Trotting issues with horse

[rhino]

While a sharer can be a great idea, are there really that many people who have the experience to take on a just backed youngster and create a safe allrounder?

There will be a few, I have done similar, but have either been paid or done it as a favour for a friend. Paying money to school a baby would not be something I’d be interested in.

Op if you go down this route, please ensure you get the right match and someone with a track record of improving youngsters, otherwise the mixed signals Charlie gets could make things a lot worse. Also make sure they are insured.

One trusted instructor and a bit of time and practice and you will be able to make progress.

 

[Korg]

While a sharer can be a great idea, are there really that many people who have the experience to take on a just backed youngster and create a safe allrounder?

There will be a few, I have done similar, but have either been paid or done it as a favour for a friend. Paying money to school a baby would not be something I’d be interested in.

Op if you go down this route, please ensure you get the right match and someone with a track record of improving youngsters, otherwise the mixed signals Charlie gets could make things a lot worse. Also make sure they are insured.

One trusted instructor and a bit of time and practice and you will be able to make progress.

I was also wondering about this. Maybe there is someone willing to do it, but generally I'd say that if you seek someone to school your horse, then you pay them for it. Vice versa too, if the horse schools the rider then the rider pays the owner. Of course there can be other situations, such as friends helping eachother, but I certainly wouldn't pay to educate a stranger's baby. Possibly with money involved, if I just didn't have any horses of my own and wanted to be around some.

 

[Tarragon]

Ok so…

Best suggestion I have then is for you to look for a sharer for him. Ask for a tiny financial commitment (shoes or something) - riding for free means people often don’t turn up - do the chores yourself so they can just come and ride, and look for someone competent with enough experience to help him. Maybe an experienced mum returning to riding who might have time in their lunch break or just at weekends. Be totally honest and make sure the person you find is the right fit.

That would suit someone like me down to the ground! Reasonably competent rider who just loves riding. There are people there who just want to ride and not own the horse and not be responsible for the daily management. What is the hacking like where you are?

 

[Jasmine2023]

It doesn't make any sense that they are a riding school who won't get on your horse, especially if he really is sweet and gentle natured.

It doesn't make sense does it but since they have had children they won't put themselves at risk.

OP apologies, I haven’t had chance to read everything so if I repeat advice already given then apologies.

Firstly are you able to find an alternate yard (even if temporary) that offers schooling as well as instruction ?

If so then possibly avail yourself of their services for 6-8 weeks to get their help in both bringing him on and giving you lessons.

Ideally have some lessons on the lunge on a school master to improve your balance.

Work on your core strength off the horse which will help you to get in balance more rapidly.

Enjoy the groundwork, grooming, walking out in hand and general bonding. Again get lessons on how to lunge and long rein and instil manners. The bonding will help.

Ideally experience is needed to get a youngster but if not then learning together is ok if you seek professional advice.

Hopefully he is a “nice person” as that can be nature not nurture and as long as he is then hopefully you will get there.

If you can’t afford the professional help then I would recommend cutting your losses and selling him on, if you don’t get help then you could end up massively devaluing him as well as risking your safety. You could then get yourself something older that will be forgiving of you learning at your own pace.

Horse prices tend to peak between 7-14 depending on schooling, breeding etc. Under 7 are still getting established and over 14 their longevity is reducing.

No there is no other riding school with livery nearby.
He is lovely natured in every way you can do anything on the ground with him, clip, groom, he's great for vets even for injections, to and from the field like a puppy dog, comes to you when he sees you in the field, tacks up well apart from the bit he's a little fidgety with that, stands for mounting, lovely manners innthe stable too. I can't really fault him.
I can hack out alone with him and can do quite a bit in the arena such as walk, circles etc. It's the trot and I know he can trot I have seen him trot but after reading some of the replies here I am beginning to think I am worrying him in the trot which is sad I don't want to scare him. I don't want to give up with him he's lovely .

I agree to a certain extent as have experienced it many times with cobs. However, I have also had and know some that sailed through life without ever hitting the Kevins, there is nothing to say this won't be the case with OPs new horse with the right support and education going forward.

Maybe not the best time for horror stories really. OP is already stressed and trying to work out a way forward so a bit of encouragement would be great.

