4 year old with problems.

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
My son and I have acquired a 4 year old pony/quarter cross.  She is green broke but we are having issues that we can't seem to solve.  She will ride nice ( in the yard ) for about a half hour, then she gets real stubborn, even to point of bucking.  We took her out in open field today and she rode out and back great.  Then while we were talking she ate some grass.  After that she wouldn't do anything we wanted.  Almost bucked my son off.  The other issues are desensitizing her.  Trying to put powder or fly spray on her is a major challenge.  We have been trying to reward her with treats, but when she doesn't get more, when she feels she should, her behavior goes down hill fast.
Thanks,
John

ANSWER: Your horse has one problem.  The people handling her don't understand horses.  Sorry, most people don't like hearing that, but it is the most common answer I give.  Owning a horse if not a hobby, it is a lifestyle. It takes lots and lots of time, energy and effort to do it right.  Some horse terms you should be aware of:  Green Broke means:  This horse has not killed anyone yet!, Free Horse: Means I got over my head, messed this horse up and now need to get rid of it!  Horse Trainer means: I know more about a horse than you, so I can tell you things and you will not know the difference!

Write me back with the information I requested at the top of where you type your question, so I can answer you appropriately.

Rick

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

QUESTION: I'm 43, my son is 19.  No recent experience with horses.
The horse is kept in a pasture with a 14 year old thoroughbred mare.  We have been trying to ride her every day for half hour to an hour.
Thanks,
John


Answer
Hi John, you need to read lots and educate yourself on horses so you can help this horse and keep you and the horse safe.  Handling horses is about understanding them, if you approach it like a dog, cat or other animal, then it will not work.  Most all horse problems are people problems.  Horses react to what we do, period, so any problem a horse has, we cause it.  Once you learn that you will understand how to approach it better so the horse will understand what you want.

Your issues appear to be all related to respect.  Read my site, at least the horse history, horsemanship and horseman tips pages.  This will give you better insight to a horse.

The short answer is this horse is testing you and you are failing to show her that you are a strong leader she can trust.  She is slowly learning that you don't understand her, can't make her listen, and that she is in charge and is higher in the herd than you.  You and any horse is a herd of two.  You have to be the higher horse or the horse will think she is higher and will treat you like a lower horse.  That means she will tell you what to do and move you, and if you don't listen she will kick you or bite you to teach you to listen to her.  She is not being mean or aggressive, she is just being a horse.  She thinks since you are lower and part of her herd she has to protect you and in order to protect you she has to have you listen to her when she tells you something.  This is the reverse of how it should be.  Most people don't get this.  So you need to move her feet, make her listen to you and then she will see you as her leader and know that she must listen to you so you can keep her safe.  It all has to with herd behavior and understanding it.

Read my site and read lots of books and training sites you can, it takes years to understand horses to way they need to be understood.  The problem is people get into horses, get over their heads, then get hurt, then blame the horse for being mean, stupid, stubborn or some other nonsense.  It is never the horse's fault and never blame the horse for anything.  You cause everything a horse does, if is good then you cause it, if it is bad then you caused it.

The more you read, the more you handle horses the more you will see it, but it takes time and most people either don't have the time or are not willing to put in the time.  Which always ends up bad for the horse.

Hope this helps,

Rick