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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
   
Location: Missouri | ...for a fractious horse?
I don't have time to ride him like he needs, but he hasn't sold. So, thought maybe I'd get some new ideas.
I've had him since he was two, he was mostly unhandled before. He is five, has all the buttons and lots of groundwork. He is usually great at home. He has a very friendly personality, just a big goof.
But, some days he makes everything hard. Especially every first time. First time to a new arena, first time to clip, move hip/shoulder/blah, blah... he will resist. And, he throws in new tricks regularly. One recent example: bucking while ponying. A lot. Now, it probably won't happen again, because that's how it goes with him. But, it's frustrating to deal with bad behavior when my time is limited.
At home, I feel like he's ready to exhibition. But, I dare not b/c I don't know how to get through a warm up! If he's working, he's good. Trot a circle twice, and he might find some way to be bad.
So, what do you do with one that makes you work so hard for every little thing? One that is sporadically resistant and NOT easy? Bored quickly and just naughty?
Part of me says to treat him like a "real" horse and just move on. But, the other part says don't go another step until his mind is better. But, he'll be 20-something, or maybe even dead, before then. 
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
 
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Chemical help or send him to someone who will use the poop out of him in a real job. |
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 Saint Stacey
| I agree with chemical help. Wet saddle pads sometimes don't work with these types. You end up with a fractious horse that you can't ride down because they are too fit. Lots of times a little chemical help leads to a calmer horse that won't need the extra help eventually. |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Wow! I hadn't even considered something to take the edge off... But I'm sure not above it! Lol!
Are we talking a calming supplement or a script? (I would value advice, even PMs!)
When he's in one of his moods, if I can get him winded, he's done and surprisingly easy to get along with. The issue is getting him to that point though. How, at a barrel race? And what sort of prank will he pull in the mean time? Ugh. Frustrating. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | Pozzi relax pellets work wonders...and then yea I'd send him someplace with a gentle hand that'll ride him everyday and give him a job! |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | Send him to someone who will work him on a ranch for six months, he will change his tune!!! |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | You can try that vita-calm LOL, I started using it on my gelding and noticed a huge change. Sounds like he just needs miles, he's still young so he will of course try to find a way to "test" you...I've figured that out with the young ones I've ridden. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would work the horse through it.
I would try to get to an arena a few hours ahead so I can focus on him and him alone.
I would also start out at small functions, 20-30 people, whether this be a gymkhana or a barrel race.
Then I would gradually increase to larger functions.
My horses I try and start hauling 6 months to a year before I start competing on them, beginning with just tying to the horse trailer, progressing to riding either way before or after the event is over, then warming up with the crowd, and lastly exhibitioning. |
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 Life Saver
Posts: 10477
Location: MT | I'd think he would be a really good candidate to find somewhere/someone who could really put the miles and wet saddle blankets on him. Big circle, ranch type of work. |
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Saint Stacey
| A lot of fractious horses have a magnesium deficiency. They are also ulcer prone. Like any supplement, what works well on one horse might not work on another. I had a horse that Quietex worked awesome on. A lot of people told me it was a waste of money. You might just have to play around with some different calming pastes. Or ace under the tongue. Or start him on a magnesium supplement. Might want to check for ulcers too. |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | This sounds A LOT like my gelding, but we are now through this phase. SO IT IS POSSIBLE!!! LOL
The first things I did for my gelding were look at his nutrition and his belly. I changed his feed from all sorts of crap, and now he gets 2 lbs of Renew Gold, THE Muscle Mass special blend (ulcer, joint, focus, calming), and free choice alfalfa plus 24/7 turn out. I also treated him with an omeprazole regimen. I have seen INCREDIBLE improvements with just these changes.
Depending on your horse, you may or may not be able to just "wet saddle blanket" through it. My gelding just gets fitter and fitter and will never wear down. The best thing I do with him is gymnastic exercises over ground poles and cavaletti (I grew up riding jumpers) and low-level dressage maneuvers. For my gelding, it is not the quantity of the riding, it is the QUALITY of the riding. He HATES working circles, he wants his MIND worked - not just his body. Give him something to think about besides being naughty. Set up some pole figures, practice some dressage tests - these are what I do during the week, and also as a warm up at races. I rarely EVER work circles or straight lines on my gelding and he is much happier for it. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | 2-cc of Ace under the tongue works great on my green ones. Give it before you leave and when you get there, your horse will be manageable.
