Horse balking at the leg at halt only

[Lunabear1988]

Update! I saw the horse again. This time I asked to see him lunged first (although she said he didn’t need it.) No balking on the lunge per se. But there was a spot in one direction he kept wanting to kind of veer away and pull. The trainer does think that’s a continuum of the gate sourness.

I rode him first this time. No ugly faces for me, balking from the halt wasn’t too bad. But he did stop and talk in the middle of the trot after about 15/20 mins. Now I’m out of shape. Haven’t been riding regularly in months and was in a jumping saddle which isn’t my first choice. I fully take some blame being a little unbalanced at times. Trainer didn’t really see it but I certainly could feel it! Throughout the ride he was much, much more relaxed than the first ride. Looking at video, I should have kept him more forward even but was riding him in a different arena and was happy to feel him relax.

But I noticed that ultra respect from the whip, was nearly gone. He wasn’t rank to it but far less responsive. Now when he was going, it was freely forward. He definitely isn’t into use of the leg much. Using a bit of thigh and upper calve instead of lower worked better as well as clucking.

I did have trainer canter him and looked gorgeous. Honestly this horse looks like physically he could turn out a training level test with good scores no problem as far as movement. But he did balk into the transition with the trainer. He kicked out and kind of humped his back once. She got after him hard then he went fine.

So I don’t know. I can come back again, this time with a trainer to help coach me a bit. Movement wise, he’s absolutely what I should buy. It’s there. That’s a dressage horse in the making movement wise. And he is relaxed with me… I’m a quiet and sometimes too nice rider. So that is what worries me. Balking and not respecting the leg would really be a tough thing personality wise for me to deal with. Honestly I find dealing with spooking or nerves easier than riding a horse that really needs a strong use of the whip. So I don’t know. Maybe I’ll see how he’s going in a few more weeks. I let the seller know my concerns.

[Rerider54]

I ride a mare who gets cranky when I wear spurs or use too much whip ( too hard or too often), Of course my leafs aren’t as quiet as they should be so it is easier for me to ride without spurs at present. The whip… my instructor suggested that since horses can feel ‘fly feet’ I should be touching less and lighter. If we get no response I do a very light double tap right behind my heel. More of a reminder that she should be paying attention to me leg. So I am now trying really hard to keep my leg off till it is needed.

Gate sour… never stop on that side of the arena. Especially to chat for any length of time. Possible this horse is just to smart which means you will have to always be aware of what you are teaching him.

[Scribbler]

Well, if balking sets off all your warning bells and you don’t feel equipped to deal with it, if you would rather work through spooks and nerves, it is easy enough to find a different spooky hot OTTB!

I ran into balking problems with my own horse in our first year together that took a lot of time to fix, and I totally get that being an issue. On the other hand, here you are dealing with a very very green horse that doesn’t understand the leg or the bit probably at all (you gave him his 6th and 7th ride under saddle). I honestly wouldn’t expect much from a horse at that point. I don’t think that the hesitancy you are seeing here necessarily means a full slide into the kind of “I will not do anything” meltdown you can get from a NQR recreational riding horse owned by an ammie without a lot of training chops, who has created the problem themselves. But if this behavior really rings alarm bells for you, better to go with problems you feel able to deal with.

[Lunabear1988]

@ReRider this horse is cranky with any leg use really. I’m one who’s always too passive, I don’t typically use enough leg and definitely not enough whip. That’s my problem. The trainer who is selling him told me I need to be much much tougher with the whip.

And of course never stop by a gate, I know the trainer has been doing that. So gate sourness was more mild. But lots of attitude in canter transitions with the seller who’s training him.

[Scribbler]

Well, my guess is he is either bringing a pre existing problem to the table, or he is getting started all wrong, or both. I agree that saying you need to “use more whip” on an OTTB on his 7th ride is not a good sign at all. He might have some body soreness somewhere or he might be ridden with such a tight grip on his face he can’t go forward, but you shouldn’t be “much tougher with the whip” at this stage. Horse probably has no idea what he is meant to do, doesn’t understand the leg, and has just been ridden enough times to start thinking that riding is not that much fun at all, and started to resist.

OTTB are high energy horses, so if he doesn’t want to go forward it won’t just be a deadhead pony “I prefer not to” kind of move. If he doesn’t go forward he will go up in the air in some form.

Probably best to cross this one off the list because you are going to be buying some fool trainer’s created problems.

Better to get one right off the track.

