since your comment was a reply to mine, i’ll go on record to say that i totally acknowledge that you and i have quite differing approaches to horsemanship.
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Your horse has a “problem”, and he’s telling you that he has a “problem”. It’s not “bad behavior”. It’s your job, as his owner and rider, to find, identify and solve his problem for him. Good luck.
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One ride seems like not much information to decide they the horse has a problem.
It sounds to me like he is lacking basic education and it’s going to be your job to provide it. Slowly, fairly, and systematically.
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OP
You should rule out pain as a cause of your horse not wanting to canter .
It may be a current muscular-skeletal cause, SI or stifles , hock, or bad inadequate shoeing.
It may be from scar tissue from a long ago injury.
You have some options: Radiography of the typical problem areas. And other vet exams to rule out kissing spine, arthritis. Etc.
5 is not too young for arthritis. Not common, but not unheard of.
Also have a farrier check for NPA on the hinds, or just improper shoeing.
Equine Chiro or Massage therapy for soreness .
You didn’t say what breed your horse is .
Some horses mature faster than others.
A horse has to learn how to balance a rider at all gaits and at canter especially.
You said he is big and at 5 he may not be able to balance at canter for himself yet, let alone the weight of a rider.
I’m not sure you should give up just yet. But that depends on your goals.
If you want to start moving up the levels right away and want a finished horse so to speak, then this might not be the horse for you and you should return him.
I do not blame you at all for not wanting to be a crash test dummy. It’s too easy to get hurt and not able to ride for months.
If you have the time and patience and an experienced advisor to help you along the way, then I say go for it
You are not wrong either way.
Good luck and let us know how it goes
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I think @BigMama1 summed it up pretty well.
A question I have is:
You say DH does not ride.
Did he ever?
If not, his advice to buy the Kind Eye is worthless.
Same for him advising you to put in more rides.
What is his rationale for that?
Apologies if he is a former rider (of some skill), who had/has a good eye.
IIWM (& it has been, w/17h-+ WB with an explosive canter depart), I’d arrange some lessons with a trainer where you ride.
If the bucking is sittable (“slow drafty bucks”) trainer can help you work it out.
If the bucking escalates, a trainer might not want to risk their own safety*
*which was my trainer’s decision after 1 ride on my WB.
BTW:
Problem was solved.
By me, w/trainers input from the ground.
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eggZACTly~!
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Am I the only one wondering why a lesson barn would sell a reliable up/down lesson horse who is only 5? He sounds like a dream for beginners to me.
Op, if the barn sold him because of financial reasons, they aren’t going to be able to buy him back. Any other reason, and they likely aren’t going to buy him back because of those reasons.
Assume he’s a horse with no training and go from there. He mugs you for treats because what he did under saddle has no connection to what you were doing when treats were to be had. He won’t connect the two after a couple of minutes and one or two intervening actions.
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Should have stuck with that thought! From hard learned experience overriding that “no thanks” because of outside influence does not work well, because it keeps niggling.
Ok as to why they are selling, could be any number of reasons, I have it in my mind this guy is big, maybe they want to lower their feed bill. Maybe they just have to many horses, or maybe they think this guy is “too good” for an up downer, or, could just be a lawsuit in the making.
I will say that I had the biggest show of attitude I have had for a long time from my guy yesterday, because, first lesson in forever, and he was being asked to work! Seems I have slid way down into ambling around, and asking him to be sharp off the leg and actually produce a working walk and trot, NOW, and forward…well we had stop, baulk, threaten to rear. We worked through it, but knowing that this is a big ask of him, just coming back from a few minor issues, we didn’t take it too far.
Could be so many things, BUT, still going back to your initial reaction, can you get over that, or will it always be there, that you didn’t choose him, someone else talked you into it…
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(This isn’t meant to sound harsh) Stop anthropomorphizing - he’s a horse not a human. He’s telling you something hurts or he doesn’t understand. Get a professional saddle fitter and a vet out before you have a come to Jesus with him or you’re setting yourself up for a ruined horse.
