I recently got ahold of what I was told is a purebred- non-registered Egyptian Arabian. I was told he was trained by down near the border of Texas and Mexico, but they vary in training techniques, so that really doesn’t help much except he was likely trained western. I realized that this horse has lots of buttons, most of which I don’t know. I am hoping someone might be able to point me in a direction. I hopped on him bareback with a halter and lead rope. He is very soft and supple. He will side-pass both ways very swiftly, he will spin in both directions and dead stops from a lope when asked, enough so that it throws me off balance. I was on a trail and he got nervous and cantered in place. I have been unable to get him to catch his right lead, even loping slowly around a barrel, he still picks up his left lead. I have never ridden a dressage horse or a reining horse, but I think he might have been trained in a very specific discipline. Any thoughts or recommendations on what to try to test him out? I am also going to post in the dressage section 
Im so excited to have this amazing, athletic horse, I just wish I knew how to “drive” him a little bit better!
Given where he’s from, might be a charro horse?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-2791828/Mexico-celebrates-charro-horse-tradition.html
http://laying-the-foundation.blogspot.com/2010/08/retraining-charro-horse.html
Doesn’t sound like a reiner to me, the cantering in place isn’t something a reining horse should do. How does he carry himself in his movements, high or low head, hot or even keel, etc?
Maybe reined stock horse, an entirely different thing than a reining horse. They are started in a bosal and finished to, traditionally, a spade bit or now, more commonly, a western curb bit of some heft. He would be trained the old way…should be able to literally control him with feet and seat only, and slack reins and a slight vibration of the reins is enough for him to stick that back end in the ground and a further vibration should make him back up. You should be able to bend him around your leg with the outside leg controlling speed.
Don’t bit him up with the wrinkles in the corner of his mouth…should carry that bit on his own
Based on what you said, Mexican trained.
Also sounds Charro trained to me.
And we all know this thread is useless without pictures. I wanna see the Arab!!!
He sounds great!
Have you had a vet check him out in reference to the right lead? He might be sore on that side.
If he ever team roped he likely got in trouble for picking up his right lead but you say he’s an Arab. Likely Mexican trained…big spurs and bit to create a very reactive horse, not so much well trained.
