Question:
im having big problems with my horse part 2?
Anna B
2007-11-18 15:13:46 UTC
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqt_S6RpLkUUCklZpiY.cC.Q.Rd.;_ylv=3?qid=20071118142153AAuCYcL


Thing is im kinda afraid of jazz now.
Maybe im over reacting and its just something you go through and must deal with

But just need to know exactly what i should do for it.

Sell her?
find a trainer at low expense?
Change stables?
hope that her new bit will work?
just keep her as a pasture buddy(which will lead to me selling her T_T)?

Ive loved horses all my life dreaming,working, doign anything i can to be by a horse,but now seeing how hard it is its makign me rethink.
I dont ever want to stop loving horses
And i think getting rid of jazz will make me worsen my thoughts of horses

what should i do
Fourteen answers:
anonymous
2007-11-18 15:22:15 UTC
You need a trainer.



Horse handling is like rocket science. There's so much to know, you can't just grab the nearest horse and expect to be sucessful.



You need to learn.

The horse needs to learn.



Chances are, if you get rid of Jazz and get another horse, the exact same thing will happen.

BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED ANYTHING.



Keep Jazz. I think she's fine. I think that you both need professional help.



If you get rid of her, don't get another one.

Find a riding stable and take lessons and borrow theirs under supervision.
?
2016-04-05 01:16:43 UTC
No. Recurrent colic is enough of a reason to keep looking. But a horse that has undergone abdominal surgery can have huge medical problems. I'm guessing that the hernia is coming through the surgical incision made to treat the colic. I am having trouble taking this seriously. I can't imagine a vet telling you that this horse is okay to breed. A hernia is the protrusion of an organ through a weakened or ruptured wall. It can also be through a wall weakened by a surgical scar, or an enlarged anatomic opening. Yes she will colic easier. A hernia repair is more surgery. The protruding organ (probably intestine) can become entrapped (incarcerated hernia) or strangulated (blood supply cut off so tissue dies). This horse is not a candidate for breeding, and may not stay healthy enough to function as a riding horse either.
lj
2007-11-18 16:36:07 UTC
Have you had a vet out? If not, get one out soon. She could have some back problems, or need her teeth floated. My horse was horrible for a while (bucking, tossing his head, he reared once, took off, not standing in cross ties, etc.) and the last thing we checked were his teeth, sure enough they were pretty bad. Always check everything, even if that "couldn't" be whats wrong.



Don't get rid of her, a horse with problems is always harder to sell anyway, and she might end up in a bad home. Be patient and find a good trainer. Take lessons on her and see what happens. Once you get your new bit, it will be easier to tell. Check your current bit over carefully. Run your fingers over it and see if anything is sharp. Also, have someone hold it on your forearm and pull down (down as in towards the ground AND towards your wrist), if it pinches you it is most likely pinching your horses mouth. I always do this before I buy a bit.



Maybe give her a break for a while. Go out as much as you can and groom her and spend time with her, but don't ride everytime. I do that a lot, just today I went out and groomed my horse extra good, hopped on him bareback with a halter and lead rope and just let him walk where he wanted too. Then I let him roll in the arena and groomed him extra good again. Throughout the ride I gave him 2 apples. Make your time with her a good experience without much work.



If things don't work out, maybe your not as horse crazy as you thought. If you love horses so much, try just leasing one. It may be better for you. I don't know about where you are, but at the barn I board at you can come out and ride one of the horses whenever one's available for like $20.



Good luck.
TB eventer!
2007-11-18 16:22:34 UTC
where are you located?

you might be able to find a younger, more experienced rider to work with jazz for free, i know i would be more then happy to ride someones horse ;]

im not sure of your age, but anyone who wants to be a trainer, but its pro yet and still in highschool will probably do it for free, or ask a small small fee... try asking around and maybe see if you could lease her out to a very experience rider, then your horse would get trainer, and you would have more money to spend on board, or lessons..



