Horse lying down when ridden!!!

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archie1

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This is my first post and seems a bit long I'm afraid!!!
i am helping someone up at the yard who rides western (i don't!) on a 2yr old( !!!!) which is her first horse upon who she is learning to ride (!!!!!). the problem is that it tries to nap so she puts her legs on to get it to go forwards and it promptly lies down, lies flat out until she gets off, then gets up, lets her remount and tries to nap again. there is nothing physically wrong with it apart from being v v young. the rider is very novice and was duped into buying the horse but she had it broken by a professional and this is a recent problem. no idea how to help her, any ideas??
 
Tell her to chuck the poor sod into a field and let him grow up
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Tell her to chuck the poor sod into a field and let him grow up
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Couldn't have put it better myself!
 
I agree 110% with Super_Kat, the poor horse hasn't matured mentally and physically no wonder he naps.
I also think it is a bit silly that she is trying to learn to ride on a baby, if he was ok with a professional and he goes into the hands of a novice when his education is vital then he will take the p*ss in whatever way he chooses if he knows he can do it.
 
Totally agree with Super Kat! This sounds like a recipe for disaster! Turn him away and start again in a couple of years when the poor mite has had some time to mature. Your friend can gain some much needed experience in the meantime!
 
Don't tell me!!! i've gone through all of this but there are 3 women each sold youngsters as their first horses with only a few riding lessons between them. there were 2 yearlings and the 2 yr old. the yearling is nearing 2 and getting ready to be sent for breaking!!! i think its ridiculous as i ride at BE novice and it would certainly not be allowed there!! the problem is that there are competitions for 2yrs olds where they are ridden. i don't want to upset the owner as by helping i can reduce the damage. its only around 14hh but is meant to make 15.2 but not with that huge heavy saddle on
 
ok so she is learning to ride on a 2 year old ..............mmm sounds like a match made in heaven
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tell her that he is too young for all that and needs to be turned away to mature
 
Buying youngsters as their first horses begs belief. They will do irrepairable harm to these youngsters. They are doing things that are only just being started with horses twice their age. These horses have alot of growing to do, their bones, muscles developement etc is not yet ready for this. You need to speak forcefully to them as they are either stupid or totally ignorant.
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I don't think there is much help you could give to reduce the damage, save getting them to stop this nonsense & treat them as babies, because they are.
 
yeah well one of the yearlings has spent a year in the stable with a broken pedal bone (no vetting). there are 2 older horses as they are all from the same breeder and one is unrideable (kicked me across the hand for nothing) and the other needs serious ground rules which i am riding as no one else will ( can buck a bit!). plus i have the problem that i am only 18 and these are all more mature adults so won't listen to a 'kid' (happy enough to let me ride the mad ones though) its a DIY livery yard but the owners not the most experienced, owns the 2 older western horses but is learning fast
 
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Its a distaster waiting to happen!

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Actually probably not. Horse sounds to have an old head on young shoulders - one of life's charachers in the making I imagine.

Not the ideal scenario though....
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apparently these western breeds such as the quarter horse and appaloosas bones mature faster or some tosh like that. there are competitions for 2, 3 and 4 yrs olds at reining so i know people do it. def not best scenario though
 
Agree with everyone else - he sounds far too much a baby. Whilst I sat on my cob at 2 1/2 - he was for his age very forward both physically and mentally, he was never worked at that age just accustomed to me sitting on him, waving arms and doing girth straps etc to despook him to such things and doing a 5 minute walk in the school once a week. At 3 we did a few little hacks.

He is now rising 4 and just starting to do some light schooling twice a week and we plan to start a little canter soon.

Why on earth would a complete novice buy a unbroke youngster? I though long and hard before getting Chancer and I have ridden for over 40 years and have lessons with a professional every two weeks with him to make sure I don't do anything daft with him.
 
What a horrible situation for you to be in. You obviously know this is not idea, infact far from. But you know this as you are experienced.

She is not, and probably thinks that because she was sold the horse from someone she no doubt thinks is 'reputable' then its ok, and is not taking that much notice of your advice.

I can see that you are trying to make the best of the situation. You cant MAKE her turn the horse away, and she is going to carry on riding it regardless of what you, or anyone on this forum says.

I dont really have any practical advice to offer, but perhaps you could get her on the lunge? This will encourage the horse to move forward whilst building the girls confidence. Just keep the circles nice and big.

Having a nappy horse myself, I know that if she is nervous and inexperienced there is no way she will be able to stop the horse doing it, only make it worse. This horse is going to extreams to evade being ridden. If only she could see that
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its worked in a round pen but due to another helper whacking it with a lunge whip it got v worried when i picked one up on a lunge. am going to try the lunging route. seems to think it can only trot on lunge so has work to do but again can only help when asked. its very frustrating. would like to take all the horses away a look after them properly but have to go gently gently so as not to upset owner or let them feel i'm being too pushy. AAAAGH, people.
 
If i sat on my horse and she went down I would KNOW something was up!

I would have thought that even an unexperienced person would be able to tell that it wasnt natural for a horse to do that????
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well (this bit is funny) her friend with the other yearling told her that it must be tired for being up in the school for 1hr30. this was the first time i went up to help but it only went round the school a few times. we spent the rest of the time trying to get it to walk without napping. ended up leading it as just because its young we couldn't leave it thinking that it could just not behave. went down 8 times in 40 minutes but did spend a lot of time trying to just run back to the gate.
 
god poor things!

have you tried telling them this. i now you say they wont listen as your only 18 but im 17 and ride plenty of horses besides my own and i always feel that my opinion is listened to?

if not cant you get your YO to have a word?
 
Great stuff. This will be another f*%ked up horse for someone else to have to try to sort out in the years to come!
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She needs to let the horse grow up and mature mentally and pyshically, and to get some lessons herself. A young horse and a novice rider? Not generally the happiest combination!
 
i think you should probably push your point a bit futher with them then. you say you dont want to upset the owners but when the horses welfare is at risk they probably need a shock to make them realise what they are doing is wrong!
 
the prob is that she won't not ride it because everyone else tells her that its normal to ride a 2yr old. i'm trying to ensure that she gets to ride it but safely i.e not lying down! and to try and find a solution before she goes down the lets hit it with a whip and see if that helps route. the owner is nice but v confused with evryone telling her different. when ridden in round pen it doesn't do this or when walked out but there aren't any suitable horses to hack out with it (mine are too spooky to accompany a baby)
 
If u can't get them to stop riding it can u get them to cut down the time they are riding - ie only for 10 mins every other day or something?
 
How about suggesting they get the vet out to check out the poor things back? when the vet asks whats wrong and they say their riding it they can hear first hand from the vet that what they are doing is wrong?

Surley, if they you dont expect them to listen to you, theyve got to respect the opinion of a vet??
 
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Surley, if they you dont expect them to listen to you, theyve got to respect the opinion of a vet??

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ditto!
 
We breed QTR horse crosses. A quarter horse is still growing till it is about 6 years old! Maybe take these ladies who have bought these youngsters to a rescue home to show them the damage riding these youngsters at this age will do to them. That should give them a wakeup call! Ours are backed and broken at 3 (sorry hit the wrong key!) takes approx 4 to 6 weeks and then they are turned away until the following year, again we do just some gentle work with them and again turn them away. Mine are still growing and it is not worth damaging their development and growth. I don't really know what else to say.
 
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