# Can I ride a green horse?



## Lena4285 (Jul 22, 2017)

What level rider do you think is suitable to ride a green horse? I've been riding for about 5 years, but more seriously for the last 2. I took lessons for 6 months and would like to think that I'm an intermediate rider. I'm having one of my horses started this fall and I would like to ride her after she has two months of training. Am I experienced enough? She has a little attitude, but I'm used to working through that.


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

IMO, whether or not you can safely ride a green horse is not so much about how long you've been riding as it is about your personality in general and how much time you've spent on horses who weren't dead broke or bomb proof. Can you move slowly and quietly and not show any fear when a horse is acting up? Can you not spook when the horse spooks? Can you quietly yet firmly correct and never over react? Can you tell when they're getting ready to do something and head it off at the pass? 

I can't do those things but I'm getting there. I'm a high strung type A perfectionist, which is kind of opposite of what a horse needs. More easy-going people get there faster, I think.


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## Lena4285 (Jul 22, 2017)

I would say that I'm pretty calm and laid back. I can correct a horse as firm as necessary without overreacting. I've had some ground training experience with an abused, high strung horse with a charging and kicking problem. I've also rode several different horses with different temperaments and training, but none were green.


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## DanteDressageNerd (Mar 12, 2015)

Amount of time spent in the saddle isn't a direct indicator of ability. There is a correlation but it depends on how that time is spent, did that rider spend 10 years not working with a trainer or with a bad trainer or did that person spend 10 years with an olympic caliber rider? Big difference. Is that person athletic? Do they have any kind of instinctual feel? Are they mindful and self aware with good body, emotional and mental awareness? I've known riders who have ridden through GP on something another rider made and had it constantly tuned up by a trainer who cannot ride a green or young horse and when they do it makes a lot of work for me because they do so much psychological damage to the horse. Even what "level" someone trains at does not directly relate to their skill level or what abilities and capabilities that rider may have. This is the horse world, it's complicated because of the variety of factors. 

There is also a big difference between staying on through walk, trot and canter and being able to mindfully develop a horse well. I start, break and develop young and green horses, I have also re trained OTTBs and former saddle seat horses. It's a skillset I developed over the years along with training, riding in the hundreds of horses and seeking out whatever experience I could. As well as working with trainers, clinicians, etc.

In general, I think if you have to ask the question you're more than likely not quite ready but could be if the horse has the right temperament and you're working with a trainer, otherwise it's easy to get into trouble without realizing you're struggling or in trouble. There is always room to learn more.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

It also really depends on the horse. There are green horses who have calm, accepting, kind personalities, who only need to be taught responses to cues, and increase their experience. There are finished horses that only a very confident and skilled rider can hope to stay on.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Pretty much what Dante said. 

It also will depend on what you are looking to do. Do you want a trail horse who will calmly go where is pointed? That's pretty easy. A low level hunter who's only going to bop around local shows and doesn't even need changes? That's also pretty easy. Show at rated shows and win? That's harder. 

I've started a fair amount of horses for people and their owners were all very happy with their horse in the end. But they were pleasure riders who didn't have high aspirations. 

I started my own horse several years ago. I want to get to second level with him. On my own, we got to W/t/c, starting basic lateral work. Then long story happened and I ended up sending him to my current trainer while I worked 10h away. I got to visit for the first time after 4 months and they had cantered for the first time the week before. I didn't even get to see the canter because he wasn't ready the days I was there. He was missing so many basics that a dressage horse needed that he had to be restarted. 6 months later my trainer had him schooling 3rd level movements.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Agree with all above - it depends on so much more than hrs in the saddle & it would be a lot more point to put that question to your trainer, who knows you & the horse in question. Many people are good at riding too, without being good at training, and that's an important skill for riding a greeny.

As Avna said, it also depends on the horse. I have trained many horses from scratch, and esp when putting my children on horses, you could say I'm over the top with ensuring they're all well trained enough to deal with eachother safely. But a few years ago I took on a young unstarted brumby for my daughter. She was only what I'd class as intermediate rider then, with little experience on different horses than the 2 we had at the time - that were well trained. I thought that after I started him & rode him for a while, then let her ride him on lead... he might be alright for her to start riding alone within 6 months or so. 

Well! He's the calmest, easiest horse I've ever dealt with, and quickest to pick up & become solid with lessons - I had only been riding him for a couple of weeks when I felt safe to put my kids on him on lead, and within another couple of weeks, my eldest was riding him alone. She has been the one to deal with him regularly ever since - under close supervision for a while, but I haven't ridden him that often myself since early days. But they've done fantastically & I'm proud of the level of training she's managed to put on him since then. Their success is what I'd class as an exception to the rule tho, of an intermediate rider on a (very) green horse.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

My daughter started her riding - total beginner - on a green broke Arabian mare. No problem. But the mare was intended to become a trail horse, and she was a sweetheart.

