Lazy horse
- Thread starter cowgirl08
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branDcalf
Well-known member
When you ask the horse to do something and it doesn't respond, get after it! Ends of your reins, crop, go crazy on him/her! When you ask, it needs to be listening.
flaboy?
Well-known member
Cowgirl, I assume this is the same horse you refer to in the other thread? If so, you didn't tell me it was an Appie. Now my advice for sure is sell it and get a well trained horse.
cowgirl08":2xq1paoo said:
If, and only IF, you know how to ride with them - spurs will help. So will reins/crop, but they tend to wear your arms out after a while. As Flaboy said, if this is the same horse you posted about in another thread - a ride to the salebarn will cure all problems very fast! ;-) As a sidenote - I went back and re-read your thread about your Appy(again, assuming it's the same horse), and I can't help but wonder if the biggest source of your problems isn't you. Now, before you get your hackles up, please let me explain - I suspect that your attitude, general bearing, and the way you are dealing with this horse are simply too gentle/laid back/lenient(sp?) - that is, you're trying to 'make friends' with him, rather than taking charge - possibly because of a lack of confidence? The horse is keying off that (believe me, they know what they can get away with, and with whom) and he is taking advantage of you and your basic nature. You might want to think about discussing this possibility with your trainer - if he/she is worth a flip they should be able to help you with it. I wish you the best with your horse.
my first post on the other thread stated that he was an appie. and yes, at first i did try the make friends gentle approach but then i realized that he's an a$$ and quite frankly, i aint that friendly. trust me i'm trying to take charge. but like i said he's lazy and when i make him work he gets aggrivated and starts bucking or biting as soon as i show the crop. we had a little bit of a break through yesterday. at first when he would start to buck i would stop with the crop and figured that i just shouldn't use it. now i realize that its my choice what i use not his and yesterday i rode him out of the buck and made him move. and i tell ya that horse couldn't have been more surprisedhe didn't like it but i at least got more steps outta him then i usually do. 
chippie
Well-known member
Unfortunately I believe that you are reaping what you sowed.
By trying to be your horse's friend, you put yourself on the bottom of the totem pole and taught him that he doesn't have to respect you.
You are going to have to let the horse know that you are boss and that you mean business.
A couple of things to remember.
1. You can't baby a horse into liking you.
2. To have affection, you have to have respect.
3. You can be your horse's friend, but remember that YOU do the thinking for the two of you. His ideas and decisions don't count.
Think tough love, Wear a helmet and good luck.
By trying to be your horse's friend, you put yourself on the bottom of the totem pole and taught him that he doesn't have to respect you.
You are going to have to let the horse know that you are boss and that you mean business.
A couple of things to remember.
1. You can't baby a horse into liking you.
2. To have affection, you have to have respect.
3. You can be your horse's friend, but remember that YOU do the thinking for the two of you. His ideas and decisions don't count.
Think tough love, Wear a helmet and good luck.
branDcalf
Well-known member
cowgirl08":3d4ysi55 said:and i tell ya that horse couldn't have been more surprisedhe didn't like it but i at least got more steps outta him then i usually do.
Yay for you. Keep it up. He'll "get" it.
cowgirl08":333yh1dc said:my first post on the other thread stated that he was an appie. and yes, at first i did try the make friends gentle approach but then i realized that he's an a$$ and quite frankly, i aint that friendly. trust me i'm trying to take charge. but like i said he's lazy and when i make him work he gets aggrivated and starts bucking or biting as soon as i show the crop. we had a little bit of a break through yesterday. at first when he would start to buck i would stop with the crop and figured that i just shouldn't use it. now i realize that its my choice what i use not his and yesterday i rode him out of the buck and made him move. and i tell ya that horse couldn't have been more surprisedhe didn't like it but i at least got more steps outta him then i usually do.
I know you're trying to take charge, and I admire you for that. Good for you!
It will take a little time, but it sounds like he's starting to get the message.
flaboy?
Well-known member
When you say you got more steps out of him, how many steps are we talking about? Can you get him to move and continue to move when requested or do you get him started and then he stops and is refusing to move on?
kscowboy
Well-known member
a little advice , get an experienced rider to work this horse a about four sessions over a week or so and see what progress can be made , you will probably discover he will begin to behave after a couple of work sessions and observe the attitude , approach , and progress or lack of that can be made. Assume this horse knows nothing and start from the beginning on the ground. Theres a ton of resources out there but the best is a quiet disciplined rider to put them thru their paces and determine a starting point for the horse.
