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About Rick Gore (www.freewebs.com/horseawareness)
Expertise
Visit Rick Gore's Horse Site: --- www.freewebs.com/horseawareness
--Rick is a student of the horse. He can answer questions about sacking out (Desensitizing vs. Sensitizing), dealing with spooky, abused or ex-race horses, rearing, bucking, horses that won’t tie or load into a trailer, working in a round pen/round corral, starting colts, dealing with aggressive or so called "mean" horses, herd behavior, biting, kicking, hard to catch, using a bosal or hackamore, soft hands and direct reining verses neck reining. If you expect him to tell you feel good advice, you will be disappointed. 95% of all his answers will include "the problem is you and not your horse." About 90% of most answers that I give out are on my web site, so if you read it you will probably answer your own question and may learn a few other things. If have some good information that you would like me to add to my site, please email me so it can be passed on to others.
Experience
Rick is an experienced horseman with many years of riding and handling horses. Rick grew up in Texas around horses and horse people. He has started colts, ridden many horses with behavior issues and worked with problem horses. (He believes that most horse problems are really people problems)
He believes in and practices natural horsemanship and continues to read and study books by great horsemen. He routinely attends clinics, talks with and discuss horse issues with other clinicians and trainers. He has never met a horse that could not be fixed. Rick believes it is never the horse's fault and with proper handling, all problems can be worked out.
Education/Credentials
Rick has many years experience in being around and working with horses. Over the years he has watched good horsemen do the right thing and seen the wrong things done with bad results. Rick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.
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You are here: Experts > Recreation/Outdoors > Horses > Horses - Behavior Issues, Breaking and Training > Unwanted Behaviors: www.freewebs.com/horseawareness
Expert: Rick Gore (www.freewebs.com/horseawareness)
Date: 9/3/2008
Subject: Unwanted Behaviors: www.freewebs.com/horseawareness
Question
Hi. I have recently bought back a horse that I have previously owned. Before, she was a good horse to ride. I could ride for hours on trails, with no real problems.
Now, she fights me every step of the way, it seems. I call her a "circular" trail horse. As long as you ride in a circle, she was fine. If turn around and come back the way you came, she fights you to "go". She did this before, occasionally , but I could always get her to calm down. I would stop her, let her settle, and then continue on. Now, she won't even stand still! She tosses her head, fights the bit, and prances non-stop until you reach the barn.
I don't know if a tie down will stop this. I feel that the people I sold her to let her just run. So, now she has lost her discipline and control. I'm just not sure what to do to get it back.
I am concerned for 2 reasons. Summers here in Alabama are very humid. Because of her fight, she lathers herself in sweat! I am worried that she will overheat herself trying to fight me for control. Also, my rides are no longer enjoyable. After I head back to the barn, I am so tired when I get back because of fighting her. I should not be so tired after riding!!!
I need a suggestion about what I can do to get her to calm down. I want my calm, easy going trail horse back.
Answer
This is a problem that wont be fixed easy. Tie downs never work and only teach a horse to brace, it will give you more control at first, but once the horse figures it out and stronger from bracing, it will only get worse. This sounds like a nervous issue and could be fear or lack of respect based. I find that the more you fight a horse not to do something the more the horse fights back.
I would try to ride very short distances from home and make each trip lots of small ones. So go out about a two minutes and return home then turn out and go out another minute or so and return home, this should make her need to return less. You can try to go out a minute and then go back and as soon as she starts to prance, turn and go back out more, then come back. You have to make sure she knows the walk command very well, so when she hears it, she knows to walk and if she does not you know she is ignoring you. You can make your trips back very long buy stopping every time she prances or by working on her turns and stops. No matter what, you will be tired after riding her. Some may say to lounge her until she is so tired before you ride that she will want to walk, others may say, when she prances get off and lounge her, I don't think either of these work but you never know.
This is a problem that is very frustrating and will take months to correct. You can put a long shank bit, gag bit or other pain device that may help but it is not the right way.
The worst thing you can do is reward her for hurrying back home, always plan time to work her after you return, lounge her, round pen her, do circles walk away and come back home, never get off and just take the saddle after when you return, she has learned to find release when she gets home, you need to teach her when she gets home there is more work so she will not want to get home so bad.
Hope this helps, good luck,
Rick
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