Warning long long post about new horse woes. I just picked up my new horse earlier this week. I was so excited as this guy is one of nicest movers I have ever sat on! Probably not saying too much as I have kinda sorta had bottom of the barrel horses until my last pony. But still very exciting for me. Test ride made me say no thank you due to lazy behavior and he did try his little evasion trick. No biggie testing a new rider happens and I was told he would test a rider who could actually ride and what he would do. He was being used as a walk trot horse for kids learning to ride and while he seemed on the lazy side (not my type/pet peeve) I was encouraged by DH to get him anyway as DH thought he has potential to be the nicest horse I have owned so far. And he has soft eyes and a sweet demeanor both things that are number 1 to my husband when buying. So we bring him home to the boarding barn and when I stop by the following day to do a lite ride he is the same horse when leading and grooming. Bit of a turd for the bridle but lots of activity compared to his old home so he was just looking at it all.
Our first ride was bad. I knew it wasn’t going to be stellar when he swished his tail the first time much less the following times. The horse I was told to use the whip on if he was evading forward that doesn’t get offended was highly offended at my tiny tap asking for a real trot. Then we go to canter and he immediately starts doing the humpty hump that turns into legit bucks. Drafty slow mo bucks but real you are exiting if I can. Kick his butt forward until we get a few regular canter steps then trot to try again. He proceeds to do this about 5 times! Until he gives me a nice canter for a few steps one way then we do the other way with success We immediately stop for the day as I am exhausted from his antics and the kicking and mental fortitude needed to keep asking for a canter when the answer is most likely going to be a screw you. Total doll after we stop cantering and we walk around to both cool down. Totally fine then untack and push and prod looking for a pain source and I can find no tender spots. Then he has the audacity to make treat begging faces at me! After trying to deposit me in the sand repeatedly. He gets a few treats then settled into his stall.
So now I am in the position of do I chalk it up to testing behavior? I will fully admit that while I was fair I was wanting to establish a snappier go button from the start to see if the lazy was a learned behavior or truly his personality. I don’t beat my horses but I refuse to kick until my legs fall off so he got 2 chances to go then got a small tap with the whip. Slug pace walk and trot got a reminder to move out. Of course first thought is new tack fit but there was no unpleasant head tossing or bit chomping with new bridle and bit and one of my saddles actually seems to fit him better than the horse I bought it for! Doesn’t mean there isn’t something there but for a horse that I was told was super chill for hordes of kids to hang off of and ride around I would have expected a little more time before such behavior. Not right out of the gate at least. The having a suspicious timing with my forward movement expectations is what makes me feel like it really might be testing. He is a big strong boy and the kids likely weren’t able to really demand answers and he got away with it. Seller is truly a wonderful person and I trust what she told me about him and saw it with my own eyes. She will buy him back so I have an easy out even if it does come with quite a bit of driving.
Did you get a PPE?
You completely changed the game for him. You were told he’d test you. No surprise there.
Didn’t you canter when you rode before you bought him?
Personally I would see what happens on the next ride before making a decision. If he’s better or worse.
Ppe was my first question. If he was only used as a walk/trot there may have been a reason. Working through a pain and/or behavioral root to go forward can be a long process. I learned the lesson of trusting your gut on a test ride. A kind eye doesn’t mean much if he tries to lawn dart you from the tack. Depending on the price point and your emotional attachment to the horse, I’d either contact the sellers and see if they’d be interested in a buy back or start down the expensive pain search route and then send off to a really good trainer for 60-90 days.
No PPE. Location of horse was in the literal middle of no where so only vet in the area was the vet they used for routine items. Was told that any major things would involve a haul to a vet clinic in an adjacent state.
Hi. Congrats on your new Horse!
He doesn’t sound incorrigible to me. Just spoiled and opinionated from being allowed to get away with being lazy .
Do have access to a round pen? Or can you make a paddock or arena small enough to safely lunge In?
I would start lungeing this horse at the walk and trot until he responds promptly and without resistance.