OTOH, my current horse arrived after having been ridden many, MANY miles in pony express races. But he also had been taught a snaffle bit was an emergency brake only, used his left front leg at a 40 degree angle, and would spook HARD almost every ride - as in 180 degrees of turn and try to run away hard.

The Arabian mare was child's play. My current horse took a LOT of effort - and he is destined to be "just a trail horse". Very simple cues. He also was ridden those many miles at over 30% of his body weight, and he STILL braces his back any time I ask him for a trot. I don't know if he will EVER "jog".

And of course, I wouldn't even know how to ride a trained show or competition horse. About 10 years of riding behind me, but I wouldn't know how to ride a competition-trained horse anywhere doing anything.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

I don't know if the right question is "what level rider." More importantly, what level trainer? Every horse owner gets their horse back from the trainer and proceeds to either undo everything the trainer accomplished or build on it, or some mix of the two. With a green horse, that can happen very fast.

I rode my green horse straight from the trainer. I am a terrible rider, so I fell off. I am also a coward so I didn't "get right back on." But we stumbled through it, and after about five years we both started to enjoy being together. I never did really learn to ride but I did learn a lot about training, and that's why we went forward.


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## Lena4285 (Jul 22, 2017)

Thank you for all the replies. I have been training my current riding horse for about a year. She has progressed tremendously. I've been working on some reining maneuvers with her. I have decided that I will ride and continue the training of my horse after she is started. She's a very sweet laid back horse. Of course I will be working with a trainer once or twice a week to insure we are making progress and for help when we encounter speed bumps.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

As others have said, it has more to do with the temperament of horse and rider, and whether the rider has GOOD professional help/oversight.

I have put a novice rider on a 3 year old Thoroughbred (a bit over 6 months under saddle), HOWEVER said novice was a quiet, patient sort of person, and the horse was the same. And the rider never rode unsupervised, either by myself (I trained the horse) or my mother (who has trained quite a few novice riders).

When I was an overconfident intermediate rider (w/t/c/g/jump but not well) I bought a 5 year old Standardbred who'd been under saddle roughly the amount of time yours will have been. I was a SERIOUSLY cocky, hotheaded young teenager. I should never have been sold that horse, and my mother should never have approved my purchase of that horse, but I can't change the past... I RUINED him. Absolutely ruined him. He shattered my confidence, and yet, stubborn little me continually refused to get help because "I know what I'm doing! This darn horse is just a monster!" (He so wasn't... he was a saint honestly) and all in all that story did not have a happy ending. That's why I will never suggest someone work with a green horse based on their own self-assessment. Talk to your coach! They will have a better idea of what you can and can't handle than you do!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I've told my story a bunch of times here, but I hadn't been on a horse in forty years when I was given an unbroken four year old mare. I had 60 days put on her -- she was a lot less than green at the end of them -- and have been riding her ever since. No one else has been on her. We are progressing much slower than if she had been polished by a professional, but we are moving forward just fine. But then I do have low aspirations. A good trail horse and able to be presentable at low level dressage is all I am asking. She is already a good trail horse -- I don't mean she will follow nose to tail, but will go cross country on her own, can negotiate obstacles safely, can open and close gates, etc. I'm in no kind of hurry either. 

The reason this worked out is because, first and foremost, she is a sensible good-minded horse, who has never been spoiled nor abused. Second, I take weekly lessons from a wise experienced trainer with a lot of patience. I also have trained a lot of animals and cared for a lot of livestock; I have a good bit of confidence, warranted or not.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

blue eyed pony said:


> I was a SERIOUSLY cocky, hotheaded young teenager. ... refused to get help because "I know what I'm doing! This darn horse is just a monster!" (He so wasn't... he was a saint honestly)


Ah, hindsight's a 'witch' isn't it - if only we knew as well as we thought we did when we were teens!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Good advise given. Since you will be working with a trainer, that makes a big difference.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and the first horses we train, are never as good as those we train later on, but the only way one gets better, is by doing.
If you were just going to have 60 days put on her, and then be on your own, I would be more hesitant, but work with a trainer, take young horse clinics, and you will gain from the experience.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Lena4285 said:


> I'm having one of my horses started this fall and I would like to ride her after she has two months of training. Am I experienced enough?


As long as your trainer (of the horse) thinks its okay and will be there to help you along the way, I don't see a problem with it.

As already been discussed, every horse is different. Some are "forgiving" enough you can hop right on. Some .... are NOT. 

