# Everyone's thoughts on trainer sending horse back



## RedOne (Oct 17, 2014)

Hi everyone,

Just have a quick question. If you had a horse at a trainer's place to get broken to saddle and the trainer said to take the horse back for a month's spell due to the horse becoming too stressed and not handling the training process. Trainer believes horse would benefit from a month off and than bring back to finish.

What would be your thoughts??


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

I would feel the trainer had the horse's best interests in mind, and take my horse home for a break.


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## Cimarron (Oct 8, 2014)

Any good trainer should first make the horse comfortable with its surroundings and have progress in groundwork before they start mounting the horse for the breaking progress. Solid groundwork should make the horse not be scared because they gain confidence in themselves and future trainers. 

They shouldn't be putting a lot of pressure on the horse and therefore having the horse freak out. Slow and steady is the way with horses. 

I don't think its a good trainer if they are suggesting that [sending the horse back temporarily].


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cimarron said:


> I don't think its a good trainer if they are suggesting that [sending the horse back temporarily].


Or it is a great trainer, recognizing that the horse is not ready for the process, I'd rather not be paying boarding or training fees for a horse that needs a break


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I would want to go observe the trainer working with the horse. What is the trainer doing with the horse? Why is the horse stressed?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cimarron (Oct 8, 2014)

I mean it's good they don't want further stress on the horse so they think it should have a break
but their handling is what has pushed it to the point where it needs a break which is the issue


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I agree with SquirrelFood and GH - we can't jump to assumptions about what groundwork this trainer has or hasn't done with the horse. If it was my horse I'd rather have it back for a while, maybe carry on myself with what the horse has already learnt and then send it back when its more mentally prepared for the next step


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

RedOne said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Just have a quick question. If you had a horse at a trainer's place to get broken to saddle and the trainer said to take the horse back for a month's spell due to the horse becoming too stressed and not handling the training process. Trainer believes horse would benefit from a month off and than bring back to finish.
> 
> What would be your thoughts??


I would think the horse isn't mentally ready yet, and the traininer made a good call. I'd take the horse home for a month and then bring it back. I'd also ask the trainer if there was anything I should be doing with the horse in the interim.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

It is good that trainer has told you the truth & not continue with the horse. Some horses aren't mentally ready,some just don't click with trainers methods. It is best to bring him home & figure out where horse it at mentally. It would be good to watch your horse with trainer seeing how he trains & interacts with your horse,will often give you insight to the problem:wink: Your horse may not be ready to go back in a month time,or perhaps not back to same trainer...

I have had experience with horse not being mentally ready to accept training methods of trainer.Trainer had worked with several other horses of mine with no problems & was pleased with his work ,but he couldn't connect with my one gelding My gelding actually regressed in all I had taught him,prior to him going.My gelding was a more nervous insecure horse,I ended up doing the training on him as he had not trust in many people. He has matured & is much better with other people now,but for long time was only comfortable with me training /riding.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cimarron said:


> I mean it's good they don't want further stress on the horse so they think it should have a break
> but their handling is what has pushed it to the point where it needs a break which is the issue



That is one view, but not the only one I think, some horses just cant handle the process, and rather than push it the trainer is saying 'time out' Without further info we don't know if this is just a horse who is not mentally prepared, or a trainer who pushed to hard.

The important thing is that the situation has been recognised and whatever the rights and wrongs the horse is getting the break it needs.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When I used to start youngsters, they were bro't along so far then given a few weeks off. This seemed to avoid unwanted behaviour, in part because their muscles weren't used to the demands put on them, even carrying a rider.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

It sounds like the trainer wants to re evaluate the horse after a month off and doesn't have room to just board. Sometimes when you get a tough nut , the 90 days of boot camp and having to win some whopper battles , both need to walk away for a bit. I have had to so this after I think I have my tough nut in the correct mindset and doing well. What I do is forget about them for 30 days, the. Saddle and see what I have at the end. If the horse maintained its a smart one and worth the effort. If it reverts back to its tough nut attitude, then it's time to decide if I want to waste any more time or money on it


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

How old is this horse? Have you gone to the trainer's place and watched the horse being worked with?

I would want to know a lot more of the details. What is the horse doing? What isn't working well? I would want to know if the trainer was pushing the horse really hard. I would also want to know just what kind of resistance this horse showed you before you sent him out. A lot of things could be going on. Some will be helped by a time off or turned out. Others are still there when a horse comes back in. 

When I was training so many horses for the public, I used to start a lot of horses that way. I would put a month on them, turn them out for a month and bring them back and put them in serious training. I just always wanted to be really sure that when I turned one out, it was after a very good session when I was getting very little 'push back' from a horse.

There are just too many variables for me to make a judgement without knowing more about this horse and this trainer.


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## RedOne (Oct 17, 2014)

Sorry I should have explained it more. I'm training this horse I have personally never sent back a horse to have a spell before. I wanted to know if anyone has ever experienced trainer doing this


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Sadly, many owners create this problem. I can't tell you how many owners send me a horse with unrealistic goals. I won't play that game and tell the owner to go by MY schedule or take the horse back. I don't need any single horse to make my bread. I simply will not push a horse too fast. However, with some horses, even going slow might be too much for them......

