# Horse training...



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, when you do move around him, don't 'sneak'. just move normal. he will adapt to that.


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

tinyliny said:


> Well, when you do move around him, don't 'sneak'. just move normal. he will adapt to that.


Thats what we've been working on, the jumpyness is during riding thats a problem, like when I adjust my self in the saddle he jumps and gets all tense etc. I think he had a rough past with training which is so sad 🙁


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Barrelracer02 said:


> Thats what we've been working on, the jumpyness is during riding thats a problem, like when I adjust my self in the saddle he jumps and gets all tense etc. I think he had a rough past with training which is so sad 🙁


Same advice applies: don't sneak. Start by touching his neck gently, reach down to offer him a cookie, pet his shoulders, reach around to pet his butt... Whenever he reacts a little (because you are careful with your stimuli he'll only react a little), keep on doing what you are doing. Don't teach him that tensening will make it stop, teach him that nothing bad will happen and that relaxing will make it stop.


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

mmshiro said:


> Same advice applies: don't sneak. Start by touching his neck gently, reach down to offer him a cookie, pet his shoulders, reach around to pet his butt... Whenever he reacts a little (because you are careful with your stimuli he'll only react a little), keep on doing what you are doing. Don't teach him that tensening will make it stop, teach him that nothing bad will happen and that relaxing will make it stop.


Thank you, I'll try some tomorrow


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

and, be sure to do some work with him, on the ground, where you put things up into his vision that are behind his head, waving around, and things that move from one eye into the other eye over his back. this can often spook a sensitive horse. So, you'll be up there and decide to take your jacket off, and WHAM! you're on a bucking/spooking horse. (been there, done that!)


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

A horse that is fearful of being ridden needs reassurance. How to accomplish this may vary from horse to horse. Here are some things to consider.

Work on the ground sets the stage for work when riding. Riding, however, presents new situations.

A rider’s muscular tension, way of breathing, and verbal expression can influence a horse. The more relaxed the rider is, the more relaxed the horse is likely to be. Most horses are very attuned to how a rider uses his voice. Loudness, intensity, and flow of words can produce significantly different results.

The better a rider sits and the better he moves with the horse, the less the horse needs to worry about adjusting for the rider – putting out more effort, adjusting his own balance, etc. Once a rider establishes such harmony with the horse, the rider can begin to influence the horse with more subtle adjustments of balance and movement than usually employed. 

As a horse’s confidence builds, he can continue to develop by being presented with experiences that push the envelope. While horses respond well to consistency, changes can help broaden their experience and help them grow in confidence. The rider should be aware of the horse’s reactions and adjust accordingly. Experience teaches a perceptive rider when to back off, when to try again, and when to stop on a good note before things get worse.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

A green horse does not need a history of past abuse, in order to be jumpy under saddle. 
You need to de sensitize a horse while ridden, same as when on the ground. 

I have seen people bucked off of horses, just because their hrose was not exposed to having something taken out of the saddle bags, esp plastic wrapped stuff, or by just 'assuming' a green horse that was riding well, would just act like a seasoned hrose, under all circumstances
For instance, on trail rides, I don't bother to get off, in order to put a slicker on.
Most times, I do expose a young horse to a slicker, first at home, but in this particular instance, I had not done so, for some reason or another.
I was riding a young horse, that had proven to being extremely easy t to train, very sensible.
It started to rain, and while an inner voice told me to get off and put that slicker on, the lazy part of me, said, ' this colt is very quiet, and should be no problem to untie slicker and put it on without getting off'.
Well, I got the slicker untied from the back of my saddle, and had one arm in, while that slicker suddenly drapped down the side of the horse, and feeling it for the first time, that colt also bucked for the first time. Having one arm in the slicker, holding reins with the other hand, while also trying to put that second arm in, proved to be a bit of a disadvantage!
Luckily, I was able to get that first arm out and drop that slicker, where upon the colt stopped bucking.
Feeling rather stupid, but also lucky, I got off, ran the slicker over the colt, put it on and then re mounted-no problem.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Barrelracer02 said:


> I recently got a green gelding to hopefully train as my next speed prospect. As I am beginning to work with him I noticed some problems he has and I think he has had a rough past before the people we got him from owned him. My question is how to help a skittish horse overcome their fear and become confident while riding? He gets very tense and nervous when I move just the slightest and gives me a struggle when riding. Im new to starting a very green horse and any nice tips from experienced horse people would be much appreciated. 😊


How is his ground work?

If you have not done so, densentizing work on the ground is really helpful for a skittish horse. Honestly, I don't care about his past -- just manage the horse you have in front of you. 

Doing desensitizing exercises on the ground also helps you set the stage for when you are in the saddle. 

