My mid-level dressage horse is docile and well behaved most of the time. We definitely have "joined up". He is, however, a scaredy cat who indulges in three dangerous behaviors: shying, bolting, and big-time backing up. Sometimes he shies, backs up, spins, and then bolts all at once. He has done this on the ground as well as under saddle.
He is a big, strong Azteca gelding, 16 hh and 1200 pounds. He can go from a dead halt to flat out gallop before you can say "boo". He also can go sideways about eight feet in one leap, from a standstill. He definitely would have been a good cow horse!
I've come off him about a dozen times in three years. The worst one smashed three of my ribs against the ring wall. I cannot trail ride him although I can take him around certain parts of the stable property on occasion.
I know I ought to sell him or lease him to a stronger rider (I'm fairly experienced, but no longer young), but he recently has developed arthritis that precludes those options, at least for now (the arthritis does not appear to be the cause of the problem). I really would like to learn how to at least modify this behavior even if I can't eradicate it. I also would appreciate some hints as to how to stay on!
Greetings
This sounds like a very complicated problem on the surface, but I don't think it is impossible to fix. Since you have Join Up with your horse the first thing I would do is go back to the round pen and go through the whole process of Join Up. Don't let your horse come to you too fast. You want to make sure that he understands that you are in charge. After that I would start desensitizing him with plastic bags blue tarps and shower curtains. If you can build a plastic pipe contraption that you attach shower curtains to and then lead your horse through the curtains. Start with one curtain so he is just rubbing against it with his shoulder then progress to were you can lead him directly into the curtain so it passes over his body. Take a look at these sites for ideas
http://www.thehorseagilityclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/how_to_4.pdf
http://www.motrailblazing.com/Articles/CowboyCurtain.html
Any trail training will help make your horse a smarter well behaved horse. It takes a lot of work and be careful not to push too hard but calmly. If he refuses at first back him up rapidly then bring him up and try again. Don't get mad if it takes awhile for him to overcome his fears.
When you feel that he understands what you are asking of him on the ground try it in the saddle, but be prepared for him to refuse at first. It is a whole new game to him with you in the saddle. I think that you will find that both you and your horse are having a good time with this work. Horses need to be challenged mentally and physically. It makes them a happy horse.
Don't fret too much about the arthritis. Work with your vet and farrier to fit your horse with the proper shoe and angle of the hoof to take the pressure off or at least reduce it. What ever you do don't let him sit in a stall too much The more gentle walking he does the better for his joints.
I hope this gives you some direction and goals. Just remember Monty is 79 years old and still riding and training horses so don't let age be a determining factor. I am 67 and if I don't ride every week I get grumpy!
Cheers
Hello
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Dennis always gives great advice :-) the only thing I wanted to add was about the arthritus.
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I have read that animals get arthritus when they are deficient in Boron. You can get special licks and suppliments that are especially designed for joint health that provide this essential bone health mineral along with calcium and magnesium. Or, you can feed the horse seaweed meal as it contains Boron and other minerals that the horses need naturally. We give our horses 1 table spoon of seaweed meal per day as we live in an area where the ground is mineral deficient.
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There is also a product my Farrier was telling me about. One of his clients had a horse that was almost crippled with arthritus and they gave him a TuffRock product which I think is the one detailed at this link http://www.tuffrock.net/conditionerplus.html
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The Farrier told me he was amazed at the difference in the horse from his first visit where they had not long started giving the horse the product and he could hardly walk, to the next visit where he was trotting and cantering around about 6 weeks later.
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Good luck with your horse :-)
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Kind regards,
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Gen
Hi there,
Just a quick comment on the sideways, backwards thing! I have now had my current horse just over a year. He used to also unexpectedly buck, jump sideways or backwards - he would really 'peak out'. My horse was not happy or relaxed while he was doing these things, and it has taken a lot of work to get him to a place now where he has not done any of the above mentioned behaviours for 2 months. I don't know if any of my points will help, but just thought I'd add them if you want to try:
1. I long-line 9 out of 10 times before I ride, for between 5 and 30 minutes.
2. Some days I ride for only 10 minutes and just walk - i think this helps because he remains calm the whole time and this builds a habit of being happy, relaxed and calm when being ridden.
