Hahaha I love the brake sound effect.
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Few problems with this
- What kind of “rear”? Some observers over dramatize or misunderstand misbehavior.
- What was rider doing (or trying to do) when this occurred?
2b) Did rider share this with you or was this the first you heard of it? - Is the boarder who told you the barn busybody/snitch?
3b) Does this person share what happens when you work with Honey behind your back?
Like I said upthread, be very careful who works with your horse and don’t assume your fellow boarders know what they are looking at, talking about or have your best interests at heart. Be friendly but take them with a grain of salt.
This spoken as a veteran of 50 years in boarding barns.
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This is excellent advice. I second it.
OP, what’s your experience level? You mention in your OP that you and your previous horse were too green for each other. There are some red flags reading this to me that you might not know the help you need right now.
I would under zero circumstances let anyone handle or work with your horse while you are not there to observe. Obviously, turning in/out,
daily routine stuff and the like is fine but anything specific to her training…nope. She’s needs time to bond with you. She needs time to decompress and settle into her new home. It looks like she needs a decent amount of groceries. Letting people you board with hop on and try and deal with her issues Willy Nilly is the last thing she needs.
I don’t know that much about those types of breeds, but when the COTH consensus is that they operate ever so differently from what a lot of us are used to, I’d seriously consider bringing in someone reputable with the breed before you get in over your head with things like rearing. That can turn very bad very quickly. For horses like that, understanding how the breed operates is hugely helpful, and having a bunch of tools in the toolbox is needed as well as a lot of training experience and patience.
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Hi! Thanks for taking the time to respond. I can’t figure out how to quote, but hopefully you see this and it helps:
- I’m not sure what kind of rear. My guess would be that it is in line with what I’ve been seeing/experiencing with her. But knowing this person, I feel very confident in saying she’s being dramatic.
- Rider didn’t tell me this, the observer told me. At the first training ride, and in my rides, this happened when trying to get her to go from a stand still to a walk, a walk to a trot.
- The person who told me this at the barn is not someone that I trust. In fact, I know she’s been talking smack about the girl doing training rides to other people, and I texted the rider yesterday to apologize if this woman said anything rude to her, because I can 100% see that happening. The rider was sweet and said no worries, but still. Of all the people in the barn, I wish it wasn’t this woman who saw her struggle. This was her first encounter with Honey. She goes late at night, and I’ve been avoiding the barn late at night to hopefully not see her, lol.
I’m definitely trying to take things with a grain of salt. I feel like I need to give some background on kindof why things are so strange training wise. The trainer I had when I had my last horse, Margo, was very old and she wasn’t able to ride anymore. So I never had training rides with her or any real help on groundwork or anything because she wasn’t physically able to ride or do much with horses. While I stand by that Margo and I were too green for eachother, I think it’s more accurate to say that she was scared of everything, and so was I. We were both looking for the cougar, as they say.
After selling Margo, I started lessons with a new trainer who said she’d come to my new barn when I got a horse again. I worked on foundational things, confidence, no stirrups, etc. It was awesome. This whole time she sent me horses, and we talked about how she would come to my barn when I got a horse. Skip to I have Honey, but now she says she can’t make it to my barn. So she sends her working student…that was this rider.
So, I’m trying to figure things out. My friend at my barn is truly awesome with groundwork and grew up with saddlebreds, so I think we are in good hands for now. I’m hiring her to work with me and Honey 2x a week on groundwork in lessons.
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Hi! I can’t figure out how to quote but the response below hopefully answers some of these questions. Though, I do want to make it clear that nobody is hopping on her willy nilly, lol. This was one person that I considered to be an extension of my trainer, who I’ve already cancelled the “Training rides” for.
I definitely am floundering a bit here. If you read my other response from a moment ago, I thought I was going into this with a trainer and support, and I just kinda got dropped. Trying to figure things out, but right now we’re just going to start with groundwork lessons for the both of us. Because I agree-- I don’t want this rearing (if that’s what it even is) to become an even bigger issue. I’m looking into ASB folks in the area, but am mostly finding saddle seat people. If anyone knows someone in IL, I’m all ears!
Edited: I truly hope this doesn’t come off as defensive. I agree I’m green, I agree that I need help and may not even know where to start. But every day I’m doing the best I can with the information that I have, and trying to problem solve. I have no fear/anxiety with Honey like I did with Margo-- so that’s great, and I believe we’ll get over this hump soon. But I feel a little lost at the lack of support from my trainer who just kinda fell off the planet for me.
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That doesn’t help anything! It sounds like you’re making good decisions moving forward.
As someone who had a consistent 30 years horse experience that bought a very green 3 YO, I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting into 
. Thankfully he is pretty spot on for Fjord temperament and I ended up being pretty solid on my own with just lessons, but now that we’re 3 years into training, we’re both learning new things at the same time. When I find myself struggling, that’s when I switch to training rides for a few weeks so he doesn’t get crossed wires.
All that to say that training a horse from a blank slate was shockingly easier than I ever imagined vs having a trained horse with bad habits or holes in their training to work with.
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Thank you. I just never want it to come off like I’m being defensive on here— everyone on this thread has been beyond kind and helpful. I feel like I finally have the makings of a plan, and hopefully we can start making some progress.
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Saddleseat people would be fine to help you get her forward and comfortable going. Just tell them your goals. I promise they do groundwork and can show you how to read her.
Once you get her forward, I think 90% of your issues will be gone.
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Sounds like you got a simple forward problem, possibly complicated by conflicting aids from the rider. Cant know for sure without seeing it but possibly stepping on the gas without taking a foot off the brakes creates power but no place to go. Thats fine for a burn out but might explain her “lightening up” in front, especially if rider is trying to to “ frame” horse.
