RE: Is my horse too old to train?

Question
I have a horse that is about 9 years old, a male paint, and he has not been broken; I think. I have had people tell me that he has been ridden but the last "trainer" who rode him said he was a wild ride and bucked. I want to put him in formal training  but I don't know whether he is too old at this point. Also if you think he can still be trained how long do you think it would take to make him safe to  ride for someone who isn't a highly experienced rider? And if you know anyone you can recommend in Temecula CA that would be great too! THANK YOU!  

Answer
HI Landa!

My first thought is:  This horse will either break easy or not at all.  Period.  He is rather old and you did not say why he was not broken earlier.  Was he a stud?  Was it just not a priority?  It would help to know.

Anyway, you absolutley need a professional trainer and sorry, I cannot recommend one....I don't know a soul in CA!

As for how long it will take to make him "safe"?  I cannot put all the buttons on a horse to enable him to communicate with a rider in under 3 months....and that's really not long enough.  If I had my druthers, I would say 6 months to a year.  And all this while you should be taking riding lessons on a good lesson horse and carefully watching the training of your paint so you will know how to ride him.  A reputable trainer will put you on your horse in training as soon as they feel you two can handle each other.  Then, the trainer "trains" you to your horse.

Get it?

Always work with the paint on the ground and establish a relationship now that will carry over to the riding part.  If you find him to be agreeable as you watch him learn to be a riding partner, his late start may not be a factor at all!

Good Luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helemt!

Solange