Thank you this is the kind of post I would like to see. I understand what everyone is saying and don't want rose tinted glasses answers but there must be some positive here somewhere.
I haven't the energy or health to go through another horse search I want to try and work with him.
I have taken everything on board I can assure you.

 

[Jasmine2023]

That would suit someone like me down to the ground! Reasonably competent rider who just loves riding. There are people there who just want to ride and not own the horse and not be responsible for the daily management. What is the hacking like where you are?

It's okay nothing exciting no woods or anything like that. Not an excessively busy road more of a back road used as a short cut.

 

[Nancykitt]

With Snoopy, we paid the instructor for the work she did with him (and us). But he got additional 'miles on the clock' largely through a super confident friend who loved hacking...she would ride him out on hacks when we couldn't be there, due to work commitments. He was never actually a problem out hacking, even when he was very young, but she got him to be excellent with things like gates, crossing water, leading the group, going in the middle, going at the back, etc. She loved riding him and it was a really good arrangement!
And then we would all follow up on lesson content with schooling on hacks; we started focusing on transitions, moving off the leg nicely, lateral work, etc.
All this took place over quite a long period of time but that was OK, there was no rush.

 

[Polos Mum]

What is he like to trot on the lunge?

 

[sbloom]

It doesn't make sense does it but since they have had children they won't put themselves at risk.


No there is no other riding school with livery nearby.
He is lovely natured in every way you can do anything on the ground with him, clip, groom, he's great for vets even for injections, to and from the field like a puppy dog, comes to you when he sees you in the field, tacks up well apart from the bit he's a little fidgety with that, stands for mounting, lovely manners innthe stable too. I can't really fault him.
I can hack out alone with him and can do quite a bit in the arena such as walk, circles etc. It's the trot and I know he can trot I have seen him trot but after reading some of the replies here I am beginning to think I am worrying him in the trot which is sad I don't want to scare him. I don't want to give up with him he's lovely .

Thank you this is the kind of post I would like to see. I understand what everyone is saying and don't want rose tinted glasses answers but there must be some positive here somewhere.
I haven't the energy or health to go through another horse search I want to try and work with him.
I have taken everything on board I can assure you.

I think you've had some very fair comments and a lot of suggestions and recommendations you can act on. All horses can trot by the way, pretty much, if they can't, they're probably not well at all. Do, as I said, start to try and read more books about equitation and equine management, follow some good FB pages and groups...there is SO much to learn, so that you can judge any advice you're being given and grow more and more as an advocate for your horse. You've done the right thing asking on here.

 

[Korg]

Books are indeed useful. I like Academic Art of Riding by Bent Branderup. There's some exercises you can do both from the ground and in walk. It doesn't focus much on problem solving, but I find it to be a great base for any kind of riding.

I'd advise against only following one school, most have something you can learn from. I don't have any books to recommend in any other school, though.

 

[Fred66]

So if funding is tight and you can’t afford lessons for you AND schooling for him, then possibly keep working and hacking him in walk and get yourself some one on one lessons on a schoolmaster in trot on the lunge.

When you are feeling more balanced go back to having lessons on him, working in walk, transitions and trot.

 

[Jasmine2023]

What is he like to trot on the lunge?

Haven't done that yet but it's one of the things the RI suggestedalong with other ground work and we are going to do that next week in my lesson.

 

[Jasmine2023]

So if funding is tight and you can’t afford lessons for you AND schooling for him, then possibly keep working and hacking him in walk and get yourself some one on one lessons on a schoolmaster in trot on the lunge.

When you are feeling more balanced go back to having lessons on him, working in walk, transitions and trot.

I can trot on the riding school pony which I started learning on before I got Charlie without being on the lunge.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I haven’t read all of the replies.

Just because he has been professional backed, doesn’t mean he ‘should know’. He will have learned the very basics and with the person who backed him he will have learned the way they do it - have you tried asking them to give you a lesson or some help? Also it may have scared him when you fell off so he might be remembering that too.

Plenty of groundwork, getting him to trust you, etc is what is needed here and preferably involving the person who backed him as they will be able to help you to learn the skills needed here. Riding a young and very green horse isn’t pretty and it’s a lot harder than it looks as they rely on you for literally everything.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I can trot on the riding school pony which I started learning on before I got Charlie without being on the lunge.