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I agree with this. All of it. I think you may have an easier time of it if you assume that your horse is tame, not trained. Once you’ve ruled out any pain issues, just start over from scratch.
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Saddle fit
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Sounds like he’s basically not broke. Has no idea what you are asking for. There are lots of horses out there like this–“broke” enough for someone to get on and wander around on, but with no further education, no idea of what “forward” is, never asked to canter, and certainly never on a circle, sweetly and kindly does what he wants and gets away with it. Not his fault. Not your fault.
Begin right back at the beginning. Get a baseline exam from a decent vet, get his teeth done, get his feet done, make sure his tack is comfortable. Then treat him like the true greenhorn that he is. Take it slowly, short, successful rides, don’t confuse him with details, but be very clear and fair in your requirements and enjoy small victories.
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OP, PLEASE take this in good humor; I am not picking on you. I’m borrowing that quote for the next time I broker a sale.
Good luck to you and your new project.
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Thanks for the advice everyone. I think going back to tame not trained is going to be what needs to happen. Saddle fit, general fitness, and soundness will all be evaluated but I was just taken aback with how aggressive the displeasure he showed was.
I was by no means coerced into getting this horse he really is a very nice mover and I am optimistic he could be a great dressage partner. I just do not like lazy horses and prefer mares. My husband thinks some of my struggles so far have been because I like spicy mares. Lol. The truth is my budget has only allowed for under trained or poorly trained horses so far that I have to try to fix. I am moving up in quality but not to the point of buying something nice and made yet. After being married for quite some time I do know that if your spouse thinks something is perfect and you get something less perfect in their eyes there may always be the well that other horse wouldn’t have xyz… If it went right I would have an awesome horse and if it didn’t it would help solidify that the spicy mares aren’t the issue.
This guy was being sold as he is not a jumper and that is the lesson program. And also why none of the students bought him though they apparently kept asking only to be told they wouldn’t be able to do what they originally set out to do as part of that program. This isn’t my first green bean but those girls have been good to me so far. I am used to horses that know nothing or know little so I am fair with expectations. Lots of praise when things go right and lots of repeating when they don’t and breaking things down even further if needed. I try to start out pretty abrupt when it comes to transitions as I didn’t do that with my first couple retraining horses and it sort of showed forever.
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You know we love to see pictures or videos of new horses, right ? Hint hint.
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I really do try to be a realist qnd some horses really do test anyone new. And it comes from riding all greenies not well broke ones that I am ok with it. Maybe I shouldn’t be but I just figure they don’t know any better.
And hey at least you’re blessed with a hubby who WANTS you to acquire new horses. !
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Okay, so I’m a little pollyannaish, but hopefully you’ve seen him at his “worst” and you’ll be thrilled by how quickly he improves once you address any pain issues and start riding him regularly. 
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I’d agree with Jackie Cochran and others who say the horse probably has no idea what you’re asking him to do.
He’s 5 and mostly he’s had young, newbie riders on his back who probably couldn’t give proper aids and were terrified to ride at anything faster than the slowest trot imaginable.
I’d slow it down for him right now and assume that he knows nothing. It’s a good idea to have a vet check on him to at least do a minimal PPE type of once-over. You should also think about saddle fit–if your saddle is pinching him anywhere that’s not going to help you ride and train him.
Do some groundwork with him and get him on your side. I don’t mean endless lunging, I mostly mean pretty basic stuff like walking over cavalettis beside you on a lead, matching your pace as you lead, and doing some other basic in-hand stuff like backing, turning, standing at the mounting block, etc. Long grooming sessions (see the Haas brush thread!) You can clicker-train too, if you think you’d enjoy doing that with him.
Good luck with him. If he’s actually a kind horse, then you’ve got something to work with.
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Meh. I’m good knowing horses I have trained will not be dangerous for whoever is handling them, love their vets, love their farriers, and are downright disappointed when they get a day off. Setting boundaries and sticking fairly to them is what makes horses happy and what keeps horses, like my current mare, from doing harm and possibly ending up being branded as dangerous. I’m ok with that.
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