Training an Older horse?

Question

I purchased an 11 year old paint broodmare that has only been halter broke, she has never been broke to tie or ride. I have sat on her back, but very carefully as she trys to buck. Her original owners said she has a mean streak, I have seen it a few times, when she was tied. Does any one think she would still be trainable to be a good trail horse? If so any suggestions of a trainer in the mid/north georgia area. All my horses have always already been broke so what would the price range be??

This is not due to a health problem, just neglegt and lack of training from past owners. The mare has been in a pasture with 80+ other broodmares for over 8 years with little to no handling before I purchased her.

Answer 1

Have you had her examined by a vet to see if she has any back problems that would cause this behavior? If she doesn't have any physical problems, you need to take it slow. I'd find someone who specialized in backing horses or dealing with problem horses (obviously not someone who is going to abuse them, but someone who will correct behavior that is inappropriate. The price is going to depend on the trainer and the facility. If you want a cowboy type (they are great for what you need) the price will probably be anywhere from $250-400 a month plus board. If you go with a more specialized trainer (dressage, etc) the price will be closer to $1500-$2000 for a month. Good luck.

Answer 2

YES they're. Horses must be labored with from beginning. This isn't to mention older horses do not study, they do. They are continuously finding out unhealthy behaviors as good as well behaviors. Horses are programed for three matters....one million. Survival (they're a prey animal). two. Breeding (totally robust intuition). three. Eating, consuming, consuming. Horses are completive and can battle for survival, breeding rights, and meals. That's approximately it. They revel in human touch if they have got been conditioned or imprinted from beginning. Horses even have a wild inbred intuition. They are animals that ought to have human touch to be sociable. Otherwise, they are going to revert to their wild behaviors. If an older horse has no longer been imprinted to men and women, it takes plenty longer to situation and educate. In this example, the more youthful the higher. Good good fortune.

Answer 3

I think your idea of finding a trainer is a good idea. She needs a pro.

The price range varies so much depending on who you use. Many trainers want you to board the horse at their place so they can work with it daily... this can cost $500 - $1500+ per month and may be done for 1-3 months +/-. It depends on how much they're going to work with it, what progress they can make in the early sessions, and how finished you want her training to be.

We do have to rule out why she bucks. Is it just a bad habit? If that's the case, you want a pro rider who will ride through her bucks and keep her going. She may have learned bucking = rider leaves and she gets what she wants.

In the meantime you can work with her on the ground. She can learn tying, leading, obedience, standing still, and other important lessons. To make it a positive experience I personally would go with Clicker Training. This way she enjoys doing the tasks you ask of her, she doesn't get sour, and nobody risks getting hurt. Work with her daily in several short sessions. Once the horse gets the basic idea of what clicker is, he/she gets very cooperative and training becomes fun. For more on clicker training just google it or pick up the book "Clicker Train Your Horse" by Kurland

No matter what you do, be safe!

Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

Definitely find a trainer for this one. I would talk to several different ones, not just to get a price range but to find out their methods as well.
Most (I stress "most") horses develope a mean streak from one of 2 reasons: they were either abused and are fighting back or they've been allowed to get away with misbehavior and they feel dominant. Either way, you're going to have to spend a lot of time teaching her normal behaviors. Be patient. She can come around.

Answer 5

It's not usually a matter of how old the horse is. I have trained or helped train quite a few older horses. I helped to train a 15 year old abused horse. Turned out to be the best lesson horse after training, we just had to take our time with him. And believe me, he was no angel. He bit, kicked, freaked out at anything and everthing, had a panick attack at thunderstorms, and wouldn't let people anywhere near his face. There are many teqniques to training, try a diffrent one.

Answer 6

horses don't have a 'mean' streak if they're not stallions. your horse sounds like it has a scared streak that comes out in aggression.

look into natural horsemanship trainers. that is what she needs.

any horse is trainable. it's just a matter of understanding them.

if you can't afford to fork out quite a bit of money, i'm afraid you'll have to reconsider. i'm sorry, this might seem really unfair, but that's just what training horses like yours costs. 'like yours' means, one that is stuck in its' ways. youngsters are hard, but they're not stuck in the mud so they're easier to convince.

i hope everything works out with your horse.

Answer 7

well as long as u work with her every day get her used to be around you and bond with her also try lungeing her if u have a round pen they work great : )