is it to late to start retraining a 19 and 22 year old horse?

Question

i have a 19 and 22 year old horse they have not been rode in 10 years i just got them and i would like to use them for my small kids to ride they were dead broke 10 years ago is it to late to start them agien and if not how would i go about getting them used to it any help would be great thanks

Answer 1

l have a 27 year old horse who l retrained for my girl to ride, if the horse is quite on the ground, and you can do anything around it, and it stays put then your good to good, they never forget what they know, jump on the horse ly across his back sideways so if you need to you can jump off, get someone to hold the horse well you do this.if the horse does not mind this then swing your leg over his rump and sit up, if this goes well just sit there, do this about 3-4 times. before you start to walk him or her around.

Answer 2

I would leave the college and buy the horse! Yes it is possible to train a 6 year old. But not by bribing him. He should never be allowed to expect a "treat" after working. He will start to bite if you do not give it to him. And he will not associate the treat with "good behaviour" but expect it as a right. When I get him home my first point of call would be the saddler. Horses buck when they are in pain. And much of that pain can come from his back. A professional saddler could come out, watch him working and make adjustments to the saddle to make it a better fit or to find one that does fit him better. As horses grow, gain or lose weight, what fitted a few months ago may not necessarily fit properly now. Then I would get his back checked by the vet or a chiropracter. And it could be that he has a pinched nerve somewhere else in his body. And then he could have mouth problems - hence his rushing at fences and "love of jumping" which is not necessarily a love of jumping but of anxiety and an eagerness to get over his pain as quickly possible. Then I would stop jumping for a while. I would ride him strongly from behind, cause him to think forward. If a horse is moving properly forward then it cannot buck so easily. Use your seat, back and legs in combination to get him moving forward, vary the work, go on both reins quite equally so that muscles can build up along the spine. Use plenty of change of direction and also intersperse schooling with cool down periods and hacks, and walking up hills to get his hind quarters under him, build up muscles and stretch forward. Also get some lessons from someone else to find out if there is something wrong with your riding. We all have habits that we are not aware of and nobody is perfect, not even the riders of the Spanish Riding School! I am not really sure that you are the best person for this horse if you cannot think what might be causing the problem and you think that giving him treats as rewards is the way forward.

Answer 3

It would be possible and probably easier. Go for the passive kind method and don't use force. Horses that want to do things behave better than those who are forced to do things. I would advise that you get books on training horses. Mark Rashid's books are very informative and helpful. Start with forming a bond with the horse and then do ground work before progessing onto work under the saddle. Be patient and give the horses time to learn.

Answer 4

It depends upon if the horses stay "fixed" or not.
It also depends upon how willing the horses are.

If they were dead broke in the past, you have a better chance for retraining.

It is not impossible. I have a 17 year old gelding who used to be headshy, runaway, move away from mounting blocks, hated arenas, and needed a chain to lead. Now he loves his face rubbed, he does not move unless asked, he stands quietly for mounting, loves the arena, and will follow anywhere without a lead. It took time, yes, but he did it. I went for three months without riding him and just hopped on him bareback with a halter and had no problems. It's amazing what a little time and effort can do.


Good luck with retrainng.

Answer 5

I was at Lasma West training facility, and the trainer was training a 17 year old stallion for the first time under saddle.. He was training him for Western Pleasure competition.! The horse had been halter shown as a colt, but had been pastured all of his adult life...I returned several weeks in a row, and the stallion was doing beautifully!

I would just work the horses in the ring for a bit, and then saddle them..Keep them wearing saddles while walking at lead..20 minutes or so...The next day put both saddle and bridle on and walk them the same..by that time their memories will have adjusted to being working horses, and they should easily come out of retirement, and be ready to ride....If they are acting too frisky, they would need more ground work repetitions..

Answer 6

Horses are never too old to be trained. Just keep their age in mind and take it slowly. Keep in mind the illnesses that can affect a horse of their age and keep regular vet checks to maintain their health. Make sure that they remember all the cues and you can ride them easily, and that they are ok for kids. Some horses, although seem "bombproof" are not when children ride them.

Other than that- it shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 7

If you wanted a kids horse, should of got a kids's horse already trained at this age.

To try to "retrain" them might stress them out and not be good for their health.

Discuss this with vet and ask for their opinion and discuss how much "training" needs to be done. Too much, I say no.

Just a "reminding" and slowly bring them back to good quality conditioning, then easy training on the horse's health ability.

Answer 8

no,it isn t !make sure that u train them before,i think a week or10 days are enough.they will remember to be ridden and to be nice.
and the other important thing is to give them the possibility to go out into a paddock or a green area.if they are too excited when u ride them,try to change their food.give less protein,just ask in a shop what kind of food u can use.it s just important to get a type that contains less energy than other types.
hope you have fun with kids and horses!
:-)

Answer 9

you and other adults should test ride the horses to see if they are still broke, if after several weeks everything is okay then they are probably safe for the kids

Answer 10

I am reading a book by the renouned horse whisperer Monty Roberts, and he said that yes you can teach an older horse, but it takes a bit longer. Good luck!