Advice needed for horse with no brakes

Noodlejaffa

Noodlejaffa

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www.ailsamactaggart.co.uk
I'm at my wits end. An 8 year old Connemara came to me a few weeks ago. Hasn't done anything for nearly a year, is very fat and a bit bolshie too. He's just 14hh and still very green.

I've lunged him, and he does settle eventually, but tonight he just exploded and sodded off. I've ridden him a couple of times and while we managed walk the first time, ever since then he's just galloped off with me.

I just don't know what to do. What steps should I be taking with him? I seem to have lost all common sense when it comes to dealing with him.
 
back to basics with ground work, including asking him to move over go backwards etc, long reining etc Build up a bond and a trust and teach him manners first before riding him.

In other words, reback him.
 
Agree with hb6 - the problem is likely to be deeper seated than just bad brakes. Work slowly with positive lessons. Even the strongest 3 ring waterford dutch gag won't necessarily stop a horse bolting - i know!
 
Depends what you are trying to achieve how he runs off and what training you are putting in.

Usually if they do this I'd put them in a massive field and make them keep going, the novelty soon wears off especially if you chose a newly ploughed field (edges please and check with the farmer!!!)

There is no horse that cannot be bitted to stop it bolting. However needs clever light hands to go with it. For persistent offenders a barry gag is quite effective. But this is NOT FOR NOVICES - it crushes the tongue and isn't for an english contact or a terrified person hanging onto the mouth for balance.
 
HI,
i would take this one right back to the beginnng and start again completely. Assume this horse knows nothing and work from the ground again. "Bogging off" is an issue of your relationship with him, he's not seeing you as the person in charge here and making his own decisions (ie. bogging off rather than being with you - the one in charge).

Bolshy - this is ground manners thing has a huge huge impact as you transfer to the saddle. So I would start with asserting some ground manners. I don't mean beat the cr@p out of him.
BUT - personal space, 'working space' and HIS space.
Keep him out of your space.
Working space - this is whatever you are doing, for example, tacking him up in the stable; stand him where YOU want him, not tied up tight, but put where you want him, that is the 'working space' every time he moves you correct him back into this space. It may take awhile but he will start to respect you a little more for this.
BUT you do have to be very consistent with this - EVERY movement he makes needs correction back to the spot you left him. Time and patience, believe me!
Now you can transfer this 'new found' hierarchy to the ground work, moving the horse all directions so none become an escape - ie running backwards - have rein back on the ground from meer pressure to the cavesson (NOT mouth at this point).

It's a long process abit much for the post (otherwise all will be alseep or bored!). But consistency time and patience.

the quickest road to correct behaviour is correct training and there are no short cuts or 'fix all' gadgets.

Riding: strong horses are such because again of training, or harsh/heavy hands, lack of understanding, fear etc.... so the key here is to have the horse with nothing to pull against.
If he is running off whilst you are onboard then I question being on board at this point in the retraining.
Groundwork, manners, clear communication and understanding. If you achieve this you will see the noticeable difference onboard.
I don't just mean hours of chasing him about on a lunge, but asserting this by means of inhand work.

Once you feel this is going great to getting back onboard BUT remain in walk and ask again. SEAT - use this as your means of speed control, not the hands (tug of war breaks out), and don't consider the faster paces until YOU are in control of the slower.

I've seen many riders insist on working walk, trot, canter which turn out to horrendous - when the basic training is not established and the faster work should not have even been considered.

Small steps, it will happen, but you have to be patience and very consistent in what you ask the horse to do.

Good luck.
 
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