Help with steering a green horse

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prettypony12

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Before you all jump on the bandwagon and start commenting rude comments i know he was green when I purchased him, I know I'm a novice I'm planing on having lessons. I bought him because he was my dream horse and I was willing to bring him on.


So recently I've purchased a green, 5 year old gelding. I'm struggling to steer him and when I go he puts his head up and doesn't listen to my Aids. I use my leg but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. My parents are there helping but I can't do it when they're constantly shouting at me. Im planing on having lessons in the spring/summer but for now id like some kind of guidance. Also when were stood at a junction he wouldn't stand still how can I stop this aswell?
Many thanks :)
 
None of us here can see what is happening, and in your situation there is no substitute for someone on the ground that is able to help you.

Please don't wait until next spring; please get an experienced instructor now to help you before things go too badly wrong.

That said, you could also try a full cheek or a fuller snaffle to help in the meantime.
 
There is no need to be so defensive, any comments will usually be fair and helpful rather than rude, you have obviously bought a horse that is beyond your current ability and experience, your parents shouting at you will be unhelpful so instead of waiting until the spring I would suggest you get some proper help now, we can all make suggestions and give you ideas but with so little to go on, other than you cannot steer or stand still, there will be little we can offer.

Do you have an arena? does he lunge and long rein? is he easy to deal with on the ground? I would start with groundwork and build up from there, if he has had a very basic education then getting back to really establishing the groundwork correctly would be the best place to start.
 
I would suggest that you go to a good riding school and get some intensive lessons on their school horses/ponies to give you an idea of what it's supposed to feel like and how the horse is operated, then take this knowledge back to your own green horse. Novice horse plus novice rider is a blind-leading-the-blind situation and is not going to end well for either you or the horse. Get some help NOW, don't wait until the spring!
 
Unfortunately no I do not have an arena just a field. I'm used to schoolmasters all my life which do it for me and I decided to buy this horse. He's very quiet and good to handle on the ground. Cannot have lessons during the winter as my instructor doesn't do them at that time. He isn't naughty he's just young. I can steer him it's just tight circles. Sorry I shouldn't of been so defensive but I know what this horsey world can be like.
I know that the women who I bought him off had him for 2 months and was very green when he came. His schooling is fine I just need to adapt I think. I'm just a little nervous on him as 12 weeks ago I broke my coccyx on a horse who was extremely naughty and I've only just recovered and my current horse is over a hand bigger lol.
I'll keep at it and try schooling in the field. Weather permitting. I was supposed to be going SJ on him next week but I've decided to pull out because I'm definitely not ready. Thank you for the help
 
A full cheek, or hanging cheek snaffle will help with the steering - its then your job to teach him what every aid means and what you want him to do. Get a good instructor, be consistent, and I'm sure he will learn quickly :)
 
I'm not going to ride often in the winter anyway. Now thinking of it I'm not entirely a complete novice. I can walk, trot, canter and jump 70cm courses. I'm just used to riding school masters that do the job and I guess this is a kick in teeth for me and it's a whole new world. I'm not going to sell him he was described as suitable for a novice when I bought him even though be is young so I went off that
 
There are other instructors that will work in the winter so look for one, it may be someone you don't know but if your own instructor is not available it makes sense to find someone else.
Schooling in a field will not be that easy for a green horse, tight circles on grass may be difficult if he is unbalanced, in fact tight circles at this stage are probably beyond him, work on the basics, straight lines, easy turns, transitions no need for tight turns until he is well balanced and carrying himself, jumping will probably need working on before you go competing, set yourself up properly to succeed with a young horse rather than doing too much too soon without enough preparation if you want a long lasting relationship.
 
Can you get an experienced friend to help out? Fulmers/full cheeks are often used on youngsters to help with steering. If you're able to get someone to help out, you could try long reining to teach him the left and right aids from the ground before getting on him. Make sure you are using your legs too and not just pulling his head left and right. Good luck :)
 
You could read some books on schooling young horses? I'm out of touch with books written with the beginner in mind, perhaps someone here could suggest some titles?
 
Get a different instructor. If you can ride him you can have a lesson even if they are watching you walk round a yard or something.

I've gone the opposite way and always had green horses I've trained myself. I've now finally bought the posh school master and guess what I need lots of lessons to ride him correctly too!
 
Steering a green horse is not that easy imo, especially when you are a novice rider yourself. I would suggest you get some tuition asap and concentrate on long reining and lunging if you are confident to do that.

Ingrid Klimke wrote a great book that I dip in and out of occasionally called 'The basic training of a young horse' she is very concise and if you follow her directions to the letter you should be able to make some progress.
 
Could you get to a yard that has a school for a months training to get established. It can be expensive but would give you and your parents a solid start. We had an intensive training week with a mare that had problems with having a saddle on( cold backed) She was turned from a bucking bronco to a happy hacker in 5 days and went on to turn her hoof to dressage. It is a matter of knowing your horse and learning to speak the same language without anyone getting hurt in the process.
 
Things with young horses can go very wrong very quickly, they can learn things really quickly and that can mean the wrong things as well as the right ones! If your usual instructor isn't available at the moment, find a different one, ideally one who knows their stuff with youngsters. Alternatively turn him away for the winter and then start again in the spring when you can get proper support. Please don't try to struggle on alone or the two of you could end up in a right old pickle, and it doesn't sound as though you have the experience or the support to be able to rescue things if that happens. Very best of luck though, with the right support you'll learn loads and have a fantastic time.
 
You are still a novice, you're just not a beginner.

Stop schooling him while you don't know what you're doing and can't get lessons. Hack him out, work on his strength and his manners, he's 5yo for goodness sake. Get some lessons when he's grown up a little bit and you know each other better.
 
Stick to hacking in the winter and wait until you have an instructor and are having regular lessons before trying to school him. You are still a novice rider, you would be in the novice section of pony club rallies for example.

A young horse needs guidance from his rider and the rider gets guidance from the instructor/trainer on the ground.
No matter how experienced the rider, you still need eyes on the ground and training. The more experienced the rider the less lessons you need.
 
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