Perhaps you could have your grandma video you while you ride-- just a couple of short clips at the trot. Show these to your current trainer and ask her advice.
As others have posted, I too would recommend more lessons with your current trainer so you can really hone your skills. I watched the George Morris Horsemanship Clinic yesterday that was linked here and learned so much just by listening and watching. He stressed learning the basics skills, position and aids. Once you have your seat, the rest will follow. Good luck!
Is the horse in a herd? Are you pulling him from the herd to ride? This may have an impact on his focus and silly behavior, otherwise, if he only wants to canter, the ground might be hard and/or his feet could be sore. The other is bad fitted tack… Bit & saddle… Teeth?
Thank you 
[QUOTE=KBC;7503919]
Nice post, just to pick up on that thought, I have ridden for 40 years on and off, and guess what, I am now calling myself inexperienced, the training I originally had was HORRIBLE, it instilled a lifetime of bad habits, which I didn’t know about until I got decent training later in life.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely true for many of us: The longer we live, the more we find out we don’t know. Beware anyone who calls themselves an expert and demeans your inexperience (that means they have stopped learning, are not interested in new, better ideas and don’t realize how much teachers learn from their students). There is ALWAYS more to learn; education is a lifelong experience.
[QUOTE=aldena2;7502514]
And I can canter, I’m just working on polishing it up. I take lessons and have been riding for 10 years. I just learned to canter a few months ago however because every barn I went to kept me at a walk and trot, but never moved me forward. I have all the basics down but like unsaid I am just working on polishing up my seat at the canter so I don’t bounce to much.[/QUOTE]
Actually, you may be less of an experienced rider than many that have posted on this thread.
You have been cantering for a few months and are working on not bouncing. I am sure many of the expert riders and posters here on Coth are more experienced than you even if you don’t think so.
I find is very interesting that after 10 years of lessons that your instructors (several different ones per your prior posts) did not feel you were ready to canter for 10 years. Many students progress to cantering after a few months. Instructors do not hold students back on purpose so I would think about why they only let you walk and trot.
I would suggest that you keep on practicing in your lessons and do not ride this horse as you can not completely control him which is dangerous.
I included your quotes as I see you have gone back and changed your original post which was:
[QUOTE=HealingHeart;7504169]
Is the horse in a herd? Are you pulling him from the herd to ride? This may have an impact on his focus and silly behavior, otherwise, if he only wants to canter, the ground might be hard and/or his feet could be sore. The other is bad fitted tack… Bit & saddle… Teeth?[/QUOTE]
I was thinking bitting/tack pinching issues too. Horses evade/run from pain.
[QUOTE=Macimage;7504245]
I find is very interesting that after 10 years of lessons that your instructors (several different ones per your prior posts) did not feel you were ready to canter for 10 years.
A lot of instructors are only able to teach walk and trot (if that), don’t teach control, and are unable to control and organize a group class properly. Again, you’re blaming the student. Sounds like typical beginner lesson scenarios to me.
[QUOTE=BlueLodge;750425]
Again, you’re blaming the student. Sounds like typical beginner lesson scenarios to me.[/QUOTE]
I think that you missed the part in the opening post before it was edited that the OP claimed to be an intermediate rider. A youthful transgression.
The thing that really bothers me about this thread is that the OP seems very young and some people are enabling her. I don’t care if the OP is a teen or 90 years old…she’s setting herself up to get hurt, period. You don’t sugar coat or pussyfoot around something that can lead to serious injury. I would much rather hurt her pride vs. her be seriously hurt in a fall. An unworked, energetic TB out in a field is NO animal for someone that can only walk and trot competently. I would not fare well on this animal in this situation and probably wind up eating dirt, and I have no shame in admitting that. And I can canter properly.
[QUOTE=shiningwizard255;7504423]
An unworked, energetic TB out in a field is NO animal for someone that can only walk and trot competently. I would not fare well on this animal in this situation and probably wind up eating dirt, and I have no shame in admitting that. And I can canter properly.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. My TB is a complete lamb to handle on the ground, has been eventing BN the last two years, won a dressage year-end award from our GMO, and can sit around for two weeks off and flat around in the ring on the buckle first ride back. She’s generally a Good Egg. But the first few times hacking out in the open in the spring, if she hasn’t been out in a while? Total spazzing nutball. So it wouldn’t be hard for me to believe that this horse is generally a sweet, kind guy (most TBs are, really! :)) but if he’s not in regular work, and working out in the field regularly, I can see where this might cause a big issue.
Is your grandmother regularly riding him, OP? What is she doing with him? What’s his training been? Is there a trainer in the area that can come out and work with the two of you?
Presuming his teeth have been done recently and his tack is fitted properly (and the comment about him running off when going downhill makes me wonder in particular about saddle fit), my thought would be that if you insist on continuing to ride him, you mark off a smaller area, even with just cones or something, to provide some kind of visible barrier. Work on circles and figure 8s and serpentines, lots of bending, few straight lines, and lots of transitions. Start at the walk, and think about keeping yourself quiet, especially your hands. In racing, horses learn to brace against the reins as they run, so pulling back is just going to encourage speed. It seems counter-intuitive, but the best thing is really to soften and give a little.
p.s. Never, ever ride without a good-fitting, secure helmet and proper footwear. Use safety stirrups and/or make sure the stirrup bars are down.
Look up some saddle fitting videos/illustrations/articles. Riding is not all about riding, if you know what I mean, there are a lot of other bases to cover if you want a successful relationship with a horse.
when it concerns horses and my riding ability I’ve found that the more I learn, the less I know.
Nobody should be riding this horse (or any horse) until a verbal “Whoa” has been firmly installed. At all times, under all circumstances. The OP and/or granny can teach this on the lunge with a little time and patience. I get the feeling the OP justs wants a few short cuts that don’t take any effort on her part and stop with the editorials, please. Thank you.
