# help?



## jiffers328 (May 29, 2008)

so i really like trail ridding...but i dont think my horse does to much!

my friend(americancowgirl) and i go on trail rides together with her horse Dude, and my horse Jiff. her horse is like amazing and my horse is like so hyper! Jiff is like great in the arena and in shows, but when i take him out on a trail he goes out of controll!!
he bucks and never slows down, and he almost ran my friend into a tree at a gallop!!(good thing she has good reflexes!!)ive been riding for 7 years and ive never fallin off before and 
as much as i love him, im scared to go out with him.

does anyone have any advise????
thanks!


----------



## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Theres 2 things you can do 1. Try to relax. I know thats tough but if your nervous the horse is going to be nervous. 
2. Try to get him used to scary things. I work with my trail horses with kids on bikes, 4 wheelers, cars, plastic bags/bottles just anthing I can think of to get them used to scary things.
I have to say I have had a horse that was just too spooky/dangerous to be a good trail horse. I'm sure if I was better at training I could have worked out the issues. I'm not telling you to sell your horse but to be careful. If my horse gets scared I put her nose to butt with one that isn't. 
It takes miles and experiences to make a good trail horse. They have to be pretty fearless and have trust in their rider. The more miles you can put on your horse, and the more things you can expose him to the better he will become.

Edit. I want to add that the horse I mentioned above an OTTB was excellent in the arena, had perfect ground manners and was an excellent jumper (although I never jumped her :shock: ) I tried for 2 years to make a trail horse out of her. She never could relax in the wild wide open. I finally had to sell her to a riding school.


----------



## jiffers328 (May 29, 2008)

thanks for ur help!

see ive grown up with this horse adnd i could never sell him:]
we have total trust in eachother but im a chicken!!
i know thats part of the problem!!

yeah its simalar to your old horse!!
hes great in the areana and at jumping, and even when i take him to shows hes fine! its just when were on trails he gets all spooky and trys to run into other horses! 
and the thing is, hes usually not afraid of stuff,
i mean i could be chasing him with a billion plastic bags and he'll just look and me like im crazy and turn around!
ahhh but i got to love him anyways!!


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

You can keep taking him out and see if he settles but some horses just don't trail... just like some horses just don't show... I have a qh that is perfect at home, you'd think she could win the world watching her ride at home... take her to a show and she looks like an arab, head all in the sky, tail ringing, nasty whitchy little thing....


i have a gelding that rides all day at home and bucks in the show ring........


----------



## jiffers328 (May 29, 2008)

yeah..

i love to take him places new, i just hope he gets better at it!
i havent fallin off in the 7 years that ive ridden, and i know its gunna happen sometime, but i really dont want it to happen on a trail!!
i think once i fall off, ill be more confident because ill know how it feels and hopefully he will sence that im not nervous anymore, so he might calm down.


----------



## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Like the other gals said..The horse just needs time and patience and HOPEFULLY that will be enough to turn it around. Sometimes it just doesn't happen tho. Good Luck! I'd take him out little by little even if its just 200yard further each time.....maybe that would help.


----------



## jiffers328 (May 29, 2008)

cool thanks! 

im gunna go on alot of trail rides this summer when school get out so hopefully he'll improve!


----------