i really hope everything works out, it seems like you and your poe. have just hit a rough patch and both of you need a little tuning up.
Maid Fresh Daily
2007-11-18 15:44:37 UTC
sounds frustrating. what a bad expereince with horses. i would not sell her now. she needs to be with an owner who has more expereince though. you should never sell a problem horse. i would suggest finding a trainer first to work with the horse and help you find someone more suited for owning the horse. if you are this aggrivated and confused by this point then it is ok to realize that yes, you need professional help with this horse. if you are afriad, that not good. there is no shame in selling a horse if there is someone out there who is a better match with the horse other than you. your expereince with horses should be enjoyable for you and the horse. if she goes to a good home and someday you find you are ready for another horse and find one that is great, how can that worsen your thoughts of horses? alls im saying is if there is any doubt in your mind that you cant fix the problem, then seek help.
jos :)
2007-11-18 16:01:03 UTC
I went through the same thing with my old horse too, and i know how you feel. i was getting afraid of him too, and i just lost my confidence around all horses. i wasn't a beginner, but this horse was like one i had never been around. he was plain nasty. no don't get it wrong, i loved him so much, and i cried for days after i sold him. he had the most beautiful trot, he was VERY fast, loved cows, and was quiet and didn't spook. however, he bit, didn't like to be caught in the pasture (he would charge us), bolted when i was just walking him, and was very onrey along with other things.i got a trainer, and she kept saying what a good horse he was. but i never gained my trust or confidence back with my horse, and i was tired of having to play it safe and not being able to ride trails and just have fun and relax.



so i decided to sell him, but i made sure that he went to a good home with someone that would let me visit him if i wanted, and that if they ever decided to sell him, they have to call me first and offer him back to me for the price they paid for him.



that horse taught me so much, more in one year than i have ever learned in my entire life with horses. he was a good horse deep down, but we brought out the worst in each other. after i sold him i thought i was gonna be sooo sad and not find other horses, but i was soo wrong.



yesterday, i brought home my new appy gelding. so far, he is the perfect horse. no problems at all. to be honest, i didn't think i was going to find a horse this good, but they are out there if you just look





but now, i am so much happier. i am glad i had that experience with my old horse and i sold him when i did. I didn't just give up, but i somtimes wonder why i was so stupid and didn't just sell my horse in the first place, or even better, not buy him at all.



so my advice to you is to sell your horse, and use the money to buy a horse that is more laid back and a little bit older. not an old plow horse, but somthing that you can gain more confidence and trust on. and don't hurry and buy the first horse you look at.



make sure she goes to a good home with someone that will love her and bring out the best in her.



Good Luck with whatever you choose to do, but don't worry you won't ever stop loving horses.
anonymous
2007-11-18 18:21:16 UTC
ok..I might have a solution for this...as ypou said in one of your ?'s..you want to send her to training but training van be expensive right?..y dont you try taking lessons on her with a trainer and have them tell you what your doing wrong so you can work on that before you go blow your money away and still not learn anything..lessons are the best thing you can do for you and that horse b/c its training but its you and the horse being trained together
?
2007-11-18 18:28:06 UTC
find a trainer at a low expense. have you even taken lessons for awhile before handling a younger and inexperienced horse? the trainer will help you SO much.
Kendall H
2007-11-18 16:29:11 UTC
Perhaps you could find a more experienced person nearby that you could half lease her to, so you could earn money for a trainer, and have a more experienced person help her remember her manners. Don't give up on her yet! Good Luck!
anonymous
2007-11-18 15:25:03 UTC
i don't think u should get rid of her! the first thing u need 2 do is to no tthink u cant do it cuz if u don't think u can do it than u won't be able 2. i would suggest that u ask some1 u know that knows about horses 2 come out and help u.
anonymous
2007-11-19 00:16:54 UTC
I would find a trainer if i were you or heck you could send her to me lol. :) you can never have to many horses.
anonymous
2007-11-18 15:32:46 UTC
after reading the book and from being a new horse owner myself, I will give my opinion of what is what here.



1. ditch the bit, period. no one ever said you had to rid with a bit. there are tons of bitless set ups. when I bought my horse the owner saddled him up and put a bit on him. I watched him fight and could tell the bit did not make him happy. I have gone bitless and he listens with no problems what so ever. also the bit could be hurting his teeth. this is the other reason I like bitless.



2. she is testing you as you are new. mine did same to me after 2 weeks. first few weeks he was awesome, did all I asked, just like when I got him. then for a few weeks he got an attitude, challenging me, testing me, pushing my patience, even taking me for a hi hoe silver and zip across the pasture one day.



the horse realizes you are the new owner and like any animal or child, when they see new authority, they test the limits of that person. I would say she is doing that to you. To see who the boss is going to be... her or you.