Then I would go on to canter. He make act out: kick out ,buck, gallop which are all forms of resistance.
Just let him get it out of his system , let him walk and calm down and then ask for the canter again.
Rinse and repeat until you get a prompt, proper canter where he is listening without kicking or bucking. Even better if he starts licking or chewing
Don’t chase him around or make him canter until he’s exhausted.
You simply want to retrain him to submit without drama or trauma.
The main thing for you is to keep calm and be patient.
He seems smart and has a good temperament.
So I don’t think it will take very long to figure it out.
Once you’ve established canter on the lunge, you can start under saddle.
Of course you can and should ride him at walk and trot.
If you are not comfortable with lungeing you may be able to find a trainer to show you how.
Hope this helps. And good luck. Don’t give up too soon.
I did canter him and previous owner did as well. He was fine and pleasant though lazy. I will admit I tend to ride conservatively in a trial situation so maybe he just really objects to a forward stronger rider? I was told his testing would involve being extra lazy and corner dodging then changing direction. Which he did once as well that first ride but I kept him on a circle to not provide him corner opportunity. I really did try to set him up for a simple easy first ride without too much to hash out between us. More rides is what my husband is encouraging too but dang does it suck to have to go through a power struggle while bucking.
He was used as walk trot as his temperament was perfect despite his young age (5). Previous owner admits that just letting him tote littles around and not doing more training on him herself hasn’t done him any favors. I knew that but this isn’t what I would have expected. I have a trainer I work with and was already planning on having a month of often as possible training rides to see how he shaped up. Like I said lazy is not something I enjoy so if that was truly his personality and life desires he would be moving on regardless. I am in a hard place of liking spicy but need something sane enough to sit a week or two without killing me when I can ride again. Ride 2 will be tonight and if he is that bad again I will reach out to previous owner and see what she thinks.
That explains why you didn’t PPE but it doesn’t rule out a physical issue. So it’s probably wise to have a good post purchase exam now so you know what you’re dealing with.
There are many possibilities here. He could have been drugged. He could have been used to a completely different lifestyle. Saddle fit. Just from this post it’s really hard to tell.
You didn’t want lazy but bought lazy because he had a kind eye? Well, he’s lazy. I’m not sure why you’d expect different. In that respect he’s what they represented and what you tried, he’s just more interested in not working with a new rider in a new place than in his old place. That doesn’t seem so unusual for a young green horse that just had a major lifestyle change. Could be that he just needs proper training if he hasn’t had it. And he’s stubborn and lazy.
Since I would not buy a horse without a vet exam as a baseline I would personally start with that and then go from there based on the results.
Maybe put a pro on him for a week or two so you won’t have the fear factor building in these early stages of your relationship? Also, was he in group lessons at the other barn? Some horses will babysit who’s ever riding them because they’re really just following the other horses. He walks/trots/canters willingly to follow the group, not because someone gave him a canter cue, etc. Tough predicament for sure - thank goodness you have an out if needed.
I’d let him settle into his new surrounds for a week or two. If you have a trainer let them do a couple of rides and then you under their supervision. He doesn’t sound bad but maybe as other’s have said he is testing you to see what he can get away with. What are your plans, showing or just riding. If you are looking for a show prospect then this may not be the one; otherwise, this may be the horse that challenges your ability but, in the end, you have a great relationship and a rewarding journey. It’s a matter of if you are willing to put in the time and effort to get to that point.
If you have access to a good equine vet, it would be worth doing a good exam, even if after the fact, to rule out any potential issues.
I bought lazy because my husband loved him. But husband doesn’t ride so I am stuck with the check. 
This is lazy horse #2 I have been persuaded to buy and honestly a part of me went along as I knew if it didn’t work out again I would never have to hear him try to convince me again if I say not the right fit. But I also didn’t think my life would be in danger so well played universe. As he was mostly ridden by kids I was very much gambling on him not usually being able to be pushed enough to not seem lazy.
