How to teach my 16 year old horse gelding to run?

[Alexa009]

You should probably make the saddle bigger or if the horse is overweight you should make him smaller.

 

[Sassysarah123]

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.

Do you suggest he jump over things? Or would that be bad for his arthritis?
Thanks for the ideas! I will set up some activities for him to do.

 

[Sassysarah123]

You should probably make the saddle bigger or if the horse is overweight you should make him smaller.

But you don't even know how big he is

 

[Ridgetop]

In this thread I see that several people have suggested that you have a vet check him out. I don't see that you have done that yet in spite of that good advice. You need to have a vet evaluate the horse for arthritis or any other physical reason he does not want to run. If the previous owner is the only source you have for thinking the horse has arthritis you may be relying on bad information.

First, never buy a horse without a vet check. A couple hundred dollars for the vet check would have saved you $1100 spent on a horse that you think is crippled with arthritis. This was an expensive lesson. Get a vet check now so you know what you are dealing with.

Second, mild arthritis can be controlled with medication. It usually can be seen in limping or favoring of the arthritic leg. I don't see anywhere where you mention a limp. It is possible that the rear legs are the ones affected and maybe why the horse doesn't want the farrier lifting them. Most people with an arthritic horse had had the horse for a long time and are willing to medicate because they are old friends. You have just bought this horse. Medication does not come cheaply and you saved a long time for this horse.

Third, you bought a horse to ride. You have only had him a few months. You are not enjoying riding him because he will not do what you want and you are afraid he will buck or run away with you. If the vet gives you bad news about arthritis, or any other condition, sell the horse. Buy another horse with a proper vet check. Buy a horse with proper training. Don't just take the seller's word for the horse's condition. If you cannot use the horse for riding the way you want to, you have wasted $1100.

Fourth, if the vet says the horse is sound, you will need to either work with the horse (depending on your riding experience level) or put the horse with a trainer for a few months for a tune up. Once the horse has been with the trainer you will have to ride the horse with the trainer to learn how to make the horse follow your cues. The horse will behave differently with the trainer so you don't want to just bring him home and expect him to behave for you. Horses have very long memories and his memories are of doing what he wants with you instead of doing what you want and he will expect to continue doing it his way.

Just because the horse runs in the field doesn't mean anything. How long have you been riding horses? Have you taken riding lessons? You need to learn how to be the boss of the horse. Right now it sounds as if the horse is telling you what to do and you are obeying him. Until you become the boss, you will not enjoy your horse.

I hope you will take everyone's advice - but first get a vet check. No sense spending money buying new saddles or paying for trainers and lessons if the horse is not sound.

 

[Sassysarah123]

In this thread I see that several people have suggested that you have a vet check him out. I don't see that you have done that yet in spite of that good advice. You need to have a vet evaluate the horse for arthritis or any other physical reason he does not want to run. If the previous owner is the only source you have for thinking the horse has arthritis you may be relying on bad information.

Right before we got him the guy said that they had just taken him to vet and they said he had minor arthitis. The guy said we could gallop on him. But he also said his wife was riding him and when she was going up a steep hill with him he was stumbling so she jumped off.

 

[Ridgetop]

Right before we got him the guy said that they had just taken him to vet and they said he had minor arthitis. The guy said we could gallop on him. But he also said his wife was riding him and when she was going up a steep hill with him he was stumbling so she jumped off.

You need to have your own vet examine him because people who are selling horses (used cars, etc.) do not always tell the truth. Does the horse really have arthritis and how bad it is needs to be determined by your vet. If the seller told you the horse was stumbling so badly his wife got off and led him home, why did you buy him?

If a horse gallops back to his stall, but is sluggish going away from it, it usually means he is "barn sour". This is training. But you need to verify the seller's claim that the horse actually has minor arthritis instead of something more serious. Horse people have a saying no hoof, no horse" and this applies to any leg problem or foot problem.

My uncle used to buy and sell horses and livestock. He told me many times "never believe a horse trader". In any livestock deal, always verify. If you are buying dairy animals ask for the milking records, breeding stock, ask to see the breeding and offspring records, registered animals get the papers, horses do a vet purchase check. Doing a vet check on a horse before purchase is standard. No matter how sweet the horse is a horse with a medical issue is going to cost a lot in vet fees. For a lifelong companion this is understandable. My husband's 28 year old Tennessee Walker needs $120 a month in meds to get to her feet in the morning - we pay it because we have had her for years and she deserves her retirement. It sounds like the seller of this horse just retired his unsound horse into your pasture and you will be paying the bills for his meds.

Do you suggest he jump over things? Or would that be bad for his arthritis?
Thanks for the ideas! I will set up some activities for him to do.

If this horse was stumbling when being ridden, asking him to jump could be dangerous for you. Again you have to verify his physical problem before asking him to jump, or do any galloping.

This seems to be your first horse purchase.
Sadly, I think you have made a costly mistake with this horse. Every mistake we make is a learning experience. Hopefully your next horse purchse will be what you are hoping for. Good luck.

 

[Sassysarah123]

I trotted and canter on him for a good 5 mins today. He stopped a few times but I clucked and he sped up. He kinda started to run to the gate but I turned him around the other direction.

 

[Sassysarah123]

I did gallop on him a few days ago. It seem like he doesn't mind running if he is following Danny. I think it also might be me or something because when my mom rode him he didn't seem like he minded trotting she even got him to gallop, and he didn't try to stop. I think I have been worrying too much about his arthritis that I am starting to let him get away with certain things like running. I need to be more firm with him.
I have a video of him doing a gallop I will try to post it on youtube so I can post it on here

 

[Sassysarah123]

Today he was pacing the fence galloping around and throwing his head when he knew I was coming back to feed him sweet feed.
He gallops a lot now.
If he can gallop fine without a rider why can't he with?

 

[Sassysarah123]

I trotted him today for awhile. At some points he did try to run to the gate that I dismount at. But when he did I turned him the opposite way. At the end he was doing pretty good he stopped trying to run to the gate so I got off him and walked him to the gate instead of riding him there to dismount