3. When he used to 'peak out' my adrenaline level stayed low (well not at first, but I worked at it!!!!), and we would either just do some smaller circles (put him to work) or if we were really struggling and he was just getting more worked up we would come back to walk or even halt and stand still.
4. I started having him treated by a chiropractor and acupuncturist. I think this was of great benefit, and it helped me to know that he was not sore or in pain anywhere.
5. Just this year I moved him to a new agistment property, and at this place was able to feed him on a totally natural diet (ie no processed feeds/pellets). He still gets all the nutrition he needs, but it is always in natural form like herbs.
I hope some of that is of assistance to you. People now see my horse and can't believe it is the same horse as a year ago, so I hope you have the same result.
Best wishes
Ruth
Ruthy
One little comment on walking your horse. I have a gaited horse that I show, so he is judged on the quality of his gait. His walk has always been excellent. When a lot of other horses are fidgety and hard to keep at a walk, my boy is just as relaxed as if he were at home. My trained and I both walk him for at least 1/2 hour in every training session. Keeping a gaited horse at a good strong walk helps build his stamina as well as muscle.
My routine is to start at a walk for 10 minutes, then go to a slow gait for most of the session. Keeping a slow gait is a difficult thing for a horse to hold. It is similar to a very slow extended trot.
Towards the end of the session I will alternate between gaits, so that is I loosen the reins he goes into a walk immediately. So my recommendation to everyone that wants to have a well behaved horse that is in condition, walk, walk, walk. I know it can be boring but it really makes a difference.
Cheers
Dennis, thanks for adding about your gaited horse. I ride a gaited horse also and will now walk him more! Thanks for that advise!
Thanks Dennis, that is very interesting. I have always been taught to do a lot of trot to build muscle, but it makes sense, particularly with my current horse, to do some longer walks, so I will take your advice, thanks!
Chbeard,
I would recommend more groundwork. What you describe makes me think that your horse, while it may be joined up to you, still has a big distrust and fear of things in his environment--therefore, he's not trusting you enough yet. To handle that, I think you must make sure your horse is desensitized to all of the equipment you use first. Will he stand still if you drop the mounting block next to him and he's at liberty or does he bolt? Can you saddle him at liberty or does he move off if you just pick up and flop the saddle blanket on? Can you throw a hat over his back or under his belly or in his blind spots and have him stand quietly? Can you rub him with the coils of your rope on the off side and not have him freak out? If you can get him used to having all of his regular equipment so he will stand quietly and choose to be with you rather than move off, you will have built a lot more trust in him and so when he encounters things that startle him, he will already have a built in response (stand still) and will look to you for leadership.
How to do this? Start with one piece of equipment, say the mounting block. Take your horse in the center of the round pen, have the block there, and unclip the horse. Give him a rub if he stays with you. Then pick the mounting block up and drop it next to him, not gently but let it thunk. At any time if he chooses to leave, let him go, but make sure you move him away smartly like you are sending him off on a J-U and keep him moving with vigor for quite a few laps around the round pen. Then ask him in to the center (lead him by the halter if you must), and repeat. Make the right thing easy (standing there) and the wrong thing (moving off) difficult. Soon he will choose to stand while you plop the thing down. Make sure you do both sides and the blind spot at the front. You can also do the one behind but make sure you stay in a safe position so you don't get kicked.
Do this with all your equipment. Then I would walk him out on the trails you have access to and let him get used to what's out there. If he startles, let him move but bring him back and have him face what startled him and move towards it, at his pace, until he gets close enough to put his nose on it. If you give him a chance to do this, he'll soon see that it's not a big deal.
My course of action may take a some time to get done, but you should see steady improvement and a calmness set in that perhaps you don't have now. Good luck and let us know how it goes.