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Help!! Annoying horse not listening.

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Help!! Annoying horse not listening.
  • Help! My 11 year old, abused rescue, quarter horse, that's finally getting weight on is throwing a fit. Today I went to see him right after his lunch and groomed him and put his boot on. He did fine though all this without a lead rope on in his stall. Then I moved him to the cross ties he was fine. Then I got out his saddle and he tried to bite me and stamped his feet. Which he has never done. The day before when I rode he was a perfect angle. I finally got it on him, and took him to the indoor arena and set up the jumping pattern we have been working on for a week. The minute I started he ran away from me. He did this every time. Every time I caught him he backed up half the arena. I finally had enough and took the saddle off and lunged him in the round pin so he could not get away. He did figure out how to turn around while lunging. Still trouble. Finally got him to make one round around the pin and jump 3 out of the 4 jumps. Running away after word this. Had to take off boots, clean arena and put blanket on to cool him down as it got colder in Oregon. My Philosophy is to make him do 1 thing right then stop on bad days. Did I do something wrong? Should I have done some thing different? I fully groomed him including picked feet and check for sore spots. I also tried lunging him both ways. I ride western. I am a 16 year old that has had Donny ( the quarter horse) for 3 years. He was a rescue horse and was abused when I got him. He had tried getting weight on him for the first year. Then we found out that his back was out . So after 2 chiropractors and lots of vet and farrier bills we got weight on him and my parents ( who are retired endurance racers) stared training him. For the first year I didn't even try to ride him . He didn't have any previous training except breaking him. When he was rode he was rode in a martingale. When I got him he was 100 pounds underweight. Before the human society took him. For the next year and half he was trained and barely rode tell he got manners. He was up to weight by the 2nd year. Just tell recently he was fine then his mineral levels went down and he lost lots of weight. Slowed down on riding and am just now training. When started jumping this last week he did not have a saddle on and he was being lunged and just walking next to him over them. When I ride him in western I use my western saddle and a snaffle bit. I own a English saddle but have not ridden in it for 6 months. Cannot afford a trainer. I haven't been doing patterns. I don't even know if I am doing that right. I ride every day or every other day. Every day the last 2 weeks. I already had the tack checked planning on getting a good Australian saddle or English soon. They didn't say it didn't fit they just said if they he gained too much more weight I would need one. I do know he likes to test me so that me it, also I really don't know what I am doing for jumping if it right or not. I am not doing patterns or anything off the ground all I am doing is poles in different directions. Would it help to have someone ride him in a lope, I have never ridden him in it. He dose perfect in everything else ( meaning other gaits). This is lunging on a line with manly ground poles and one very low cross not even 8 inches off the ground. I did try walking him and doing the jumps with him he did perfect that way. On the lunge lines a different story. I also lunged him near them for about 3 days before even attempting that. Do I need to try a cavasson for lunging? Would that help the lunging/ riding problem? Also if you know of any one in my area that is willing to accept work for training or lessons? I can't find any. Please answer all question in your answer.
  • I had this exact same problem with my Abused Quarter horse. She was so perfect when I started ridding her, and about 2 months later she would not walk on a lead at all, but she would ride perfectly, months later she would not even let me get a halter on her, I finally had to focus on my other horse Wolfe, after a month now we get along GREAT.

    My advice to you is give him a few days, if he doesn't change and the same thing happens run him in the round pen every day or so. IF that doesn't work I would Have someone else ride him, maybe even ride him In a halter, but if someone rides him and he is perfect ride him after and see what happens, if he does bad at riding sorry to say it , but it might be you. Also, Have you ever ridden Bareback? That is a great way to connect with your horse.

  • He's bored. Probably a really smart horse. Why are you jumping when you ride Western? Why don't you just stop trying so hard. Just spend some low pressure, pleasant time with him. Go to the barn, groom him for a really long time, take him to the round pen, do some easy joining up work. Make a fuss over his progress, love on him, then quit for the day. Won't that surprise him? He might actually enjoy your visits. Bareback in the round pen isn't a bad idea. He's nippy when you cinch him because it's not comfortable for him. My horse did that. If he brought his face towards me as if to nip I'd rub his nose as if scratching him but I'd do it so vigorously he'd WANT to get his nose away from me.

    You need to remember how important small steps and repetition are. Also he's not trying to be annoying and not listen. He'd rather you be a good herd leader if you expect him to want to follow you, be clear in what you're asking, be consistent, be patient. Never lose your patience (not on the outside).

    I don't know what you mean when you go to work on jumping and he runs away from you. You let him go? He panics and flees? Are you on top of him? I'm thinking not. Why are you doing that?

    When you say your parents are both endurance riders, can they not work with you and your horse? If not then please check out some training videos and get some ideas of things you can try. Take it slow. don't make him dread your visits.

  • Yeah he is probably not bored or has too much pressure. One horse I ride is sometimes fussy with his feet. I have only  jumped once western but my riding teacher lunged me over a barrel (and he barrel was on its side)    :)