JMHO, but part of his behavior just sounds like green
horse who hasn't figured out that it's better not to misbehave at rides because
it wastes too much energy. It also seems to me that the head tossing may be in
part a habit. If so, in a hackamore where there's nothing hurting inside his
mouth, he can be taught to quit doing it. Good
luck, Laney
I agree with what Laney writes and will add only one
comment. I believe that some horses never figure it out. I have been
riding a horse that I have owned for 7 years and he still wants to just flat out
run at rides. Over the years, I have tried many suggestions with
him (other then to let him flat out run) and he really is not all that much
different from when I first started riding him. But, I like the
horse, feel he is very talented, so I have found ways to manage him so it is
safe for both me and the horse. Two years ago, I decided that I would only
enter him in 100 mile rides and perhaps he would "learn" not to waste so much
energy. Most of the rides I take him in I start on foot because I don't
want him to be a danger to me or other riders. Over the past couple
years with this kind of management, I see a little improvement here and
there. But overall he has just gotten more fit so he can pull on me
longer then when he was just fit for 25s or 50s :) I have come to the
conclusion he is who he is. The last 100 I took him in I rode by myself for
almost 65 miles and saw very few horses on the trail. even alone, I
had to ride him on a very tight rein because he just wanted to gallop.
This went on for most of that 65 miles and he even broke his martingale at
around 50 miles. I know he wasted a ton of energy. The way
I felt at about that point is I would have paid someone to take him off my
hands. But, for the last 35 miles of the ride he settled
in and I had a great ride on a forward moving horse that wasn't the least
bit tired or stressed. So in the end, for me, it is all worth it. Although,
I now realize after all these years he probably will never become the horse I
know he could be if he didn't waste so much energy and have a race brain, I like
him. I like the challenge of trying to find the best ways to manage him in
endurance.
So my advice is to keep trying to
eliminate all the physical problems that the horse might be experiencing like
teeth and back problems. Once those are eliminated, try all/many of
the suggestions riders give you to teach the horse that it is not in his best
interest to waste so much energy. Those techniques work for 95% of the
horses out there. Just realize, there is the possibility that this is who
your horse is and instead of eliminating those behaviors you may have to find
ways to manage them. Endurance riding is suppose to be fun and the
"fun factor" has to come close to equaling the effort, conditioning, money,
etc. that you put into this sport. Some horses are just not suited for
this sport and it does you and the horse no good trying to make something work
if you are not enjoying the process.
