Anyone near Canby oregon ?? I need a trainer BADLY !! =(

I have been thinking on this ever since I saw your post. I'm going to try to be nice about it, but I'm going to be straight and you may not like it.

Keboe is a horse. He's probably 5 or 6 times your size and double or triple that your strength. Fortunately these huge animals are more tractable than most other large animals. You say he's a "huge puppy dog" and when he drags you off he "doesn't mean to". Well, he's not a huge puppy dog and he does mean to drag you. And, you're correct, he's warning you with his butt end and you eventually will be kicked.

Keboe is treating you as a horse will. He may like you (you're the source of food), but he doesn't respect you. He is treating you the way he would other horses in the herd and, right now, HE's the boss. In my opinion, the first thing you need to do is get a whip. No, you're not going to beat him (probably - unless he decides that he's going to fight for first place). You need something that will extend your reach and that will get his attention. I would not go into his pen or stall without it. And don't go in unless his 'business end' is facing the other direction (the reason for the whip). Also, if he "drags you off", you can use the whip to move his butt over and bring his attention back to you. He can't drag you off when his butt is moving to the side and his eyes are on you.

You say you can't afford a fancy trainer and you want the 'right' one so they don't do 'any more damage'. Right now you need any trainer that will work with him and you (so that you can learn how to keep him respectful). And as to cost...whatever you pay for a trainer will be less than a hospital or nursing home bill (or a funeral).

You might see if you can find a local teenager who is horse savvy, does your school have an FFA or something like that?  I agree with Durango regarding the whip.  I keep a lunge whip outside my filly's pasture.  She was not raised correctly and once in a while, her past raises it's ugly head and she needs to remember I am not a playmate or a lower-on-the-pecking order herd mate, I'm the ultimate boss!  I'm not mean about it but if she gets in my space, turns her rear to me or does anything disrespectful, she knows I am "the long-arm of the law!"  We had one of those moments the other night.  I am one-armed right nowdue to an injury and she got pushy and disrespectful at feeding time.  A few snaps w/ the lunge whip when she came toward me too fast w/ her ears pinned soon had her staying away and thinking on things and she finally decided she would come up to me slowly, w/ her head down, ears forward, "asking" to be allowed to come in.  She is not afraid of me, I can pick up the whip when she is being respectful and she isn't afraid, run it over her body, etc.
 
I wouldn't ride Keboe if you don't know anything about training him or someone is going to get hurt.  Have you heard the saying "Green + Green=Black and Blue?"  I think that could apply here.
 
You should invest in a rope halter as that will get his attention more than a flat halter.  If he still pulls on you, as my filly did when I first got her, I got a chain that you put over their nose, attached to the halter and lead rope.  You won't always need it, just long enough to convince him when you pull, he follows. You can use the whip to tap his chest too, if he starts getting past you. as big as he is, you need some tools to help you.  Goodluck with him and keep asking questions!

In the Willamette Valley, OR you can find good trainers at the price range of $500 to $600 for 30 days of training with full board. Most will split that into 2 weeks for half the cost. Two weeks would be enough time to work out the respect issues you have. You need to follow up with weekly haul-in lessons for awhile ($30 to $40 a lesson). Right now if you can even afford 1 week it will be of immense benefit to you. ....The money is well spent, you and your horse will develop an entirely new understanding of eachother and you will be much safer around your horse. You will learn more than your horse, which is what needs to happen so you can continue to develop a relationship with your horse based on clear communication which your horse understands. .....I recommend looking up the Clinton ANderson lunging for respect DVD series, some libraries have it available to rent and you might find a used set on eBay. Watching the DVDs will give you some direction to take, and a basic understanding of horse communication and how to use your body language to communicate with theirs. I do not recommend Parelli for someone in your shoes, your horse is allready spoiled and it needs to have a firm approach to training. Your goal should not be a best friend to gallop bareback and bridleless through fields of daissies with, but rather a horse who respects you and who you can get along with to go out and have some adventures together. ..... I will ask the trainer I work with if she recommends anyone in your area, I am much further south and west from you but Canby is a HUGE horsey area. Shouldn't be hard to find someone in your price range who can work with yo

thanks everyone, =) Some GREAT advice here, I have decided to definately start interviewing trainers who can work with us, when i said i didnt want just any trainer, what i meant was i want to be carefull and choose one who will benefit our situation and not be to quick to choose and end up with someone who is going to harm our situation even worse,  iv seen alot of people who call themselves trainers who in fact actually know nothing at all, i just want to be very carefull with who i allow to work with him as its so important we do this right, and when i say i dont want to pay a high class trainer, basically im not looking for a trainer who is going to charge astronomical amounts that i need to mortgage my house for and try to make him into a high end show horse, Im just looking to keep things simple, a nice well mannerd pleasure trail horse to ride around the lakes, not looking for training for competition or anything, =) 
  You guys all had GREAT advice here, =) thanks a bunch =) 

Rope halter for sure.  The one that has the knots placed at the pressure points of the nose and he won't want to drag you.
 
