Hiring a trainer when your horse is too much for you

[DeniseJP]

Weatherly, my 4 year old Morgan filly, was getting to be too much for me under saddle as we were getting started this year- lots of inappropriate behavior so I backed her back to square one and called in a trainer whose methods were aligned with what I wanted to accomplish - going bitless, being able to correct her as a horse would in a herd and working towards being better partners.

The trainer said right off the bat that Weatherly thinks she is the boss and did not know how to properly lead... she usually barges and gets right on top of me - at 15.2 hands she is a big Morgan and she has an attitude.

The trainer had her leading and working on a special line and soft rope halter and Weatherly squealed at her, tried to break away and was not happy being relegated to 3rd in line. I felt like I was backwards trying to handle the rope and the horse but I am getting the hang of it. The trainer never raised her voice at Weatherly or corrected her harshly and never laid a hand on her except to stroke her and give her praise.

I was practicing my lessona day laterand Weatherly was not happy with me or what I made her do - she tried to bolt and when she did not get away with that, she chewed me out verbally with lots of squeals for a full five minutes as she moved in circles around me. When the trainer and I met last Saturday, she got a laugh out of that description but Weatherly picked up on her new lessons and while the trainer is on vacation for the next two weeks, we have practicing to do. She is a lot more attentive and is behaving much better.

So, step by stepI will work with her on the ground work and get her reestablished under saddlewhen the time is right. When Weatherly was misbehaving and throwing the equine equivalent of a temper tantrum, the trainer stood calmly and said quietly, "I am going to outlive her so when she is done we will resume."

Denise

 

[iluvdutchrabbbits90]

I am alsohaving issues with my 5 year old 16.1h percheron also. He is awsome with a bridle but getting a sadle on his back takes hours lol i have ridden him a couple times but hes a big boy to handle lol He also thinks hes the boss.Im doing it on my own tho we cant find a trainer around here. They want him to go their and all want 600.00 a month. I dont want him at some strange place lol and who has 600.00 A MONTH to spend on that.Me and my friends are gunna have are hands full haha

 

[DeniseJP]

I knew the trainer prior - just did not know she was certified through Frank Bell and that she made house calls since I am trailerless at the moment.

It has been help for us - I hope you can locate a trainer that will come to you.

Denise

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Hmmmm sounds a lot like my Charlie Don't worry though he started to behave himself once he turned 10!

But really in all seriousness you sound like you are on the right track to getting her behavior issues sorted out. I always need to remind myself that I am the alpha mare. I also like that you are going bitless I have been for about 5 years now...and I will never go back.

 

[DeniseJP]

~*sAbRiNa*~ wrote:

Hmmmm sounds a lot like my Charlie Don't worry though he started to behave himself once he turned 10!

But really in all seriousness you sound like you are on the right track to getting her behavior issues sorted out. I always need to remind myself that I am the alpha mare. I also like that you are going bitless I have been for about 5 years now...and I will never go back.

Weatherly did not like a bit and destroyed a bridle so I have been riding her in her halter but the adolescent streak she has now is like a human teen who is too big for her britches... shewas a bit more than I was ready for - she is a challenging young lady, not like other horses I broke to ride and I needed some guidance with her to keep myself in one piece and to redirect Weatherly's attitude. She is a very affectionate horse but she wants to be the leader.

Morgans mature slowly so I figure the ground work is good to do to remind her that I am the leader. She is slowly getting it - we were working on changing directions and me trying to figure out the long rope without having Weatherly get right up on me or have me get tangled in it. We are a comedy show but the trainer said she saw a big improvement.

Denise

 

[Luluznewz]

I think its really interesting to hear about other approaches to training horses. My family has always had hunter / jumper type horses, so we go about it in a different way.

Over the years of having a lot of really large and in charge mares I've learned that the most important thing (for me at least) is to stay in charge, but to do that by making sound, kind decisions. That way they learn to trust your leadership, not because you bossed them around, but because you stuck to it and kept them safe.

At least with show horses the way i've done that is making a decision (for example, what distance to take off from at a jump) and always sticking to it, but making sure the decision won't scare the horse.

My trainers always say that for every good decision you make its like putting money into a bank. Every time you make a mistake you withdraw a little, and its really important to always have your "money" increasing.

My mare Scotty is 8 right now. That's still pretty immature for a holsteiner. Shes got a really really great temperament, but we go through a lot of similar challenges that you seem to be going through right now.

I find that trainers are so helpful because they are able to take a lot of the emotion out of it. I just love my horse so much that sometimes its hard to see how to fix problems, or even why the problems are occurring.

Anyway, sorry if that was rambly. Its just fun to talk about the bigger-than-bunny critters.

 

[DeniseJP]

Luluznewz wrote:

I think its really interesting to hear about other approaches to training horses. My family has always had hunter / jumper type horses, so we go about it in a different way.

Over the years of having a lot of really large and in charge mares I've learned that the most important thing (for me at least) is to stay in charge, but to do that by making sound, kind decisions. That way they learn to trust your leadership, not because you bossed them around, but because you stuck to it and kept them safe.

At least with show horses the way i've done that is making a decision (for example, what distance to take off from at a jump) and always sticking to it, but making sure the decision won't scare the horse.

My trainers always say that for every good decision you make its like putting money into a bank. Every time you make a mistake you withdraw a little, and its really important to always have your "money" increasing.

My mare Scotty is 8 right now. That's still pretty immature for a holsteiner. Shes got a really really great temperament, but we go through a lot of similar challenges that you seem to be going through right now.

I find that trainers are so helpful because they are able to take a lot of the emotion out of it. I just love my horse so much that sometimes its hard to see how to fix problems, or even why the problems are occurring.

Anyway, sorry if that was rambly. Its just fun to talk about the bigger-than-bunny critters.

No - I like sharing horsey thoughts - thanks for sharing!!!

I came from a hunter/jumper background myself and am enjoying the training journey with Weatherly. She is a lovey horse for the most part and will load for me and do things I ask but when she gets her mind set on something she is a challenge so I called in the big guns to help me reestablish my role as alpha.

Bossing Weatherly around resulted in her throwing tantrums and squealing at me and I do not want to argue with a big mare because I am small and I squish easily.:biggrin:

Denise