Is this the same rider as in the videos posted upthread?
Absolutely delighted you have uncovered Saddle Seat riders in your area. That is the seat developed to ride ASBs dealing with how they move and their temperment allowing them to be themselves. Might want to try contacting them, maybe take a few lessons on their SS horses, be they ASB, Morgan or Arabian. Might be an eye opener for you.
Oh, and worry not, ASBs can relax the pose, go lower with the topline and level out. To a degree. But you first need to meet her and understand where shes most comfortable and where her initial training under saddle probably centered. Learn about Saddle Seat.
If I can show Western for 15 years then Hunters for 20 and learn to ride halfway decent Saddle Seat? So can you. Surprising what is and what is not so different that can go in your tool box.
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Whereabouts are you in IL? Paula Briney at Pratense Farm is fantastic. Does both dressage & Saddle Seat - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064875422563 If you’re closer to Missouri I also know a few people on this side of the state.
I agree with @findeight that learning some saddle seat will help you understand her - even if you never actually ride her that way. I rode dressage, western and primarily hunters for 35+ years, and saddle seat was definitely different enough to make me take notice. My horse visibly relaxed once I sat in the saddle like a saddle seat rider, picked up my hands and lost my perch. I think he thought I was off balance and he was saving me, god love him. 
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I’m going to 3rd, or is it going to be 4th? this info. @findeight is right.
Your mare makes me think of how my gal Holly was way back when I first got her.
I’ll tell you about her. You can take what works, and leave what doesn’t.
She has always been very reactive, and very alert. The standard joke about her is that if she were in a mustang herd, she’d be the lookout. Even now, if she forgets our “umbrella lessons” she will dance around her stall if I bring one by. Until she remembers all the other umbrellas I have shown her.
In riding, she is very, very light and responsive to aids. A rider who doesn’t get that will maybe give an aid that would work for a lesser horse, then that rider finds themselves doing 60 when they wanted 20. Then these sorts of riders will pull back on the reins (probably too hard), so guess what?? The horse still has all this forward mindset and momentum, but the reins are pulling back. So you go up.
So, my guess is that if she really did rear, then totally rider error.
These horses need a light touch, and also, you have a mare, so she demands the respect that every mare deserves.
If she spooks, be sure you get your legs OFF HER SIDES. She may very well interpret any leg pressure to be you agreeing that it’s time to go. Somewhere. Anywhere.
And Saddlebreds are incredibly smart. I’m convinced that my gal understands English almost as well as I do. Example: Holly wouldn’t stop her prancing one day when I was ready to dismount. I just said “Holly, I need to get off, and I can’t do that with you bouncing all over.” Within two strides, she was standing like a rock, and I dismounted safely.
I can tell how in love the OP is. Falling in love with a new horse is something to envy.
Don’t let other people hurt her. If you can’t find a Saddlebred person to help you with her, find an Arab person. The horses, I think are similar. But any Arab person on the board here is free to chime in.
All my best, AdultEmmy!
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Arabian, Morgan or NSH (?, think thats it) originally for Arabian ASB crosses. Horses you’d ride Saddle Seat to show off in a park. Hence, the term Park Horse.
Had a good, long time friend who showed an Arabian in the Western Trail class, won Regionals, went to the Worlds, twice. He was solid Park Horse bred, by one of Sheila Varian’s champs. They can be very versatile…but you have to start with what they are bred and built for before you modify. Something, I think, that got skipped with Honey, likely because she tolerated whatever was asked of her without dumping her riders so they figured she was broke enough.
Time to really teach her so she can really shine.
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Thank you so much, Sparrowette, for sharing your story and for the kind words!
You, @findeight , @Alterration, and @luvmyhackney are all totally right, and I’m embarrassed I hadn’t even thought about saddle seat lessons! Fortunately, there are a number of saddle seat barns in the area, and the friend I now have helping me with Honey is referring me to a friend of hers with a saddle seat barn about 30 min away— so hopefully we can get some lessons set up on some of her horses to see what it’s all about! I’m quite excited.
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I think you may be right about that. I definitely think somewhere along the way someone thought “good enough” and that was that for her training.
I’ll post a full blown update below, with videos in just a moment! The previous video was the working student/training rider who has since been let go. The following videos are from the friend of mine who I’m working with now who has a lot of groundwork and saddlebred experience.
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Good call. 
you are thinking and learning.
BTW the videos of her at liberty were impressive. Nice mare.
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Lol, thank you. You guys are all experiencing that thinking & learning in real time. =)
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The best teachers don’t teach by micromanaging but teach by giving you the information and skills to solve your own problems. Eventually allowing you to stop problems before they start. Thats what real success looks like.
A really good rider does not have to the best ever, big time show winner. The best riders are the most EFFECTIVE riders that understand and work with whatever horse they step aboard. The best trainers are those who can communicate that to their students, not just fill a ribbon rack. The best riders and students don’t try to prove anything to others or feel the need to defend their choices to barnmates. Think about it.
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Yesterday the same friend did another training with us and it went quite well! We started with groundwork. I didnt video because I was watching so closely, oops! But it was just work on understanding halter pressure and paying attention to the human. Then she took it to the mounting block and she stood really well. It seems like we just need her to focus—she mentally checks out super quickly.
Then we went under saddle. I want to mention- this was only for a few minutes, in my friends saddle, to see if we would get that rear or not (we did not). We are medically cleared to walk and do some short trot bursts. This is in line with my vets recommendations. Nothing in the below videos is beautiful, but hopefully it shows the thought process and honey and my simultaneous learning. I’m not the rider—I’m the camera man.
Today will be groundwork homework for her and I and tomorrow is the day with the saddle fitter.
Please enjoy our learning!
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Thank you, that is wise.
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