I bought a imported WB jumper trying to covert him to a hunter and had some success in his retraining but he gets very emotional when you go to correct him, or he hits a rail or even gets to an awkward distance. I’m going through another round of vet checks, saddle check, teeth check to make sure it’s not pain related but I’m losing hope that this might just be who he is and why he was repackaged for another discipline. He hacks like a dream and flats great too. I am currently working with a trainer but she is perplexed on what to try next. We are currently trotting cross rails but should we go back to just poles? Lunging over fences?
Can you clarify what you mean by emotional? Does he buck, bolt, rear, stop?
3 Likes
Most horses do? It just depends on the extent, and in general the more careful, fancier ones are more reactive.
I mean, unfortunately the general answer is don’t do that. This is one of the reason why some horses are suitable for amateurs and some are not.
17 Likes
He will dolphin, buck etc at any imperfect moment at a fence. And then he holds on to it for the rest of the ride. I’m beginning to realize that he is a pro ride although my trial jump schools on him before purchase were awesome. Do they ever just settle and become a bit more tolerable? And yes, he is super fancy. It’s been almost a year since I bought him. Instructor said stuff like this takes time but I’m thinking he’s probably not going to work with my amateur lifestyle.
Any chance he’s just uber tuned-in to you & your reaction to that imperfection?
Maybe you’re the one holding on to & telegraphing the tension.
Not impugning your skill, they’re just very aware of us & our reactions.
Can your Pro ride a course w/o a problem?
Can he/she purposely flub a line (chip in, take the long one) & get the same response?
7 Likes
What fence height are we talking here?
Coth currently has a great article on a groom that focuses a lot on the emotional wellbeing of her horses. Maybe give that a read and think on if something like that could help you both.
2 Likes
Fancy, athletic horses tend to be a bit reactive. This is what gives them that extra spark in the show ring, and the “oomph” over the fences. He may just be very sensitive, and you may not be the rider that gets the best round out of him. And that’s okay! He may just need a really tactful ride from someone who almost never misses (or makes the right choices when they do to smooth it out).
However, what do you mean by “go to correct him”? He may be one that you can’t really get after - and what may seem like a reasonable correction to you/your trainer may come across as Big Bad In Trouble to him. Perhaps he was manhandled and yanked around in the past, perhaps he’s just Like That. A different tactic and training philosophy may be required. Even just the rider getting left behind or trying to get his head up may be too much of a “correction” for him, especially if the rider gets worried and handsy about it.
As far as if they ever chill out? Sometimes. And sometimes they chill out for certain riders and not for others. The thing is, gadgets and drugs will NEVER be the answer - time and good experiences and the right rider will.
ETA: if you’ve got a gut feeling that your amateur lifestyle isn’t jiving with this horse AND your trainer is stumped, it’s probably time to sell him and find something that fits your program better. Don’t get scared, don’t wait until he’s got an ingrained buck, and don’t let “fancy” override “fun”. Maybe he’d be the right horse in different circumstances, or different trainer, or whatever. But I just want to throw it out there that you’ve done a year in this program, and usually they’re showing their true temperament under your management by then.
18 Likes
I had one like that and ultimately had to donate him. Although I never really tried to “correct” him. I just tried to get to the right distances. In hindsight I wonder if he had EDM before we knew about it. Usually they adapt / improve with repetition and patience. that horse never did. Hoping you get better feedback than that.
2 Likes
He’s done it with the pro who will occasionally miss.
1 Like
Cross rails and 2’6 verticals.
I’m in agreement and so is my trainer. I was just hoping to get one last Hail Mary piece of advice since he checks the flat and hacking box but I can’t jump him. I’ve considered just doing dressage but I know that’s not for me. I just find it sad he was perfect for the my trial rides, but fell apart super quick. I would have never bought him if I knew he was going to be a pro ride.
3 Likes
Even if it’s not nefarious like he was drugged, some horses just do not Americanize well. Or there’s Something about the management or program that they don’t like. Or there’s something physical going on. Who knows. I’m of the opinion that if your program is working for other horses but not THIS one, it is far easier to sell and find a horse that DOES work in your program than it is to accommodate the quirky one. Especially as an amateur who has other things going on.
Short of bringing in another trainer who has a reputation of getting good rides from hot horses like this for a second opinion, I’m not sure what else besides the vet work up you can practically do.
13 Likes
Thank you. And I totally get that but the irrational teenage girl in me says differently. Haha. Uuuughhh why are horses hard??? Thanks again for the tough love. I needed it.
3 Likes
Before I sold this horse, I would try a second trainer experienced with imports who rides “European”.
Sounds like he needs more confidence and a stronger ride to put his pieces together and give him confidence.
8 Likes
How high was he jumping when you imported him? Is there a chance that with a pro and setting up something more in the 3’3-3’6 range could be tried? If he’s ultra athletic he may never be game to get awkwardly put at a cross rail. If he lights up at the big stuff in a good way and has enough to keep his focus that he doesn’t mess around at an odd chip, he’s more valuable being resold that direction than continuing to chip away at stuff that he finds boring and holds a grudge about.
2 Likes
At that height, I’d lunge him over fences.
If he’s not emotional on the lunge, I’d be looking hard at saddle fit and your own position at awkward spots.
If he is emotional on the lunge, I’d ignore it and send him back around until it’s old hat.
9 Likes
Do you have any idea how your program with him/ his life style with you compares to his previous life before you bought him? I have a young, athletic, emotional guy too. He is very sensitive to changes in his lifestyle and is a different horse when he is ridden 6-7 days a week vs. sporadically. Things like amount and intensity of rides, turnout, etc. could all cause changes pretty quickly.
1 Like
How old is he and did he compete in Europe. I agree that he may need a different ride. And I also wonder about ulcers and great that you are checking for possible pain.
In what circumstance and what is the correction?
How much of a prepurchase did you do? Neck and back xrays?
1 Like
How old and what did he do before import? I’ve known and owned some who had been obviously poled. I tried horses at a barn overseas where the barn dog would go chasing and barking after a horse anytime one had a rail down. I’ve ridden some who were so used to being micromanaged with precision by very accurate and strong riders that they got quickly frustrated with a rider who wasn’t that…and were also not good candidates for turning into the hunter ride style.
6 Likes