Too many trainers NEED the money too much and might try to give the owner what they want and stress the horse too much. Sadly, the damage done is often hard to undo.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

better to take a month off then end up with psycho or dead horse.
'local' trainer killed one of our ella reed doc o lena mares. pushed to hard. killed her.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

RedOne said:


> Sorry I should have explained it more. I'm training this horse I have personally never sent back a horse to have a spell before. I wanted to know if anyone has ever experienced trainer doing this


So, what exactly are the reasons this horse is not ready to go on with more training? 

How old is this horse?


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I think there can be valid reasons for sending a horse back for a break--I think it just depends on the specific circumstances.


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## RedOne (Oct 17, 2014)

The horse just turned 3. When the horse arrived it was very jumpy, couldn't handle pressure & also doesn't breathe correctly due to be so stressed. Anyway got the horse to stage of being relaxed on the ground, able to cope with pressure, lunges without freaking. Owner is type of client who wanted horse under saddle yesterday. Started getting on the horse but horse has started to show signs of reverting back to old ways. I believe better for horses well being to have a break


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## Cimarron (Oct 8, 2014)

Sorry RedOne if I seemed rude in my initial response. By knowing more about the situation (with the horse being very sensitive), I think you are right to suggest giving it a break. 
Apologies and good luck with the rest of training however it progresses.


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

I agree that it all depends on the myriad unknown variables.

I'm no pro-trainer, but I opted to put my current youngster out to pasture after just a handful of rides. He just didn't feel right and I wasn't willing to put myself in the position to get hurt when he imploded. A few months later, the re-start went perfectly smooth.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

While I wasn't on the training end at this point my gelding was a lot like your horse. He was scared of the littlest things. After putting about 100 days on him his trainer said to me, "I want to give him a six month break. I want to throw him in a field with a herd of horses and leave him, no human interaction, no influence from people. Then I'm gonna bring him back in and start him again like nothing ever happened." 

I trusted this trainer to do what's right by the horse. After I started apprenticing with them I noticed that it's completely natural to give a horse a break when it needs one. We had a horse act up, started trying to rear, bolt, buck all after it had gone fine for us during it's green breaking period. We gave it a few months off and it came back better than ever. We also had some we couldn't do that with as we knew they'd come back worse for it.

I think as a trainer (even though I've not had too many clients) you have to make a decision based on the individual. If the horse honestly and truly needs a break then I give it to them, if however I know that will bring more problems in I take every step 1000 times slower. It's truly sad when you get those types of clients who don't understand that it's a living being and not a machine...


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'd just have a discussion with the owners and say pretty much exactly what you said in your last post, OP  If I were your client, I'd definitely understand.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

It's difficult to know what the owner is willing to spend and that affects you decision on how you proceed
I have the same way of thinking as Allison Finch in as much as I would never give an owner a set date by which I could have a horse riding out independently and safely. If anyone wanted me to do that then I refuse to even start the job
I've had horses that were all done and dusted in a matter of weeks and some that were still struggling months later
If its immaturity then I would turn them away and just handle them in the usual way - leading, grooming etc. If it was a 'hiccup' in the progress I wouldn't - I prefer to just take a step back, maybe a few days of doing nothing and then continue from the place they were comfortable at before the problem occurred. 
The trouble is a lot of owners don't want to pay for their horse to just 'coast along' for a few weeks they expect to see it doing something new every day and for some that just isn't going to happen


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## wausuaw (Apr 15, 2011)

I tried sending my mare to a trainer initially- when she was 3 1/2 and it went horrible. A little less than a week I ended up taking her home (no fault of the trainer, just was not working- the trainer knew it) and decided to just let her grow up and mellow out more. Waiting was probably the best thing I ever did in regards to her. Other horses I've seen started and well on their way before she had even been backed. Just depends on the horse.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

When I was dealing with TBs bred for racing, there were a few that were 'uptight' for unknown to me, reasons.

One a big 3 year old straight from the Irish sales ring, bred for Steeplecahsing, would stop breathing who you approached him. He would hold his breath and then grunt taking several shallow breaths and then stop inhaling.

Sending him back was not an option, his owners were not horsey, the trainer didn't have the facilities to turn him out nd, it wasn't going to overcome the problem. 

He had been lunged prior to the sales, so I worked on getting him going better. I handled him more than the others, I ignored his breathing and built up respect and trust in him. 
He soon stopped watching every move I made in the stable. His breathing became normal with me and when I introduced something new I remained totally relaxed and usually laughed at him when he freaked out frightening himself more! 

Other horses that came in to be broken at the same time were being ridden and well on their way to going off to the race trainer and I was still long reining him for miles. 

He learned to accept and remain relaxed. When he went off to the race trainer he was hyper for several weeks until he learned to settle.


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## WillowVale (Nov 23, 2014)

Hi guys, does anyone know how i can teach my horse to rear? And how can i also train my horse for dressage and jumps?


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

WillowVale said:


> Hi guys, does anyone know how i can teach my horse to rear? And how can i also train my horse for dressage and jumps?


 This question does not belong in this thread.
It is also a question (if this is a serious question) that will make the hair of most of the members here stand on end. It sounds like you need a whole lot more basic knowledge of horsemanship before you teach a horse anything...and one of the things most people never want to teach is how to rear. :shock:
Sorry if this sounds rude but what you are asking is dangerous.


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

WillowVale said:


> Hi guys, does anyone know how i can teach my horse to rear? And how can i also train my horse for dressage and jumps?


With a question like that I truly hope you don't really own a horse.


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## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

It seems that if the place or trainer stressed the horse to that  point, that giving him a break might just make the horse go through the same stress a second time. I would think that he should go ahead only slow down and take more time with the horse.


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