[Miss Thunder]

Ok, feeling a little down lately which stinks, but oh well. Thought I'd come here and beg for help LOL. Well, not really help, but curious as to how you guys do things?

I've trained horses in the past, within the last year I haven't though because it was my last year of school before I enter my chosen field for my career and thought it'd be better to just have my horses and that's it. Wait until after I start work to get all bruised up and stuff again Haha. Anyways. Like I said, I've trained in the past. I've started some horses, but mostly worked with tunning up horses at a friend's barn. I don't really have the facilities here to train, as my ring needs 2 weeks to dry after any bit of rain (hence why next year I'm getting new footing! Haha). I always thought everything was trainable with time. Well, I've met my match in my own horse.

I own a coming 3 year old Paint/Arabian gelding (he's mostly Paint though) named Oreo. He's a real sweety, love him to pieces He's a PMU baby from out West (from Westlock, AB. If anyone knows of any PMU farms in that area, please PM me! I'm trying to find out his past!) that came down with about 60 other babies. I guess it was a week long trailer ride on a double-decker truck (which from my understanding is illegal to ship horses on in Canada) with only one stop for water. They lost 3 horses on the way, and this was in November after our first snow fall/cold spell. He picked me out because... well, I don't know why. I certainly didn't pick him! He just started following me and that was it! He came home the following weekend LOL. Anywho, when he came he was severly under weight. At 10 months he weighed about 300lbs? Maybe a bit less? Plus he had pneumonia. But, my little angel made it through all that, came through being gelded with flying colors and was an escape artist for a while. Now he enjoys his life with my mare, Redie and his best buddy, Shadow.

In March I got the OK from the vet to start light work. By then he could be lead EVERYWHERES (we would go for 3 hour walks on the marsh just for exercise), my farrier said he had never seen a horse who stood so good for him at such a young age and didn't mind having his feet done. He could be groomed both tied and not, tied for long periods of times in both cross ties and just a normal tie. He could carry a saddle and have the girth tightened without a fuss. He could be lunged at the walk (as fast as I would go because of his knees) and had a pretty good attention span. Well, as much of an attention span a 2 year old could have LOL. Anyways, he's totally a mommy's boy.

I've raised him differently than I have other horses. Not that I'm rough, but I'm firm with other horses. Whereas with him, it's always been gentle and just going slow. He likes things done gently, and I get more out of him when he's handled gently. Even if someone comes in with just a normal rough voice, he gets nervous because he's used to mommy's gentle tone. I know, I raised a wossy LOL. But it's just in his personality that he can't be handled rough because of where he came from, ya know?

Anywho, I've tried starting him and nothing seems to work. I've used every trick up my sleeve, talked to several other trainers, read many books and am just lost. Why can't I train him? The first ride, which was in March, I just had a lead rope and saddle on, and he freaked out and bolted. I ended up fracturing my pelvis. Now I've been trying to lay accross his back to work him back up to having weight on his back (I use to put haybales on his back and lead him to where I would throw them outside. He was a great pack pony! ) but now he wants nothing to do with anything on his back! I mean if I keep my feet on the mounting block, I don't think he even notices me. But when I try to put all my weight on his back, he freaks out! I've tried it with him just eating his hay, and he begins to freak out, someone holding him in my ring, and he freaks out, fencing off my ring some so he doesn't have much room and someone hold him, and he freaks out. I just can't get ANY weight on his back. Like, he does fine with the saddle and stuff but actual real heavy weight, he wants nothing to do with it!

So I was wondering - for those who break horses on here, how do you start? Do you start with laying on the horse's back, or jump right in the saddle? Bareback or with saddle? Bit/halter/hackamore? Someone holding, or not? Sorry this post is so long, I'm just getting really frustrated here. Why is it I can train other people's horses, but not my own?! Think I'm taking it "too easy" on him? (By the way, we've already done the join up and stuff, and he's done great!)

[Blistering Winds]

I use a sidepull with no bit for first timers. I make sure they are SOLID and quiet when saddling, and SNAPPING the stirrups down and out. They shouldn't flake out. After that and they are round penning without bucking at the saddle, THEN i get on. I add weight to each side of the stirrups by pushing on them at first. THen , when I get on, it is quick, quiet and then we just Stand. Then I get off before all heck breaks loose, unsaddle,a dn put up. This goes on about a week. Me sitting on him longer and longer. Following week, we move around at a walk. Sometimes i have my hubby in the round pen and ask for a walk at the same time I'm asking for one. Saves on confusing the horse.

[cassidy]

i am just breaking in my horse an we started by the ground work working up to the lunging an the tacking up to start with i just laid acroos my horses back an then when he didnt care i got on he was perfect though!!

have you thought that he doesnt like the weight as there is a problem!? he may have a sore abck or the saddle may be hurting him!!

i would get a vet to check out his back incase he has hurt it messing about!!

that would be the first step then go from there!

good luck with him

[Miss Thunder]

Well the vet gave me the OK to start light work. I got xrays of his front knees, spine and hips done (cost me a pretty penny, mind you ) and he said he's growing fine and me (about 140lbs) would be fine to start. Not a 200lbs person though I lay on him without a saddle so there's no ill-fitting saddle for an excuse. No sore backs, he doesn't do anything to get a sore back, ya know? LOL. He's a perfectly healthy boy, just won't accept weight

[cassidy]

you might find this site handy (you might not)

http://www.pmufoalquest.com/2003/faq.htm

its a canada based volunteer organisation

also this site is for the north america pmu registary (it may have links to help find what your looking for)

http://www.napmur.org/

[Blistering Winds]

Some horses are like that. They are SUPER sensitive to pressure.

Unfortunately, some of these horses need to just be taught the hard way. I hate doing it, but some are so stubborn and refuse to succumb any other way.

Use a saddle so you don't get thrown off again. Make sure he's solid with a saddle and pressure from the saddle before you get on. Use a side pull or halter set to the TIghTEST hole so you get 100% response from him and no lag time.

I would use roping reins (1 rein and not 2 separate reins) this way you dont have to struggle with 2 reins.

Then just get on, don't wait for him to stop ********. Sooner you are on, the faster the whole issue will be over. Sometimes having someone hold him for a second and get his mind off of you is good.

Then just TRY not to let him rear or buck. Move him forward for rear, and backwards or circles for bucks

[cassidy]

i think he may just be taking the p*** lol

how old is he i didnt start my boy till he turned 3