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 Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:17 am
I am looking for a new horse, particularly one who is versatile and open to new things. I am an intermediate to advanced rider, and I don't mind challenges.
I rode an 8 year old QH gelding today. He goes both English and Western (I rode him Western). He has response I've never seen before: the lady who owns him (and claims she's had him since last July) taught him everything off the seat and legs. She only uses the reins to slow him at the canter and request him to lower his head, i.e as far as I can tell, she's been instilling in him a pre-dressage training.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
Problem is, his trot and canter are crazy. You can't do a sitting trot on him yet (she explained why, but I didn't catch it). When he started trotting and I tried to sit it, I was thrown on his neck. Posting was fine.
His canter startup is... indescribable. He kind of crow hops violently into it. Once you get him into it, he's fine, but his canter is not at all polished or smooth. He kind of leaps along, and the last canter I did, he did a couple of mini rears and mini bucks. I told him to knock it off, and he did, and resumed his leaping canter.
He seems to have a nice temperament. When I was on him, he didn't really do anything bad or even get overly exasperated because I was messing up his very subtle cues in the beginning.
He also has a bad head tossing habit, and he seems to hate his bit. The owner claims she's ridden him in hackamore, and said he would need a standing martingale under English for a while. He had no head correcting equipment on when I rode him.
Needless to say, a trainer will be looking at him if I really decide I am interested. He would also get professional training if I did get him.
My question is, is this something I should get involved with? Polished up, he'd be a very nice horse, but I'm puzzled as to why his owner spent so much time teaching him all these things (she claimed she even taught him flying lead changes, but I didn't verify it. She claimed the mini-rear/buck thing was him changing leads three times), and completely neglected his gaits? What do you think?
I have a copy of his pedigree if anyone wants to look at it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:03 am
I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to do sitting trot. Regardless of his training stage or not sitting trot doesn't have to be taught to the horse. It's just something you do.
Hmmm..I dunno.Up to you just seems like quite a bit of work you would have to put in in order to get something nice to ride.
Head tossing might also be a sign of other problems,which aren't behavioral.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 4:10 pm
There are two reasons for the horses actions. One is that it could be a training/riding issue. A horse I ride (8 y/o warmblood gelding) is a little bit similar. He's very sensitive, and gets pissy easily. What you've described as mini-buck/rear things, sounds just like what the horse I ride does. If he isn't forward and accepting of the bit in the moment and I try to bend him or half halt while cantering, he gets very defensive and excited and will pin his ears and try to change. I just click and drive him forward with my seat and half halt again once he's forward and he gets his brains about him again, but there is sometimes that moment where his neck tenses up and he feels "hoppy" with his hind end. This sort of thing often comes from rushing a sensitive horse into changes and/or letting them run through the changes, when the horse isn't going properly before asking for the change (bending, soft, supple, through, and forward). As for the inconsistency in the bridle, I'd be interested in knowing how he goes on the lunge with side reins on where the pressure is even and steady and there isn't the rider to think about.
Another option is that he's uncomfortable. The saddle may not fit properly, he made have his back out, or he may need some dental work done. If the saddle isn't fitting or his back is out, this could be the reason why sitting trot is a problem and canter (where the rider is always in the saddle). If the bit is hitting his teeth, he could be anticipating the aid when he canters, and your hand may not be as steady in the sitting trot.
Lots of things to think about. Personally, if I didn't know the horse and the person who has put training on it, unless he is a very high quality animal for an extremely good price, I wouldn't consider getting a horse with possibly a long term training or soreness issue. Horses don't misbehave for the sake of misbehaving. It's always either a training/handling issue, or a defense response.
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Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:34 pm
Ya, we also thought it might be a health issue. I emailed the owner the morning after I rode him asking her about his issues and never got a reply. So that finished that off! He seemed a good-tempered horse, though
Thanks for your replies!
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