I don't like whips or anything, but I even had to resort to it using the lead rope and the long ring whip. Started to make him realize I hold the power. He then didn't want to ride but just eat. So I took his food away for 2 days. Like a child missing dinner, he began to realize again who held the power. After a few weeks of showing him whos boss. He's back to his old self and even better. I can give him verbal commands and he follows them. Like go to pasture, go home (back to stall), all the basic riding commands and working on bow and lay down. Now that he knows I'm boss, he listens very intently to what I want, as he knows I hold the power of food, water, shelter, brushing and love. Treat her like a 3 yr old child. She's throwing a tantrum more or less.



3. don't give up. if you had a child and it gave you a few weeks of bad times. would you give it up for adoption? same thing with pets. once you take a pet, you have that pet till death. they feel and sense like we do. they know love, hate, anger, depression, being loney, being left out, etc. so the horse will realize it was sold then resold telling it, hey, I must be a bad horse so I'll act more bad now out of anger.



4. find other ways there. does one of the school buses go by the farm? ride that bus from school to the farm, deal with horse then as mom comes home from work she can pick you up. or even ride your bike or walk.



5. doesn't matter if the horse was trained before, you have to in way retrain them anyways to be with you, how you sit, act, move, etc. I've had to go back through and retrain mine on left, right, whoa, back, still working on run, trot, he stops instead. Its kinda like buying a new used car. You have to adjust the seat, mirrors etc from the previous owner to fit your needs. Same with a horse.



6. Get the book, Complete Idiot's Guide to owning a Horse. And other books. Watch videos online, google, youtube. Many things out there to help. I've been seld teaching myself how to be a farrier by video alone and then going and learning first hand. No outside help and all for free.



7. have no fear, they will sense it and push you to show they are boss. you have to stand your ground and be firm, you are boss. don't have to be mean but firm. Mine got excited one day and just refused stuff and even started to buck. I went after him instead of running, showing him I have no fear of him and what I say goes. Few rough weeks and it was all worth it for how he is now.



8. like a child, after you whip them or something, still love them. you might give a smack on the butt to get her running then as she does the 2nd time around good, tell her good girl. always give praise, but also correct when wrong. a horse is much like a child but the horse learns faster :)



9. if me, a person who has NO CLUE about farms, animals past cat or dog and hasn't even seen a horse in 30 yrs can up and go buy one with zero help. Board them, care for them and learn it myself with no help. Surely ANYONE else can as well. Specially if they have at least walked onto a farm a few times.



10. don't give up... in time she'll be your best friend.
urbanfarmhouse
2007-11-18 17:32:49 UTC
I'm not familiar with the "part one" of your question, so if you've gotten similar replies please excuse my repeat -



1st - a horse absolutely knows when you are afraid, and it makes them afraid....they are very sensitive to tension, so what you give is what you get. Before you can get her to respond to you in a relaxed, cooperative manner, you must be relaxed, and meet her where she is, emotionally speaking. It is a rare horse that's just mean (they do exist, but it's usually a mental anomaly or, occasionally, a severe case of mistreatment that has lead to the horse perceiving humans as predators).

Selling her to another party before you get to the root of her misbehavior(s) is irresponsible, and besides, your issues are probably highly solveable problems. Don't give up on her until you have explored all possible avenues - you were drawn to her for some reason, and giving up a great horse can be like fighting with a good friend - if it's premature and based on misinformation, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.



Have your vet go over her from top to bottom, to eliminate any physical reasons for her misbehavior - pain can elicit all kinds of strange reactions in horses - sometimes getting you off of them is what makes the pain stop, so bucking, running away with the rider, etc. can be indications of a physical problem. A horse that is shod improperly is also a candidate for tantrums (how do we all feel when our shoes don't fit?). If there are no apparent physical issues, she may just be sour, and needs a vacation. We give our horses two weeks off every six months or so.

Ill-fitting equipment is another common cause for misbehavior. You mentioned getting a new bit - did you get one that is gentler, or more severe? A horse with a very sensitive mouth will respond to a severe bit by holding it in their teeth, rather than letting it rest on the bars of the mouth, leaving you with no steering wheel whatsoever. You might try a rubber bit if she's very sensitive. If she's hard-mouthed, try a broken snaffle or an easy pelham, with a martingale for extra control of her head.



