Older Horse Needs Experience- any advice?

[mazsullivan]

ive owned my 14.2 gelding Cash for 15 years now, we broke him when he was younger and have ridden him occasionally and very casually around our fields however we are now trying to bring him into full work as he is absolutely gorgeous and has fabulous bloodlines and i’d love to show him.

he is, however, a very typical Welsh D and spooks at his own fart. he also is very attached to my other pony and after around 10 minutes of exercise (literally just walking) decides he has had enough and bolts off with me. usually i’m a fairly confident and brave rider but when he does that it makes me so nervous. does anyone have any tips or advice for… well anything really! bringing an older horse into work, spooking, bolting or staying confident after a fall. thanks so much

 

[Sleipnir]

Lots of groundwork for mental relaxation and physical suppleness. Long reining with the horse stretching long and low over ground poles to buld muscle and stamina. Hop on for your 10mins of walking (gradually increasing the time over the course of weeks) after a "flight check" from the ground - is he attentive to your cues, is he relaxed, is he willingly walking on, stopping, backing up, turning and bending.

Something like Straightness training would be great for him. Although he is mature, not having worked consistently you'll have to treat him as a green, just backed youngster physically and mentally. A saddle check and a back check by pros would also be recommended, as, being in his teenage years, he might have accumulated some stiffness and assymetry here and there, and, once he's in more work, his back will muscle up, meaning - he might need his saddle adjusted.

I'd also find a way to work with him in an enclosed school and make sure that a few times a week I'd just bring him out of his field to feed him a bucked in the arena and then bring him out again - so that he learns that being brought there doesn't always mean work and bolting back to his buddy.