My first safety lesson is "BACK UP" and they better do it right away.  Whoever backs up first loses. 
 
Glad you're going the trainer route.  I'm not a trainer either.  I'm about to jump on an unbroke horse anyway. *walks away whistling*

Sorry I have not responded back to your replies, WOW !! things been crazy here !!! And havent been online, good news is Keboe, who finally got his permanent name, has been named "chakote" =)  yyaaaaaaeeee !!! =) Is doing MUCH better now days, I have taken everyones advice here, thank you soooo much to all of you =) and we are finally doing well and he is responding well to what I ask of him =)  I have been offline as I just found out my mother has *** cancer, the same week I found out my kidneys have taken a turn for the worse again, and all ontop of being in the process of rescuing a slaughter bound horse off the truck up in washington....... Im hanging in there the best i can but super exausted and in pain =(  we got our new horse home safely after a 9 hour round trip drive into the rainy night, " my very first and scary horse hauling adventure " but i did well my husband said, so I was proud of myself. he is a sweet boy who has been very tramatized, He will now be chakote's new buddy, and i hope to someday win his trust and love, hes such a special boy whos had a rough life at only 6 years old =( I will post pictures of him this evening, =) he has been quarantined away from chakote and has not been able to come to our barn yet, hoping maybe tomorow he can finally come to his forever home with us. =)

Here he is at the auction yard waiting for the truck to pick him up for canada slaughter house =( he was on concrete and mud in the rain =(
 

 

 
 
 (((((((((( And here he is today, 4 days in his new home with us, greener pasture, food, and lots of love. )))))))))
 

 

 

 

wow he is beautiful. why was he slaughter bound?  he is young and i dont understand why people do this to horses. i love horses and even if i wernt fond of them i wouldnt put one up for slaughter.thank you for caring enough to help him and give him a forever home.
 
 

Because a green, unbroke horse without any particularly notable breeding isn't worth anything in a horse market where you can spend $1000 on a been-there, done-that horse with papers..... because, ultimately, there are more horses out there than there are homes for them. Because people keep breeding horses without selection, or following through with training the foals they produce. Because the cost of feeding horses is growing higher and higher in proportion to the loss of farmland and the increasing cost of fossil fuels. There are hundreds of reasons why..... but Chakote is a lucky little horse to be given one more good chance at making it in this world.

Durangogramma approves of this ^ post.

It sounds harsh, but it's the truth...and why I struggle to hang onto the horse I have, even though it's very hard since my husband died.

And, bless you Keboe for taking them in.

3equines , You hit the nail right on the head !!! SO well explained, so true and so sad !!!
   I know having 2 unbroke, unpaperd 7 year old geldings may sound waste of time to alot, but to me, there are no wrong or problem horses, there only wrong people, and these two boys (will) enjoy the fullfilling life they deserve to have =)
  to all of you, thanks so much for the support and kind words, I look forward to seeing there training advance =)

I think you have 2 gorgeous mutts   Keep us updated on how their training goes

More often than not it's the non-papered "grade" horses that make the best ones. Even though there are many reputable breeders out there that consciously try to improve the breed, there are also just as many that breed for a certain trait not understanding that in doing so they neglect the others that truly make up a good horse. I have one that is "triple registered" but has some mental and physical challenges that made it difficult to use him. He is retired now and is just a pasture ornament but even if I did want to sell him I wouldn't be able to in good faith since he isn't safe. Just my two cents...

Have 3 good 'grade' horses and one mule in my barn, all good animals. One was picked up off the auction lot. But even with all the countless miles and wet saddle blankets they've got on them, none could sell for over $1000 on today's market. Even my registered Haflingers, who have been to the Moon and back as far as miles under saddle go, aren't worth much more than that. Just the way it is these days. Not that I am selling, anyhow.