What should I try with this older horse?

[Bank of Dad]

So last winter I sort of inherit this 16ish old, QH cross tank, gelding from a friend of a friend. They promise (yeah, right) that he is bombproof, they let kids etc ride him. I don't ride him, his feet are a mess, his teeth have never been touched, he's never had much in the way of shots or worming much. So I spend a fortune on vet work, farrier, supplements, and now he looks great.
I ride him in the round pen, in the field, he seems fine. A great babysitter, mild cribber, pleasant, nice to have around, good manners, good with farrier and vet.
I take him on the trail with my barn mate on his buddy horse, he thinks he's going to the racetrack. Jiggles all the way, doesn't spook at the tent, or the dogs, or the Jersey walls, or the air horns, but jiggles, tosses the head, won't settle down. Ignores the snaffle or french link bit.
Aha, I say, he just needs a different bit. He ignores the kimberwick too. The full bar western saddle fits him fine. He jiggles alone, with the buddy, doesn't know what walk means. Can't settle himself down. I can't stand it and get off and walk him home. He's much much worse than the Arab.
My forever a beginner husband loves this horse. I can't put him on him, this horse doesn't know how to walk. Yet they used him for trail rides a lot, they say. I know they were in our large riding club and usually put the five yr old on him, sort of ponying him behind them.

Any advice?? I want to sell him. Hubby says I'm being mean and haven't given him a chance. I tell him we don't have enough health insurance and I am self employed with no sick leave. I have to train the Arab daily, I don't have the time or interest in trying to reschool this older horse.

[chicamuxen1]

give the horse a chance! I'm reminded of a horse that a friend ended up with. An Arab that was bought from an auction, which he had evidently been run thru several times. He had been trained and shown by a 4-H girl but had fallen on hard times. he was hot and fussy on the trails and very difficult for various riders, hence his resell over and over. My friend inherited him from the person who bought him the last time he went thru the auction, I think he was around 20. Guess what, he adored the beginner husband, who didn't know enough to fuss with the reins. for him, he was a good trail horse. he lived out his years on their farm, taking hubby for the occasional trail ride. Go figure, you just never know. Let your husband try him around home, in a pen or pasture. and more than once.

Bonnie

[Auventera Two]

The good food and care probably has him feeling MUCH better. I've seen it happen more than once.

If it were me I'd give the horse a chance. You only did one trail ride? Give him some regular work and maybe back his food off just a tich. My crazy hot arab is a jigger and jogger and I can ride her in a halter and leadrope. It's not about what's on their face or in their mouth, but it's about the whole frame of mind.

[CoopsZippo]

I say put hubby on him. My husband favorite horse liked men period. He would jig, try to buck, run home, and etc with me. Put hubby or anyone of the male gender on him and he was a dream.

Nothing like hubby give a horse a "pep talk" about how to behave so you can have a quiet ride to make you feel like an idiot. (My MIL was riding my QH who I trusted with her.)

[cherish the moment 07]

I think that you should have your husband do some groundwork with the horse so that he can gain the horse's trust on the ground before even stepping foot in the saddle. That's what I had to do with my first horse that was neglected and she was 18 when I got her. Trust me at the age of 16 the horse can still learn a lot. It may just take some time and patience.

[Auventera Two]

I think "good bombproof" horses can tell when someone on them is a novice or not. My QH mare is like that. When my butt hits the saddle she's ready to rock and roll. She'll throw her head and dance sideways. As soon as I touch her with my legs, we're off. When my poor old crippled up dad drags himself up into the saddle, her head goes down and she plods along like a 30 year old plug. He has to kick kick kick to get her trot. She'll trot about 10 steps and then drop to a walk again. These good old babysitters just "know." But no, I wouldn't take any dumb chances. When my dad started riding my horse I put him on a leadline and led them around the yard. Then I unclipped the line and had them walk around in a circle around me. Then when we hit the trail, I ponyed her from my horse while dad rode. I just wanted to be SURE she was going to behave. Now those two just do their own thing and I don't worry at all. Blondie takes good care of her grandpa.

[twofatponies]

give the horse a chance! I'm reminded of a horse that a friend ended up with. An Arab that was bought from an auction, which he had evidently been run thru several times. He had been trained and shown by a 4-H girl but had fallen on hard times. he was hot and fussy on the trails and very difficult for various riders, hence his resell over and over. My friend inherited him from the person who bought him the last time he went thru the auction, I think he was around 20. Guess what, he adored the beginner husband, who didn't know enough to fuss with the reins. for him, he was a good trail horse. he lived out his years on their farm, taking hubby for the occasional trail ride. Go figure, you just never know. Let your husband try him around home, in a pen or pasture. and more than once.

Bonnie

My older mare, who was a nightmare for me to ride on trails (spooky as heck, veering sideways, running backwards at every little thing) was little miss half-asleep trail pony for my beginner husband. They just clicked. He rode on a long rein, didn't know what spooks were - so she doodled along and didn't spook! And even if she did, he just sat there, like "what was that about" and then on they went. No big deal. Your husband may not notice the jigging, and the horse might just not do it with him. I second "give it a try".

