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| I am riding a colt for someone else (at their house), and he is just so unmotivated. He is a 5 year old, been broke....well, has been under saddle...since his 2yr old year. Still spooks at things in his home arena, although they say he is better away fromt home a lot of times. I haven't taken him anywhere yet. He is very hard to get into a trot. I haven't even tried to lope him yet. Iv'e had to pop him on the butt with the end of my split reins, just to trot. He'll agree to trot the first couple times, but i'm lucky if he gets all the way around the pen without completely coming to a stop. Then when i pick up the reins again, he'll throw his head in protest and has sort of tried to pop his front end up with me. THe girl that rode him before, he DID stand straight up on. He is not a bucker but. when i still have to work him 15 minutes in the roundpen before riding, then he won't hardly trot......i literally feel like i'm beating a dead horse. I don't think he will ever make a barrel horse, even though he has Frenchmans guy lines and is a big, well built guy. just so frustrating. I ride him in a hackamore and headsetter tiedown (what i'm told to ride him in, and he DOES have a high head), and from experience he will NOT ride in a bit. He knows how to move off leg, bend, flex, and counter arcs...but he is so...just slow, that when you go to pick him up or do any bending exercises, he just either breaks down to awalk, or stops. You can kiss, squeeze, kick, pop all you want, he may or may not go faster. Imagine how those really old, super legit bomb proof not -going-to-get-out-of-a-walk horses are with little kids, thats him, but with an attitude. He has been vet checked, saddle fits. This is all attitude. As a young colt he was bad on the ground, rearing and striking... I think he may either just be a lemon, or we just haven't found his calling yet.
Edited by Staying Focused 2015-02-02 1:20 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
 
| Staying Focused - 2015-02-02 1:12 PM
I am riding a colt for someone else (at their house), and he is just so unmotivated. He is a 5 year old, been broke....well, has been under saddle...since his 2yr old year. Still spooks at things in his home arena, although they say he is better away fromt home a lot of times. I haven't taken him anywhere yet. He is very hard to get into a trot. I haven't even tried to lope him yet. Iv'e had to pop him on the butt with the end of my split reins, just to trot. He'll agree to trot the first couple times, but i'm lucky if he gets all the way around the pen without completely coming to a stop. Then when i pick up the reins again, he'll throw his head in protest and has sort of tried to pop his front end up with me. THe girl that rode him before, he DID stand straight up on. He is not a bucker but. when i still have to work him 15 minutes in the roundpen before riding, then he won't hardly trot......i literally feel like i'm beating a dead horse. I don't think he will ever make a barrel horse, even though he has Frenchmans guy lines and is a big, well built guy. just so frustrating. I ride him in a hackamore and headsetter tiedown (what i'm told to ride him in, and he DOES have a high head), and from experience he will NOT ride in a bit. He knows how to move off leg, bend, flex, and counter arcs...but he is so...just slow, that when you go to pick him up or do any bending exercises, he just either breaks down to awalk, or stops. You can kiss, squeeze, kick, pop all you want, he may or may not go faster. Imagine how those really old, super legit bomb proof not -going-to-get-out-of-a-walk horses are with little kids, thats him, but with an attitude. He has been vet checked, saddle fits. This is all attitude. As a young colt he was bad on the ground, rearing and striking... I think he may either just be a lemon, or we just haven't found his calling yet.
sounds like he needs a reality check of who's in charge and an attitude adjustment. | |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | actually he sounds like hes soured......imo its all in how they are started, and it takes a lot of work and time to undo other ppl's crap............has he ever been ridden out side of an arena (i mean in hills and trees and around rivers) has he ever seen a cow..................thats where i would be starting.........
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| mruggles - 2015-02-02 1:31 PM actually he sounds like hes soured......imo its all in how they are started, and it takes a lot of work and time to undo other ppl's crap............has he ever been ridden out side of an arena (i mean in hills and trees and around rivers) has he ever seen a cow..................thats where i would be starting.........
m
Same ... give him a chance to trust you. Track a cow, hit the trails, long trot the pastures ... I'd bet there is a bit of sour going on and likely he got away with some stuff and learned that if he quits, the rider often will quit too. Take him out of the arena, sit deep, and see what happens.
Good Luck! | |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | Discipline & get out of the arena are the first two things that come to mind for me. If he breaks down when you're trotting him don't just tap him with the reins SPANK him, make it miserable for him so not just maintain a nice trot. (If you are uncomfortable really getting after him since he has reared on other people then don't waste your time or the owners, tell them to find someone else to work with him) And get out of the arena as soon as you possibly can. It sound like he already knows the basics so get him out someplace where you can really ride him and apply what he knows. Horses get bored & need a purpose. Maybe even take him out with another horse and go long trotting, try to find some drive in him to be a little competative & "want to" put some effort out. If there's anybody in your area that ropes go to their place & track some nice quiet steers around in the arena. Basically get after him every time he quits you and don't be nice about it....and give him a purpose in life so that he wants to do something besides walk......and maybe he IS one of those wonderful kids horses but just needs to get through his attitude first..... | |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| SaraJean - 2015-02-02 2:14 PM
Discipline & get out of the arena are the first two things that come to mind for me. If he breaks down when you're trotting him don't just tap him with the reins SPANK him, make it miserable for him so not just maintain a nice trot. (If you are uncomfortable really getting after him since he has reared on other people then don't waste your time or the owners, tell them to find someone else to work with him) And get out of the arena as soon as you possibly can. It sound like he already knows the basics so get him out someplace where you can really ride him and apply what he knows. Horses get bored & need a purpose. Maybe even take him out with another horse and go long trotting, try to find some drive in him to be a little competative & "want to" put some effort out. If there's anybody in your area that ropes go to their place & track some nice quiet steers around in the arena. Basically get after him every time he quits you and don't be nice about it....and give him a purpose in life so that he wants to do something besides walk......and maybe he IS one of those wonderful kids horses but just needs to get through his attitude first.....