And yes, length of riding time really does not mean anything to me. Someone could have rode horses for 20 years and still be _much less of a horseman_ than someone who's been riding for 5. It's not about how long you have ridden, it is what you have learned during that time period.


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

I consider myself an "intermediate" rider in the sense that I can take a well-trained horse comfortably on the trails by myself. I think that being able to *teach* a green horse distinguishes an "advanced" rider from an intermediate one. Having said that, I am helping to train a greenie (currently with 3 weeks of under-saddle experience) under the supervision of my instructor. It's really fun to help to "explain" to a well-behaved, but otherwise clueless horse what you want him to do, but having a truly experienced pair of eyes on me while I do that can potentially prevent me from making significant mistakes, even ruin the horse.

So yes, you can ride a green horse that makes no particular effort to get you off its back, but with lacking experience, there is a real risk that you may "teach" it some unfortunate habits. Proceed with care and caution.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

mmshiro said:


> I think that being able to *teach* a green horse distinguishes an "advanced" rider from an intermediate one.


I don't know, I've started two under saddle (and done a good job!) and am retraining an ottb, but would not in any way describe myself as advanced!


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

blue eyed pony said:


> I don't know, I've started two under saddle (and done a good job!) and am retraining an ottb, but would not in any way describe myself as advanced!


You are advanced...not a professional or expert, but advanced.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'd say this is a question for your trainer  And less a question of "can I ride 'a green horse'," and more a question of 'Should I ride this specific horse?'
Best of luck!


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

Riding colts or green horses successfully requires a confident rider & some training knowledge so that the rider is able to assist the horse and move the horse forward in its training. A rider that is anxious about riding a green horse or not familiar with basic fundamental colt starting/horse training can un-train a horse relatively fast. 

Now with all that said the only way you can learn to ride colts/green horses is to do it and gain experience. I do suggest suggest you look into a colt starting clinic or a fundamental horsemanship clinic to get a feel for what’s involve beyond just riding lessons. 

Best of luck


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## cbako01 (Oct 21, 2016)

Everyone has given super advice but I did want to chip in with my two cents 
I would think that after 2 months of training with a good trainer and provided the horse is pretty steady in temperament, I wouldn't imagine there should be too many complications. After starting my young horse myself earlier this year, I can really appreciate the importance of a really solid foundation and a good experienced instructor to help through any hiccups that may come up along the way. I will say it is very dependent on the horse's willingness and acceptance of work, some are more argumentative than others and require a bit of convincing, which in turn takes a bit more tact when it comes to the ridden side of things. If you're looking to take the horse out to compete, regular lessons with a good trainer is a MUST. My young horse is aimed at being a dressage horse with a bit of 'whatever else I feel like' and my instructor let me put all the 'basics' on him myself, which was just getting to go, stop, turn, basic moving off of leg pressure, mainly just getting him comfortable and relaxed about being ridden in a variety of different situations. Now that he's more established in that, she's been coming out once every fortnight to help me finesse everything together and get some 'proper' work happening and boy the level of progression is crazy! I am months in front of where I would be if I had decided to keep ticking away on my own. So, don't discredit the work of a good trainer, they are vital piece of the puzzle


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

I was a VERY green rider when I bought my just broke almost 3 year old mare. I was taking lessons with my trainer- her owner- when said trainer decided that I needed more work because every time she changed my weekly lesson horse, I would regress due to fear of handling it on the ground. In the saddle I was prone to frustration on the strong headed ponies, didn't always understand what she was trying to get me to do, but did always attempt it. This was all as a 31 year old adult. 

I had had maybe a month of those weekly lessons when she decided that I needed more experience just in the saddle and on the ground, not really with a major goal, just exposure. So she decided for me to trail ride with her on the mare I mentioned above. The first ride out with her I was MUCH more confident and calm than I ever had been with the lesson program horses. I had her do 2 or 3 things she had never done without much effort and just under my trainer's direction. 

She became mine barely 3 days later after my husband, and my trainer, and I all jokingly realized there is something about the 2 of us together that just works. 

I have had her 5 and a half years now. And I can say its been mostly all good to great. We took weekly lessons with the trainer for 6 months, in addition to near daily sessions of handling and riding during those 6 months, before we moved cross country and took my mare with us. I haven't had much for lessons since, just soaking in advice from more knowledgeable friends. 

Sure, I do still get frustrated with her, and her with me. But we are always safe and have never had any major issues. I am VERY type A, can be very high strung/uptight/nervous, especially so in unfamiliar settings or situations. But she just rolls with it and tries her best. And that is with her being a half appy mare, so I can definitely sense the m'appy-tude on occasion. She just makes me work for what we get those moments, and that is pretty darn cool. I have even taught her quite a bit on my own as well. 