I agree with the others - just be your normal self. Adjust yourself in the saddle when you need to. If he jumps, just steady him. When's he's steady, adjust yourself again on purpose! Rinse and repeat 1 million times until it no longer bothers him. Don't make a big deal out of it; just steady him and continue on. It might take months of riding before he is solid and not scared anymore but that's okay -- they all progress differently.

I'll purposefully "act a fool" on the ground and in the saddle with green colts. I want to teach them that there is nothing to be afraid of if I flop around in the saddle or move unexpectantly. I probably look like an idiot to anyone watching, but it helps desensitize the horse!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yup, some green horses are more reactive then others, so time spent getting them used to random movement is well worth it.
My son once got bucked off when he was a teenager, on a colt, when he, umm-expelled some air from the seat area, although he claimed it was a cough,LOL!
Just ride along, bump your legs randomly against the horse, set up some barrels and back between them, until bushing against them becomes no big deal.
Set a bag with cans in it, and pick it up. You can easily drop it if the horse becomes too upset.
Heck, I saw someone get bucked off, because they never had saddle bags on their horse before, when we left camp at a trot.
It is green horse stuff. Just because the hrose has gotten okay with you being on his back, does not mean he understands any of that weight shift is just you, rather then something out to get him. Takes time and exposure-more with some horses then others.


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

Thank you all for the input, I truly appreciate it! I have another question regarding this same horse... When I ride him, at certain points he'll just stop and refuse to go forward and it takes some time to get him going again (some days are better than others lol) sometimes I ask him to forward and he'll kick his back leg out or just buck, today was the first time I ever experienced him bucking while riding so I hoping to find a way to put an end to this problem.


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## DanisMom (Jan 26, 2014)

Try climbing up onto a fence and teaching the horse to come up under you. He might have issues with you being above him. You can also use the bed of a pickup truck for this. Once he is okay with you being up there you can move the saddle around and flap the leathers against his sides. As for the not moving forward, make sure he knows the cues from the ground. When you ask him to move just keep at it until he moves one foot, then stop asking. Then ask him to move until he moves one foot again and then stop asking. It's important that you STOP asking the horse to move when he gives the slightest response, otherwise he doesn't realize he's done the right thing. Take it slow and he will eventually give more steps. Also, rather than wait for him to stop, try to feel when he is getting ready to stop, or even slow down, and put your legs on him before that happens to keep him moving.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

How old is this horse?
Be sure to train your horse that he can be mounted from both sides. In fact, whatever you do from one side should also be taught from the other.


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

Dustbunny said:


> How old is this horse?
> Be sure to train your horse that he can be mounted from both sides. In fact, whatever you do from one side should also be taught from the other.


He is 10 years old.


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## AndalusianRobyn (Nov 27, 2017)

I feel like a lot of people assume a horse has a rough past because they're jumpy. In my experience, this is because lots of people only have experience with decently finished horses. Inexperienced horses know nothing. They are usually jumpy. Not saying he hasn't had a rough past, I've never met the guy. Maybe he does. Just saying, it's a pretty common assumption people make when in fact, green or young horses are usually very skittish!

What you've described above honestly sounds like things I've encountered in most green horses. As a matter a fact, the problems you're describing sound a lot like how my little mustang was when I first got him-and he had pretty much 0 experience with people. Wasn't even rounded up in a brutal way, someone lured him into captivity with food cause it was a harsh winter and he was starving. He literally followed the hay into a paddock and yet still acted like how you described when i started with him.

Anyways. I always start with desensitizing on the ground. Here's what's most important for me:

When a horse is presented with something new, something that makes them anxious etc, they will go through a process of trial and error trying to figure out how to get away from said thing. They'll try jumping away- if that works, they'll keep doing it. if it doesn't work, they'll try something else, like maybe running you over. Again, if it works, they'll keep doing it. Eventually, they'll try just standing still. This is when you release the pressure and get rid of the stimuli. I don't really think of desensitizing a horse as getting it used to certain objects- i think of it as teaching the horse the correct response to fear. 

So say i'm starting with a plastic bag on a stick, and my goal is to be able to rub it all over my horse. First, i'll just try to bring it into his space- won't start with trying to touch him with it. He'll start trying stuff, some of it likely scary stuff. I'll try to calm him with my voice a bit and steady him with my rope. I will also try very hard not to take that plastic bag out of his space until he is standing still. Nothing can work to get rid of it except standing still. When he does stand still, it's gone immediately. We work on that until he isn't trying anything when I bring it into his space. Then, we can progress to trying to touch him with it. 

Sounds like your horse could use some of that with a variety of objects until he gets the picture. 

