r/HorseTraining

Hello!

I am going to start working with a small horse/large pony (unsure whether he's under or over 14.2 hh) and want to develop his topline before working under saddle. He's approximately 20 years old!

Do y'all have any good groundwork suggestions/ideas for developing his topline?

How many times a week should we work on his topline and for how long per session?

I already have some ideas, I just want outside opinions! Thank you!

I have a 5 year old WB/TB gelding who until turned 5, was one of the most easygoing & trainable horses I’ve had. When he turned 5 it’s like a switch flipped overnight & he became a terrible “teenager”, having tantrums when he didn’t get his way. For example, if he wanted to rush towards a jump (we do eventing) & I asked him to trot, he would just stop and walk backwards, kicking out/bucking when asked to go forward with leg/whip. Eventually I’d get him going forward and he’d comply. He actually seems to love jumping and cross country otherwise.
After working through this behaviour for the last 6 months, he’d really improved and I thought we were over the worst of his teenage shenanigans. We had a great event 2 weeks ago with lovely xc and stadium rounds, placing 6th, and a great jumping lesson last week. Then, this week during flatwork, he was trotting around fine and when asked to canter, refused and just completely stopped & refused to go forward. I was wearing small spurs & thought I was annoying him with them so took them off but he still kept stopping when I put my leg on to ask for trot. I didn’t have my whip & the only way I could get him moving again was by turning circles. Eventually I spotted a lunge whip by the side of the arena so used that. I managed to get him going and happily cantering on both reins so left it at that. He was fine the next day & happily did as asked.
This weekend we attended his third event held over 3 days. He tried stopping in dressage warm up once but I got him going easily by turning and then he was fine.
XC was beautiful (double clear) although after having walked through the start box several times, he decided that was enough and then stopped during 10sec countdown. I had to have my trainer lead him in, and then we were away no issues.
We were early to stadium warm up so walked around a lot. He was very forward & and feeling a bit playful which is normal for him when jumping. After letting him relax next to the arena for a while we set off to warmup and he just stopped and absolutely refused to move at all. Leg/whip/voice/turning did nothing. He completely ignored me. I had to get my trainer to lead him to get him moving. We thought he just didn’t want to leave the other horses but the behaviour continued in various places even when riding back towards them. He’d trot fine for a while and then stop when I asked him to change direction. Or he’d trot a few strides then abruptly stop. I had to have my trainer lead him into the arena for my round heading forwards other horses and he stopped halfway up the long side. I got him to canter about 2 strides then he stopped again. Nothing would make him move at all. He’d kick out/buck in frustration at the whip but otherwise he completely shut down and would not move at all. My trainer had to lead us out. We walked to where I thought a gate back to the barns were but had to turn around to go back to the arena. Then he promptly stopped and would not move at all. My trainer told me to get off and walk him back then lunge him which I did. It was incredibly frustrating and humiliating and I’m at a complete loss as to why he had started this behaviour.
Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? Any ideas as to why he would be doing this? Another trainer who does a lot of groundwork & deals with problem behaviours will be working with him, but my trainer said that there’s something he’s not liking about his job and we may need to have a difficult conversation. This is devastating for me as I brought him with me from Australia as my forever horse 😭

He has been scoped for ulcers and doesn’t have any. He’s on low starch feed & magnesium & I’d given him smart prep before stadium.
He’s a big solid horse at over 17hh so is still maturing and is a big baby.

I have a 5 year old WB/TB gelding who until turned 5, was one of the most easygoing & trainable horses I’ve had. When he turned 5 it’s like a switch flipped overnight & he became a terrible “teenager”, having tantrums when he didn’t get his way. For example, if he wanted to rush towards a jump (we do eventing) & I asked him to trot, he would just stop and walk backwards, kicking out/bucking when asked to go forward with leg/whip. Eventually I’d get him going forward and he’d comply. He actually seems to love jumping and cross country otherwise.
After working through this behaviour for the last 6 months, he’d really improved and I thought we were over the worst of his teenage shenanigans. We had a great event 2 weeks ago with lovely xc and stadium rounds, placing 6th, and a great jumping lesson last week. Then, this week during flatwork, he was trotting around fine and when asked to canter, refused and just completely stopped & refused to go forward. I was wearing small spurs & thought I was annoying him with them so took them off but he still kept stopping when I put my leg on to ask for trot. I didn’t have my whip & the only way I could get him moving again was by turning circles. Eventually I spotted a lunge whip by the side of the arena so used that. I managed to get him going and happily cantering on both reins so left it at that. He was fine the next day & happily did as asked.
This weekend we attended his third event held over 3 days. He tried stopping in dressage warm up once but I got him going easily by turning and then he was fine.
XC was beautiful (double clear) although after having walked through the start box several times, he decided that was enough and then stopped during 10sec countdown. I had to have my trainer lead him in, and then we were away no issues.
We were early to stadium warm up so walked around a lot. He was very forward & and feeling a bit playful which is normal for him when jumping. After letting him relax next to the arena for a while we set off to warmup and he just stopped and absolutely refused to move at all. Leg/whip/voice/turning did nothing. He completely ignored me. I had to get my trainer to lead him to get him moving. We thought he just didn’t want to leave the other horses but the behaviour continued in various places even when riding back towards them. He’d trot fine for a while and then stop when I asked him to change direction. Or he’d trot a few strides then abruptly stop. I had to have my trainer lead him into the arena for my round heading forwards other horses and he stopped halfway up the long side. I got him to canter about 2 strides then he stopped again. Nothing would make him move at all. He’d kick out/buck in frustration at the whip but otherwise he completely shut down and would not move at all. My trainer had to lead us out. We walked to where I thought a gate back to the barns were but had to turn around to go back to the arena. Then he promptly stopped and would not move at all. My trainer told me to get off and walk him back then lunge him which I did. It was incredibly frustrating and humiliating and I’m at a complete loss as to why he had started this behaviour.
Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? Any ideas as to why he would be doing this? Another trainer who does a lot of groundwork & deals with problem behaviours will be working with him, but my trainer said that there’s something he’s not liking about his job and we may need to have a difficult conversation. This is devastating for me as I brought him with me from Australia as my forever horse 😭

