I have a gorgeous 2 yr old paint gelding that i bought just last winter, I sent him to the trainer for 3 months to get him started under saddle and just got him back last week. I rode him at the trainers a couple times and he was so good and did what I asked of him. When I tried to ride him at home he would not go forward he shakes his head and swishes his tail when I squeeze him forward, he backs up super well.
I dont know if he was trying me to see what he could get away with or if he was confused since hes only 2. He is also pushy on the ground and very nippy, he is already 16.2h and expected to be around 17h when fully grown, I’m trying to decide if should send him to the trainer for a couple more months and see if he gets any better with more training or sell him and get something that’s more willing.
If he were mine, I’d lay him off for the winter and give him more time to mature, physically and mentally, and then send him for a refresher in the spring. Evaluate after that refresher and a bunch of lessons with his trainer while he is there.
Whose saddle was used at the trainer’s? If the trainer’s, do you know for sure your saddle fits him?
Even if it was your saddle, a saddle that fit (well enough) a 2yo in September doesn’t automatically fit in November
What was the expectation for those 3 months?
Can your trainer come to you for 1-2 lessons?
You have a very young horse (whom I wouldn’t have put into training yet) who is still growing, testing the waters with everything, it’s Fall, and he’s being asked to perform nicely in a different environment than he was given his training in.
Being pushy on the ground and nippy is something that needs to be addressed asap, and it would be ideal to have someone come to you. He doesn’t need time off for that, he still needs Ground Manners 101, or things will continue to escalate.
Young horses test everything. If that’s not something you want to deal with, then sell him and get a horse with more miles on him.
But if you really like this horse in general, give him this Winter off (from ridden work), and re-evaluat in the Spring.
This is a very young horse who has just been put under a lot of stress. Leaving home, being asked to do new things, then moving again. (How long had you had him before he was sent to the trainers?)
I moved a three year from boarding in a big field with a friend to my house and he was really unhappy, aggressive around food, and just unpleasant. It took a while before I recognized it as possibly pain related. I see all the responses on the board that go straight to ulcers and sometimes think it’s overdone but… yeah. With him it was probably ulcers. I put him on omeprazole and got a huge behavior change. Poor little guy, I wish I had figured it out sooner. He no longer has those worried eyes all the time.
He’s now three and a half and just went off to a trainer for a slow start in groundwork and just experiencing things at a busy barn, and then under saddle at some point. That trainer insists that the horse be sound and pain free before training begins, and (at his vet’s recommendation) prefers to have them on ulcergard for the first month, for them to see the equine dentist and get massage / body work to identify any issues.
If you’re not having fun, then sell the horse. If you want to keep him, personally, I’d put the time at the trainer’s out of mind and just start over. Get a good workup and make sure you are not dealing with any pain issues, ulcers or otherwise. Then work on manners and groundwork and just let him be a baby horse for one last winter. See what you’ve got in the spring.
He’s 2. He doesn’t know anything yet. He doesn’t have enough life skills to generalize between things he learned at one farm with one trainer and how he should behave in a totally different environment under different circumstances with a different trainer (you.)
You would serve both of you well by investing time and energy into having the trainer work with both of you so that you can bridge the gap between what he learned from the trainer and what you want him to do.
But 2 is very young, and if he were my horse, I’d give him the winter off of any riding work and spend the next few months focusing on good citizenship. Remember that he’s not being a jerk- he doesn’t know how not to be a pushy 2-year-old at your house. You will have to teach him. 
Also, what @JB said about your saddle.
Not surprising that things are different once he got home. If he is nippy and pushy with you then that lack of respect for you can absolutely continue once under saddle.
I would give him the Winter off and send him back to the trainer in late Spring. Once they have him going well then take regular lessons on him to learn how the trainer has trained him. What he is doing in the training rides, what are the cues he uses?
What is the pre ride routine? Does he get longed? Round penned a bit before mounting? It may be your youngster has no idea what you want from him and in his baby state ( 2 yr old) this is how he expresses himself.