So long story short: heck, even with the crappiest of personality matching to a horse, a great horse can deal and work with said human, i think.


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

GracielaGata said:


> I was a VERY green rider when I bought my just broke almost 3 year old mare. I was taking lessons with my trainer- her owner- when said trainer decided that I needed more work because every time she changed my weekly lesson horse, I would regress due to fear of handling it on the ground. In the saddle I was prone to frustration on the strong headed ponies, didn't always understand what she was trying to get me to do, but did always attempt it. This was all as a 31 year old adult.
> 
> I had had maybe a month of those weekly lessons when she decided that I needed more experience just in the saddle and on the ground, not really with a major goal, just exposure. So she decided for me to trail ride with her on the mare I mentioned above. The first ride out with her I was MUCH more confident and calm than I ever had been with the lesson program horses. I had her do 2 or 3 things she had never done without much effort and just under my trainer's direction.
> 
> ...


I like this.

The "green horse and green rider" thing is something near and dear to my heart, because my first horse was 6 months old when I got her. The first horse I ever rode was a green broke 6 year old, and I hacked out alone on her often as a rank beginner. I now know that she was an exceptional horse, as she never hesitated to leave the herd with me. I was too inexperienced to even know it was dangerous to do what I did, but I paid very close attention to her behavior and all the advice I got and it went great. I would sure love to have that horse now, I can't believe how good she was for me. I hope she's being cared for and maybe some day I can acquire her.

There are very many challenges associated with a green horse, but honestly - I think there are a ton of challenges for a new person with a well-broke older horse, too! The older horses know the difference between a newbie and an experienced rider and take advantage of newbies. 

If a person is 100% committed to their horse, and accepts responsibility that any behaviors that occur are the person's fault and not the horse's fault, work hard, pay attention, and do what needs to be done, green horses provide awesome learning experiences. I think it's difficult if not almost impossible to be successful without an instructor, and I feel that a person who commits to any horse needs to take that commitment very seriously and take responsibility for making sure the horse is well-cared-for even if that person ruins the horse or accidentally teaches it to be aggressive. We have to have courage to continue to progress with our green horses when they display bad behavior, and realize that if we mess up a horse and then sell it, we might well be giving it a death sentence.

Most people have no idea how complicated horses are, the care that has to go into them, and the emotional maturity a person has to display in order to be appropriately assertive. The non-horse people I know are always surprised I'm still getting lessons. They say "What? Why are you getting lessons? I thought you knew how to ride?" Knowing how to sit in a saddle and knowing how to respond to each new trick a horse tries are two different things! I don't think it's possible to ever know everything there is to know about horses.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Newtrailriders, you make some excellent points as well!
I could never imagine breaking a horse from so young- or at all honestly- like you did. Kudos!

I love talking to non-horse people and watching them look at me like I am crazy for knowing so much about what makes them tick and how they show it.  

I never knew/know if she is some exceptional personality of a horse, I just know I know her, and we figure it out eventually. I think that makes her the perfect horse for me. 

 Anyhoo!


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## koda2004 (Sep 2, 2017)

I don't know if I can help but I will try. I personally learned to ride on a very very green horse, it was probably not the best decision but I survived. I think that the reason I did ok was the fact that I knew the way horses think. It was my experience and knowledge of horses that I learned from the groundwork that helped me, at the time I had only ridden 3 times before this green horse. I think that it depends on the person and how well you can respond when something goes wrong. I got thrown a couple of times but now I feel like I can handle bucking pretty well. The way I like to think of it is if something goes wrong then don't be afraid to get out of the saddle and work on the problem from the ground. I am not trying to advise you to ride a green horse I just want to share my experience.


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## koda2004 (Sep 2, 2017)

I actually learned to ride when I got my first horse and I actually broke her myself. We kind of learned together. It was probably not too smart but, I survived, It also taught me a lot of skills that I wouldn't have if I had learned on a broke horse, such as how to handle bucking. I think that you need to know the horse really well from the ground and know how they think and what they look like when they are about to explode. I t also depends of how calm of a rider you are, but most of all I think it depends on the horse.


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## koda2004 (Sep 2, 2017)

Sorry, I thought I deleted my first post on accident so I made another one so now they are both on here.


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## Blackphantom (Sep 30, 2017)

I got my horse from a famliy that got devorced and the two horses wheir negleted for five or so years so they turned back to wild mustangs. Me and my sister worked with them we didnot get one for a few months my horse still needs some work but we can ride them. Have fun riding!


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