Hey please help, I dont wanna mess him up x?

Question

Hey ive recently got a new horse hes a Piebald Lightweight cob called Samba x Ha ha We call him odd eyes as he has one brown eye and one blue x

ANyway Samba is only 4 years old and ive had him 2 month now the problem is as hes young hes Very Unbalanced he also Is scared of the Jump wings and Has a problem staying on the right leg in canter x

he also is able to get the bit under his tongue (He does this allot) and he is hard to stop as when i pull back he has no brakes :S He just carries on going x

Ive put him On a Breaker Bit and Just want to Know are there any activities/ exercises i can try to help with his problems and will he be okay on A breaker ?

and when i put him a fly mask on with his bridle he Shuts his eyes completely because he doesn't like it how can i get him use to a fly mask ? x

Answer 1

this horse isn't ready for all that you're doing. you're rushing him through things and not letting him think his way through. So, just take a step back, and do one thing at a time, until he's accepted that one thing, then add something else.



1) desensitizing: with approach and retreat, be able to touch and rub his face with the fly mask until he's just fine with it, before you actually put it on. if you can't even do that, then he shouldn't be wearing it til he's fine.



2) clearly he has no idea what pulling back on the reins means (to stop a horse you should NEVER pull on the reins anyway. you should ONLY take out the slack and wait for the horse to yield). you're trying to force this on him and he is either scared or frustrated and you hurt him with the excess pressure in his sensitive mouth.

**get a trainer to help you start him correctly** there's a whole process of first using one rein at a time to stop the horse (via a one rein stop) and your SEAT and legs and lightly your fingers.....it's not about ever pulling back.



If you can't ride him in a plain smooth bar snaffle, you've no business riding him in anything else. So, don't switch to any other bit before you have mastered the snaffle.



Also....the bit sounds too big for his mouth. Find a pony size or other size bit. If the bit can go under his tongue, it doesn't fit. OR you have it too loose (*all points to....you need a trainer)



3) don't jump a 4 year old horse that is too young and not conditioned enough for jumping. Jumping means a horse will land all of his weight on those 2 front legs = problems later on. Unless you want early on tendon, ligament and other medical problems...be considerate of his physical needs. he needs to grow up and needs conditioning and be sure to always use protection for his legs (sport medicine boots)



*I'd strongly suggest getting a trainer involved. You'll be better off with a professional to get your horse started right, otherwise, you'll find that your horse will develop really bad habits that you train him to get...that you don't want.

Answer 2

Some of the problems you're describing are typical of unbroke horses and horses just being started under saddle. They are unsure of the weight on their back and the shifting that comes from a rider, so they are unbalanced.



The bit in their mouth is also new and it's typical for them to throw their tongue over the bit. It's foreign and they play with it.



He may not be taking a right lead, because he doesn't know what a right lead is. More often than not, a horse naturally takes their left lead...just like the larger portion of people are right handed.



And, if he truly is 'green,' he may not be stopping, because he isn't trained to stop. Pulling on the reins may only be telling him "This hurts."



The fly mask may be just as foreign to him as being ridden.



Honestly, I'm thinking you purchased a green broke horse, and he needs finish training. Find a reputable trainer (that doesn't use harsh methods) and send him out for 30 days. You might be pleasantly surprised at what happens when he comes home. Right now, it sounds like his confusion is being compounded.



He has a long life ahead of him. Be fair and give him a good foundation. It will make it nicer for both of you.

Answer 3

Are you jumping him or is he just scared of the jumps in the ring? I wouldn't jump him over anything until he much better trained.

What does he do when you put the fly mask on when he's in the pasture?

I wouldn't use one when riding anyway.

I don't know what a breaker bit is..do you mean it's broke in the middle? Is it a snaffle? If so what kind of snaffle.

I would do a lot of walking and trotting. And, work on stopping. See how fast you can make him walk and see how slow you can make him walk. Do that at the trot too.

At 4 years old he is still a baby and will need A LOT of training.

Answer 4

When he has grown old enough to jump and has matured, have him do alot of ground pole work. Trot him alot over the ground poles, and then try going over a small cross-rail. Until then stop jumping him and just do ground work.



As for the bit problem, It sounds like you are leaving the bridle too loose, causing the bit to lay loose in his mouth so he can get his tongue over it. Make sure the bridle is adjusted snug enough so that there is a small crease in the horse's lip behind the ring of the bit.



And the fly mask situation, horses commonly shut their eyes when you put on the fly mask. I am sure he is fine with it once you have put it on...just keep having him wear it and he'll get used to it.





Good luck!

Answer 5

You shouldn't be jumping him at 4. Horses should not be jumped or galloped/cantered hard until they are at least 6. This is one of the flaws with thoroughbreds who are raced. A horse's joints don't close until they are 6, so you can badly damage him by jumping him or working him too hard too early. He needs to be lunged, and worked LIGHTLY under saddle. Try walking him around the jumps in a halter to get him used to the wings. Work on desensitizing him to "scary" objects like tarps and water. Work on short bits of canter with him on the lunge to help him learn balance. Transitions will help. For the fly mask, try it with a halter first and just let him graze in hand while he wears it so he learns there is nothing to be afraid of. You might also want to invest in a professional trainer.

EDIT: If you are so eager to get jumping and working RIGHT NOW, you'd do better to sell Samba to somebody who is willing to wait, and to buy another horse that is at least 6. If you like him enough, you need to wait to jump him until he's 6. You also need to start with ground poles at trot and canter spacings, and lunge him over fences while he is both wearing and not wearing tack.

Answer 6

Well for one your horse dosn't need a bit acctualy.

By the sounds of it he needs a bit more training. Get some money by getting young children to have an hours riding session riding him so he gets used to being ridden 24/7. With a fly mask keep it on him after riding him before riding him but not while riding but while in the paddock, stable feild. Keep it on him most of the day mot of the week. But on saturdays give hima rest from the fly mast.



Hope this helps - Lottie

Answer 7

Stop taking the ritalin and mdma, they make matters worse. Mdma needs to be the toughest drug on the earth, I swear to god, and you will not notice that till the harm is completed. Lortabs are a tad bigger however watch out with all that acetaminophen in it! You can kill your liver that manner. Look up an extraction approach if you want greater than three-four to get off. Also coke is a dull drug, so is heroin, so is meth. Shooting coke is doubly dull, I understand you are smarter then that. You must be occurring antidepressants/temper stabilizers and taking on pot rather of booze and capsules. No one has died from pot, tons of men and women have died from prescription drug ODs. If you can not have the funds for a health care provider then touch a health facility, they are going to hook you up. You'll be from your obstacle finally, it's going to simply take time. Also why do you consider such as you need to be efficient in society? Live for your self.

Answer 8

If you don't know what your doing, get some help. i have a 3 and half year old welsh cob and i lunge him over poles and small jumps. Also i would use a fly mask when riding, it doesn't help.

Answer 9

you are doing too much with him far too young!!....he will be unbalanced being only 4, and he should not be jumping....he has no brakes because he has not been taught and schooled properly....i would get a trainer in and take him back to basics with lungeing etc......stop doing all this with him because you will end up with one confused poor samba!!!! ...........he is probably teething too which is why he is playing so much with his bit...he probably has a sore mouth................you shouldnt be pulling back to stop him you should be using your seat..........

he sounds a lovely boy...get a trainer in to train you and samba together....you will end up with a lovely responsive pony