[SuckerForHorses]

I'll trade you all your first half dead horse 10 minutes of the ride for my geldings first ten minutes of nothing but bronc style bucking, bolting, and spinning... Anytime...just let me know when you wanna make the switch...

[Atlas Shrugged]

MVP that's great! Youth is wasted on the young! GBS

[FineAlready]

I just wanted to say that ever since I posted here that my 7 year old is a pleasure to ride most of the time, he has been a terror to ride. I need to keep him off of the Internet. I think he must have read my post here and decided my life needed spicing up.

I watched my trainer ride him today, and I can honestly say that I wish I could go back to being ignorant about what his antics look like from the ground. It was much easier when I could convince myself "eh, that was really just a little crowhop, I'm sure it felt bigger than it really was." Now I know what the rodeo looks like, after all these years of being the one sitting on him during it.

I wish I could hit the "erase" button on that memory, because I'm the one that is going to have to throw a leg over him tomorrow!

[erniewalker]

My OTTB is 7. I got him when he was 4 and a few months off the track.

Currently, I'm working with him under advisement of a vet, a chiro, and a super-specialist farrier to see what kind of soundness we can salvage from him (bone chips in the fetlock- non-interfering at the moment, but we're really working on this). Reading this thread, it occurred to me how far we've come!

His worst habit is getting behind the leg. He also spent the first several months of our training (just after he turned 5- he was a starvation case) with his head as high as he could get it, and his idea of bending was to tilt his head to the side and jig. Then we did the barn-sour thing, where when we circled, he would stop and do his best "buck," in which he lifts one leg and grunts loudly. Then he had a great case of the NOs, in which everything I asked was met with a NO. Canter? NO. Ground poles? NO. Circle? NO. Trail ride? Maaaybee... wait, NO! Never did anything truly dangerous... he was just a total PITA to ride.

I would say it was last December (coming into his 7 yo year) that he woke up one morning and said, "Hey. Ok. Let's do this." Doesn't mean he hasn't had moments- he still likes to sneak out from behind my leg and mentally check out- but his work ethic and listening skills have definitely perked up.

So last night, as we're working on the rehab exercises I was given to get him going straight again (long, long story), it was terribly frustrating for both of us, because we'd already been there/done that, and I knew how far he had come. But then it clicked for me- we have been there, and we can do it again! Sure enough, he stopped fighting, started listening, and we had a beautiful session.

So to all of those going through the "terrible" years- hold on! Your reward is coming!!

[Bigbutt]

After being kicked in the pelvis - (well double barrelled twice in a row) and now being bronced off 6 months later and on week 5 of a long recovery, I'm hoping that this thread will help encourage me that he's not ready for the dog food tin yet!

He was an awesome 3 year old, i came off a few times, as when he would trip on the trail or stubble - he is quick to blame the rider, YOU HAVE DONE ME WRONG !!!! But he was a loving, respectful baby - and yet this last year. He's been getting super fit, filling out and up, and along with that suddenly he's developed the redhead stepchild attitude - suddenly even his ground manners are gone. We have had to take a serious step back, back to what feels like step one - and back to just relearning that I am not his buddy that he can play bite face with.
He turned 4 in June.. so based on what I'm reading here - I'm not looking forward to 5 much more!

[Samotis]

Mine loves to play "bite face"! Except in his case it is bite my boob!

I do blame myself for most of his behavior on the ground. I allow way to much and I am really trying to make an effort to not let him get away with anything, ever.

Timing is my issue. Can't seem to catch him before it's too late.

It's strange too because his full brother, now a weanling is so nice to handle and sweet as pie. He was always a demon as a baby.

He is 4 so I am confident he will get better with training!

[mvp]

I'll trade you all your first half dead horse 10 minutes of the ride for my geldings first ten minutes of nothing but bronc style bucking, bolting, and spinning... Anytime...just let me know when you wanna make the switch...

Been there, done that.

Two words:

Long lines.

Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.

Beasty must go to work (even slowly) from the minute his shift starts. Gets bored, gets bitter... Wants to bronc in long lines? A couple of well-planned U-turns toward a wall usually convinces them that they don't want to do anything but just go around. Way, way too much work to be an a-hole in longlines.

[mvp]

MVP that's great! Youth is wasted on the young! GBS

And another thing!

Horse doesn't care/notice that it's *my* $600 being injected into his hocks.

Never puts it together than *I* have to pay for a pension and babyhood that lasts more than 1/3 of his biological life.

The horse owes me the use of his legs while he has 'em.

[rcloisonne]

An hour of work seems excessive to me. Especially without knowing if something is physically wrong. my humble opinion, as always.

Agreed! To work a horse for an hour without knowing whether or not there was a physical problem is just - WOW!

[candyappy]

Trainer is trying to keep me safe. I have no fear which is not always a good thing.
I love the mare to bits and we will work it out. Trainer wants to help me out as much as possible before she heads to FL for the winter. So I will try to be patient and appreciative for the next couple of weeks, then I can do things "my" way. I do have a stubborn streak and maybe I am actually the one who needs a time out. I do have a habit of spoiling my youngsters a bit. They're my babies! haha

If your trainer does things (handling, riding, training) one way and you turn around and do something( handling, riding, training) completely different, you are going to have one confused youngster.

[SCMSL]

Just thought I'd share my good fortune.

I have purchased the most well behaved hanoverian mare ever! After my initial post in this topic, my new trainer has had time to correct a few undesirable behaviors.

Just came from riding her, and HELL, she's awesome! Working through her hole body, super happy doing her job. Lots of suspension, lots of go, lots of swing... I'm a happy mommy today!