Dude Ranch Horses

[cindycluff]

Hoping to get some ideas from my fellow riders/instructors. I’ve just been offered a position as an instructor at a barn that mostly does dude ranch type riding. I’m a western pleasure and reining rider, not a trail rider. I absolutely believe in a good hack every now and then for some variety but that’s about it.
The other instructor at the barn said that she grew up doing jumpers but I’m not sure that that’s the case. None of the horses are properly groomed before they’re tacked up (they go over them with a shedding blade and stiff brush) and she doesn’t ride the horses regularly to keep them tuned up and soft. the current students are just taken on trail rides then when they get back get a little bit of “arena time.”
I’ve asked the owners, the manager and the help which horses are beginner safe and they all have said, “oh all of them!” but when I’ve gotten on any of the horses they are NOT beginner horses. sure anyone can get on them but I would not consider them good lesson horses. their sides are super insensitive, their mouths are worse and they don’t seem to know anything but the basic walk, jog, lope and whoa. no collection, no side pass, no leg yields, no leads and REALLY rocky gaits in general.
all of the tack is very dude ranch-esque, in a state of disrepair and slightly ridiculous. when I’ve gone out to check out how the barn is run they’ll put a horse in a relatively mild broken leverage bit one day and the next put a HUGE spade in their mouth. it’s just whatever is closest to their hand when they reach into the tack room is what they use. I’ve had my bridles shipped to me with snaffles and tom thumbs but now I’m wondering if it’s even worth my time and effort to try and get these horses into lesson shape.

my question is this: does anyone have any experience in “rehabbing” a dude ranch horse? I know it will be tough, if it’s possible, because the horses are still used for dude rides even while they’re “lesson horses.” what do you all think?

[arapaloosa_lady]

Those horses sound perfect for dude ranch horses - insensitive sides, hard mouths, only giving the basic gaits make them simple to ride on a trail for a total newbie.

Have the owners specifically asked you to completely revamp their program? If not, I wouldn’t go around trying to “fix” what doesn’t necessarily need to be fixed.

[bugsynskeeter]

The last thing you want is a reactive dude ranch horse. We ran a curry and a brush over ours before they were tacked up - nothing fancy.

They are not meant to be lesson horses. They are meant to play follow the leader.

[Appsolute]

What would you be teaching at this barn?

Everything you described sounds like dude ranch to me! Horses that are very good at ignoring their riders and just trudging along. Sketchy tack and grooming - yep, sounds like the dude ranches I have know.

And the dude ranches I am familiar with do not “teach riding” they “give trail rides” - as in they have QUIET horses (ignoring legs and hands is a good thing,as the riders do not know what the heck they are doing), and they take people on trail rides.

No one knows how to leg yield, or collect a horse - so there is no reason for the horse to have those skills (or interpret sloppy legs as asking for a leg yield).

Does this dude ranch you been hired at now expect to give more advanced riding lessons?

This is a horse and rider from the local dude ranch around here - not exactly getting ready for the show ring.

[cindycluff]

I should have clarified–they would like me to teach horsemanship and western pleasure.

[RPM]

[QUOTE=cindycluff;8030390]
I should have clarified–they would like me to teach horsemanship and western pleasure.[/QUOTE]

Um … isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

[Lusoluv]

You may have to select a few equine candidates you think have the aptitude to be re-schooled. Take them out of the “dude string”, train them up and keep them reserved for the dedicated students who can be schooled/lessoned/trusted to ride them correctly. Even then you may have to tune them up from time-to-time.

You’ll also need to get buy-in from the owner/manager of the horses. Explain why lesson horses won’t be the best trail-ride horses and vice versa. If they don’t agree with your plan, I think you’ll be very frustrated working there.

[ThisTooShallPass]

You might want to look for a job more to your liking.

Edited to add…

PS: For being a brand new poster to COTH, you have really taken all the criticism quite well. Good for you.

I really did not need to add my original 2 cents posted. sorry

And, in the future you might strongly wish to avoid posting with a real name. What if your employer or a future employer Googles you & sees you have been online “complaining” about work? For many companies that could ace you out of being hired.

Anyway, good luck. Be safe. Enjoy your work.

[Flash44]

If you are doing the instructing, can you choose which horses to use and what tack to use? Not sure why you would want to retrain all the horses unless you are going to get paid for it. Just make sure you have your liability policy up to date, and the barn has one too.

[CHT]

I think it IS possible for a horse to have two modes: dude horse and lesson horse, but you might have to modify your expectations.

First off, I would try to assess which horses are sound enough for the arena work. I wouldn’t be shocked of many of the dude horses have mild bilateral lameness, and that could be why they are good/slow. This might explain the rough gaits

Second, consider what these horses have to tolerate. I used to have a former “dude” horse, and he would basically go around in a trance as his way of coping. When we decided to teach him dressage and jumping and he awoke from this trance he became spooky if ridden once again by beginners. In his case, he just couldn’t do both. You need to be prepared for the fact you might “break” some of their good dude horses.

Finally, your students are likely going to be beginners right? If so, let the horses get back into shape along with the students. Doing more interesting arena stuff such as poles and weaving through pylons may bring back some of these horses interest in life and remind them of their former training.

[CHT]

Oh, just wanted to add regarding the tack. You might be able to really help these horses by working to assign/organize tack for each horse with suitable bits and fit. You can explain it as making it easier for the lesson students.

[clanter]

you do not want horse that is high in the herd pecking order to be used in all sorts of activities

our best do whatever was asked horse was one from the middle or bottom of the herd, she would do what was asked without throwing a fit …may it be a National Championship class or some strange little kid being on her for their first ride, she did her task

[Beverley]

I expect, given the dude ranch setting, that your students are only there for a set period, so it isn’t like you will have them for more than a few sessions? Unless the lesson program is targeted at local clients? Assuming the former, really, you can teach horsemanship on what you’ve got, and you’ll probably find some in the group that can easily be made suitable for some of the rudiments of western pleasure. Horses that can put up with many different riders are worth their weight in gold and they can and do react to the skill level of the rider. The flip side, as I discovered in long ago in testing horses for a riding program, is that a good rider can ride a horse and consider it to be beginner safe, but good riders don’t bounce on their backs or lose balance or catch them in the mouth- you have to do all of that and more to determine how they’ll react with a rank novice.

As for the tack and stable management/grooming, I agree with CHT, organizing and labeling the tack for each horse is the way to go, and the employer ought to appreciate that it’s better for horses and clients and by the way saves time in preparing the horses for rides.