[Stacie]

They are so many nice ottbs out there. I’d pass on one that pins their ears. I might also pass on a trainer who is quick to the whip and tries to gaslight me into thinking it’s me and not the horse but that is a different conversation

[Lunabear1988]

Yeah its less the uneducation to the leg and more the ears pinned, kicking out, back humping ect. He was more cordial with me but I also was dinking around way more than the trainer was. I also noticed that while their was no bad behavior, his demeanor on the ground is kind of withdrawn and a touch grumpy. Certainly he might come out of his shell and all the goes away … But after losing my super, Sweet, willing young, green ottb last summer I think I really want something I’m confident I’ll really be happy with and have a good relationship with. This one feels like it could go either way.

I might still see him again with my trainer there next time but I have to say if there is any of this behavior I should pass. And that might be more about me than him. I’d rather hold out than spend 5k (which I know is nothing) on a horse I didn’t truly enjoy. Better to save and wait for one that makes me happy without much doubt. Thank you guys!! It helps to think and converse out loud.

[RainWeasley]

@Lunabear1988

Yeah its less the uneducation to the leg and more the ears pinned, kicking out, back humping ect. He was more cordial with me but I also was dinking around way more than the trainer was. I also noticed that while their was no bad behavior, his demeanor on the ground is kind of withdrawn and a touch grumpy. Certainly he might come out of his shell and all the goes away … But after losing my super, Sweet, willing young, green ottb last summer I think I really want something I’m confident I’ll really be happy with and have a good relationship with. This one feels like it could go either way.

I might still see him again with my trainer there next time but I have to say if there is any of this behavior I should pass. And that might be more about me than him. I’d rather hold out than spend 5k (which I know is nothing) on a horse I didn’t truly enjoy. Better to save and wait for one that makes me happy without much doubt. Thank you guys!! It helps to think and converse out loud.

That sounds perfectly reasonable! No point in spending a ton of time on a horse that you aren’t absolutely in love with and excited to work with.

As far as all OTTBs being hot though, not always true. Some ARE dead heads, which is typically why they are OTT. My friend is very very experienced at retraining OTTBs straight off the track for eventing. She had one super cute mare that was SO LAZY. Vet did a very thorough check up on her, everything was fine. Feet were fine. No signs of pain anywhere, saddle fit well. Got lots of let down time. She just was lazy. Friend ended up having to ride her with a dressage whip in each hand for a while to get her to learn to be in front of the leg. After a month or so she didn’t have to do that anymore but she was just always super chill. Ended up being great for one of her little girls to ride around on until she found a good home as a trail horse. She never showed any grumpiness or anything under saddle though, didn’t protest at the leg or whip or anything. She was just lazy, didn’t want to work. Liked to be groomed and loved on. Wanted to be a pet!

[Lunabear1988]

The trainer did say she thought he was very body sore when he came. And she herself kept saying she felt there was some baggage with the leg… She’s not my trainer not saying she’s right or wrong. She does do about 3 or 5 OTTBs every year and resells.

When he’s going he’s got a pretty good motor on him. Maybe it’s residual soreness, or ulcers or that the saddle isn’t fitted ect. But I’d want those things to be more resolved I think before buying… I’m not against doing things to help a horse out more but I’m wanting less risk as possible after everything I went through losing a young horse. I realize that means I’ll have to search long and hard but I know I’ll find the one. I’ll keep my eye on the one for now but not jumping on yet.

[RainWeasley]

@Lunabear1988

The trainer did say she thought he was very body sore when he came. And she herself kept saying she felt there was some baggage with the leg… She’s not my trainer not saying she’s right or wrong. She does do about 3 or 5 OTTBs every year and resells.

When he’s going he’s got a pretty good motor on him. Maybe it’s residual soreness, or ulcers or that the saddle isn’t fitted ect. But I’d want those things to be more resolved I think before buying… I’m not against doing things to help a horse out more but I’m wanting less risk as possible after everything I went through losing a young horse. I realize that means I’ll have to search long and hard but I know I’ll find the one. I’ll keep my eye on the one for now but not jumping on yet.

Definitely take your time. I got an OTTB sight unseen a few years ago, only pics and videos to go off of, should have gotten a PPE but I was younger and stupid and thought that because I had asked the owner about any issues that he had, and told her that vices or anything weren’t a deal breaker for me, I just wanted to be prepared, that she would disclose it. Ended up with a serious cribber, probably 2 or 300 pounds under weight (very different from the pictures, I had to check the coggins to make sure it was even the same horse), and with very bad arthritis. Whoops. Shockingly, the lady disappeared off the face of the earth after he arrived. Either she knew about all the problems, or genuinely just had no idea. I’d like to think she had no idea…but the sketchy disappearing makes me think otherwise.

I really hope you find a good one! I’m a firm believer that the right one will come along and you will just know it.