What kind of grandmother lets their grandaughter ride a horse that has had little to no training and/or sits around doing nothing for months between visits? Granny’s fine with the fact the horse has run off with the OP more than once and she can’t control him? I know the OP claims the horse has had a lot of training but I suspect any training he’s had is of the same quality as what she’s experienced. 10 years and just starting to canter?
[QUOTE=KBC;7503887]
Thinking out loud…
I found this thread only because you posted asking if it could be deleted, well now you have found two things, no it can’t be deleted, and by drawing attention to it you have more people who are reading it.
I was actually surprised reading through it, I was expecting something far far worse, and believe me it could be a lot worse, from what I have read/skimmed through, everyone was trying to help and give advice, nothing nasty…[/QUOTE]
I had the same thoughts, KBC. I did not see this thread until I saw the thread about deleting it. I was expecting a very different thread than I found.
It is still there, just a few posts down. I do not think it is a youthful transgression as much as a simple statement of a kid taking riding lessons and probably riding in a lesson that is called intermediate.
When you get moved into the intermediate lesson group it feels like a huge step (and it is a huge step, really). You do not realize that lesson intermediate is not real world intermediate until you get much older and have experienced much more.
OP, can your grandmother find someone for you to take lessons on her horse with when you visit?
I saw it there but most people only read the first post and it had been changed.
I did something similar as the OP when I was 16. I left a group lesson barn that was so unsatisfactory and found a new barn just opening, actually the family boarded at the first barn, they bought a place and started a newer better facility - so they found me and I moved with them. I became essentially a working student with them. I worked in exchange for extra ride time, I took out trail rides, I rode the horses that needed exercise - so I made the mistake when I was waitressing at the Ho-Jos’ up by the interstate when a group of breeches and boots ladies came in of saying that I rode ‘for’ name of barn. They jumped all over my case, being from the show crowd (and I had never even been to a show ever) and told me in no uncertain terms (waaay before CoTH could set anyone straight!) that I didn’t really ‘ride for.’ I was so embarrassed.
So OP take it on the chin and step up to the plate to the learning curve in life.
I am sure T&L is right that the lessons were labeled in their world.
[QUOTE=shiningwizard255;7504423]
The thing that really bothers me about this thread is that the OP seems very young and some people are enabling her. I don’t care if the OP is a teen or 90 years old…she’s setting herself up to get hurt, period. You don’t sugar coat or pussyfoot around something that can lead to serious injury. I would much rather hurt her pride vs. her be seriously hurt in a fall. An unworked, energetic TB out in a field is NO animal for someone that can only walk and trot competently. I would not fare well on this animal in this situation and probably wind up eating dirt, and I have no shame in admitting that. And I can canter properly.[/QUOTE]
AGREED. I also find it frustrating, as this is part of the reason TBs can get a bad reputation. I mean, the horse is being set up to fail, and is, predicably, failing. If you take ANY horse that is rarely ridden and put a beginner on him out in an open field, things are likely to get exciting. And, yes, OP, you are a beginner. And that is OKAY. Nothing wrong with it at all.
The fact of the matter is that you riding this horse in this situation is just plain not safe. Stop riding him. Really, just stop. He can gallop all he wants on his own when he is turned out in his pasture. No need for you to provide that for him or even ride him at all.
Getting a horse like this to be able to safely walk/trot/canter, or even just WALK with a rider in an open field like this would take a lot of CONSISTENT, regular training. It’s not something that can be taught with just sporadic riding, and it’s not something that can be taught by you at your current level of riding.
I myself wouldn’t get on this horse under the circumstances described, and I have ridden for nearly 30 years now, have experience with all kinds of horses, including significant experience with raced and unraced Thoroughbreds (and presently own an OTTB).
What you have described just plain is not safe. The horse is running off with you when you try to trot. It’s not fixable in the situation and circumstances you describe. So, really, just stop.
I honestly don’t know how many more times I can say it or how many different ways I can say it so that everyone will understand. So I’ll just say it again. Yes I WANT to canter him but I am NOT going to because I know that is is unsafe! I don’t get what’s so hard for everyone to understand. I was looking for some easy tips to regain control incase he, or even ANY other horse bolted with me. YES I have been riding for 10 years. However, the 5 instructors I have had up until now, never taught me how to canter. I appreciate everyone looking out for me but I don’t know how else to assure you that I’m not going to do anything to endanger me or my horse. I am sticking to what I know (walking and trotting) until i am much more experienced in the canter. And I wasn’t sure how to classify a beginner or an intermediate but it is clear to me now that even though I am in an intermediate class, I am still I beginner.
I think part of what you are missing, aldena, is that many posters are worrying that riding this particular horse AT ALL, even at walk and trot, under the circumstances you describe, is unsafe. Fresh horse that is known to bolt; young, relatively inexperienced rider; large open field; spring weather. It’s a recipe for disaster.
That having been said, you can try to stop a bolt by using a pulley rein. Keep your reins short. Plant your left hand on his mane, and use the right hand to pull up and back, hard. Hopefully he’ll turn and have to slow down. This is for a full-on bolt. If he’s just trotting way too fast, it should not take several minutes to slow him down. Keep the trot under control with many small circles mixed with walk and halt transitions. Don’t let him just motor along.
It’s not you. It’s the horse - an ex-racehorse who has not been trained to stop or listen to the rider. The best jockeys and exercise riders have trouble stopping and controlling a really hot, strong TB who just wants to run. Or worse, bolting. The best riders struggle to control the type of horse you are riding. This kind of horse is a big challenge. And dangerous since you never know when he will really take off. There are no brakes or easy tricks to control such a powerful, fast animal.