This^^ others put what I think in much better wording than I can. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Tell them you don't think he will make it and don't let them waste their money and be done with him.
You can beat yourself up and injure yourself trying to make a lazy/no effort colt into a 4/5D horse but whats the point?
He sounds like he won't be kid friendly either unless they get a ton more ground work and manners put on him.
If they just want a hobby horse or pasture pet he'll work for them but if they want a competitor tell they should probably move the colt. | |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | a couple things, have blood pulled and check that. Had a colt in for a friend who was quiet and a little lazy. Come spring he wasn't shedding his coat and just looked rough in general. He was low on Selemium and had to be fed Vit. E at a higher level for some time too. And I agree, get him out and give him somewhere to travel. My gelding is a pig after about 10 laps in a round pen, unless there is a cow in there with him, his brain shuts off and then he is convinced his feet wont' move either, trotting with any energy is an exercise program only for the rider.... | |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | SaraJean - 2015-02-02 2:14 PM Discipline & get out of the arena are the first two things that come to mind for me. If he breaks down when you're trotting him don't just tap him with the reins SPANK him, make it miserable for him so not just maintain a nice trot. (If you are uncomfortable really getting after him since he has reared on other people then don't waste your time or the owners, tell them to find someone else to work with him) And get out of the arena as soon as you possibly can. It sound like he already knows the basics so get him out someplace where you can really ride him and apply what he knows. Horses get bored & need a purpose. Maybe even take him out with another horse and go long trotting, try to find some drive in him to be a little competative & "want to" put some effort out. If there's anybody in your area that ropes go to their place & track some nice quiet steers around in the arena. Basically get after him every time he quits you and don't be nice about it....and give him a purpose in life so that he wants to do something besides walk......and maybe he IS one of those wonderful kids horses but just needs to get through his attitude first.....
I agree! Sounds like he has shut down mentally from bordom. He has been doing the same crap forever and he's never been able to progress because he has never been able to engage past the same boring crap. Enter bad attitude and doing stupid stuff in protest out of bordom. If it was me, I'd send him to a ranch to get used for day work for a couple months. He needs outside, and a purpose to his work to use what he does know and move forward. This colt is crying for new stuff and to air his brain out. | |
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| There's a pasture there but other than that its just the arena. He is just as spooky in the pasture. No trails unless you haul and I don't have a pass to get on them. He is very barn sour. He also has no problem running in the field when he's by himself. She mentioned that she used to have calves and he would always pin his ears flat at them. I'm only there 2 days a week (my off days) to ride so I basically start over every week. I do have to say he has improved a little over the last month. She has mentioned finding a roper to maybe put some time on him. I'm just there to help keep he and another mare "legged up" since she can't always ride. He has a lot of sentimental value since he is the last foal out of her nice mare (very mean mare but won her a ton). I've just never sat on one that was literally almost impossible to get to move forward, at any speed! I wouldn't put it past him to stand straight up again. We spend a lot of time in the round pen! | |
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| ThreeCorners - 2015-02-02 7:49 PM
SaraJean - 2015-02-02 2:14 PM Discipline & get out of the arena are the first two things that come to mind for me. If he breaks down when you're trotting him don't just tap him with the reins SPANK him, make it miserable for him so not just maintain a nice trot. (If you are uncomfortable really getting after him since he has reared on other people then don't waste your time or the owners, tell them to find someone else to work with him) And get out of the arena as soon as you possibly can. It sound like he already knows the basics so get him out someplace where you can really ride him and apply what he knows. Horses get bored & need a purpose. Maybe even take him out with another horse and go long trotting, try to find some drive in him to be a little competative & "want to" put some effort out. If there's anybody in your area that ropes go to their place & track some nice quiet steers around in the arena. Basically get after him every time he quits you and don't be nice about it....and give him a purpose in life so that he wants to do something besides walk......and maybe he IS one of those wonderful kids horses but just needs to get through his attitude first.....
I agree! Sounds like he has shut down mentally from bordom. He has been doing the same crap forever and he's never been able to progress because he has never been able to engage past the same boring crap. Enter bad attitude and doing stupid stuff in protest out of bordom. If it was me, I'd send him to a ranch to get used for day work for a couple months. He needs outside, and a purpose to his work to use what he does know and move forward. This colt is crying for new stuff and to air his brain out.
I agree. Supposedly he has "come a long way" and is "a lot better" than he used to be. Its not my decision if he goes or not. I'm just trying to make it work with what I have and was just looking for advice on that. | |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Tell her to send him to Lance Stair's. He will put a work ethic in one and he gets them outside. We ended up buying a colt back we had sold as a 2 yr old. We got him back as a 6 yr old and let me tell you, they did him no favors and he sounds just like the one you are dealing with. We sent him to Lance and Lyndee Stairs. Lance had to ride him for the first 3 months because he was a spoiled sh*thead brought on by bordom. We left him there 9 months. Completelly different horse when he came back. | |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | The horse may be 5 but from what you describe the horse isn't even broke yet.Start the horse over in a round pen and start seeing results.Expecting great results from a horse (pre school/ kindergarten) will not give you a 12th grade student.Start over. | |
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The unmotivated colt. Help?