horse to be exactly what he is and he's perfect, but since the wreck he has found out that i cant necessarily force him to do any thing. When im feeling good and confident things absolutely go better. I know he feeds off me, he was like a puppy around here till we got him broke. He knows me better than most humans. He'll follow me around now if i turn him loose.
Any how i hope this all makes sense to ya and i sure would appreciate any advise.
Thank you
Rafe
AnswerHiya Rafe,
First, let me say well done on getting back in the saddle after such a bad fall. For all the hassle, this is a fairly straightforward problm to solve.
Get him used to hacking along at the side of a trail partner, and let him go at his speed....that way if he wants to lead, he can, and if he wants to follow he can, or, deliberately take him out with a slower horse, so he has to go forwards and lead.
He's guessing that you are still nervous about the accident, and he's exploiting that. You said you have a good bond with him, so don't try to be his 'BOSS' go for a 50/50 partnership, thats the advice I got when I was struggling with my arab mare when I first bought her 16 years ago. That was given to me by the man who bred her grandsire, and that advice has remained with me ever since.....we're still showing to National level....she is now nearly 24 years old.
So don't go for being the 'Boss man' go for a partnership, he'll listen, you'll relax and hopefully things will settle down. Also, as a trick for relaxing when riding, listen to your favourite music on a MP3 player....you'll find you relax into riding and things go a lot better. I use this when warming up for showing/dressage classes....trot round with my music on my earphones, and I find we get better results, as we are both relaxed.
I hope this has helped, and he sounds fantastic. I hope you have a long and happy partnership together.
Good luck, and if there is anything else I can help with, then please do contact me. Let me know how you get on with him.
Emma xx
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