Omarkiam
Well-Known Member
I have just gotten a beautiful gelding on full loan, possibly with view to buy in a years time, but more likely to extend to a longer loan term until the owner is completely happy with the agreement.
I went up to see him in his previous home before loaning him, and rode him. He was a dream, although very nervy at being hacked out alone, (constantly stopping and looking around), he did well, responded to his seat nicely and was patient to be tacked up and groomed. He seemed perfect.
I got him home, he travelled brilliantly, unloaded nicely, and was turned straight out into a large field by himself where although he had view of lots of horses, he could only get head height, and there was electric fencing in between him and the other horses. I bought him in later on that evening, as he arrived very early am, about 10am. I just bought him in to show him around etc, I did expect a fidgety horse for obvious reasons, being new etc.
He was a bit more than fidgety though and would bolt as soon as I undid his leadrope, and given his size, (16.2hh), I cannot hold onto him, he only runs to the first horse he can find though, for comfort, then he stops and he is fine. So I put him back and left him till the next day, bought him in from his field to have his hay and feed, and this time, whichever side I went to groom him, he would shift his weight to the other direction t avoid being groomed, because of this I gave him a tap on the bum, literally just a tap, and told him to stand straight, and pushed him to whatever direction I wanted him, and as a result, he started slamming me into the wall, whichever side I was, he would throw all his weight at me, throwing me against the wall, and it really was a throw, people watching couldnt believe just how hard he was trying to ram me up against the wall! he even did a few times thinking I was there, and gota surprise when it was just the wall! I decided from then on, I would bring him in a couple of times a day, both times being for treats, such as, a few polos, his feed and a haynet, so later on that evening I bought him back out, and this time he refused to come in from field, he just stopped dead in the middle of the road! You have about 4 metres of road to cross to get onto the farm from his field. I tried using his leadrope as a whip, I tried using the polos in my pocket, and the carrots, and nothing could tempt him to cross, I was there a good 25 minutes, luckily the road is so quiet, not to many cars were coming, but those that did, just managed to squeeze past, so after 25 minutes someone who had been watching me struggle for all that time came over and walked behind him, which did slowly but surely egg him on a bit, since then he has been doing this constantly, but to the point where hes doing it IN his field when I catch him, he is easy to catch but then stops continuously in his field all the way to the yard, this is not too much of a problem as I haven't tried using his bridle etc yet but thought I would mention the trouble its caused so far.
Now.. on from there, we have the riding, I decided to tack him up yesterday and ride him, under the saddle he is normally brilliant, however he is ridden bitless, and as a result he knows he has alot of head freedom, and uses this too his advantage, when you ask him to stop, he will throw his head around an awful lot to get you to let go of the reins, and when you want him to turn, its like fighting a rhino, because the bitless bridle has no effect on him and he totally ignores what your asking him to do, so I decided when he kept stopping and starting, which he did whenever he felt like it, I would give him a tap on the bum, and again, it really was just a tap on the bum, and he bucked! I was told he was not whip shy, but I am beginning to disbelieve that because when I used a whip he would buck, so I dismounted, and decided to lunge him using his parelli line instead, when I do so, and I give him a tap on the bum to move forward, he will either buck, or kick out at me, and even went to the extent of rearing at one stage. He wouldnt walk, he would just trot or pull away from the line. I turned him away again for the day and bought him back out today, this time again he is very fidgety, will not stand to be groomed, tries to bolt when I loosen the lead rope, and is always always headthrowing, so it is impossible to brush his forelock or face.
After SIX attempts to get his saddle on, (as he kept throwing his weight about) I managed and I got his bridle on with not too many issues, I lead him to the mounting block where he refused to stand, but eventually I half jumped on while he was walking, and I lead him towards the school, half way there he decided to refuse to move forward, was backing up, and at this point I felt unsafe, so I instantly dismounted to save injury, as I have only just recovered from a serious horse riding accident and didnt want another too soon! At this point I was angry, very angry, so I gave him a damn hard tug on the headcollar, and shouted at him to stand up straight and behave, he seemed to respon because instead of plodding and refusing to move forward, he was very forward going, even trotting. I lead him into the school and after a few attempts, mounted him from inside the school using a bench. I started to walk him round but instantly he started refusing to move, then he started backing up, no rearing, purely just walking backwards at speed, then he headthrew to make me let go of the reins, and once again while he was in walk I jumped off because I no longer felt safe. At this point I was that fuming I gave him a good hard smack on the bum and told him he was very naughty, and he had no treat when returned to the tie up block, no hay, no feed, no polos or carrots. Once home, I was really angry with myself for smacking him because according to his owner whose had him for 5 years, he had a bad past before that, and he reacts badly to people being ''firm''.
I am worried about him being ridden bitless, although I didnt think I would find it a problem, he cannot have a bit as the vets came out and said they do not see the point in putting him through the stress of fixing his jaw, as its broken, because its causing him no discomfort, and doesnt effect him in anyway, fixing it would mean rebreaking it in different places etc. I feel very unsafe with him having no bit, because he knows full well that he has total freedom, and if he does not want to do something, he wont, simple as. I just wanted some advice because I know he has potential, I just dont know how to combat these problems at the moment, really upsetting!
