Hello there...I am new to this forum and to the horse world. I started riding 3 years ago at the age of 53 and found my passion. I now have a horse farm in Nova Scotia, Canada and 5 horses.
Two of my horses were trained school horses (although they hated being school horses and are much happier with one rider) when I bought them. Both are about 12-14 yrs old.
The third was supposed to be a 14.2 Gypsy Vanner but it turns out he is a paint/shire cross and he stands 15.3 already and is only 4 this April. Prince was neglected but not a true rescue. I have since started him and am riding at the walk/trot. With not a buck to be seen. He does have a few rebellious moments but I am getting him under control...lol.
The last two I acquired are true rescues. The products of a breed facility...registered paints...they were locked in a stall for the first 3 1/2 years of their lives until taken by the SPCA. They will both be 5 this April.
The girl was abused and has scars on her body to prove it. She is extremely loveable and smart. I put a saddle on her for the first time this week and she took to it so well. My husband thought I had put a saddle on her many times before. I also was able to do Join-Up with her and she was great. I have had her 6 months and waited to start her until I felt she trusted me and was ready. We did a lot of ground work leading up to this week.
The boy was locked up as a stallion and has ended up with a damaged right hoof from trying to kick out...he has since been gelded but he is my "problem" child. Bud is very much a loner. He is great in the paddock with any or all of my guys but at a previous barn when he was put out the back with the herd of 20 he would just panic and run the fence line. He still tends to wander off on his own. He is very affectionate and allows me to do pretty well anything with him...when he is laying down in the paddock he allows me to brush him, sit on him, pick his feet or just sit beside him leaning against his back. I have had a saddle and bridle/bit on him with no issue and no bucking.
The problem starts when I try to lunge him. He just runs around in a circle (it isn't really even a circle) in a panic. When I take him off the lunge line he heads to fence line closest to the herd (he can't see them from the riding ring) and runs the fence line in a panic calling to them. I have tried doing join-up with him but obviously I am doing something wrong. He just runs off in a panic. However, out in the paddock he will just follow me around. I wonder if he was mistreated on the lunge line??
I want to start riding him but until he learns to relax and not panic it just isn't worth me getting hurt (I take too long to heal these days...lol). I know without seeing me actually lunge him it is difficult to advise but any ideas would help. I have had him for a year now.
Sorry for the long post.
Thanks
Two of my horses were trained school horses (although they hated being school horses and are much happier with one rider) when I bought them. Both are about 12-14 yrs old.
The third was supposed to be a 14.2 Gypsy Vanner but it turns out he is a paint/shire cross and he stands 15.3 already and is only 4 this April. Prince was neglected but not a true rescue. I have since started him and am riding at the walk/trot. With not a buck to be seen. He does have a few rebellious moments but I am getting him under control...lol.
The last two I acquired are true rescues. The products of a breed facility...registered paints...they were locked in a stall for the first 3 1/2 years of their lives until taken by the SPCA. They will both be 5 this April.
The girl was abused and has scars on her body to prove it. She is extremely loveable and smart. I put a saddle on her for the first time this week and she took to it so well. My husband thought I had put a saddle on her many times before. I also was able to do Join-Up with her and she was great. I have had her 6 months and waited to start her until I felt she trusted me and was ready. We did a lot of ground work leading up to this week.
The boy was locked up as a stallion and has ended up with a damaged right hoof from trying to kick out...he has since been gelded but he is my "problem" child. Bud is very much a loner. He is great in the paddock with any or all of my guys but at a previous barn when he was put out the back with the herd of 20 he would just panic and run the fence line. He still tends to wander off on his own. He is very affectionate and allows me to do pretty well anything with him...when he is laying down in the paddock he allows me to brush him, sit on him, pick his feet or just sit beside him leaning against his back. I have had a saddle and bridle/bit on him with no issue and no bucking.
The problem starts when I try to lunge him. He just runs around in a circle (it isn't really even a circle) in a panic. When I take him off the lunge line he heads to fence line closest to the herd (he can't see them from the riding ring) and runs the fence line in a panic calling to them. I have tried doing join-up with him but obviously I am doing something wrong. He just runs off in a panic. However, out in the paddock he will just follow me around. I wonder if he was mistreated on the lunge line??