If after a few sessions this horse is still in the dangerous zone get rid of him and get something you can trust and enjoy.
Good luck
If after a few sessions this horse is still in the dangerous zone get rid of him and get something you can trust and enjoy.
Good luck
There are too many good horses out there to waste time with junk.
Don't get stuck on one thing too long... some animals just don't have the capacitance.
Don't get stuck on one thing too long... some animals just don't have the capacitance.
the trainer has an indoor arena, and i usually have to kick a whole in his side to get him to move. so when i say he took more steps than usual, i meant he made a circle or two before he bulked up again. now he's doing good. he came home saturday and he's only stopping when i tell him to. which a huge improvement.flaboy?":3bky835y said:
flaboy?
Well-known member
cowgirl08":171t9ld7 said:
Do you use spurs? I also carry a short piece of rope with a loop on the end and hang it on the saddle horn. I have one that sometimes wants to balk at heels and spurs but the rope gets his attention.
no i dont have spurs. but i've decided i'm going to sell him and get a mare. perferably a paint. anybody want him? lol! he's really not too gosh awful bad. it's just, i dont want to have to fight him. he's the only horse i have and i want having him to be pleasurable, not a pain. i'm not going to be able to go to college and come home on weekends to throw a saddle on and ride him. this was suppose to be something enjoyable and it's not it's work, and i dont have time for this much work. i just dont have enough experience. someone whose grown up with horses will have no problem handling him. He's a solid full-blooded appaloosa. 3 years old. chesnut. bout 16 hands, great legs, good build, SUPER smooth. If anyone's interested pm me. we're in ohio.
flaboy?
Well-known member
Cowgirl08, sounds like you made the right decision. ;-)
cowgirl08":3erphqp5 said:
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the vast majority of horses are work. The pleasure factor of most horses is directly proportional to the amount of riding the receive. A horse that is left in a stall/run/pen/pasture for any length of time - even a week, with some horses - is a frisky/unexcercised/potentially problem horse, especially if they are a younger horse. Mares also tend to be a little more of a handful at certain times of the month due to cycling. Based on what you've posted, I would suggest you look for a dead-broke, older gelding - they tend to not be affected as much by being left in a pen for a few weeks with no riding, nor are they affected by the monthly hormonal thing.
branDcalf
Well-known member
msscamp":2q4p8yqi said:
I agree with msscamp.
luvs2ride1979
Member
It could possibly be the feed. What are you feeding her exactly, and how much?cowgirl08":3crch9ox said:
Since switching my mare to an all forrage diet, she has more "working energy" (not hyper energy) and more stamina. She gets the best bermuda grass hay we can get, 3-4 lbs of Alfalfa pellets a day, 1/2 lb of stabalized rice bran a day, and access to a likit paddock mineral block.
http://www.cheappetstore.com/Horses/Fee ... kit-73797/
If your hay is lacking, then you might think about adding a Ration Balancer to your horse's diet. Triple Crown makes a good one. Their's is 30% protien (concentrated), so you only feed 1-2 lbs a day for a full range of nutrition.
http://www.triplecrownfeed.com/30percent.php
luvs2ride1979
Member
cowgirl08":1rf7sfw0 said:
You don't need a mare, you need a 12-18 yr old been-there-done-that gelding who is a packer for beginners and unflappable. You also need to understand that if you aren't going to ride regularly, the horse needs to be turned out to pasture with buddies at least 12 hours a day, so he can stretch his legs and have some "horse" fun.
Trust me on this one... I have a mare, I LOVE her, but she is not for the faint of heart, lol. Some mares are easier than others, but RARELY will you find one that you can just hop on any old time, no matter how long it's been, and have a stress free ride, lol.
Also, another thing to be concerned about is your saddle fit, placement, and padding. If your saddle isn't a perfect fit, isn't placed just right on his back, and the padding isn't appropriate to the fit and his back, then the horse won't be comfortable. Some horses will just "deal" and you won't know, while others will make their opinions known... With him being young, his back is still developing (a horse's back and neck bones are NOT done growing/developing until 5-6 years old!), so he will be more sensitive to the saddle than an older horse. You might have a good equine chiropractor (who is also a liscensed vet) come out to evaluate your gelding and your tack. And no, I do NOT trust trainers to evaluate saddle fit... I have seen too many "okay" saddles that didn't even come close to fitting properly...