I went up to see him in his previous home before loaning him, and rode him. He was a dream, although very nervy at being hacked out alone, (constantly stopping and looking around), he did well, responded to his seat nicely and was patient to be tacked up and groomed. He seemed perfect.
I got him home, he travelled brilliantly, unloaded nicely, and was turned straight out into a large field by himself where although he had view of lots of horses, he could only get head height, and there was electric fencing in between him and the other horses. I bought him in later on that evening, as he arrived very early am, about 10am. I just bought him in to show him around etc, I did expect a fidgety horse for obvious reasons, being new etc.
He was a bit more than fidgety though and would bolt as soon as I undid his leadrope, and given his size, (16.2hh), I cannot hold onto him, he only runs to the first horse he can find though, for comfort, then he stops and he is fine. So I put him back and left him till the next day, bought him in from his field to have his hay and feed, and this time, whichever side I went to groom him, he would shift his weight to the other direction t avoid being groomed, because of this I gave him a tap on the bum, literally just a tap, and told him to stand straight, and pushed him to whatever direction I wanted him, and as a result, he started slamming me into the wall, whichever side I was, he would throw all his weight at me, throwing me against the wall, and it really was a throw, people watching couldnt believe just how hard he was trying to ram me up against the wall! he even did a few times thinking I was there, and gota surprise when it was just the wall! I decided from then on, I would bring him in a couple of times a day, both times being for treats, such as, a few polos, his feed and a haynet, so later on that evening I bought him back out, and this time he refused to come in from field, he just stopped dead in the middle of the road! You have about 4 metres of road to cross to get onto the farm from his field. I tried using his leadrope as a whip, I tried using the polos in my pocket, and the carrots, and nothing could tempt him to cross, I was there a good 25 minutes, luckily the road is so quiet, not to many cars were coming, but those that did, just managed to squeeze past, so after 25 minutes someone who had been watching me struggle for all that time came over and walked behind him, which did slowly but surely egg him on a bit, since then he has been doing this constantly, but to the point where hes doing it IN his field when I catch him, he is easy to catch but then stops continuously in his field all the way to the yard, this is not too much of a problem as I haven't tried using his bridle etc yet but thought I would mention the trouble its caused so far.
Now.. on from there, we have the riding, I decided to tack him up yesterday and ride him, under the saddle he is normally brilliant, however he is ridden bitless, and as a result he knows he has alot of head freedom, and uses this too his advantage, when you ask him to stop, he will throw his head around an awful lot to get you to let go of the reins, and when you want him to turn, its like fighting a rhino, because the bitless bridle has no effect on him and he totally ignores what your asking him to do, so I decided when he kept stopping and starting, which he did whenever he felt like it, I would give him a tap on the bum, and again, it really was just a tap on the bum, and he bucked! I was told he was not whip shy, but I am beginning to disbelieve that because when I used a whip he would buck, so I dismounted, and decided to lunge him using his parelli line instead, when I do so, and I give him a tap on the bum to move forward, he will either buck, or kick out at me, and even went to the extent of rearing at one stage. He wouldnt walk, he would just trot or pull away from the line. I turned him away again for the day and bought him back out today, this time again he is very fidgety, will not stand to be groomed, tries to bolt when I loosen the lead rope, and is always always headthrowing, so it is impossible to brush his forelock or face.
After SIX attempts to get his saddle on, (as he kept throwing his weight about) I managed and I got his bridle on with not too many issues, I lead him to the mounting block where he refused to stand, but eventually I half jumped on while he was walking, and I lead him towards the school, half way there he decided to refuse to move forward, was backing up, and at this point I felt unsafe, so I instantly dismounted to save injury, as I have only just recovered from a serious horse riding accident and didnt want another too soon! At this point I was angry, very angry, so I gave him a damn hard tug on the headcollar, and shouted at him to stand up straight and behave, he seemed to respon because instead of plodding and refusing to move forward, he was very forward going, even trotting. I lead him into the school and after a few attempts, mounted him from inside the school using a bench. I started to walk him round but instantly he started refusing to move, then he started backing up, no rearing, purely just walking backwards at speed, then he headthrew to make me let go of the reins, and once again while he was in walk I jumped off because I no longer felt safe. At this point I was that fuming I gave him a good hard smack on the bum and told him he was very naughty, and he had no treat when returned to the tie up block, no hay, no feed, no polos or carrots. Once home, I was really angry with myself for smacking him because according to his owner whose had him for 5 years, he had a bad past before that, and he reacts badly to people being ''firm''.
I am worried about him being ridden bitless, although I didnt think I would find it a problem, he cannot have a bit as the vets came out and said they do not see the point in putting him through the stress of fixing his jaw, as its broken, because its causing him no discomfort, and doesnt effect him in anyway, fixing it would mean rebreaking it in different places etc. I feel very unsafe with him having no bit, because he knows full well that he has total freedom, and if he does not want to do something, he wont, simple as. I just wanted some advice because I know he has potential, I just dont know how to combat these problems at the moment, really upsetting!