I want to start riding him but until he learns to relax and not panic it just isn't worth me getting hurt (I take too long to heal these days...lol). I know without seeing me actually lunge him it is difficult to advise but any ideas would help. I have had him for a year now.
Sorry for the long post.
Thanks
Welcome to the forum! Wow, there's a lot going on there and it sounds as if you are doing a great job and so kind that you rescued these two. There will be lots of advice/ideas coming your way but I will start off with one questions, philosophical point (which the regulars on here will be sick of hearing me say hahaha) and one practical point :-)
Question: how old was he when castrated and how old is he now?
Philosophical - Join Up is not a task to complete per se ; it is a tool to use in order to gain the early stages of leadership and a trusting relationship. If you already have that (which it seems you do with Bud) then you may only confuse and agitate him by attempting it. There are some circumstances where it's best to leave well alone. If he has been "lunged to death" in his past and belted with a lunge whip (not unusual) the very idea of going in a circle will of course terrify him and all he wants to do is get back to the herd. So forget the Join Up, think about what he needs not what tasks to perform. So, he needs to feel less scared. He clearly trusts you and you have a great platform to build up from.
Practical: single line lunging is not good for horses - study the lessons on here about long lining and Monty will explain why single line lunging is bad. So you have two really good reasons to stop lunging him, both physical (bad for him) and psychological (bad memories for him). I'm not suggesting you dive into longlining him just yet either but it's a goal to work towards. So, think about what you are trying to achieve; what was your motivation for lunging, what are you trying to establish? Once you know the destination and motivation THEN you can decide the vehicle - there are many way to 'get where you need to go'. For example working through an agility course will engage his brain, give him something to focus on, help flexibility, and avoid the dreaded circles that he hates so much. Find his comfortable spots and then gradually ask more of him until you learn his optimum learning zone.
Too much stress - no learning; no stress at all - very little learning; a little stress that causes thinking, experimenting, and action = high learning . This applies to humans too! :-)
I hope that helps as a starter. Let us know how you get on
Good suggestion to try an agility course. He is great on a lead line...just not on the lunge. I will try a couple of things tomorrow. The only reason I was lunging is because that is what I was taught to do by people more experienced than me. I don't believe in lunging all the time. My mare that I ride I was told to lunge her every time I ride to get the heebee jeebees out. I don't....if I have to lunge before I ride there is a problem somewhere.
With Bud I just want him to be a comfortable, happy, confident pleasure riding horse. He could have been more but with the injury to his right leg riding the miles of trails I have around here will be great.
His sister (same father) is very different...she was abused but doesn't have the same panic mode that Bud does.
I just ordered the dually halter as well...looking forward to that. Will check out the lessons on long lining.
Thanks so much
I hope this will help you..
Bud
Thanks for the advise.
Bud
I am now also switching the horses up in the paddocks so each day I try and put different horses together so they don't become buddy bound. Thoughts? They can still see each other from the different paddocks and it seems to be working. They are less stress when separated as long as they can see each other. Sundays they all get out together.
Yesterday I took Bud back in the riding ring and just walked him around for a long time on a lead line...no lunge line. We went around cones, stood by the mounting block (with me on top just rubbing his forehead), looked in every corner and over every fence. I also had some poles on the ground and at first he would not walk over them. By the end of the session he was going over them no problem. No pressure on him at all and he was quiet with very little calling to the herd.
I then left him on a very loose line and walked away and he followed me all around (yes I know he knew he was still on the lead). I was not demanding, he was choosing to go with me. So I quietly unhooked the line and he continued to follow until...KABOOM...he realized he was no longer on the lead and he just exploded. Full gallop around the riding ring, up and down the fence line, calling and screaming. I just stood still and waited and finally he came to me, we walked around a bit more and then I took him back to the paddock.
He is so good everywhere else, cross ties, farrier, blankets on and off, puts his head into the halter himself, and on the lead. It's when i take him off that it is a problem.
Back in the riding ring tomorrow and we will try again. My Dually halter arrives next week so hopefully that will help somewhat. .
Krista
Bud