I was actually pleasantly surprised how much more forward he was after our little talk about trotting promptly but since that came between rounds of catch breath from bucking canter it could have been just him being keyed up. I have been down the lazy road once before and after 2 rides of I am serious about when I ask you to move we move the mare and I did fine together. But she didn’t buck. She was a former lesson horse for little kids too so I was hoping me and this young guy could come to a similar agreement.
I may do the post buying vetting if he doesn’t sweeten his tune after another ride or two. Try a saddle change and maybe even the bit. But I hate to change too many variables at once and not be able to say fir sure what helped.
I am not afraid just a little pissed that he would be so rude. I have been blessed that my horses so far have been very honest individuals and let me know in not extreme ways that something isn’t right. If something hurts or pinches I understand being upset but he went nuclear from the first canter step.
Interesting thought about follow the leader. Not sure but I would say maybe only one other horse two at the most due to how small the arena was.
Yes, the repeatedly told to both me and my husband of her buy back willingness makes me feel like I don’t have too much to lose but some time and the cost of a training ride or two and some gas money before I would call it.
Showing dressage is the goal. Everyone was surprised I hopped on him day after getting him but I reasoned if we may have an hour somewhere new before showing I would like to see what he does in a new environment right off. Yes, by the time we show we will have a relationship built but it still helps to know what his initial reaction to a new place could be. Is he is going to stare at everything or avoid the scary new jumps and tractor behind the fence panels or walk around just fine. He was just fine with the new scenery but not with moving his feet apparently. I have one challenging untalented horse but bless her she has never tried to dump me which is now doubly appreciated. The amount of work I am willing to put in is going to be a serious question as I would rather be challenged by something with farther along training that can help teach me than a horse that is still in kindergarten that has to learn everything and may fight every step of the way.
As a trainer, I had plenty of customers bring horses with problems similar to yours.
They bought a horse and he was not what they expected once they were the ones to care for and ride and enjoy that one horse.
The reality, we don’t know if we buy a horse that we don’t know, is the chances we take every time that the horse will be what we saw in our dreams with him, if we tried him what he felt while handling and riding him that one time or a few.
My question to owners with those problems was, do you like horse enough to put up with who it is showing you to be, that we can retrain just fine, but will always be part of that horse’s behavior if pushed or fresh or the stars are not aligned to suit it?
You can always put more time to find out how this will work out, sell later if it doesn’t.
Since trying is a real emotional investment also, not just monetary and work we put into it, that is a cost we also have to consider.
I would say, it sounds like that is not a suitable horse for what you want up front, why try to put a round peg in a square hole?
Suitable horse for an individual, not a trainer as a prospect to eventually be sold, requires way more points fitting that he seems to show right now.
You can see what you have after more time, more training, more checking to be sure he is not physically averting work for some pain reason, generally bucking on canter transitions can mean hind end problems should be checked out.
Hard decisions in life, discouraging when, after all we consider when buying our next horse, they are not quite what we expected.
Hope with all these ideas in this thread you feel a bit more validated whichever way you go.
There are good reasons both ways, good luck this sticky situation resolves well for you.
Several times in the past 12 years or so my riding teacher has put me up on miscellaneous “lesson horses” that have ended up dumped at her stable (their hopeful owners can’t ride them and lose interest.)
Even with horses in their 20s I have run into gaping chasms the size of the Grand Canyon in their basic training. These horses learnt a few rough and brutal aids (pony club kick, hauling back on the reins) and had NO IDEA what I meant when I applied any other type of aid for for anything. NOBODY had ever clearly explained what an aid meant to the horse, and the horse, full of insecurity, comes up with an answer that is often wrong when a new rider mounts.
When I patiently and clearly explain what an aid means they learn it pretty quickly and progress from there. For a horse to understand what an aid means it has to be applied at the proper moment in the horse’s stride (the book “Simplify Your Riding” by Wendy Murdoch is excellent for learning the proper timing of the aids.) I apply the aid and I immediately release the aid. If the horse gives ANY reaction to the aid I reward it if it is what I want, if it is not what I want I reapply the aid a tiny bit stronger, then release it immediately. Usually by now the horse starts guessing what I want, only because I timed the aid properly.
