How do you cope with your stressy but talented horse?

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shadowboy

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Ok, here is the situation, I am going to view two horses tomorrow but if neither of them suits me I will give up till spring as its getting difficult to view due to light fading by the time I get home. One is a 16.1 TB Mare who is very talented but stressy, the other a 16.1 TB gelding who had got BE and BD points, very laid back, but has reached the highest he ever will in his disciplines, ie he is not talented enough to continue higher. I have looked at his info on the sites so have evidence of his career. Anyway, ideally I want a horse I can take up to medium or Advanced/medium and the little mare will be likely to reach that, but my experience of stressy but talented horses is limited- how do you settle them at shows? How to you relax them? what keeps them calm etc. Or should I just get the proven quiet geldinng?
 
My previous gelding had an artistic temperament if the mood took him, so I put him on Nupafeed, which is expensive but which worked for us. The day before a show I'd hack him out as late as poss & work him fairly hard. I seem to rem that I sometimes used to school/lunge for 25 mins on the day of a show before we left. Then at the show I'd make sure we got there in good time so that psychologically I didn't feel like I had to rush to get him settled. I'd work him til he was satisfactory, then have a break & let him wander about on a loose rein, then pick him up again 10 mins before I wanted him to do something.

That was for BD, by the way. BSJA I preferred him slightly nuts!!
 
If you're looking for a chilled horse with potential then PM me. A friend of mine is selling a cracking mare
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Hi

l have an extreemly stressy but talented horse, we have owned him for 18months and at first everything was a nightmare. As time has gone on, he has got to know us and now trusts us, we used to take him to shows and couldnt even get a bridle on him, He is my daughters horse and he is 17.2 hh westphalian. He looks to her as the herd leader!!!!!! Things havent been easy, she is the only one that rides him and spends lots of time with him.


What i am trying to say that is if you are confident, horses sense this, he goes to shows now and would lay down and fall asleep if he could, he wins at novice BD, and we are starting elementry. Its about the relationship you build with your horse, A good horse always has a quirk!!!!!
 
Fly is also very talented but he is as complex and difficult sometimes as it gets. If he is in the right frame of mind then he will excel but if not........he will refuse to do anything. Difficult one, it is early days with Fly and myself (6 mths) and we are bonding and getting to know eachother. I am the only one that rides him and I do feel we are progressing every week. I guess it is down to the relationship you build with your horse, you have to learn to trust eachother I guess. It doesn't matter with me as I only want to compete locally but in your case I guess you have to go with the horse that can get you where you want, just be prepared to put the graft in to build your partnership. Good luck xx
 
I would look for some more horses!
Having watched CCJ struggle for several years with very stressy horses I would say don't waste your time, there are many trainable and talented ones, you just have to search longer.
The fun she gets nowadays from riding two trainable horses far outweighs the fact one of the others had the capabilty to go round top level tracks; if he wouldn't settle enough to do the first phase it was never going to happen.
We spent a year on training/calmers/taking him out and about etc, and at the end of it the only time he was truly calm was on acp! (two well know professional riders couldn't make him calm either)
Seriously I would not buy either if they don't meet your criteria, spend another month searching..
 
Time and training are what makes a horse settle. My mare has finally grown into her brain at 11 and is producing the best work she ever has. Theres no quick fix unfortunatly.
 
Have just bought talented stressy mare and since we got her home she is improving every day. Think it can be a lot to do with handling and training, Fingers crossed any way!
 
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