A riding school pony will be completely different. They are used to all types of riders and are pretty bombproof. Your young horse will be looking to you to teach him and to provide him with good experiences.

 

[Amy May In A Manger]

Any chance new respondents could read the rest of the thread first???? Rather than going over the same old ground.

 

[Red-1]

Come on people show some positivity! This can be fixed with time and effort. Not everyone was born in the saddle.

I think things can be fixed with time and effort, but it would also take money and someone trustworthy, to be safe.

I'm West Yorkshire - Sally Mitchel has a good reputation as does Adam Yates for re-schooling - not cheap tho. Lots of nice instructors who do clinics are Craven Arena if that's local to you worth a look.

I have a 9 y/o 15.1 cob type who's always in need of more exercise if you are local to Keighley and want to come and hack out with me on my baby. PM me.

I agree with Sally Mitchell. She has a sensible head and thinks outside the box. Money spent with her would be well worth it. I would also take up the offer with Polo's Mum. It is very generous.

OP, it sounds like this horse is more suitable in that he is no bother on the ground and to handle generally. I have no issues if you wish to not get any help and just keep and enjoy him until you have finances in place to get good help. I would keep meandering about on the school while ever that goes well. If that starts to not go well, then I would simply enjoy keeping him but not riding until you can afford help, or find a sharer, or some other way of getting help.

There is nothing wrong with keeping a horse and not riding it.

Because you can't ride the trot, I would leave this altogether until you have trusted help. I'm not talking about the riding school helping either, as I have doubts as to whether they are in a good position to help. Many people go back to riding at a high level just weeks after giving birth. Riding a horse suitable for a novice should not really involve danger. A professional, who is used to schooling horses on, should not hesitate to get on a horse they believe is suitable for a novice, if they are also currently riding others.

To me, you were indeed advised incorrectly to get a just backed horse. I bought one that was backed and ridden away in 2021. I wanted a more experienced one, but they were simply not available, even at an inflated price. I hesitated, even though I am very experienced, because I'd had some life traumas that had affected me. I had more traumas, during which my lovely horse was turned away because I simply had too much on my plate. I paid a rider £50 a week to tick him over for a while, as I was too busy in my head to ride myself (my husband unexpectedly died). I recognised that I simply was not the rider my horse needed at that moment in time, but I enjoyed having him here and caring for him.

Now, a couple of years later, and having had people help, we are off and away. Hacking, hunting, competing... he and I are up for it!

For you, the horse simply sounds scared. It is difficult for a horse that has only ever been ridden by a pro to adapt to someone who bounces, loses balance, falls off etc. It can scare them. The bum under thing is a big red flag for danger to me. It means the horse is panicking and you are both in danger of being injured in the heat of the moment. The horse needs a solid seat and reassurance, not a rider who bounces when the horse does a trot.

If you love the horse, keep him. I would not, however, be road riding at a time where I could not be in control of the horse if he went into trot. The roads are not places to be learning.

I do think an experienced sharer could be the way to go, if finances won't stretch to a trainer. Or, keep him over winter and enjoy him within your current limits, and that may mean not riding, then get help when keeping them is cheaper with grass livery in summer.

 

[Ossy2]

Do you really need to be on livery where there is a riding school, a supportive livery only yard who either has a trainer on-site or a regular visiting trainer maybe a more supportive environment for you.
From the description you seem to have a sweet willing horse but the horse lacks the life and educational experience to be forgiving of your level of training. The horse sounds like it is panicking in the trot as it’s loosing confidence in your balance keeping him safe, I see this often in young horses, they generally get their confidence from the rider you need to be solid in your confidence and balance to get past this, otherwise you are going to continue to scare the sh*t out the horse and it will continue to run from that (flight mode)
This can absolutely be over come especially if the horse is as sweet as you say, but unfortunately you do need to invest in help to progress before potentially you get hurt, this is not something I feel that will resolve itself.

 

[BronsonNutter]

I'm in west yorkshire and currently don't have a rideable horse - if you are very stuck and want to PM me with whereabouts you are there is the potential I could help occasionally.

