Hello;  You really have your work cut out.  The horse that you have is probably one of the most athletically gifted horses that you could have selected.  Plus, the horse was probably trained in a fashion not in keeping with riding him for leisure and pleasure.  These horses are usually trained to operate on an emotional edge and they mentally reach to be on that edge because of that training.  They create an emotional high for themselves everytime they are ridden.  So, because of this, they need a leader that is soft, but strong in his desire to see a change in the way that they operate - - through.  We are probably  talking about a special trainer to help the horse find another way of behaving while being ridden   A relationship must be developed that allows the horse to go back to square one and slowly one step [incrementally] at a time make a change in how he operates with the human in charge while on his back. 

 The off-the -track horses do not have a great reputation with respect to their ground manners.  That said, a strong, very firm direction in the handling of the horse,is a must.  You, as the owner, must be there for the horse because his whole known world is going to change.  You must help him connect the dots and reaffirm him with love.

This will probably will take a little time until you see a change, but with the right trainer it will happen.  Patience will be your companion, along with a whole lot of positive thought.  It would also be my hope that  you would work hard at building a relationship during this time of change for your boy.  You will have to take role of the facilitator to  bring about these events with your horse.  So picture yourself as the leader.   Good luck with this adventure.

All the best   Bud

Hi. Welcome to the Uni. Like Bud, I have some experience with thoroughbred horses. I'm guessing your boy is good to load, lift his feet etc but won't stroll when being lead, won't stand to be mounted & is tense when ridden, difficult to slow down. I worked with an ex race horse a while back. He was a nice boy but very edgy, not laid back. There was no round pen or secure schooling area so I improvised a round pen in a field with plastic posts & rope. I started Join up & he did well until the 2nd lap of reverse direction when he suddenly took off, jumped the rope bringing down about half the posts & went to be with his friend at the edge of the field. I rebuilt the pen, giving him & me time to calm down. When I walked calmly up the field to catch him there was no thought to rebuke his behaviour & I was met by an entirely different horse. His eyes were softer, his head carriage was lower. We returned to the pen but instinctively I knew there was no need to complete the Join up. He was calm & happy to dawdle beside me, which really impressed the owner. I urge you to study the current thread running on the Uni, creating a partnership with your horse. It is TOTALLY RELEVANT to your challenges. Good luck. Cheers, Jo.

Hi Changenme,
This is an exciting journey, you're on! I'm not going to add anything to the above advice, except: Find a Trainer!
Now click the 'INSTRUCTORS'-button at the top of this page and search among those young talented people who is nearest to where you live. Should you not find a suitable distance, please call Head Office at Flag Is Up Farms, they will be able to help you further! We've seen miracles happen....
Will you let us know how your journey goes on?!
Miriam

Good morning all;  Miriam talks about the Monty Roberts instructors listed on this web site.  There are four instructors listed that reside in the Calif. area that have a good deal of experience with the thoroughbred horse.  They would be a good place to start a search for a trainer.    Great suggestion, Miriam.
I contacted Warwick Schiller from Hollister, Calif. who specializes in high profile, athletic horses.  He no longer trains horses himself due to his schedule of clinics world wide.

I hope this helps

Bud

Hello Changenme;     I hope that you can find a trainer that you can connect with.  While you are waiting for that trainer,  I would suggest that you spend time on perfecting your skills with this boy so that you can also grow in your confidence with the handling of this horse.  I have found that horses sometimes change drastically in a very short period of time when they are being trained in a manner that they are not accustom to.

Your frustration that you mentioned above could be a good launching point.  If you have a dually halter, you might perfect your leading skills with this boy.  I would school him to the level of mastery[the uni lessons have much to say about this subject of horse training]  After achieving this, you and your horse would have stepped across the first threshold of learning TOGETHER.  It`s a win-win for all.

Please keep us posted

Bud