take her out by herself everyday... even if it's just leading her. also, spend some one on one time with her so she can figure out that it's enjoyable being around you too.

My trainer starts ground poles and small jumps in hand when they're about 3. She doesn't let us jump them until they are about 5 because a horse's joints aren't done growing until they're 5- if you start earlier, your horse will go lame more quickly and won't be able to jump as high comfortably

ok thanks that helps alot

my sister weighs like 60 pounds and my old barn said she could get on him and walk him for 15 min and work on turning and stuff and i thought that was really really young to start. any help?

At 3? With the joints again... You might be able to get away with that if the lessons are short and just walking around. If you want do something with him, you can lunge him and break him to harness. When horses are in harness, they learn really quickly and muscle up quickly because they don't have to worry about a rider. You can also teach him leg yielding, shoulder fore, shoulder in, etc. when you line drive.

I agree with Rosemary, about waiting until 5 to start training for jumping. But you can start a horse for riding at 3. Just keep the sessions short at first and slowly lengthen them. Start with at a walk and as they get used to having someone on their back gradually work them into a trot then canter. Take your time and don't rush it

i'd wait tell she's atleast 5

IMO everything is stemming from him not driving from behind. See sawing is a quick fix but can quickly develope habits you don't want such as head bobbing, loss of momentum, and can even result in getting your horse heavier. By holding a light contact with your hands and using your legs and even spurs to drive him forward you'll get him to lift his back, use his hind end and get softer in the face. Also, I like to do LOTS of lateral work(flexing, bending, etc.) It gets a horse super soft and off the front end. As far as head position....I used to try and make my horse's heads get real low by see sawing or jerking or using training forks and other training aids. I was actually really good at it but it was counterfeit. As soon as I let up the torture, my horse's head would pop right back up which was really frustrating. I find that when a horse is balanced, moving forward, and above all RELAXED, he will carry his head nice and low(as low as his conformation allows). Thats the short explanation....I could go on for hours. Are you anywhere near the Dallas area? Cause I am actually teaching a workshop on this subject in June.

i agree. when i used to see saw, he would lower and tuck but then go right back to where it was once i stopped.
his conformation is very big for a western pleasure horse. he's 16 hh with a huge chest and butt, so he has a lot more to carry.. i've been doing some lateral work at the halt and walk for a while. when do you suggest i bring it up to the jog? thanks so much! i'm in northwest Georgia, so sadly Dallas would be too far for us.

You might want to get her legs checked out by a vet, and maybe get a chiropractor to take a look at her. I have a paint mare, also, and she is NOT stubborn. But one year she started to toss her head when I would urge her forward, and pin her ears angrily. Then at a canter she would buck. It ended up being because her hips were uneven, she had done something to them over the winter.
If your horse didn't used to be stubborn, this could very well be because she is in pain.

ok thanks. I'll call my vet to check her out

You could try to back him up when he starts to spin or walk off while you are trying to mount, and be consistant, I have done that with my horses and after awhile they learn that if they spin or walk forward I ask them to back up and keep asking them to every time they move, till they learn that the release is in them standing still. let me know if that helps you.

Thanks Laurie, I appreciate the tip. I had an old guy from the south watch me try to mount and he said that my horse was probably broke to do that. He told me to try to mount facing the rear of the horse and swing up into the saddle. That way when he spins I would spin up into the saddle...I tried mounting this way but I think I'm not as young as i used to be and I still get hung up with my leg halfway over his back and not in the saddle. I think you may have a good idea. I'll give it a shot and see what happens. It would be nice to get him over this. He's a fantastic horse otherwise and we have worked thru some other issues so I get the consistent part.
Thanks again!!

Like what Laurie said but like Clinton says make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. Set him up, start by just making the motion of putting your foot in the stirrup when he even thinks about swinging into you back him up, pretty aggressively too. After that put your foot in the stirrup, if he moves back him up aggressively etc....

And like she said you have to be consisent with it.

Good luck!
Brandi
Bartlesville, OK

Thanks Brandi, I'll do that...only prob is he lets me get my foot in the stirrup before he moves, that means I have to get my foot out of the stirrup and on the ground before i can back him up. I like to discipline a little quicker than that but I guess I have to go with what's available...and be consistent!!

always start with the basics and ground work. try putting your hands and arms in the saddle and put some weight down, if he moves make him backup, forward and both sides, then start all over again, and again until he stands. then go to the other side and do the same. then put your hands in a stirrup and put some weight down on it, if he moves, make him backup, forward, etc, then the other side. then put your foot in the stirrup and step off the ground with your other foot just a foot high, if he moves, backup, forward, etc and both sides, etc, etc..... basics, basics, basics, and groundwork, groundwork, groundwork.

thanks Cyndi, we have been doing just that. He tends to get bored easily so I have to get in the saddle periodically and ride a little but I think it only re-reinforces what we are doing on the ground because then he understands that if he stands still it makes the whole process easier for him (and me!!) Thanks again!!