 

[HaplessHorse]

He does sound like a sweet lad, but I’ve heard this story before. Someone relatively novicey gets a dreamy young “safe” cob, thinking that they’ll muddle through, on the recommendation of an RI who perhaps doesn’t have their best interests at heart. Starts off fine because the dreamy cob has recently been schooled by professionals. Then, the wheels start to fall off and the novice starts to panic. RS doesn’t offer help at this stage. When the horse becomes unmanageable and the novice wants to give up, the RS makes a stupid/cheekily low offer to “take the horse off their hands”. The cob gets nicely schooled by more experienced riders at the RS, until obedient, and worked till they drop by the RS because the cob has a nice basic nature.

I know this because I was used to school up a sweet 3.5yo cob that’d recently come to the RS because “I’d ridden before”. Luckily, the cob took a liking to me, but I was there due to needing to re-build confidence, and they had given me a horse known to buck/bolt/go sideways at high speed with remotely unbalanced riders. They hadn’t even seen me ride before, either. This was one of many reasons I very quickly left that RS. This isn’t the only example of this story that I’ve come across, either.

I would advise that you don’t accept offers to buy him from the RS, I have become very jaded about riding schools based off what I’ve seen, even the “good” ones. To be clear, the above isn’t an example of a good RS, but I’ve heard of similar situations at a “good” RS where I learned to ride.

Please do try and find someone who is a good, balanced rider and can help you with this situation, I absolutely think this is the kind of thing you could work through with some time, patience, help, and (possibly) some financial investment. He’s still settling and you’re still learning, so give it some time.

 

[spotty_pony2]

Any chance new respondents could read the rest of the thread first???? Rather than going over the same old ground.

I don't have time trawl through 5 pages as I said I haven't read all the replies. It doesn't change what needs to happen and my second comment was replying to the OP latest reply about being able to trot on a riding school horse but not there's so whatever has been said it hasn't been stated how riding school horses are a completely different ball game to young and green horses.

 

[Gloi]

I would not, however, be road riding at a time where I could not be in control of the horse if he went into trot. The roads are not places to be learning.

This does worry me rather. The quietest horse can be startled and go into trot and you need to have control. I'd at least want another quiet horse out with you.

 

[ester]

I've been worried about that too, if he trotted inadvertently while on a hack cos that's a whole different ballgame but thought people might think I was being too cautious/down on the situation. I've typed it and deleted it several times.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I started learning a couple of years ago but have had breaks for one reason or another.

You are 63, you started to ride for the first time two years ago, and you have only ridden on and off in that time? Is that true, or have I misunderstood your posts?

Have many hours in the saddle do you have under your belt?

 

[tristars]

No one knows when horse will suddenly wake up and decide it fancies a trot, spook at
Something or gain speed for any one of a thousand reasons

Or decides its fit enough now to change gear, or its eaten some good grass

 

[Jasmine2023]

You are 63, you started to ride for the first time two years ago, and you have only ridden on and off in that time? Is that true, or have I misunderstood your posts?

Have many hours in the saddle do you have under your belt?

Oh gosh I couldn't say how many hours to be honest. I have arthritis so struggle sometimes, but I try hard.

 

[Jasmine2023]

No one knows when horse will suddenly wake up and decide it fancies a trot, spook at
Something or gain speed for any one of a thousand reasons

Or decides its fit enough now to change gear, or its eaten some good grass

I know your not the only one to say this and I do understand what is being said but it's making me scared to go out

 

[Fred66]

I can trot on the riding school pony which I started learning on before I got Charlie without being on the lunge.

The lunge enables you to focus on you and what you are doing, it is one of the best methods of helping relatively novice riders to improve their balance and position.

 

[Jasmine2023]

The lunge enables you to focus on you and what you are doing, it is one of the best methods of helping relatively novice riders to improve their balance and position.

Got you that's a good idea which I might try after a bit of ground work. Going to start some ground work next week and see how we go. He might not be quite so scared if he's on the lunge.

 

[little_critter]

Got you that's a good idea which I might try after a bit of ground work. Going to start some ground work next week and see how we go. He might not be quite so scared if he's on the lunge.

I think the idea is that you improve your trot skills by having lunge lessons on a schoolmaster, not that you ride your youngster on the lunge.

 

[Amy May In A Manger]

Got you that's a good idea which I might try after a bit of ground work. Going to start some ground work next week and see how we go. He might not be quite so scared if he's on the lunge.

I think the idea would be for you to have lunge lessons on a school horse, not Charlie.