He has been scoped for ulcers and doesn’t have any. He’s on low starch feed & magnesium & I’d given him smart prep before stadium.
He’s a big solid horse at over 17hh so is still maturing and is a big baby.

Hello

So I applied for a stable job. I will work part-time, 5 days a week, 2 hrs in the morning and ~2 in the evening. When I went there on a trial day yesterday, they told me I can basically ride after work if I want. Even offered to compete and train young horses and eventually become a coach.

Since I have been away from horses for 4 years I wouldn't start with young horses right away.

But the offer is like a dream come true. I wanted to ride since I was 6 years old. But got to it at 14 years old. And rode for 5 years.

Now the stable and things there were alright, didn't get any bad vibes and the owner seems okay. I am suspicious about the riding part because it sounds too good to be true. And I am scared to get my hopes up.

Has anyone gotten a similar offer and how did it turn out for you?

Hi all.

I have someone who lives local who had her daughter try my pony 2x. She asked if we could do a trial, which I said fine and she said she’d get back to me.
Now, she wants her trainer to come with the daughter to try him for the 3rd time and then take the pony on trial as well. I feel like this is getting excessive. Any thoughts? I honestly didn’t want to do a trial but said since she’s local that’s fine. I haven’t officially marketed him yet and I’m tempted to market him as she’s not doing the trial for another two weeks..

My wife rides dressage. Low level. Been riding regularly about 7 years.

She has had six unscheduled exits from her horse. Each time it was when the horse went into canter without her expecting it. A mild "bolt." Happened again today and she's having her second broken bone surgery tomorrow.

I had recently asked her trainer why they don't dedicate lesson time for this. Learn how to manage a horse that unexpectedly goes to canter, and stop him. He's a highly trained horse. The answer was, "Hard stops are not a dressage element, so we don't work on that. That's a cow horse skill."

Seriously? Is not the rider's safety paramount? I had a lesson on a new horse once. He bolted and I didn't stop him right away. The guy spent the next five lessons doing nothing but having me accelerate the horse, and stop. Over and over.

Doesn't a trainer have some obligation to focus on the rider's safety?

So my question is , what bit should I be using on my horse that I’ve only put about 15 rides on?

Background *
I’ve been using a plain snaffle . She is great! she turns when I ask , stops when I ask , backs when I ask , all with light pressure. I plan on starting barrels by the end of the year/spring but that’s a topic for another time 😅 . For now tho what bit should I be using ? The only professionals in my area keep recommending jr cow horse bits , mechanical hackamores , etc . Not one has said the same thing . I think I’m getting different answers because of what I *plan* on training her in , not what I’m doing now . Which is getting her soft , carrying herself well , learning how to move her body off leg , and just being a good all around horse before I even go into a specific thing (barrels) . I admittedly dont know that much about bits as I should because there’s so many mixed opinions it gets confusing but should I keep her in a snaffle or switch to something else like a broken mouth piece (i believe that’s what they are called) since some say they are “softer” or what else ? I’m open to anything and want to dive into the world of bits without all the drama 😅🫠

I do want to keep her in something as soft as possible!!!

Im leasing this horse, he is about 27 but has a lot of energy
I’ve lunged him before but I’m wondering since he is so old if cantering him on the lunge line would be to much impact on his joints
Let me know what you think!

Hi!!
Does anyone have experience in the equine science minor at UC Davis?? Am looking into it and would love to know peoples personal perspectives
Thank you!

Hello! I’m looking for jobs in the horse community that doesn’t involve going to school, more of an apprenticeship or something along those lines for anything to work with horses or for the ranch/farm they’re on. If anyone has information about that please let me know!