problem with getting horse back into work

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maddison_123

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I have recently bought a horse and am having trouble with him. I've had him for about 8 months and he has had about 4 months off due to the weather,so I am trying to get him back into work. I have tried to lunge him but he either wont move or just as he starts to circle he turns in. everytime i try to ride him and gain control, he bucks me off. does anyone know what I should do? please help.
 
Has he ever been lunged before? Does he know how to lunge?

Does his tack fit? Have you checked him for pain? What seems to make him buck you off- any particular reason?
 
You could try long reining him? but definately get your vet out to have his back ect checked as that could be a reaction to pain
 
well the girl we bought him from said that he had done all the basic exercises.
i dont think he has. im not very experienced,but how do i teach him how to lunge? i spent about an hour trying to teach him,but he wouldnt move and he starts to do a circle but as soon as he does start, he takes about 5 steps and turns back to face me.

his tack fits perfectly,although he does chew the bit a lot. i was riding him the other day and he wasnt responding to me. i decided to flick him with the reins just to get him more alert,but he just bucked me off and took off! what should i do?
 
Ditto the others. How old is the horse and how much work had he done before you bought him? What was he like before the break? How experienced are you? Do you have an instructor?

Please don't take this badly but from the little information you give it sounds like a young horse in inexperienced hands which is always a problematic combination.
 
Unfortunately it sounds like you have got an inexperienced horse, which if you are inexperienced too is not the best thing. The behaviour you describe on the lunge is perfectly norml for a horse that has never done it before or not been taught thoroughly. One hour is no where near enough time to teach a horse to lunge!

If he chews the bit alot then the bit probably doesnt suit him, you need to find one that is more comfortable. Check his teeth too.

Flicking with the reins isnt exactly the most appropriate method of riding a horse forward.
Im not surprised your horse told you where to go.

You really do need to get professional help and put alot of time and effort in to both your learning and your horse. Get a professional opinion as to whether you are capable enough for your horse before you seriously hurt yourself
 
i have been riding for 12 years,so im fine with riding. however,i am inexperienced at the ground work. i do have an instructor,but i keep my horse at home and have riding lessons elsewhere. i am looking for an instructor to come to my house,so i can have lessons with him.
he was 1 of about 30 horses,so wasnt paid a lot of attention. he has done some work,can jump small jumps and the yard i got him from were riding him everyday until he came to me. when he came he was very nervous,but soon settled in,so i began to ride him. for the first couple of weeks he was very responsive and i was making good progress with him. but after about a month he bucked me off for the first time--a pigeon scared him.
my friend came to lunge him about a month after as she is more experienced than i am,but he just wouldnt do it. eventually he did a couple of circles and she got him into trot on a circle,but he wouldnt do anymore.
then the bad weather came and i was able to get back on him the other week. hes become very lazy and i dont know what to do to get him back to how he used to be.
 
my friend has given me the number of someone who could come and ride him and lunge him to get him back into work,and iv given him a ring to come over,which he said he would. what should i do until he comes?
 
You've said he'd not had much attention from his previous owner/yard so why not spend some time leading him in hand, grooming him ect, building a positive working partnership can be really useful with any horse but more so with a youngster.

Be very careful not to give this horse mixed signals as to what you want him to do.
 
When you were bucked off the first time there was good reason, he was scared.
Its probably a case of couldnt lunge, not wouldnt. Wouldnt implies he knows what he is doing, whereas i think he sounds like he doesnt know what to do.

You need someone to come to you asap, frequently at first.
 
I'd ditto other posts at getting back and saddle checked. If he has 4 months off he is likely to have changed shape. After my horse had 3 months off we had to get saddle fitter out to get new gullet in his wintec.
Also in the last few months has he been in box mostly? maybe let him have turnout to get any excess energy out of system?

And help from experianced rider/instructors will most certainly help :)

good luck, sure you'll figure something out and be riding and back to normal soon
x
 
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it is also possible that he may have lost condition over the 4 months he was off work so your vet/instructor may be able to suggest things to help build him back up
 
Just reread the posts (re: chewing on bit and reaction to flicking reins)
I think you should get dentist out, i agree you shouldnt use reins in this way, esp on a sensitive horse! but getting such an adverse reaction, and his age etc they probally need done. Have you had them checked since you've had him?
x
 
Agree with the others re health checks. I would start with the vet to check back, lameness, etc., get teeth done and go from there.

If all is well, get yourself a good instructor to assess whether you and this horse are a good match.
 
thanks! i have already emailed my dentist to come out and she's yet to get back to me. but i will get in contact with the vet to give him a check-up. thank you :)
 
maddison_123 said:
well the girl we bought him from said that he had done all the basic exercises.

i dont think he has. im not very experienced,but how do i teach him how to lunge?

i decided to flick him with the reins just to get him more alert,but he just bucked me off and took off! what should i do?
Click to expand...

Absolutely no offence intended - however why did you buy a 6yr old TB? You admit you're not very experienced so a 6yr old TB who's done "basic exercises" would be the last thing I would have bought in your position!
 
like i said,i have done 12 years riding lessons,and have previously had a horse on loan before and entered in competitions. however i know im not very good at the ground work,but i have experienced friends around me and they said they're more than happy to teach me groundwork with him eg lunging etc.
 
I've been riding for more decades than I will admit to, but one thing I do know is that I have sooooooo much to learn in order to be a better rider. And I have had my own horse since I was a teenager and not had a lesson since god knows when (I know, i know, well overdue) *blush*, and have just broken in my boy alone. I still don't believe I know what I am doing !!! (cos I don't really).

I reckon you should just lead out in hand until help arrives. Certainly DO NOT try and lunge - you really must be 100% skilled in this, using an older horse, before you attempt to teach a horse how to do it. Trust me, I thought I knew, but got reared on twice with my TB.

The key is to just spend as much time as you can with your horse - lead him everywhere you can, show him the sights, and build up a bond between you - and follow professional advice whn it arrives. Try some Police Horse style training - I loved doing that !!
 
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