Problem horse

T

TEMIT

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I have a 9 year old, 18 hand ISH, gelding. He is one of the best behaved hunters i have ridden but the worst behaved hack i have ever ridden. Hacking from the yard he will be impossibly nappy from time to time. So much so, that i have been asked to move him to another stable.

Has any one used horse training/natural horsemen ship livery to get a problem sorted out with a horse? Have the results been good, have they lasted?

As i do not live in the area i cannot deal with the horse myself. However, the horse is not dangerous or malicious (not my words but the head of the yard's) he is just big, stubborn and used to getting his way due to his size. The lady who looks after him, is well respected and trusted in my area. However, she feels she in not strong enough to ride him and i would like to change that.
 
Where is the horse? Perhaps someone can recommend someone in the area who deals with this sort of thing.

Oddly, I've had quite a few horses for hacking rehab from hunting backgrounds. They go into 'riding' homes without the new owners realising that just because they hunt well, that doesn't necessarily mean they automatically hack well, particularly on their own. They tend to be big strong horses with a fairly clear idea of how life in supposed to work, which can make it a bit unnerving when they say no. Luckily they are usually basically good minded and straightforward so can be taught reasonably quickly if not always easily.
 
He is based near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. I have asked around but no one knows anything about natural horsemanship clinic's/retraining. The options that are thrown up are very experienced but essentially old fashioned tough riding, hunting and eventing types.
 
Tim Piper in Somerset would do what you want, he uses a mix of natural horsemanship and old fashioned common sense, he hacks out a lot as part of his training, he would not be too far away, I can pm his details if you want.
 
TarrSteps said:
Where is the horse? Perhaps someone can recommend someone in the area who deals with this sort of thing.

Oddly, I've had quite a few horses for hacking rehab from hunting backgrounds. They go into 'riding' homes without the new owners realising that just because they hunt well, that doesn't necessarily mean they automatically hack well, particularly on their own. They tend to be big strong horses with a fairly clear idea of how life in supposed to work, which can make it a bit unnerving when they say no. Luckily they are usually basically good minded and straightforward so can be taught reasonably quickly if not always easily.
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Reminds me of a big roan horse I bought years ago. Tried him in the hunting field (Leicestershire) and from vendors yard, perfect horse. Brought him home (December) hunted him for the rest of the season, hacked out sweetly in company/alone/ride and lead. Easy to do in every way.

Season ended and I wanted to do a few HT's so kept him up. I have no idea how he knew he had done his final meet but he instantly refused point blank to leave the yard on exercise. Vertical rearing, tantrums and intense embarrassment when he hurled himself into the neighbours rose garden causing untold damage. Frightened me senseless and his card was marked.

We took him to a HT and he refused to leave the start box in some style. I can't be doing with awkward horses so I sold him into hunt service and there he stayed for years, proving to be one of the best horses they had ever had. Jump anything, tough, sound and safe as houses as long as there was a pack of hounds in sight ! He spent summers on the dole and winters working hard, he was still going strong at a good age, ugly beast but he loved his hunting !
 
I have seen this in quite a few hunters the temperament that makes them calm easy hunters makes them reluctant workers without the excitement of the hunt and the company horses around them.
Fatty my OHs ID will not do schools he just won't go it strongly reminds me of my first pony a Shetland ( he is however an ok if somewhat lazy hack) but out hunting he's the ultimate armchair hunter .
Hunters sometimes have had very little training at the beginning they are often backed and got to the hounds they learn their work through common purpose rather than formal training but this can cause issues down the line because you don't really have the basics in place.
Good luck with finding someone to help with him.
 
Thanks, if you have contact details for Tim Piper that would be great. How do you know of him? Have you used him, or do you know of anyone who has used him?
I appreciate that every horse is different but how often are horses untrainable? Generally, will the training last, or will i be roped into expensive sessions every time i get to the start of the season?
Having no experience with intelligent horsemanship I am very wary of being seen as a mark, being charged enormous amounts and then at the end of it all having a horse that is not better, or reverts after the first few month. Unfortunately, i am not in the position to speculatively throw money at the situation.
 
Can this issue but managed in other ways perhaps ?
Does he do it hacking in a group ? Or will he lead from another horse ?
i
 
The lady on the yard generally hacks out all the horses alone. There are not enough people permanently around to ensure that he can hack out in a group. Plus, those who have hacked out with him are wary being on a horse next to him as he is a lot bigger than they are.
She can lead him out but she felt like I wouldn't be getting my money's worth.
I think she was suggesting i found a yard with someone strong enough to deal with him and that this is a resource she did not have. For example, I am just over 6 foot and, though he can be a little spooky with me, I generally don't have any problems.
As i said, I would ideally like to sort the problem out rather than circumvent it. Particularly as he is a fantastic hunter just painfully stubborn at times.
 
Someone who is also near Tetbury is Tony Pellet. Don't have his contact details, but have seen him ride and he is a proper nagsman with the nicest hands ever. Don't think much would phase him.
 
Thanks, Tony is very local to us, he's out every Saturday and he actually taught me at pony club. That is definitely a possibility! Thank you.
 
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