Work on your own attitude first. You must begin with you approaching your horse with a positive, confident attitude, relaxed, and anticipating (not demanding) her cooperation. Be ready with her favorite treat - speak to her, scratch her favorite spot, and then leave her be. The idea here is to engender trust. Horses frequently misbehave because they do not believe the person caring for and riding them has their best interest at heart (horse is thinking "if they did, why would they be so tense?"). Some people have found the "clicker" method effective for horses - look at a resource specifically for horse training - horses are not dogs.



I would suggest leaving her alone, except for feeding and basic care (minimal grooming, making sure she's in overall good shape), for about two weeks. During those two weeks, choose one or two books (I've suggested the two books I've found to be the most helpful in person and horse training). Don't choose any more than that - there are many effective philosophies, but they are not necessarily compatible with one another. Contradictory theories will only serve to confuse you, at this point.



For six to eight more weeks, work her only from the ground, do not get on her back, period. The book I suggested, Yoga for Horses, offers a wonderful system for ensuring your horse is supple and balanced, ready to receive your commands. The author is a highly regarded dressage instructor, but this method has proven useful for all schools of riding. This is a methodology that requires commitment and attention to detail. It is not a quick fix. It will pay off in the long run, however. Again, lots of rewards, treats, quiet talk, and reassurance. These exercises are actually fun. Keep the sessions short, initially, because it's hard work, on you and the horse. As she begins to accept your leadership, you'll find her more and more willing to cooperate. After making progress in the "yoga classes", move on to longue-line work (you don't need a pen for this - you'll want to vary the length of the line as she makes progress, anyway, and a pen tends to have a work-furrow that the horse naturally "falls" into). At this point, I would encourage you to include a trainer in your initial workouts. Longue work for a horse is very taxing, and if the equipment is not used properly, it can exacerbate any physical problems rather than strengthening your training system. When she is following your voice and touch commands as a matter of routine, slowly begin mounted workouts. Begin with long, working walks, in an enclosed arena, so that any behavior issues can be handled quickly, without you having to contend with the fear of being out in the middle of the pasture with an unruly horse. I would absolutely include a trainer or instructor on these initial rides, and at least once a week thereafter. Even trainers need trainers. It will make you more comfortable and less apt to convey tension to your horse. Walk ONLY for 2 weeks of workouts (for a total of at least 10 sessions). Establish basic, working communication. Halt, bending, leg yield, half-pass, serpentines, circles, etc, all at the walk.

Next move on to trot - before you ask anything of her, make sure the rhythm is firmly established - a regular, one/two beat. Relaxation at trot is crucial before you ask anything of her - begin with the same exercises you worked at walk. Pay careful attention to the transition from walk to trot and back to walk. Smooth transitions are prime indicators of balance and responsiveness to rider queues.

Also, timing is everything at this stage. If you're having a particularly troublesome day, consider getting off of her and returning to a yoga or longue session. If you're having an outstanding day, keep it short. Reward her for giving you what you're asking for - if she does everything you ask in a half-hour ride, put her away with a treat and a pat. Always end on a good note.

After 3 to 4 weeks of successful walk/trot work, introduce the canter or lope, using the same principles. Then and only then, begin working with her outside the confines of the arena. The idea is to establish trust and confidence in your leadership, for both of you.



Best of luck - it can be a hard thing to rework a horse, but most of the people who have responded to the challenge with an attitude of concern and respect for their animal have found the results to be more than worthwhile.



If for some reason you and Jazz are not a match, and that does happen, you will still benefit from establishing good habits for you and her, and you can sell her with a clear conscience, knowing she is safe for another rider. Having learned some effective techniques for training your next horse,

and becoming a better rider, is well worth the time and work. Best of luck!



(PS - if you do not have the time or money to train her properly, you do need to either lease her to someone who can train her, or perhaps trade her to someone who has an older horse that has more of a track record, behavior wise.

Continuing in your current situation puts you and Jazz at risk for injury. Your first concern as her owner MUST be for her well-being.)
anonymous
2007-11-18 15:16:18 UTC
if ur that weak of a person.



get rid of her.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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