My reward for the first hint of a proper response to my aid is me chilling out and doing absolutely nothing for a slow count of 10. This gives the horse a chance for his brain to link cause and effect without any distractions. Then I praise the horse to the skies with my voice and I scratch his neck under the mane. I let the horse bask in the praise a moment, then I go on to something he already knows. Later on in the ride I ask the new aid again repeating the whole procedure.
Your good natured horse is totally confused and probably feels exasperated when you are not happy with his uneducated responses. He has no idea of what you want, and he has no idea of how he can make you happy with him.
You now have to fill in the gaping holes in his training. By this process I turned one balking, compulsively backing up, running to the gate jug head reject into a rather neat little riding horse who ended up enjoying the process instead of hating it.
Yes to everything said so far and my additional advice is to put some poles or a few small cross rails around and see if they perk him up. My mare gets super bored with circles, and will get pissy, behind the leg, and then stompy if I push the issue with a whip tap, but if I pop her over a couple little jumps she sharpens up and gets nice and forward.
If you don’t have poles or jumps then switch it up with serpentines and/or spirals. My mare was never a school horse so I can imagine an ex-schoolie gets even more nappy at the idea of more circles in the arena.
Make it fun!
Put him on the longe and install voice commands stat. “Trot” or a click or whatever means trot NOW and holy hell shall rain down on the horse that does not say “YES, Ma’am. How fast?” as he jumps into a forward trot. Same for canter and whoa. MAKE it happen. He won’t want to feel an actual longe whip snap on his ass or a sharp jerk on the cavesson too many times before he is yes ma’aming to beat the band.
There are keys though - consistency and absolute drill sargeant expectations. You must always use the same word or noise and be absolutely committed to making his reaction happen NOW! If he chooses to buck and a sharp snap on his ass isn’t clear that that is unacceptable, bring him sharply to a halt and start again until he realizes that bucking happens only on his own time out in the field and NEVER EVER when being handled. Ever. Never ever ever.
Once your verbal cues are fully installed (a couple of days at most if you’re fully committed as above) THEN get on him and expect the same reactions from him when you use your voice. If it doesn’t happen, get off and do a remedial longeing session instead of riding. Repeat as necessary.
Once he is happy to comply with verbal commands while you are mounted, gradually phase out the voice, transitioning to legs and seat.
As long as this horse is sound, this method will 100% work. If it doesn’t work, either he is unsound or you have not committed to being the drill sergeant he needs at this point in his life. This method will turn your slug into a happy forward horse who is a pleasure to ride with nice light aids as long as you keep your expectations high, don’t nag, and never ever ever let him suck you into repeating a request. Always escalate sharply and he will sharp right up.
The other super super important key here is to be able to turn on and off your corrections like a light switch. Make the correction and ZAP! immediately you go back to super soft, riding without effort and allowing him to carry himself forward until he forgets, then ZAP! correction and ZAP! back to super soft riding without effort again.
In other words, make it black and white and be ever so generous with verbal praise, pats or scritches, and if you are a food reward person, a treat for a good crisp halt will install a halt to die for and that is extremely reliable if you ever do get into an OMG situation where the only reasonable thing to do is stop and regroup.
Me personally, i try to ride any horse with compassion. Like Jackie Cochran above was saying, a very young (5 is quite young!) lesson horse has in his educational background some ambigious information. I’m saying that it’s probably an even worse education than none.
I’d begin afresh. And i would do it at a walk. I would teach aids and not move up gaits until the horse understood a soft request to turn and to stop and to turn on the fore, turn on the hind and some lateral flexing movements.
I liken a school horse’s life to one of sadness. They have zero sharpness. None. They have been rounded. No clear responses because no clear aids.
Clarifying aids immediately and with high expectations for compliance with a new set of absolutely unwavering and fair rules is about as compassionate as it gets.
Dithering around on a horse that’s learnt that laziness and bucking are acceptable behaviours can lead to much worse behaviours, sadly.