Same principle applies under saddle- my mustang would just come to a dead stop from any gait at first. He wanted out of being ridden, and he was trying stuff. I sat in my saddle and kept my heels in his side till he jumped forward again. He'd try turning around, backing, kicking. I'd just keep my heels there. Then he'd move forward-immediate and complete release of pressure. Sometimes, I got too much forward-but i asked for forward, so it's important that i'm true to my word as far as what I want, and thus let him go for a bit then bring him down when he's doing what i asked and give him some neck scratches. Soon enough he realizes there's no point, and he starts losing his fear a bit too. 

Training horses is brave business. It takes some guts. It's not one of those things where if you do everything perfect, the horse will never do anything ''bad''. Sure, you can minimize the bad by doing your groundwork and taking care to not over face the horse. But they are huge on trial and error, so by nature, they will try things. 

I'm sure you can get a handle on him. Be confident, be bold, but also be smart and be fair . Do your homework with him. 

I'm no Buck Brannaman but I do have some good experience with mustangs and stallions and a few things in between. Feel free to pop me a message if you wanna talk further. 

Best of luck with him! I'm sure you can do it. 

Robyn


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Barrelracer02 said:


> Thank you all for the input, I truly appreciate it! I have another question regarding this same horse... When I ride him, at certain points he'll just stop and refuse to go forward and it takes some time to get him going again (some days are better than others lol) sometimes I ask him to forward and he'll kick his back leg out or just buck, today was the first time I ever experienced him bucking while riding so I hoping to find a way to put an end to this problem.


Treat him as you would any other green horse, regardless of his age or past. 

Do not stop asking him to go forward until he does. But of course, when he does so correctly, immediately stop asking him. That's his "reward" for moving forward, that release of pressure. 

When they are green, they often just don't know what you are asking so you do not need to get rough with them -- just keep a steady cue. So in his case, just keep bumping with your legs. Don't kick him hard or anything, but just keep bumping until you even get one single step foward. They will always have good days and bad days -- that seems to be the definition of a green horse. Just do what you can to make the ride positive and constructive. 

Is it possible he has any back pain or pain from a saddle fit that would cause him to kick out or buck like that?


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

beau159 said:


> Treat him as you would any other green horse, regardless of his age or past.
> 
> Do not stop asking him to go forward until he does. But of course, when he does so correctly, immediately stop asking him. That's his "reward" for moving forward, that release of pressure.
> 
> ...


I did switch saddles in the beginning because I did thing it was pinching him and the saddle now seems to fit a lot better. Im also getting a better saddle pad too. The kick outs are when he just doesn't want to go forward or stops thinking I'm done. Hes only done it twice and after that was fine. if I ride him more than once I in a row one day is also better than the other lol


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## Barrelracer02 (Nov 22, 2017)

AllianceTrainingStud said:


> I feel like a lot of people assume a horse has a rough past because they're jumpy. In my experience, this is because lots of people only have experience with decently finished horses. Inexperienced horses know nothing. They are usually jumpy. Not saying he hasn't had a rough past, I've never met the guy. Maybe he does. Just saying, it's a pretty common assumption people make when in fact, green or young horses are usually very skittish!
> 
> What you've described above honestly sounds like things I've encountered in most green horses. As a matter a fact, the problems you're describing sound a lot like how my little mustang was when I first got him-and he had pretty much 0 experience with people. Wasn't even rounded up in a brutal way, someone lured him into captivity with food cause it was a harsh winter and he was starving. He literally followed the hay into a paddock and yet still acted like how you described when i started with him.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the advice, I will try it out the next time I ride, the thing with the heels I dont think will work because when I put my heels to him he stops so it kinda leads to me to believe he had a rough past with training ( theres also other things as well) I'm having a trainer come out to help me get on the right track with him eventually. His previous owner also believed before they got him something happened to him which sucks because hes such a sweet horse, at least on the ground lol,.


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## AndalusianRobyn (Nov 27, 2017)

Barrelracer02 said:


> Thank you for the advice, I will try it out the next time I ride, the thing with the heels I dont think will work because when I put my heels to him he stops so it kinda leads to me to believe he had a rough past with training ( theres also other things as well) I'm having a trainer come out to help me get on the right track with him eventually. His previous owner also believed before they got him something happened to him which sucks because hes such a sweet horse, at least on the ground lol,.


My little mustang definitely stopped when I put the leg/heel on him at first too. I worked through it that way and it worked. If you wanna try another way that's your choice and I hope it works for you, I'm sure having a trainer out will help you guys out. Most important thing is to make sure you're applying pressure at the right amount and releasing it completely at the correct times. If you can get that right, I'm sure there will be progress. Best of luck with him!


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