help my horse needs education!

Question
Hi, I'll start from the start. i got my brumby gelding from the echuca sales yard in victoria. i bought him when he was 3yrs old and now he is 7yrs old, iv had 1 person break him in the year 2003 and another in 2005, Christmas holidays, he went fine for a few weeks and then i had to go to school and didn't have time to ride him only on the weekends. i live on a hobby farm and and iv got 2 other horses (who are mares). He bucks when ever he fells like it and the same with rearing and bolting. iv been riding for 10 yrs and iv had allot of experience, i am now 17yrs. He doesn't respect me and shows of when his around other horses, so its hard to ride him at pony club. Can i please have some advice before i sell him! THANKS!

Answer
Hi Samara-Jayne!

You could not be more correct!  Your little horse DOES need an education!!

I'll tell you what ~ Put him on a plane for America with my address and a little money pinned to his halter and I'll take him on!  I love a challenge  :-)

It sounds like he has major gaps in his education...both time-wise and mentally.  So, he does not know what to do and he acts out.  Horses need to know the outcome of everything they do to be happy and trustworthy.

First....stop taking him anywhere to ride (like the pony club) that brings on any additional strees.

Second...start all over again.  Sorry.  I know you didn't want to hear that but, he's only 7 and has 20 more years of riding in him if you get his hooves on the right path, right now.

Consistency is what he needs.  At the very least, he needs to be trained, not "just ridden" but TRAINED to do what you want at least 3 times a week.  You go in with a goal for that day or 45 min. you are going to spend with him and you do everything possible to teach it to him and have a successful outcome at the end.  It should start with the basics and then you can add on all the fancy buttons later.

Really, he HAS to have this.  He is naturally stubborn and he has to know that you will not let up on him for one second....or he simply will not believe you and the training will not stick.  As he has proven to you TWICE!!

If you feel you cannot safely train these bad and potentionally dangerous behaviours out of him....then, yes, you should sell him to another rider who can.

Every horse is different and you may have had success with others but, have come across a sticky one you can't fix.  Not your fault.  Why, people get divorced, don't they?  So, why should humans feel they HAVE to stay with a horse that does not suit them?

My last bit of advice is to do your very best to responsibily sell him to a good home.  He could be branded an idiot by some and end up some place awful.  He really doesn't deserve that, none of them do.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange