What did it take for your bad horse to 'come good'?

RubyFrench

RubyFrench

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As title says really, if others have seen some of my previous threads my horse
-naps
-is green in the school
-occasionally bucks (previously down to saddle/beig unfit/sore now occasionally because of excitedness (he bucks until you are on the floor tough)
-other things!

I am pumping much money and time into him but still wander "what if" I had something else more mature and experienced. He is young and I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to youngsters/green horses but I have done fairly well up until now.

Just wandered if anyone has any heart lifting stories of how their perseverance paid off- was it a mixture of repetition til they got what you are asking/instructors/etc???
 
Yep! I bought mine a an unbroken 3yrs old having no experience backing or working alone with youngsters but was assured he was dead quiet and would be so easy to do. 6months later I wondered what on earth I'd done. He was way too sharp and sensitive, backing took forever with plenty of mistakes on my part. He would panic and flip out at the least little thing and would rodeo like a wild thing til he got me off. He wouldn't hack alone, would panic, snort and shake like a leaf. He would plant. Most rides I had to jump off and lead him for parts with him being wild. I couldn't muster a canter in the arena until he was 5 and a half and then it was terrible. On the yard he was jumpy and easily scared by tack or rugs not going on perfectly. I had no idea how I would cope. I was told to smack him and force him to go my way.

But I knew he wasn't naughty, just an unbalanced, immature, genuinely scared horse with not a bad bone in his body. He was a sweetheart, would follow me like a dog, was super friendly to every other living thing and was s very happy person when kept in his comfort zone. I kept going quietly repeating things, trying to not be perfect so that things flapping and crashing around weren't as scary on the used. I gave him loads of time to grow up, turning away several times and trying to understand the why behind everything.

He is now 7 and is a total pleasure. I can hack certain routes a lot, although not everywhere still. In company he is perfect, polite, not competative or strong and very forward thinking. He is fun to school, tries so hard and is working towards elementary at home even tho at 6 he could barely balance a canter. He is a wonderful, happy but sparky horse to ne around and I wouldn't sell him for any money. I couldn't be prouder of how far we have come. And all done without me ever getting angry and punishing him or pushing too hard. I have the next 30yrs, so what's the rush?!
 
When I bought my mare we were both inexperienced, she used to nap and rear in the school and bronk when she's excited among other bad behavior on the ground. I've now had her 3 years and I've had so many people giving me bad advice about hitting her and being generally nasty. But I've also had some brilliant people offering brilliant advice. In the end I found its about being firm but fair and being realistic about how long things may take. I've grown with my mare and I can happily sit and ignore most bursts of bad behavior now and work her forward until she settles. I think small with cas and i take the good and move on with that. It can be a rollercoaster I've never loved and hated a horse so much but its the most rewarding thing I've ever done and i wouldn't trade what I've learnt with her for the world :)
 
I think bringing on a 'difficult' horse can gve you more satisfaction than all the rosettes in the world. It's far more of an achievement. Do the things you can do and build from there one thing at a time.

My teenage pony spent his first few months napping, bucking and lobbing me in ditches. He was the only pony I had, so I just persevered and tried again (repeatedly). He was never star of the pony club - but we did win a few of those rosettes in the end and one day when I accidentally ended up a few miles from an airshow with the red arrows displaying very low overhead i was very glad I had him.

Paula
 
These made me smile :)
I bought mine as a been there and done it 10 year old, turns out his passport didn't belong to him and he was in fact a barely broken 4/5 year old so I am pleased with myself for not giving in yet! I will keep trying :) I have only had him 6 months, but neither would i part with him or any money!!
 
KatPT said:
Yep! I bought mine a an unbroken 3yrs old having no experience backing or working alone with youngsters but was assured he was dead quiet and would be so easy to do. 6months later I wondered what on earth I'd done. He was way too sharp and sensitive, backing took forever with plenty of mistakes on my part. He would panic and flip out at the least little thing and would rodeo like a wild thing til he got me off. He wouldn't hack alone, would panic, snort and shake like a leaf. He would plant. Most rides I had to jump off and lead him for parts with him being wild. I couldn't muster a canter in the arena until he was 5 and a half and then it was terrible. On the yard he was jumpy and easily scared by tack or rugs not going on perfectly. I had no idea how I would cope. I was told to smack him and force him to go my way.

But I knew he wasn't naughty, just an unbalanced, immature, genuinely scared horse with not a bad bone in his body. He was a sweetheart, would follow me like a dog, was super friendly to every other living thing and was s very happy person when kept in his comfort zone. I kept going quietly repeating things, trying to not be perfect so that things flapping and crashing around weren't as scary on the used. I gave him loads of time to grow up, turning away several times and trying to understand the why behind everything.

He is now 7 and is a total pleasure. I can hack certain routes a lot, although not everywhere still. In company he is perfect, polite, not competative or strong and very forward thinking. He is fun to school, tries so hard and is working towards elementary at home even tho at 6 he could barely balance a canter. He is a wonderful, happy but sparky horse to ne around and I wouldn't sell him for any money. I couldn't be prouder of how far we have come. And all done without me ever getting angry and punishing him or pushing too hard. I have the next 30yrs, so what's the rush?!
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Mine was pretty much the same, Parelli fixed us. There is a lot of approach and retreat in Parelli, (Friendly Game) and I did a lot of this with rugs, ropes and tarpaulins, so now he is virtually bombproof. I can tack him up with no headcollar or halter on, at Liberty in a big field or put a rug on him in a howling gale and he won't move, when before, as a 4 year old he was a rearing, striking out nervous, aggressive horror!
 
I am in my 4th year with my current horse who is an absolute superstar.
He is my first horse and I bought him as a 9 year old confidence-giving allrounder. He was a nightmare! He napped and spooked in the school, he bucked me off about once a week. He wouldn't leave the yard on his own and would throw himself at the wall or try to get in the barn with me on his back! He was horrendous on the ground and would barge, headbutt and drag his handler all over. The YO told me to sell him and was equally exasperated by his behaviour. He bolted with my friend and fell on the road, gashing his legs open. He was fine hacking in company. I couldn't jump him as he would just throw me off, and he wouldn't even go properly on the lunge!!! Eventually after 18 months of trying hard and losing all my confidence he spun me off and I broke my arm.
Anyway I moved him from the livery yard to a quiet farm where I was away from all the 'helpful' advice... I gave us both one last chance. He could have as much turnout as he wanted and that's what made the difference, he became a different horse. Much calmer, more polite etc. He started hacking out on his own and I cured him of the napping, which fixed my confidence too! We joined the riding club and started jumping again, I learned to sit to his bucks and he stopped doing them! Since then we ahve been focussing on having FUN... I have found he just needed lots of praise and reassurance rather than smacking and telling off. We went hunting, we go riding across moors, woods, beach etc and he is fantastic and 100% bombproof. We school once a week and jump when we can, and he enjoys the variety. OK we don't possess as many rosettes as I would like but he carried me safely through my pregnancy and then taught a 14 year old to ride so I am pretty much chuffed to bits with him. He has become the horse of my dreams, and of course my best mate, just took longer than I expected!!!
Plus it's so nice when I bump into the people from the old yard and I can tell them how great he is!!! Definitely worth the hard work for the satisfaction factor.
 
Mine took probably a year and a half before I would get on him without fearing for my life, two years before I would hack him and two and a half years before I would properly jump him again. To be honest it was more mind over matter. I know he still has it in him to be an arse (as he proved yesterday when my friend rode him - fortunately shes an amazing rider and found it funny) but I now trust him not to do it to me. I know what sets him off and so I try to avoid doing it. I also found as far as on the ground/getting on him food worked a treat. Also as much turnout as possible, overnight in summer and full days in winter! I wrote a massive essay for an intelligent horsemanship magazine about him a year ago and he has come on even more since then!
 
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