Sorry, a little late to the party but: Check your horse first for saddle fit, chiropractic issues, and ulcers. Have his teeth checked as well! Those are the most common issues and they are all fixable. If your vet confirms the arthritis issue you can help with medication and supplements. When all that is evaluated it is time to get him some training. It might be that he just doesn't see the need to go faster and has gotten away with refusing before (he was sold on Craigslist, a hint that he might have some issues). He sounds like a nice fellow and could still become your dream horse! But don't work on behavioral issues until you have evaluated all possible physical problems!
How to teach my 16 year old horse gelding to run?
- Thread starter Sassysarah123
- Start date
Gorman Farm
Overrun with beasties
Ok I am going to look at this from a different perspective, as a former riding instructor I can see in your words that you need riding lessons. The most telling is that you have fear about him bucking while cantering or galloping. This fear is very detectable by the horse. Before you can ask or teach a horse to do something you need confidence and a secure seat in the saddle. I highly recommend that you get riding lessons from a qualified teacher that will give you the confidence you need. The instructor can also look at/ride your horse and determine if it is a training issue or a health issue. My guess is a little of both, the horse prefers not to gallop or canter with weight on his back, but is actually able to based on your statement above. I am older now and I have arthritis in my knees, I prefer not to run but if I were being chased by a bear I would run like the wind, do you follow. Also, sad to say but sometimes sellers give pain medication to horses they are trying to sell, and when you first ride them you think it is all great, then the meds wear off and the uncomfortable horse doesn't cooperate. Speaking of which your horse may need some anti-inflammatory or pain medication on a regular basis.
rbruno
Overrun with beasties
I agree completely with Gorman Farm. Like others, I would certainly find out if there is anything physically wrong with your horse (arthritis) and also check your saddle fit, but to me, much of this I believe is learned behavior of the horse. He is essentially training you, and you are responding to his cues and not the other way around. I am not trying to be harsh or judgmental or critical, so I hope you don't take it that way. Horses are very smart and they will always take the path of least resistance. They would much rather graze in the field and play when they want then work for us. In one of your post, you mention that he will gallop back to the post where you remove the saddle. Does he do this when you are riding him or when he is just coming in from the field? If he is doing when you are riding, think about it from his perspective, why is he all of the sudden running back to the gate/post? It is because he knows the sooner he gets back to the post, the sooner you are done with him. He is controlling the situation. When you ask him to gallop and he bucks, what do you do? You stop right? You have just taught him what he needs to know to get out of work. In my opinion, you should never let a horse stop doing something when they want to. It should always be up to you when they stop doing something. Now, all of this goes out the window if the horse is so arthritic that he is in pain or has something else physically wrong with him.
How are his ground manners? Is he pushy? Does he stand well for the farrier? You may want to start with some ground work to build your confidence and to get him more use to responding to you and what you want him to do.
perchie.girl
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2012
- Messages
- 96
- Reaction score
- 50
- Points
- 123
you have had excellent advice here.... First of all a horse with arthritis is manageable... Exercise is essential for all arthritc critters. But get him evaluated... there are dietary supplements that will ease his discomfort...
Second Get that saddle fit looked at... from a trainer or qualified person. You may be able to change his padding or adjust how yhou set the saddle on his back. Or may need to find a different saddle for him.
Riding instruction is essential to sort out areas where you are lacking and he is lacking... My guess is hes pretty well trained and senses you need to be "taken care of" or Lacking confidence... a trainer can get on and evaluate his needs pretty easily.
story time: I am sixty two right now
Back when I was in my twenties I had a girlfriend who had a lovely stout mare... we rode trail and took riding lessons together... Her mare was sweet but a bit lazy or slow. We had the advantage of having a three quarter mile track around the boarding facility... a safe place to run... and I ran my mare occasionally on it.
After coming back my girlfriend told me she had never gotten her horse to run and didnt think she knew how. Now running and cantering or loping are two different gaits a Lope is a three beat gait and a run is a four beat gait... I asked my friend If I could ride her horse. Whos name was Bonnie by the way.
I got on and shortened the stirrups a bit... Hers was a jumping saddle mine a dressage saddle... she took a longer stirrup than I did as well. I trotted her around a bit then got her on the track... and set my feet and knees *(only way I can describe it) so my balance was more forward and asked for a canter then kept asking for more and more.... Pretty quickly she went into a run... Oh my goodness she had a huge stride.... The wind tore at my eyes.... She even took huge breaths between strides.... it was awesome. half way around I could tell it was enough so I shifted my weight back a little and started talking to her...
Down she came to a canter then a Very swinging trot... Horses breathe better at the trot by the way.... she was NOT fit that was obvious but for that quarter mile she was a happy camper. My girlfriend was astounded.... but she was never able to get Bonnie to run... No worries.. she just wanted to see it.
ONce you get yourself and your horse sorted out... Rding all day may not be an option... But once he gets fit and comfortable you may be surprised at what the two of you can do.
