I am 14 years old and i have a Throughbred mix horse who is 16 and she is so hard to ride.?

Question

she wont listen to my commands and runs all the time she has had all of her shots and her teeth have been floated. we rescured her from a guy who didnt feed his animals that often. i have tried riding her without a bit but she still goes cazy every time i try to ride her!!!

I NEED SOME ADVICE!! please help me

i have tried lunging her but all she does is turn her head towards me and glares at me.i am putting her saddle on correctly i have had 5 horse ppl check on that.she is already broken but just has bad manners. it is to wet at my place right now to ride her everyday but when it is dry i will ride her more.she wont except the bit so i have to ride her with a halter on but that is hard. she is also barn sour if i try to take her up to the front of the property to ride in so open space she freaks out and almost made me fall off.

I need help.

Answer 1

I agree with the animal phyic. Parreli is the best thing around. but it is expensive, hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. As for the bit problem, get it in her mouth and lead her around for about 2 minutes (in the round pen or arena) then take it out and give her, her favorite treat, but make sure the pieces are small so it doesn't take too long for her to eat them. after she is done put the bit back in her mouth and lead her around again. repeat until she readily accepts the bit. she needs to learn you aren't going to yank on her mouth every time you ride. or invest in a hackamore, because when you pull on a halter it just pushes her nose, but with a hackamore it pushes in on her cheeks and makes it more effective. and try a light snaffle, as these aren't harsh at all.
don't put a rope on her, just a halter (i'm giving valuable parreli info here) and send her around an arena, round pen too small and will fighten her. use a lunge whip, but don't touch her with it unless she is threatening you and won't move away. let her run, push her away, make her go, act like you don't want anything to do with her and you don't want her in your 'herd'. (isolate her from other horses so that the only attention and solcialization she gets comes from you) when she stops and looks at you, back off and don't do anything just stand there, when she looks away walk toward her ( like red light, green light game) and when she looks at you stop, if she stares at you for a long time without stepping closer walk around her and if she doesn't move her back end around her front end to keep looking at you pop her with the whip and ask her to work again. soon she will learn that if she is away from you it is no fun because she has to work. when you feel she is getting closer hold your hand out to her to welcome her in, but if she doesn't accept send her away again. this will take a few weeks and during this time don't ride her, and don't let her play with the other horses. this sounds harsh, but it's the way it has to be with her type. I've had one of these and if you let her get away with it she could become dangerous, i had my skull cracked by one of these bad mannered horses so I became an expert in correcting bad behavior in horses. if you need any other help feel free to email me!

Answer 2

Do you chase or lunge her before you ride her? I think that may help. By not meeting her and not seeing you ride her I don't know why she is taking off on you. It could be you or it could be something that is spooking her.
You should probably ride her with a bit every time you ride her.
Do you ride her in an English or western saddle? If you end up lunging her do it in a bit and her saddle. If you ride her in an English saddle leave the stirrups down and let them flap around so it will desensitize her. Was she off the track? Maybe something is hurting her.... the saddle, an old injury, back is out....? There could be many reasons.
Did you get a vet check when you got her? Is she trained English or western? Maybe you are asking her for different things than she knows.
Have the chiropractor check her out. Something could be hurting her.
Make sure the saddle fits her correctly. Most of the time that is the problem. It could be pinching her.
Or even now that I think of it do you turn her out before you ride her? Maybe she needs to just run and buck and let it out herself? That is very possible.
Other than that im not sure.
If you have any other questions you can email me at [e-mail]

Good Luck!

Answer 3

About the bit, I would suggest using a hackamore or bosal, which doesn't have a bit, but the nose band is more severe than a halter, so you would have a little more control over her. A mechanical hackamore has a leather nose band, and then long shanks that the reins attach to, which tighten up on the curb chain under her chin when you pull back on the reins. It isn't a very severe pull, but it would definitely be better than a plain halter, and it doesn't have a bit that you have to fight to get in her mouth. I agree with the others that a trainer would help, but I also understand that there is a lot of expense involved. Those five horse people you mentioned should help you out some more--get someone you know and trust who understands horses and ask them to go riding with you until your mare behaves better. Don't take chances by working with your mare alone.