Hi Greg, have you tried mounting on the "other" side? It is a little awkward but maybe he won't have the same habit on both sides?

Hi Tina, thanks for the suggestion. I have thought about trying that. At this point we are doing the back-him-up thing. He seems to be getting it although I need to ride more consistently. Work, thank fortune is busy and I'm lucky if I get to spend 2 afternoons a week with him. I'm in no hurry here so that's ok too, I just have to remember to do the practice instead of just getting on and riding!! It's hard to do that!

make him circle around you till he stops moving! my horse did that same thing and i have a thoroughbred so he was fast at moving too. if you gave a mounting block move him away from that and turn his head and make him circle in-hand!

my tennessee walker does the same thing. keep him moving until he will stand still for u and i just got him used to me standing on the left side and i slowly mounted and when he started to move i would stop and walk him. it worked for me hopefully it works for u!

Hi Greg! I'm new to the group and read your question. Have things gotten better? I had a horse that did that too. You could put your foot in the stirrup but once you went to get up he'd move. What I did was back him up and just hop back with him. I'd let him stop and pull my foot out of the stirrup and try again. He caught on quickly that it was better to just stand. Also once you get on, just have him stand there for a couple of minutes before riding off.

Slowly but surely things are getting better, we have had a very wet wintere and also been busy and haven't had mas mush time as I'd like with him but with the time change looming (YAY) at the end of the week, I hope to get back to more riding and working with him on this issue.

Hi Brandi!

Sounds to me like he just needs more time and maybe you need more patience. Young horses don't walk in straight lines at all for a while. That can take the entire season to get over in some horses. In this instance try to just enjoy riding him down the road or in a pasture and just practice bending and yeilding to pressure. If he doesn't want to go straight then make him twist so that going straight is easier.

Also, if you are training him to respond to leg pressure for forward motion as long as he moves forward that is key at first. Right now the goal is not a straight line, it is motion. You can work on this in a corral just going and stopping. Don't worry about the route, and you shouldn't even need a bridle at this point just a halter. If he stops or slows down it may be because you have released some leg pressure and don't even know it.

That may even be some of your trouble in the turns. Horses have to be trained on both sides. If you lean different one way than the other he has to figure you out. I hired a trainer and she could have my horse turn beautifully both ways but I could only get the horse to turn nicely one way. After watching her ride my horse I realized that she leaned forward further on one side than she did on the other. When I got on my horse and leaned more, the horse turned beautifully in both directions. This was a quirk that the trainer didn't realize about herself and then discovered that I wasn't the only client that had that problem after she trained a horse.

Hope this helps.

Tina pointed out a lot of good tips. If you have someone else that will help you with him, have them walk at his head with a lead rope as you tell him to walk on and then stop, and so on.

Work him with a whip on the ground as well. Place the whip where your leg should be, tap the area, and tell him to walk on. You can use that to bend him as well. Put pressure on that side, and when he shifts his weight, praise him.

Good luck!

Hi Brandi,
I see you like Clinton too. To get him to go straight, have him walk along the side of the arena or a fence or building. If he turns away, just bring him back next to the wall. Keep your focus where you want to go. If you are looking around you are inadvertently shifting weight and he can feel that. This will take time on a younger horse because they don't pay attention as well. As for the turning left, as Clinton would say, "Work their bad side twice as much as their good side."

if he is fully recovered shouldn't be a problem I think. Best to check with your vet though. Just take it slow at first and watch for him going lame.

Hii :)
I ride bareback all the time. When mounting bareback grab a hold of your lead line or reins and make sure they are gathered well, then jump onto his back landing on your stomach then swing your legs over.
To secure your self when riding bareback sit more forward, and put your legs behind your horses legs gripping not squeezing and curl your feet in. , place your hands steady on his withers and keep a nice posture.

Hope this helps you out Let me know.
Heaven Furoy.

When I get on bareback, I use a mounting block (my horse is 17 hh), or a stump for the shorter horses :D
To secure your seat, upper thighs together, legs underneath you.

I grab his mane and swing my leg over. Practice, practice, practice!!! At first I would stick to his side like SpiderMan, but I figured it out eventually. And I'm old.

I get on the same way as Lori.

Ha! I still stick to my horse's side like Spiderman!

If you do more than just barrel patterns, then he'd do great! i've seen tbs that go barrel crazy and only know "gallop" when they just do barrels. i would do lots of trail rides to keep him mentally collected. that's great that you adopted a race horse! :D

Ya we do jumping too.Ok thats good because he loves to go on trail rides.Thank you for your help!

I have an off the track mare , who runs barrels she is great at it now 10yr and in foal to my paint stud to make me a hopefuly nice barrel baby , but anyways I just took it slow with her she took too the pattern quick I didnt work on speed at all (being she is an ex race horse i knew she had in her already )we also did lots of other stuff mostly trails also dressage and jumping she is not hot at all infacted she fall asleep waiting on her turn .. Good luck -just dont rush

Thank you! Both of you helped me alot!