I just purchased a 3 1/2 yr old QH gelding. I've only had him 6 weeks. He's green broke and I bring him to my trainer weekly. He's very laid back to the point of being somewhat lazy. My trainer was concerned how big his NO! was going to be but it's not bad. He was bucking at the lope but not a rodeo buck, more kicking out. But I'm really not liking his NO! attitude. He pins his ears back when I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do (or is confused) and gets this sour look. I took him down to the arena last night and there were a lot of people riding their horses. Granted their horses were older and trained but it was a little embarrassing to have a horse being so sour when I watched everyone else loping nice soft circles and horses that seemed to enjoy their outing. Is this generally a young horse thing? You can train them but how can you help them get over the "sour" thing? I ride western and want to use him for trails, play days, confidence courses and maybe some western showing someday. When you ask him to do something he'll do it, you just get that sour attitude which just looks unattractive (can't think of another word at the moment)!
If you've only had him for six weeks then he has probably had to adapt to a new living environment, new owner, new trainer, and maybe new herd mates, etc. Bringing him into a busy arena presents distractions that may be overwhelming to him. I'd just give him some time to settle in and get to know you as he becomes better acclimated, and try to find some time when the arena is less busy for working him. If possible, taking him out on trails might be relaxing for him as well. If he is bitted, you might want to try using a bitless bridle for awhile to allow his teeth and gums to mature. He is still very young and neither his mind nor his body are matured, so I'd take it slow and try not to overwhelm him with too many signals simultaneously. Ground exercises with one task to perform at a time would help him learn to focus and to bond with you.
for god sakes people 3 and a half year olds CAN be ridden
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com they can be light ridden from 2 years old
just have patience and he will come around one day
i got an abused horse that would kick anyone that went near her but now im riding and anyone can go and hug her and ride her
like i said it takes time and patience
dont worry hes just a baby. hes just confused and trying to understand. you should probally work him more like 5 or 6 times a week. i had kiger mustang quarter horse who sent 4 people to the hospital when she was 4 yrs old and it was only because she didnt understand it took me two years to get her to be a very well mannered horse but it only took me a couple weeks to calm her down because of love and care and patience. just calm down and work with him. dont get angry when he bucks just turn him in circles and calm him down and start again. or you can ride through it and praise him when he stops bucking. it works great to keep a good attitude with a young horse and to praise him when he does right. if your trainer isnt working with him or you at least 3 times a week you may want to find someone else. my neighbor who has been there done that trained millions of horses and taken three year olds to world or state championships sends her horses to a great trainer and they keep her horse for a couple months and trains them almost every day. you gotta keep consistent with a baby. it is a good thing to change it up for a horse who has been trained but doing the same things will help him learn faster just teach him something new and small everyday. another tip for the heck of it is dont give him cookies everyday or everytime you see him cuz this can result in him bitting=]
At three and a half, your horse is still very much a baby. Lots of people aren't even breaking their horses until three years of age nowadays; sometimes not until they're even older.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com What do you do with your horse besides ride him in the ring? Sounds like he is just ring sour and green to me. Keep your training sessions SHORT (no more than thirty minutes) and take him out on the trail more. Some horses are just more prone to grumpiness than others and that's something you can't always fix, but your guy is still just a baby. Have fun with him! Groom him, play with him, free lounge him and let him kick up his heels (safely ).
Also keep in mind that he is still getting adjusted to his new home if you have only had him six weeks. How much is he getting turned out? An outside horse is a happy horse, IMO. Young horses are hard work ... he's going to need years, not weeks, of training before he's loping quietly around in circles like the other horses. Take your time, don't rush him, and celebrate the small successes.
This not riding until 5 crack is ridiclous! One of my horses was broken at 5 and he is the worst horse I've ever sat on because he was so used to doing his own thing and too mature when he was broken in.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
3.5 is more than acceptable - thats very strange! My own 3 year old is full of life and loves her work! How long is he broken? If he's been broken in a couple of months he may need to be left off to become un- sour?
