I just found your blog and need some good advice. BTW, nice bloodlines!
I'm a 50-ish re-rider with long ago horse experience. I bought a 3 year old quarter filly about 10 days ago, green broke, 30 days on her. I'll call her the Princess. She was a hand raised AI baby and probably spoiled rotten. I saw her ridden and she appeared to be green but good minded. Two days after I got her home, she cut her leg and kicked at us every time we tried to doctor her. Kinda understandable, she's new, we're strangers and her leg hurts. We had the vet check her and he wanted us to give her bute for a few days. She wouldn't take the bute, we had to mix it in her feed. After a few days to let her settle down, we saddled her up, no problem. I bridled her and when I went to put the reins over her head, she reared straight up and pitched a fit. I settled her down, led her around for a while and then untacked her. Yesterday, saddled easily but appears to be head shy with the bridle. Took an hour of advance/retreat to bridle her and I used a hackamore. Wears a halter fine and doesn't mind having her head touched, just problem with the bridle and reins by her face.
I have another mare and we are keeping the two separated but they share a fence line. Today we turned them in together and they mostly ignored each other. As the Princess slowly approached the other mare, my other mare began to chase the Princess. They ran a few laps around my 1-1/2 acre pasture and I managed to separate them, placing a panel in the gap between pastures. Princess ran up to the panel fence to continue the chase game and stopped. She made another circle and ran at panel fence, didn't stop, tried to jump, didn't clear and fell, breaking the panel connection. She's OK but I'm sure she will stiffen up later.
Now, I have owned this horse for 10days and I'm starting to think she might be too dangerous for me. She's bridle shy, kicks, rears and runs through fences. My plan is to consult a professional trainer and here are my questions... How can I tell if a trainer is good? Obviously the one who put the first 30 days on her contributed to the bridle shyness. Do you think she will ever be safe? My husband thinks she is just spoiled, I'm thinking she may have a screw loose. Would appreciate any advice.
texasmissy- you have to realize 30 days is nothing....absolutely nothing. If she was spoiled before then there's no telling what needed to be done to get her started. I can never guarantee what 30 days will bring me.Sometimes they stand tied for half that time, or all of it. Sometimes they won't accept the saddle or bridle at first.Sometimes I'm on their back, sometimes not. What I'm getting at is even if she wasn't spoiled before, 30 days doesn't give you a broke horse. She has been handled so little that her reaction to the bridle could simply be that you're doing something different than the first rider did. Not wrong, just different.I know I ride with split reins, and bring them up the side, not over their head. If I were in your situation I would want to ride something a lot older and wiser than a three year old. I would carefully consider my goals, (having fun maybe?) and see if this horse can possibly match them. In the best of circumstances she will not be easy to ride for several more years. If you want to find a trainer, I would consult your vet for a reccomendation. I would outline my goals to the trainer and ask for an honest evaluation of my future with this horse. Good luck, and please be careful.
Thank you very much. You know, in the back of my mind, I thought the horse already had ground training and was wearing a saddle and bridle before she went to the trainer and the trainer actually rode her for 30 days. *slaps forehead* I didn't realize he probably started her from scratch. And now I realize....30 days is nothing. I also didn't realize the trainer might have never put the reins over her head before. From my filly's point of view, this has probably been a hellish 10 days for her. I'll talk to the vet tomorrow and see if they have a trainer to recommend and listen to his assessment. I do like this filly and am willing to put more time into her but certainly don't want either of us hurt. Again, thanks for the eye opener and I intend to keep reading your blog.
Ooh! Your mare is related to a mare at the barn where I board! Smart Chic Olena is her sire. I almost bought her before Charlie, but she blew out a hoof pretty badly and her owner neglected to do anything about it for quite a while. She's still for sale and as sweet as pie. But as she has no show history and has really only been a broodmare, I'm not sure she's worth the asking price.
WoW!!!! very nice bloodlines -- the best!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and need some good advice. BTW, nice bloodlines!