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Thanks for all of the advice!
He's had 90+ days professional training, including 30 days on a ranch. It just doesn't make sense financially or logically for me to send him off again, because he is good when ridden down daily. I cannot maintain that schedule when he comes home, so I fear he would revert back each time.
Headed out to see what he has in store for me today! 
Thanks again for the help!
Edited by just4fun 2015-08-18 8:32 AM
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | cheryl makofka - 2015-08-17 6:27 PM I would work the horse through it. I would try to get to an arena a few hours ahead so I can focus on him and him alone. I would also start out at small functions, 20-30 people, whether this be a gymkhana or a barrel race. Then I would gradually increase to larger functions. My horses I try and start hauling 6 months to a year before I start competing on them, beginning with just tying to the horse trailer, progressing to riding either way before or after the event is over, then warming up with the crowd, and lastly exhibitioning.
This is actually what I've been doing.
I've hauled him all summer and left him tied.
Just two weeks ago, I rode him for the first time after the barrel race was over. He was okay... not great, but not awful. He rode pretty much like a 2y/o instead of the broke horse I know he is!
Funny thing though, the arena manager called and said someone had seen me riding him and wanted to know if he was for sale! YES! lol! But, no return call. Maybe they thought he was 2... |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | How's he getting fed? Do you round pen him at all? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| just4fun - 2015-08-18 8:41 AM
cheryl makofka - 2015-08-17 6:27 PM I would work the horse through it. I would try to get to an arena a few hours ahead so I can focus on him and him alone. I would also start out at small functions, 20-30 people, whether this be a gymkhana or a barrel race. Then I would gradually increase to larger functions. My horses I try and start hauling 6 months to a year before I start competing on them, beginning with just tying to the horse trailer, progressing to riding either way before or after the event is over, then warming up with the crowd, and lastly exhibitioning.
This is actually what I've been doing.
I've hauled him all summer and left him tied.
Just two weeks ago, I rode him for the first time after the barrel race was over. He was okay... not great, but not awful. He rode pretty much like a 2y/o instead of the broke horse I know he is!
Funny thing though, the arena manager called and said someone had seen me riding him and wanted to know if he was for sale! YES! lol! But, no return call. Maybe they thought he was 2...
I would keep doing what you are doing, some horses take more time, miles, and riding in different venues before they become comfortable |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | I talked to my vet (also my FIL). He wants me to start with injecting Thiamine before going the sedation route.
A lot of the calming supplements I've looked at have Thiamine/B1 in them.
Anyone have experience with this?
hammer_time, his diet: turnout 24/7. A flake of alfalfa and tiny bit of Legends Performance Tech.
I'm not sure what you mean by roundpen him, but I have worked him on the ground in and out of the roundpen. I do not do it regularly. He hooks up really nicely and I can move him all around without him leaving, or send him off and bring him back...he's actually really good at it! I've also done a lot of CA "lounging for respect" stuff.
I lounge him or pony him before getting on him when I take him to a new place, but try to avoid it at home.
Edited by just4fun 2015-08-18 5:04 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | My gelding can be like this, he's 4. He is generally alright, but I try really hard not to let him go 2 days in a row without riding. But, it often happens. A couple of weeks ago he was only ridden once and then was taken to a playday, and he 'hopped' all the way through the first pattern. If we lope/canter too soon (at home or away), he'll throw a hoppy buck in. Super fun. (not)
Most of the time, I've found that even if we mess up and have to leave whatever we're doing, he'll come back better next time. So I take baby steps when he's good (it took me probably 5 times hauling him to our playdays before I'd ride him last year) and along the way I've learned how to ride out his naughtiness.
I've thought about selling him, he loves to work and probably would benefit from someone with more time but I'd want more than I know he's worth because I love the little bugger too much. So it is what it is. I hope you find a happy medium with him! I keep telling myself, I've heard all the good ones are quirky  |
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Training advice...