But you have to convince this horse that learning to use his body (which is hard work) is better than being a dolphin. And he’s been a dolphin since I graduated from high school.
Unfortunately, I think psychologically this horse will always go back to being a dolphin when anything goes even mildly wrong. Plus the rider constantly wondering if today is the day she goes for a ride head first.
I’ve been that rider. It’s psychological torture. I don’t wish it on anyone…especially not a young rider riding a horse out of the goodness of her heart that isn’t hers.
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I’ve come to a conclusion regarding horses & goats. What we think goats look like:
What horses think goats look like:
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TBH, my goat Elvis pretty much looks like pagan goat #2, but he’s very sweet and I bought him $17 Dr Squatch beard oil for Christmas, so he could be well-groomed and silky.
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I am the first to admit that "my goat’s beard is tangled :(. " is a first world problem, but a rescue goat needs a well-groomed beard with hints of old leather and bay rum.
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Nope, all I saw there was a lack of horsemanship from many riders and a lot of confused, unhappy and poorly trained horses. For every genuinely funny post there were several that made me feel very uncomfortable.
And a horse bucking when it is on its own and sees other horses… well they’re herd animals, and that’s fairly natural behaviour when removed from their herd.
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Aww, this is so sweet. Thanks for giving him and the others such a wonderful retirement. 
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I did dressage with my gelding (not showing, just daily work) until he was 28 then retired him to trail. (Then full retirement at 30 to pasture puff status). After I lost him at 38, my vet said that keeping him in the dressage work as long as I did undoubtedly helped him have his long, fit and happy retirement.
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This almost sounds like a woman in an abusive relationship defending the man who routinely abuses her.
I hope you have someone to pay your medical bills, a home for your TB and someone to take care of you when this horse injures you beyond repair.
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One of the reasons for training dressage is it extends a horse’s life.
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Yep. Decades ago, my old barn regularly had MM for clinics. He always started with the most intense dressage “warm up” of any of the other eventer and jumper clinicians. If you can’t ride them between the jumps, then you can’t jump.
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This. Nicest comment I ever got from a well-known dressage clinician was about my newish-to-dressage gelding. She always got on each horse for a few minutes. Comment - “Wow, he’s a tough ride. You make him look easy.”
(No, I’m not a great rider, but on my good days, I can be competent). 
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I think what is being said is that horses can have training problems without being in pain. This does not mean that they wake up on the wrong side of the stall on any given day with the intent to make your life miserable. (Which WOULD be a d*** move). Horses don’t think like that, thus the comment about anthropomorphizing them.
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But that is just a horse who temporarily got distracted and wants to be out running and bucking with a friend, like they do in the pasture. Again, a training issue, not an intentional “d***” move.
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OK, saving the Goat PJ Party to favorites tab for those gloomy days when I need a good laugh. Thanks for sharing!
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You have to separate the pieces just like learning the abcs at school. First you teach him how to move his neck laterally and then move the shoulders and then the hind end independently of each other.
Send him to a classical dressage pro for 30 days and it will be fixed.
You’re killing me with this 30 days crap. Any good horse trainer would never make promises like “send your horse to me, I’ll have him riding in 30 days. Or fixed in 30 days…”
Because they know that horses are individuals and they don’t read the calendar. You may improve behavior in 30 days but you’re not changing deeply ingrained behavior.
And you can stick a bandaid on it but you’re not changing the horses mind to suddenly be safe in 30 days.
Not to mention this horse is not the OP’s responsibility to send to a dressage trainer. The owner has it figured out, she’s not riding him and she pulled him from her lesson program. Companion home and if that’s not possible, euthanasia is not unkind.
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I didn’t say that it would fix the horse completely, but I think it would help the light bulbs go off and show a pathway of what needs to be done to fix the habit.
After over a decade with this issue, I think the only 30 day fix that is going to correct any pathways would be nerving his front feet. Not that I’m advocating that. I think horse should not jump. Full stop.
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What difference does it make if you died from riding a horse who is in pain or is a dick? It’s the same caption on your headstone.
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Any trainer who says this in response to a horse behaving poorly (be it from pain or otherwise) is a trainer I would actively avoid.
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