16 is not old for a horse by the way. My mare now is 22 and a Draft.. and can do sliding stops and rollbacks on the fence... Percheron style.... LOL... I dont ride any more but I do Drive...
Good luck
Second Get that saddle fit looked at... from a trainer or qualified person. You may be able to change his padding or adjust how yhou set the saddle on his back. Or may need to find a different saddle for him.
Riding instruction is essential to sort out areas where you are lacking and he is lacking... My guess is hes pretty well trained and senses you need to be "taken care of" or Lacking confidence... a trainer can get on and evaluate his needs pretty easily.
story time: I am sixty two right now
Back when I was in my twenties I had a girlfriend who had a lovely stout mare... we rode trail and took riding lessons together... Her mare was sweet but a bit lazy or slow. We had the advantage of having a three quarter mile track around the boarding facility... a safe place to run... and I ran my mare occasionally on it.
After coming back my girlfriend told me she had never gotten her horse to run and didnt think she knew how. Now running and cantering or loping are two different gaits a Lope is a three beat gait and a run is a four beat gait... I asked my friend If I could ride her horse. Whos name was Bonnie by the way.
I got on and shortened the stirrups a bit... Hers was a jumping saddle mine a dressage saddle... she took a longer stirrup than I did as well. I trotted her around a bit then got her on the track... and set my feet and knees *(only way I can describe it) so my balance was more forward and asked for a canter then kept asking for more and more.... Pretty quickly she went into a run... Oh my goodness she had a huge stride.... The wind tore at my eyes.... She even took huge breaths between strides.... it was awesome. half way around I could tell it was enough so I shifted my weight back a little and started talking to her...
Down she came to a canter then a Very swinging trot... Horses breathe better at the trot by the way.... she was NOT fit that was obvious but for that quarter mile she was a happy camper. My girlfriend was astounded.... but she was never able to get Bonnie to run... No worries.. she just wanted to see it.
ONce you get yourself and your horse sorted out... Rding all day may not be an option... But once he gets fit and comfortable you may be surprised at what the two of you can do.
16 is not old for a horse by the way. My mare now is 22 and a Draft.. and can do sliding stops and rollbacks on the fence... Percheron style.... LOL... I dont ride any more but I do Drive...
Good luck
- Thread starter
- #35
Sassysarah123
Loving the herd life
I will try using a different saddle to see if that works.
Thank you
- Thread starter
- #36
Sassysarah123
Loving the herd life
Thank you!
- Thread starter
- #37
Sassysarah123
Loving the herd life
This is very helpful! Thanks
- Thread starter
- #38
Sassysarah123
Loving the herd life
Thanks!
He has been galloping a lot now! But not while I ride. Yesterday I was lunging him for about 15 to 20 mins. So it was cold so I decided it was about time to quit, so I took his halter of him stood there for maybe a few mins then I started to walk away and he took off and galloping! He made it up a pretty
Steep hill all the way up to my other field. It seems like I see him galloping everyday now.
- Thread starter
- #39
Sassysarah123
Loving the herd life
He will gallop to the post when I am riding him. He does this so I can dismount him. That's why I now dismount him in the middle of my field. But he also will gallop when I let him into my big field for him to graze.
I do ground work with him.
No he is not at all pushy, He would rather not have anything to do with me. My 24 year old gelding is VERY pushy! If you are leading him around then you stop walking, he just bumps in to you and puts his face all over you!
When the farrier does his front feet he is great, but when she does his back feet he tries to rip them away. I
His ground manners are fine
rbruno
Overrun with beasties
A couple more suggestions I would make. I will still dismount him at the post and not in the field. This is because he is still controlling the situation. He runs back to the post because he doesn't feel like working for you. I would work with him to walk, not gallop, back to the post again to train him to do the things that you want him to do. When you start to head to the post, if he starts to pull on the bit or move at a faster pace, I would slow him up or check him to move at your pace. If he continues, turn him away from the post and head back to the field for more riding/work. Then start to head back to the post. As soon as he increases his speed, either check him with the bit to slow or turn around and head out again. If you keep doing it, he will eventually figure out he has to walk back to the post or he will have to continue to work. It might take a while, but he will figure it out.
It seems like he has pretty good ground manners which is great. I would work to desensitize him with his rear feet. Plenty of things you can do to get that area to improve. I would still suggest ground work with him, just make it a little more challenging. Have him go through/over obstacles. Set up simple games or activities for him to do. All of this is again to get him used to doing things that you want him to do and responding to your cues.
Sounds like he is moving around well which is another good sign.
It seems like he has pretty good ground manners which is great. I would work to desensitize him with his rear feet. Plenty of things you can do to get that area to improve. I would still suggest ground work with him, just make it a little more challenging. Have him go through/over obstacles. Set up simple games or activities for him to do. All of this is again to get him used to doing things that you want him to do and responding to your cues.
Sounds like he is moving around well which is another good sign.
