nervous, anxious horse seeks help

Question
Hi i am from |South Africa and have a 3 yrs old going on 4 warmblood,15'2 hh, build very stocky. very nervous aND SCARED OF EVERYTHING,we have got so far that we can lunge him to the left with rider on, but still very nervous, slightest noise or moment somewhere else and he explode! To the right it is nearly impossible to do much, he just wants to get the rider off, have slight blemish on left eye, do u think the right is taking in to information? please help.He s a good horse with lots of talent but needs to get past this problem to become a athlete

Answer

Ricky and Joel Hi Wanda!

Your horse is just being a horse!  You have to be a leader he can trust so he CAN calm down and relax.  Your horse is feeling pretty alone and not sure he can survive.  Lunging is NOT the solution.  It does nothing for the horses MIND.  It only accomplishes getting the horse tired and creates a brace.  So, please stop lunging, it is not ground work.  I have written several past answers on lunging, please go back and read them to I may continue on here.  

Your horse is feeling NO security from you.  What you are doing has no meaning to the horse other than making him feel like he has to save himself and come up with his own plan.  You have to start getting to his feet and to his mind.  The rider is not helping him either, so have the rider get off and go back to the round pen and begin at the begrining.  You have missed so many things in starting a colt.  You have to start by hooking him on, yielding his hind quarters.  These are the first things in establishing yourself as a leader the horse can trust.  Then you work with your lass rope and  build on the next layer of hooking on, hind quarters, front quarters, changing direction, roping up the belly/flanks and teaching him how to carry the rope.  You then move on the the rope halter and build on another layer of hind quarters, front quarters, changing direction, learning to back with softness, backing circles, teaching him to lead by a front foot, leading by on the fence so he can see you from above and rolling him over his hind quarters.  Now you have to start exposing him to a flag/tarp/slicker.  This will make a HUGE change in his confidence knowing and feeling that these thing will not kill him and he CAN survive.  You have to know how to use these tools and expose your horse at while moving and standing still.  You NEVER make your horse stand, he has to OFFER to stand and this in itself is a whole lesson!  I use my flag/tarp/slicker with my horses EVERY time I ride.  It is just part of the routine.

It is after all of these things are solid with your horse that you then move on to saddling.  You have to saddle with quality and respect for the horse.  Saddling will go much better after your ground work and really I have only mentioned just a few of the more important things that you can do to prepare a young horse.  It is not only the knowledge of these tools but your feel, timing and balance that will make a huge impact on how completely and quickly your horse develops.

I know you do not understand some of the terms and concepts I have used.  I have a resource list on my website that lists several books and DVD's that will really help you.  Start with the information by Buck Brannaman first.  The ground work DVD is very clear and will show you exactly how to accomplish these movements.  

When you become the most important thing in your horses mind, and you are a leader, teacher that he can trust, and you KNOW what to do when he starts feeling nervous, all of the spooking and fear will be gone.  You have to educate yourself first in order for your horse to believe in you!  There is no one tiny "fix" to make this better.  It is living good horsemanship everyday and every moment you are around your horse.  

Go back and read some of my past answers on colt starting, spooking and watch the DVD and book by Buck.  This will help show you all of the things that will really help you and your horse.  Finally, attend a colt starting clinic with this horse.  I'm not sure if South Africa is on Buck's, or Ray's schedule, but I would sure find out!  Links to them are on my website.  

Keep asking questions.  As you learn more and when you have done your homework, reading and DVD watching, we will have so much more to talk about!  Wanda, enjoy this journey.  The learning and teaching you will do in the next few years will be so exciting!  Really, you could be helping to create the best horse of your life!

Smiles, Denise