[pines4equines]

You know these other posters might have something here. I have a horse that jigs on the trail when he's with other horses. (When I'm out by myself or with one other horse, all is well in the world.)

And, I think it's all me. When we're in a big group, I worry the other people are not having a good time, do they want to canter ahead? Is the footing okay? I'm a little too much the party planner when we're out in the crowd and the horse picks up on it and he frets too.

I'm sure with another rider who wasn't fretting, my horse would just plod along too. Maybe your hubs would be fine because he wouldn't be worrying about all the jumping around.

[Bank of Dad]

OK, we'll try this weekend, in the RP or me leading him around, and I guess he can ride him circles around the trees in the yard. I know he wants to keep him.

He gets nothing except not lush grass and hay if he wants it. A cup of Gro n Win feed supple for vits and min, it has a little soy protein in it, Farriers Formula for his bad hoof which I hope is growing out, a handful of ground flax and a vit E capsule and salt.

[meaty ogre]

A little while back I was given a 24 year old who wasn't working in a lesson program anymore. He is very hard-mouthed and he had a bad jigging habit.

They had him in a 3-ring elevator bit because he would yank the reins down and generally ignore the kids. He's quiet, spookless, but smart and learned how to get out of work. He would jig, the kid would pull on the reins and ask him to stop (his favorite gait is halt!). I had actually ridden him a few times in lessons since my horse was lame, so I was familiar with his "modus operandi."

They offerred him to me so I took him home and put him in a french link snaffle, got on him and the first time he offerred to jig I made him trot out at a brisk pace for 10 laps. He has not jigged since. I didn't think it would be that easy but all it took was once for him to realize that if he offerred to jig I'd put him to work, and he much prefers a slow walk. Now, he still ignores the bit (years of being yanked on in a lesson program are not easily undone) but he is pretty responsive to seat and leg so I just keep him in a snaffle and I still have to get a little heavy with the reins sometimes when he tries to pull to the center of the ring (lesson horse default) but I figure it's better to do that with a mild snaffle than an elevator bit.

I have a TB that this will NOT work with. He likes to work, and so "punishing" his jigging with a brisk trot would actually be a reward to him. But a chubby QH? I'll bet he cries uncle after a time or two.

I'm not a good rider, just adequate I'd say, so unless the horse bucks or rears I bet you could do this. I totally hear you on the part about already having one to reschool, but this could be one of those issues that is easily fixed. Good luck. I'm rooting for you (and the hubby and the horse!).

[Bank of Dad]

Thanks, I thought I'd give that a try this weekend, too. I really don't think he spooks or bucks. He has a great trot and lope also.

[Squeeks]

Maybe he is just nervous. Have you tried just taking him on a lazy hand walk on the same trails? Maybe the whole atmosphere makes him slightly nervous and now with feeling good with his new home, food, and care hes just so happy to be out he doesnt know what to do. I hand walked both my hot arabs everywhere on a regular basis and it seems to help. I do normal everyday chores with the horses in hand no matter what im doing. Hand walking the trails for a while until he feels comfy might give him the confidence he needs to relax.

I know both of my arabs are soooo happy to be out on the trails and being ridden that they take a good 15-30 mins of jigging, zigging, zagging, jogging, rocking and rolling in order to settle down at a nice lazy comfy walk. Also my older arab the 6.5 yrs old also can tell the beginner from the advanced rider. I use him for under the age of 10yrs old childrens begginner lessons/lead line/pony rides for faimly, friends, etc and he wouldnt hurt a fly with the child on his back but the 2nd i get up there he is so full of life and spunk it took alot of time getting used to him to understand he just LOVES to be going with me.

Give him some time, put him in a reg work schedule in a ring or round pen for an hr every day and then once he understands work then try again. Or put the hubby on in the round pen even on the lunge line and see how the horse is. ANd again I really recommend the hand walking on the trails. This way you can graze, walk, relax, sight see, pick up sticks, logs etc and get him relaxed on teh trail.

[jeano]

I've had a couple jiggers/prancers, nothing more irritating. I second putting the horse to work the instant the jigging starts, and make it something the horse would really rather not do--circling, serpentines, whatever, and fast enough that you make him grunt--when he's about getting winded offer him an opportunity to take a nice relaxed walk, and nail him again if he starts jigging again. When I had a jigger who was especially bad about jigging the instant we turned toward home, I made sure to turn her wide ass around and ride in the opposite direction. She had a wonderful walk and I insisted she used it. This horse had been the dreaded "anyone can ride" nag and used as a spare horse for big organized trail rides and she had learned any number of filthy habits from being ridden too much by total novices. She rubbed me off on trees, actually laid down one day on the trail to get me off, put her tongue over the bit, ran backwards, you name it.
After a year of regular riding she was a pretty fair trail horse but I'm sure the family I sold her to let her revert. She was actually a sweet horse but had just spent too much time (she was 19 when I got her) having her own way under saddle.

This mare responded really well to a dropped noseband so she couldnt pull any cute stunts with the bit. She went fine in a plain old snaffle once she couldnt put her tongue over, accepted contact and collected her bad self and all that.