Bringing a horse back into Work

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Okay, you guys are going to read this and hate me. I hate myself for letting it happen.

I really haven't ridden either of my horses for more then a year, I kinda got really busy, then I fell in love and the world just seemed to rush past and I couldn't fit the horses into my busy schedule. And then Bruce - my step-father - decided that Iwas no longer allowed to ride them in the paddocks.

Well, now I live with my BF and I have just found the most amazing property to graze them on. I have 4 acres of grass all to myself which is split into two paddocks, a little one and a really (and I mean really big one), with a shed for my feed and gear and a barn to use for grooming and tacking up in the winter. And it is also fully sheltered!! The road it's on is also pretty quiet so I hope to be able to ride Cedar down it once we're ready. The smaller paddock I want to turn into a riding paddock once the grass has been eaten down.

Pretty much, I'd like any advice you guys have to bring my boy(s) back into work. Sammy has kinda gone into semi-retirement as he's really set in his ways and is kinda rude - I don't like rude horses. I ride English (and only English), but Cedar and I enjoy mounted games like pole bending and barrel racing. Any help would be fully appreciated.

[.Rissa.]

Hey, why don't you take advice from Cara? lol.

No, I have the same problem with my mom's paint Warrior. And what I'm going to tell you, is the plan I am going to use for him. He hasn't been rode in a LONG time. The last time I rode him, I trailered him to an arena he had never been too, but a heard buddy was there so things went good. The stuff I'm going to say and suggest, you probably know, but a little repition won't hurt right?

1) Never expect them to be in top shape and remember all that they had learned, no matter how well-behaved they were.
2) Do expect laziness and snotyness.

After all, the horse is thinking he is now done with work, you know, never had to work another day in his life, then suddenly, boom. Saddle up and work! Honestly, they almost forgot what that was. I would just start slow, treat them like they are green, let them smell everything, tack them up slow so they can get used to and remember all the noises. I don't think like going overboard and driving them persay would be necessary, but don't expect them to behave top notch if you just saddle hit the road. But you know all of that =)

Other than that... um, I don't know. I hope that helps! Grooming them, of course recreates a bond. Chances are, your going to have to show them who is boss again. Which, would be where round pen work and stuff like that come in. But basically, think of them as green horses, well, well-rounded green horses, lol.

P.S. we don't hate you!!! we LOVE you

[kryzzle]

I recently had to bring my friends mare back into work for him because he's not exactly an experienced enough rider to do it himself and work her through her issues (seperation anxiety, stubborness, backing up, sidestepping, and head-slinging)... (she's about twelve and hasn't been ridden since she was four).

I've only worked with her a handful of times, but she's already becoming better... but she had gotten very used to being a pasture puff and was very disrespectful at first (still is sometimes). I treated her like I would treat any other horse on ground... demanded respect from the start and if she disrespected me, I disciplined her like I would any other horse... a pop to the neck and sharp word or backing up for minor offenses, nailing her with the lead as hard as possible across the neck/chest/back for major offenses, and kicking back at her if she kicked at me or struck at me. (it may seem 'rough', but I've never taken anything from horses and well, look at how horses play with each other... I don't think me kicking them is really going to bother them -that- much... especially when you take into consideration how rough they are with each other).

Under saddle, I treated her as I would a horse who wasn't trained, since she'd had so long off. We went slow, most at a walk, a little trotting and cantering. when she got stubborn or spookish, I didn't reprimand her like I would my own horses because it was expected of her... Instead, I stayed level headed and worked her through it...



My own gelding is getting almost a year long break this year... when I start riding him again, I plan on going extremely slow until he gets his mind set back on riding and listening... Basically, I'd just take it slow and listen to the horse and don't try to force anything until you know your horse is ready for it again.

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

You can't beat respect into a horse. It's not how they do it. A head mare punishes horses by sending them away from the herd, which is where the whole idea of join-up came from.

If Cedar pushed the boundaries and I hit him, he'd go nuts.

[kryzzle]

Never said anything about beating respect into a horse. Tat really does have negative effects... I've seen it attempted before, by some members of my own family and that horse was... extremely, extremely... it horrified me.

I don't beat any horse, to me, popping them with the lead for biting and kicking them if they kick me isn't beating, that's simple discipline. If they know they shouldn't do something, and they do it, I'll reprimand them harshly, but not beat them, never beat them. If they don't know any better, I repimand them, not as harshly as I would a horse who knows better... but harshly enough to make them think before they do it again. (example, my gelding bit me once, only once in his life... when he did, we had a 'come to jesus' moment and I swear he thought the devil was after him, but he learned and has never attempted to bit anyone since).

Sorry if it sounded otherwise, I didn't mean it too, lol... I guess I take a slightly tougher outlook on things than most people...

and it's kinda hard to really explain what I meant by the demanding repect thing over the internet... it's just something you'd have to see, I guess, to really understand what I meant...

[.Rissa.]

'nailing as hard as you can' is different than beating them? Hmm. And no offense, but kicking a horse back is pointless and very dangerous to yourself.

Everyone has their own ways, I'm not going to add anything else except to say, look up Monty Roberts and John Lyons.

[kryzzle]

As long as it's one done once or twice in quick succession, then it's definately not the same as beating a horse, in my opinion. 'Beating', to me, is the pointless and repetitve hitting more than twice, for little things. If hitting with the lead as hard as possible was considered beating a horse, thne where I live, everyone with a horse (even the guy out here who breeds horses and trains them for a living) would be in big trouble. As far as kicking goes, as long as it's done with the top of your foot somewhere on the belly, and not hard enough to hurt yourself, then it's not going to hurt the horse, and if you're standing inthe right spot near the shoulders, it's not as dangerous. My gelding knows when I raise my foot up and say 'uh-huh' to back off, and I've only kicked him twice. Likewise, he also knows when I twirl the lead hard enough for it to 'whistle' through the air, he knows to back off. I hardly ever have to do either of those. If you add in a vocal command, like 'no' or something, they learn the command and you can just use it whenever.

I'm just repeating what I've been told all my life. Sorry for getting you guys upset and all... It's just the way I've been raised and they way I've always been taught and it works for us out here... and I didn't mean to hijack your thread, Cara! I hope you get your horse back into working/riding shape safely and have fun!

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Pretty much, you both gave me the same advice. To take things slow and start as if I'm starting from the beginning again. Cedar shouldn't need to much reteaching as he's such a gem. I just need to build his fitness levels up.

[.Rissa.]

Glad we could help =)