Secondly, when you are on her, don't let her run, pull her around in a tight circle EVERY time she breaks out of a walk. If you do this consistently, she will get tired of making circles, but it might take a LONG time for her to learn. She sounds spoiled, but if you are firm with her, she will learn she can't push you around.

Another thing--I disagree with the others who recommended Parelli--he doesn't even train his own horses and I got that from a reliable source. The TV show is just that--a SHOW--and unless you pay a lot to go to his ranch and ride your horse there, you're not going to profit from him.

If you want to ride your mare, you have to gain control over her running. If you can't do that, I would suggest you sell her and buy a horse that's gentler. Even a gentler, less trained horse would be better than a spoiled older mare. There are a lot of cheap horses out there right now...put yours up for sale and find one that's perfect for you. You never know--your horse might be perfect for someone who can put her bridle on. (Don't feel bad, my mare throws her head up when I'm bridling her, too, and I wish I was six feet tall!)

Whatever you do, stay safe with your horse. And be tough with her if she's being tough with you...she needs to respect you.

Answer 4

You need to send her to a trainer before she hurts you. Use their experience in order to help her become a better horse. You need to trust the trainer that you send her to, however realize that she will have to be reminded her position in the herd. No matter what method used (noting prior mention of Parelli), it is not all loving when dealing with an animal, however it is also never abuse. It is ensuring that the horse knows where the line is drawn in the sand and that line never changes, consistency is the best tool. However, back to it, you need to get a trainer to work with her in order to change her behavior and then to work with you in order for you to be able to learn on her. Just making sure that you do not get hurt, this mare has some trauma that may have occurred prior in her life that will have to be dealt with by someone who has the tools and experience to get her past that.

Answer 5

well, she is a throughbred. those horses are born/breed to race and run as fast as they can. you may need a calmer horse like a quarter horse and sell the throughbred to a person who can have the horse ridden every day, long, and fast. because those breeds of horses love to run and everyday. and i understand not being able to ride when its wet especially when you know she will most likely run and she might slip and fall. but she needs someone with an inside arena that can ride her constantly.

sorry if this isnt what you were looking for.

Answer 6

i've ridden horses wiht similar problems. i would first try to get her to wear a bridle/bit. my horse 'fights' me when i try to put the bridle/bit on too, if shes really stubborn and the 'finger' trick dosent work, you might want to see if a trainer or someone you know who had experience can help train her to be better about it. i would also suggest trying the lunging agien with a trainer (my horse was also bad with it after a bad fall in the round pen before i owned him, but my trainer and more experienced friends helped and after a while I was able to keep him under control while lunging him). those really are the best and easiest ways to help a horse with a 'stopping problem'. good luck!

Answer 7

Don't give up on her! If she was neglected by her previous owner, then she probably doesn't remember her manners, if she was ever taught any. Try to get her out every day. She will come to trust you over time. Also, when she does what you want her to, reward her by petting her rather than slapping her neck like so many ppl do. Petting feels better than slapping and she will come to understand it as a reward.

One more thing, since she loves to run, try round-penning her before you ride. That way she can get a little tired out, as well as practice her gaits and practice listening to you. Good luck and bless you for rescuing her.

Answer 8

You should be fine as long as the horse is suitable for somebody of your ability level. However, as a shorter woman myself I find that I ride better on a smaller horse. I just have more power and control. I currently ride a 17 hand horse and we get along great, but sometimes he does tax my strength. If I were buying a horse rather than leasing, I would definately look for a horse around 16 hands instead.

Answer 9

Are you putting on her saddle correctly?

You would be suprised how many people actually hurt an animal by not properly fitting their gear.

It is very uncomfortable for them if you don't know what you are doing. I don't mean to imply that you don't because you are young, it is possible. Im sure that you're a great rider but check your belts and tightness around his/her belly.

Answer 10

you're going to need to get a trainer, this horse is going to be too much for you. You haven't given enough info for much more advice than that.