It sounds to me like he’s some combination of unfit, not sure what you’re asking, anxious in a new environment, and possibly dealing with a physical issue - could be as simple as needing a saddle tweak or a chiro, could be something else. It can take a long time for them to be ready for canter work, especially if they’ve just been toting around kids and not using their body properly… I got a 6 y/o green broke / ranch broke pony back in August and it’s taken me 3 months of restarting, installing voice commands on the lunge, and building up fitness and understanding of the aids at walk and trot for him really to be ready to start working on canter.
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You need a vet and a trainer.
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What most people have said; give him time. I say time on the lunge learning to move out when you ask, not when he chooses. Good luck.
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I think the OP has a decision to make, if returning horse, she should not wait too long for that.
If keeping him and trying to re-train, no returning option then and if he doesn’t work, will have to sell him herself.
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He did exactly what he did in the trial ride and what the sellers told you he would do and you are “pissed at him” for not coming around in the first 15 minutes of your first ride?
Seriously?
These are horses, not machines. He has a whole history of using this behavior to get what he wants. He also did not ask for you to buy him or for you to hop on and take him for a spin and start changing all the rules as he understands them.
It’s your job to have a sense of humor, introduce your new expectations in a calm, consistent, and pleasant manner, and not resent the fact that you might have to do more than 15 minutes of work to get from point A to point B.
It’s your job to make it work, not his. He probably thinks your attitude sucks, too.
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This is a joke, right. A flick of a whip should be no more upsetting or damaging than a fly landing. If it is, you’ve been taught wrong and have no clue and should probably never pick one up.
The whip is not a weapon, it’s a tool to help the horse understand that voice cues a) mean something and b) voice cues need to be heeded once understood. Touching the correct muscles from afar will get you better results with a clearer and cleaner understanding of the voice cue. It amazes me how many people don’t understand this and are convinced that touching a horse with a whip is always a bad thing … and yet waving a stupid plastic bag on the end of a stick with the express desire to frighten the horse so that it can overcome its fear is somehow not traumatizing.
You do you, just not around any horses I have to trust with my safety and their happiness!
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Its not a bad thing when its meted out properly, meaning you know that what you are asking is understood by the horse and physically possible for them to do.
That’s not the case in the OPs situation.
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Yep–IME some drafts and draft crosses are initially uncomfortable in the canter, sometimes to the point of almost panic (scrambly, fast cantering that they can’t hold for long) because their bodies just aren’t used to it and they aren’t bred for it. Working on the longe in a large circle with frequent transitions, gradually increasing the time in the canter, will help immensely. As will general conditioning, better balance, etc.
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Except your words were “Snap his ass with the whip”.
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Clearly, you interpreted my words poorly. They actually imply being quick and not dawdling because if you do it’s too late to make sense and you have ended up punishing the horse rather than teaching it.
But whatever. If you choose to believe that whips are a problem and frustrating horses for hours on end day after day by not setting immediate and clear boundaries and achievable goals is ok, then that’s your and your horse’s problem, not mine. But I will absolutely call anyone on their BS when I see it 
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Well, I’ve been working with horses two times longer (at least) than you have probably been alive. Succeeded in taking one of my OTTBs from just off the track to 4th Level (dressage). So thanks, I think I do have a clue and will continue doing me. Have a great day.
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- Vet.
- Trainer.
- Depending on the results of the previous, return the horse.
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If this horse is a draft cross, and big (people mean very different things by “big,” but I have had draft crosses who are 16.2-17.2 so I’m not talking 16 h), then cantering in any kind of balance at 5 may be a very big ask.
They aren’t built to use their hind ends to push naturally and they are slow to mature. This is NOT a reason not to keep this horse, but a very big Slow Down on what you are asking.
I have had a lovely Belgian cross who, at 5, could not canter a 20 m circle to save his life. Later became a very nice 2nd level horse with a very balanced canter. My current horse is a perch cross - at 6 his canter was sort of a dramatic leg flinging extravaganza that actually frightened anyone in the ring with us…he is now moving up to 4th level and his canter is by far his nicest gait.
Neither of these horses bucked but cantering politely under saddle was not easy for them when they were young…and they hadn’t been used as lesson horses first.
Please get him thoroughly checked out as others have advised, and then proceed as though he has never learned to canter under saddle, and in fact may be barely ready to do that.
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This is a situation that would benefit (or could have been prevented) from partial training or better yet a full training board situation where you can swap lessons for training rides to improve the communication and understand of the aids. Everyone needs a team and eyes on the ground.
If you are horse shopping, You can find trainers that charge hourly rates to accompany you to sale appointments instead of paying a finder’s fee commission. There’s a lot of really knowledgeable people out there that can guide you through the purchase process so something like this doesn’t happen.
Also, it can never hurt to be in some sort of training program when you first get a horse so you both are on the same page after the honeymoon is over. It doesn’t have to be forever, but it is a good idea for a successful transition.
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I’m sorry, what? You’re 110 years old? Congratulations!
And congratulations on getting ONE of your ottbs to 4th. I am glad that this is not the pinnacle of my own training efforts, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of it!
Sorry(?) For the snark, but it’s hard to help when someone makes many wrong assumptions about someone else based on absolutely nothing but their own imagination.
P.s. you should be proud of you accomplishment. It is absolutely a feather in the cap of any amateur!
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OP, was he formerly ridden in a h/j saddle, by kids riding mostly in forward seat/two point? And not touching his mouth (as so many hunter programs still teach)?
Reason I am asking is because if you are now using a dressage saddle, he may indeed have issues with the saddle, esp. since you are now SITTING on his back. He could have kissing spines and/or the saddle channel isn’t wide enough to accommodate his spine. And as an adult, you are likely taller/larger/heavier than the kids that were riding him, which could exacerbate discomfort from the saddle.
Another thing to look at is where the girth buckles sit. Some dressage girths are quite short and rest at a spot on the side that is very sensitive. I went through this type of issue with one of my horses - trainer was using a very short girth on him and he got a bit nappy at the canter. I finally put my foot down and insisted on a different (longer) girth, which really, really helped.
Other causes to think about are negative plantar angles behind (can cause stifle issues and lead to sore hocks/sore back). Also stomach ulcers can trigger nappy behavior at the canter.
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This. It’s one reason why I hate it when super-green quiet horses are used in w/t lesson programs. Every time a horse is being ridden, the horse is being taught. A horse that’s been taught (however inadvertently) that it’s correct/normal to have a little rider with a huge loop in the reins perched with weight in an extreme two-point will often throw a hissy fit if even a competent adult rider tries to use even the slightest bit of contact and seat. Getting on a horse after a bunch of these little kid rides can be a nightmare (one reason I stopped riding at a lesson barn for good).
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Update for everyone as this thread came back to life. New boy is doing great! Looks like day one ride was very likely a saddle fit issue. He has been a very good boy since. He has been building up strength to rise to his new job and hasn’t had any further issues. I understand all of what I have been asking is new to him all I need is for him to make an effort and at least seem like he is offering a try.
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I’m not normally a snarky person, but I’m afraid I was just responding to the snarky message you sent me. My apologies. Here’s to a snarkless New Year.
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I am so happy to hear your update. And I am glad you addressed the saddle issue and are giving him a chance to settle into his new life and learn his new role without being a tyrant about it. Building his trust in you is far more important for the success of your long-term relationship than teaching him to fear you by “cracking his ass with a whip” the minute you say go. 
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