k
this gelding needs to stand tied up until he's taking a nap, after every ride; period. Then you can put him away.
Why don't you just take him to multi days and ride everyday, slow and easy? I can't think of a better way to get his attention and teach him that you are not going to stop, when he wants to ......
fwiw,
sheila
From: skyhorseranch@xxxxxxx To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] out of control freak Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:23:34 -0500
< He thinks rides are to be conducted at race-track speeds, and gets extremely frustrated at a rider that interferes with that plan. :) Doing training rides with a group helped somewhat, but I certainly could never consider riding in a snaffle. Actual rides only improved slightly. In any kind of competitive situation, he wants to be *FIRST*, and hates to be rated. I don't think any amount of training is going to fix that - certainly no training that I am competent to perform, anyway.>
I think you are describing MY horse. 8 yr old purebred Arab gelding, no previous trail experience til I got him this year. First couple of rides he was "terrified" of being left behind, so outdid himself to keep up. He was very rank at the start and for the first 15 miles. After 20 miles, he's the "perfect" horse. But I'm worn out. Took some time off this summer. Got him enjoying pleasure rides. He acts like he's 22 yrs old and near dead when I ride him by himself. After we get a few spooks out and he knows where he is. Goes to sleep. W/ a group of pleasure riders riding at a walk, he was somewhat agitated, but under control. Tried our first "competition" again last week at a laid-back Supreme Trail Challenge (a type of competitive trail ride) and he went into race brain as soon as he saw horses leaving camp in the morning. Not much better than he was at his first endurance ride. I even rode w/ a babysitter for the first 17 miles.
I am teaching him a new trick. It's called let the horse in front get out of sight (around a corner in the woods). Make him stand still. Then let him catch up. He will play the game pretty well after an hour on trail. But not doing it at the start. He shakes his head, throws himself around, paws, basically acts like a spoiled baby. But he's a very big, angry, and tall baby. Sort of scary. I almost got off this last time and wanted to tie him to a tree and let him work it out. I might do that some time. Worked w/ a herd bound QH I used to have. Eventually I hope to get THERE. A sane starting horse. He is my future 100 mile horse. So I want control.
But you know, at home, he is also very herd bound. Can't stall him out of sight of the other horses. He circles, paces, piaffes, bends things that are in his way (like my gate) and can rearrange a round pen faster than you can pick up your carrot stick. Won't be pastured by himself unless it's on his terms (certain view he has to have of the entire farm).
So I am resigned to re-train him and work w/ him every day. I've started probably a dozen horses and trained my first horse, a mustang, when I was 15. Didn't really want to re-train or re-start a horse right now. But here we go. ( my grandfather, who is in the hospital right now, said "just throw him out in the pasture". I explained, well, I paid too much for him to do that! LOL).
If he acts herd bound at home, how can I expect him to behave in a crowded start of an endurance ride? I have him in mild to moderate bit - a combination bit w/ a bosal that works off the nose, chin, and poll. This gives just enough control that he doesn't try to rear and get out of it and it doesn't tear his mouth up. Best bit I think for now.
Back to the round pen. I'm teaching him all the standard join up stuff, voice commands, how to control his emotions (reward for coming in center and giving me his attention). And I'm teaching him to bow (whew, that is hard work), hobble, and do some obstacles. He works out of sight of any other horses, then gets tied up out of sight and fed some nice hay. We'll see how it goes. Then we'll play the games of out of sight whenever I can w/ a group of people. For AERC rides for right now, I'll just have to start after everyone like I did before.
Sounds easy when they say, just re-direct your horse's energy when they act herd-bound. There's a lot more too it for certain types.
