2 horses, 2 attitudes

Question
QUESTION: I am 13 and I have very little experience. About 8 months ago I got my first horse. He is a Palomino and is now going on 2 years old. He is halter broke, stands for grooming, and lifts his feet well. We have had a bit in his mouth but he didn't like it very well. Also, we have had a saddle and blanket stapped tight on him. He didn't do much when we put it on his back. He is the best horse anyone could have. But he does have some flaws. When I lead him he balks and won't go. When I try to lead him he won't trot when i want him to or walk fast at all...he is so slow. I don't want him to be speedy but i would like for him to go at differnt paces. So could you please help me on these flaws and also help me training him on the bit and how to break him? Thank You.

ANSWER: Wow!  This is quite an endeavor for anyone, especially a novice horseman, and one at your age!  Breaking a horse should always be left in the hands of a professional!  ALWAYS!  Amateurs can get seriously hurt as well as inadvertently create problems in the horse's training that ultimately become huge problems later on down the line.  So before you go one step further, please seek a professional trainer to assist you with this very critical process while your horse is still very impressionable.  Trust me, if you find a good trainer, you will be very glad you hired him/her!

Some of the problems you are describing are reflective of improper ground handling already.  Keep in mind your horse is much bigger than you.  By nature, he is a flight animal.  Currently you are instilling in him the notion that he can boss you around.  This is a dangerous situation and only growing more so if you don't take precautions to solve this now.

I am not trying to be critical, I only have in mind your safety and your horse's safety.  

As for getting your horse comfortable with the bit in his mouth, one tactic is to work with him in his halter and lead rope.  Try placing the lead rope in his mouth.  It is soft and will allow him to get comfortable to the feeling of something resting in there.  Another thing to consider is having a horse dentist come out and check his teeth for signs of any damage or pain.  There are several bits in the tack stores.  It can be hard to know which is best to buy for your green horse.  There are three that I would consider trying.  There is the loose ring snaffle.  However that is best in the hands of an advanced rider.  There are the Happy Mouth bits which are soft and gentle.  And then there are a wide range of copper bits.  The copper bits are great because they create a bit of a sweet taste in your horse's mouth and cause him to salivate more.  This is considered a positive thing as it will keep your horse from feeling pinched and pain.  It is critical that you don't put in a bit that is too strong right now.  Once you develop a hard mouth you are mostly stuck with that, and often it only becomes worse over time.  Again, a professional trainer can help you determine a proper bit for your specific horse.

As for leading your horse, you have two tactics I can suggest for your unique situation.  First, you can back him up every time he refuses to lead.  Back him up swiftly and sharply several steps until he resists by trying to walk forward.  Just at the moment he is ready to walk forward, calmly and directly without hesitation walk him forward.  He may bulk again several times.  Be persistent.  My best suggestion is to carry a either a a short lunge whip or use the end of your lead rope to give him a bit of a sharp snap whenever he resists.  I am not speaking of using pain and bullying to accomplish this.  I am however, telling you that you need to treat him as one horse would treat another.  A quick sharp stinging snap hit with the end of the lead rope on his belly or with the whip by his feet will be similar to the nip another horse would use to get him moving forward.  Again, a professional trainer can help you with this.

As for breaking your horse, that is not something I can quickly hand you in a paragraph.  That is something I spent years learning how to do, and will probably spend the rest of my life trying to perfect.  Each horse is different.  And the process takes a knowledgeable horseman to accomplish a properly broken horse.  So definitely find yourself a professional trainer to assist you!  Good luck and keep up the good work!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok Thank You,
Could you please help me on getting him to move faster. We have tried everything. We have tried to lounge him, we've used a small whip, walked him down a hill, and slowly sped up as we lead him...but he just will not go any faster no matter what.
    I also have a 2 yr old Palomino Paint,Gymbar, that I got about 2 months after Aztec(palomino). He was abused when we got him and would not get within 15 feet of us. For awhile we kept him away from my palomino and the other horses, but he broke lose and ended up in the field with them. It turns out that that was the best thing for him to trust us. When he noticed us handling the palomino he eventually began to trust us. We now can walk up to him and pet him. We want to halter break him but he won't allow us to even get a halter near his face. We hung a rope around his neck and he jumped a bit. When we got it around he would just back up and throw his head. We got a treat and he followed us up a small path in our field. He did alot better than we thought he would but every since we can't get a rope close to his neck. Also, he has a problem with every time we get to close to him while petting he turns and steps on us. We have to stand away and stretch our arm out to touch him.
   As for our palomino we rode him this past weekend, bareback, no problem.

Answer
"Could you please help me on getting him to move faster."
Be sure you are not sending conflicting messages.  Your hands must be giving to encourage forward motion.  Also, try subtle heel taps that increase with pressure and force until he moves forward.  The instant he does relax the pressure from your legs.  Try clucking at him to.  Give him time and carefully evaluate your signals.  By nature horses want to move forward.  Chances are, somewhere in the mix is a conflicting signal.

As for the Palomino, he has decided you are low man on the totem pole...back of the herd.  I encourage you to visit Karen Scholl's website and read up on heard behavior.  This will explain exactly how to re-establish the pecking order so that he doesn't step on you and invade your personal space! =)  Good luck!  And keep up the determination!  You're on the right track!

http://www.karenscholl.com