ReplyDeleteI'm a 50-ish re-rider with long ago horse experience. I bought a 3 year old quarter filly about 10 days ago, green broke, 30 days on her. I'll call her the Princess. She was a hand raised AI baby and probably spoiled rotten. I saw her ridden and she appeared to be green but good minded. Two days after I got her home, she cut her leg and kicked at us every time we tried to doctor her. Kinda understandable, she's new, we're strangers and her leg hurts. We had the vet check her and he wanted us to give her bute for a few days. She wouldn't take the bute, we had to mix it in her feed. After a few days to let her settle down, we saddled her up, no problem. I bridled her and when I went to put the reins over her head, she reared straight up and pitched a fit. I settled her down, led her around for a while and then untacked her. Yesterday, saddled easily but appears to be head shy with the bridle. Took an hour of advance/retreat to bridle her and I used a hackamore. Wears a halter fine and doesn't mind having her head touched, just problem with the bridle and reins by her face.
I have another mare and we are keeping the two separated but they share a fence line. Today we turned them in together and they mostly ignored each other. As the Princess slowly approached the other mare, my other mare began to chase the Princess. They ran a few laps around my 1-1/2 acre pasture and I managed to separate them, placing a panel in the gap between pastures. Princess ran up to the panel fence to continue the chase game and stopped. She made another circle and ran at panel fence, didn't stop, tried to jump, didn't clear and fell, breaking the panel connection. She's OK but I'm sure she will stiffen up later.
Now, I have owned this horse for 10days and I'm starting to think she might be too dangerous for me. She's bridle shy, kicks, rears and runs through fences. My plan is to consult a professional trainer and here are my questions...
How can I tell if a trainer is good? Obviously the one who put the first 30 days on her contributed to the bridle shyness. Do you think she will ever be safe? My husband thinks she is just spoiled, I'm thinking she may have a screw loose. Would appreciate any advice.
Nice bloodlines. She's a kissin' cousin to my girl, complete with the Doc O'Lena and the Gay Bar King lines.
ReplyDeletetexasmissy- you have to realize 30 days is nothing....absolutely nothing.
ReplyDeleteIf she was spoiled before then there's no telling what needed to be done to get her started.
I can never guarantee what 30 days will bring me.Sometimes they stand tied for half that time, or all of it. Sometimes they won't accept the saddle or bridle at first.Sometimes I'm on their back, sometimes not.
What I'm getting at is even if she wasn't spoiled before, 30 days doesn't give you a broke horse.
She has been handled so little that her reaction to the bridle could simply be that you're doing something different than the first rider did. Not wrong, just different.I know I ride with split reins, and bring them up the side, not over their head.
If I were in your situation I would want to ride something a lot older and wiser than a three year old. I would carefully consider my goals, (having fun maybe?) and see if this horse can possibly match them.
In the best of circumstances she will not be easy to ride for several more years.
If you want to find a trainer, I would consult your vet for a reccomendation.
I would outline my goals to the trainer and ask for an honest evaluation of my future with this horse.
Good luck, and please be careful.
Thank you very much. You know, in the back of my mind, I thought the horse already had ground training and was wearing a saddle and bridle before she went to the trainer and the trainer actually rode her for 30 days. *slaps forehead* I didn't realize he probably started her from scratch. And now I realize....30 days is nothing. I also didn't realize the trainer might have never put the reins over her head before. From my filly's point of view, this has probably been a hellish 10 days for her. I'll talk to the vet tomorrow and see if they have a trainer to recommend and listen to his assessment. I do like this filly and am willing to put more time into her but certainly don't want either of us hurt. Again, thanks for the eye opener and I intend to keep reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteAs always, great with advice. Awesome bread mare by the way.
ReplyDeletetexasmissy-thank you for hearing me! So often the blame is hung on the horse no matter what...your filly is in good hands.
ReplyDeleteOoh! Your mare is related to a mare at the barn where I board! Smart Chic Olena is her sire. I almost bought her before Charlie, but she blew out a hoof pretty badly and her owner neglected to do anything about it for quite a while. She's still for sale and as sweet as pie. But as she has no show history and has really only been a broodmare, I'm not sure she's worth the asking price.
ReplyDelete