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Jillybean5

New User
Joined
21 January 2008
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Location
Devon
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Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum, sort of, been reading it for ages but have never posted before.

I don't own a horse at the moment, my OH runs a livery yard and despite riding on and off since I was 5, I don't know much about horse care etc. I'm learning as much as possible before getting a horse and have lessons or hack out at least twice a week.

The horse I ride at the school is a cob, seems fairly bombproof, (my 2 year old daughter has sat in the car peeping the horn and he didn't flinch), and he is very well behaved out on a hack. Just recently he has started hopping whilst moving him from walk to trot and I cannot get him to trot on the right rein unless I give him a little tickle with my whip, my instructor says my position is fine and Im doing everything right, he's just being lazy. Could this be my fault for not having a good enough position,ie leaning too far forward or could there be a problem with the horse? He is quite fat. He's not used in the school much as people find him too strong and they are considering getting rid of him as they feel he is too dangerous for a riding school horse. I can't help but feel he is being hard done by.

Sorry thats a bit of a long one, any advice?
 
hi!!

*waves!!*

prepare to be addicted!

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Hello newbie.
Come and sit next to nice Auntie Shilasdair and we'll chat about your horsey problems.
It sounds as if your riding school neddy is being, as your instructor says, a little bit lazy. Your position is not likely to make him reluctant to go forwards to trot. You need to go in there with a positive mind set 'You WILL trot' rather than 'I wonder if it's my fault that he doesn't trot, what am I doing wrong'. And give him a smack to back up your leg if he doesn't listen (do make sure you allow with the reins).
S
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
Sounds like the cob you ride is fed up with schoolwork and prefers hacking out - lots of cobs are the same as they are intelligent creatures and get bored easily.
 
Welcome Jillybean5 and hope Aunty Sh has helped. Could I add a cautionary note. Normally, riding school horses work hard for their living and do many, many hours of work a week. When new riders fall in love with "their" regular riding school horse, they often don't realise this. They buy him, his workload drops, he gets a different feed/management regime and before you know it you have a total nutter on your hands. I was also concerned at the "too dangerous for school work". To my mind, if he's too dangerous for a riding school horse - with all the expert riders they have on site - then he's too dangerous for a novice. Take care!!!!!!!
 
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nice Auntie Shilasdair

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Now that's what I call a contradiction in terms
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hahahaha
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Hi there, welcome!
I echo everything box of frogs said. It sounds like he's getting bored in the school, and developing tricks to avoid work.
I would be very wary of buying him until you've seen him on a reduced work load, he might start snorting fire and farting jet fuel! There are so many lovely horses out there, don't get lumbered with the wrong one because you feel sorry for him, it could be an expensive mistake.
On the other hand he might just be an angel and turn into your best pal, i hope that's the case. Either way don't act in haste (like i NEVER do!!
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).let us know what happens.
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Welcome Jillybean5 and hope Aunty Sh has helped. Could I add a cautionary note. Normally, riding school horses work hard for their living and do many, many hours of work a week. When new riders fall in love with "their" regular riding school horse, they often don't realise this. They buy him, his workload drops, he gets a different feed/management regime and before you know it you have a total nutter on your hands. I was also concerned at the "too dangerous for school work". To my mind, if he's too dangerous for a riding school horse - with all the expert riders they have on site - then he's too dangerous for a novice. Take care!!!!!!!

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Echo above
 
Thanks for the welcome and advice. Its not my intention to buy him, I just feel sorry for this poor horse. He was bought by a couple of school girls who arent strong enough to ride him, so they let the riding school use him for lessons but not many actually ride him. I hope he's just going through a phase and starts behaving himself again. Supposed to ride him again on Monday but that will probably be canceled due to the weather.

Thanks again for the advice, its always good to get other people's opinions!
 
If he is hopping into trot there could be a lameness issue..... merlin hops when he comes down from canter to trot as all the weight is on his arthritic fetlock for a while....... worth a thought especially as it is more on one rein than the other.
 
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Monday but that will probably be canceled due to the weather.

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I see you from Devon. Are they still forcasting that major storm there on monday as we're coming to Devon and quite worried as they say travelling will be hazardous?
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Hello jillybean!

Would just like to add that I bought my first horse from a riding school, he could be a bit of a naughty bugger with the novices there and was occassionaly sent out of lessons for tearing around with someone ... after I had him to myself & his workload dropped (& of course his work became a lot more varied with hacking etc), he relaxed and has been a really fab horse for the last 10 years (the horse on the left in my signature). So RS horses don't necessarily become snorting devil beasties when they leave!
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But they do come with a huge armoury of evasions and it sounds like your cob is just trying one out on you.
 
Agree with MerlinsQuest here - could be a lameness/stiffness issue, especially as he is reluctant to trot on the right rein. Alot of horses are stiffer one way, and the right rein is the way most find harder, or he might have more of a problem and not just being difficult - poor lad.

But that's not easy for you to sort, unless you can point it out to your instructor without being obvious - you can hardly say I've been on HHO forum and now I think I know it all!

If he is bombproof, why do some say he is too dangeorus for a riding school? Has he done anything particularly bad?
 
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Are they still forcasting that major storm there on monday as we're coming to Devon and quite worried as they say travelling will be hazardous?
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The weather is supposed to turn bad tomorrow and then worse Monday morning but the wind has picked up throughout the day and its hammering it down out there now.


Thanks again for the advice, will just see what happens with my four legged friend, he can be a bit cheeky and I do put my foot down and get my way, eventually, and as for him being dangerous, well that was a surprise to me too when I heard it, as apart from being a bit cheeky and lazy (understandable really, I would be too if I was him) he has always been good and not worried me in the slightest but then I have ridden on and off for 25 years and not a complete novice, just rusty!
 
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