I bet he just needs time to mature in mind and body. Take your saddle when you ride and have the trainer see if it fits as well.
You can’t sell him as is, anyhow, if the buyer can’t ride him. You need more trainer input to keep or sell. It’s not a question of horse being unwilling but just confused and on the way to learning bad habits.
This is a VERY young horse, Young enough that most of the people I know would not be riding him at all. And it sounds as if you may not have much experience riding young horses… my advice to you is to lay him off for the winter, learn how to do appropriate groundwork from a good trainer, and revisit selling/riding in the spring.
I think it’s unrealistic to expect to pay for training on a baby horse, ride it a few times, take it home, and think everything’s gonna work out just fine. Good trainers won’t even let you think that… So, if you revisit the under saddle stuff, go to a different trainer. Make sure that there is a plan in place for you to take Lessons on your horse for at least one month before you bring him home. If that sounds like it’s not doable, then just sell him at that point before you take him home.
The first 90 days under saddle are the most important days in a horse’s life. They can literally make or break his opportunity for having a happy future. You can set him Up to be a well-adjusted guy… Or you can plant the seed for a ton of confusion and what will be termed bad behavior as a result of poor training.
Should you sell him? That depends on your goals. Do you want a steady Eddie to pack you around today without hesitation? Or are you ok with being patient and letting him grow up some more? Nothing you have posted he’s done is abnormal for a baby. They test and they also don’t know a lot of things.
I agree with giving him the winter off. Then sending him to a trainer who will bring him back and give you lessons. He is a baby and a very big one. I would let him grow up physically and mentally.
As far as the problems on the ground, my thought is that what you allow, will continue. If you are not confident to manage his bad behavior on the ground, he should be somewhere else. Or maybe there is someone who can come in and help you with him. Babies are still learning boundaries and what they can get away with.
I think you have a backsore baby on your hands. I would certainly lay him off until spring. consider some bute now.
make sure his teeth are progressing ok and that you dont have a cap that is stuck,
I think that you are possibly a lower level rider with a green baby horse. While some baby horses are good in this situation most are not. They need an experienced rider who’s used to jerking a knot in their tail when they test their limits while also knowing when they need some more time off.
The horse market is hot and he’s big and I think you can sell him easily, even without someone riding him. Purchase a older horse that has a track record of having a novice owner keeping their horse at home without frequent lessons. That would be the best match for you.
I looked at his teeth and a front tooth looks almost black and I think it’s trying to come out,its probley causing pain. I had his teeth floated in april of this year but he might need them done again
I looked at his teeth and a front tooth looks almost black and I think it’s trying to come out,its probley causing pain. I had his teeth floated in april of this year but he might need them done again
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How much experience with babies and green horses do you have?
While I agree he is very young and green, if you struggle through some basic napiness I’m not sure a baby horse is the right fit. Selling might be better off for you, if you want to get something you can ride and enjoy without stress.
I own two quarter horses that I have had since they where 2 and they where easier to train
Were they actually floated? That would be unusual for a 2yo to need that, unless there was a specific issue caused by some injury, or some TMJ issues causing a weird chew pattern
But yes, caps can make them cranky. Whose bridle are you using? Do you know how to make sure the bit is in the right place? It’s about where it sits in relation to teeth. The number of wrinkles in the corners of the mouth is a by-product of that, not the end goal
Some horses are “born made” and are total pleasers. Some aren’t.
They where floated
I am curious, with his height, how much thoroughbred is in his pedigree.
That is interesting his teeth were floated at two. I’ll have them checked, but have never had to float before three and usually there isn’t much to do but remove caps and the wolf teeth prior to starting.
His moms sire is half thoroughbred I think, no thoroughbred on his dads side
I think the bottom line is this: what do you want to do with your horse NOW? Is he a good fit for this NOW? Not later, not with more training, not maybe in the spring. Do you want to train and work on another greenie, are confident you can deal with the manners issue, and do you have the time and patience to work through all the baby teeth and (most likely) multiple saddle fitting adventures and trips to the trainer for both of you? Most importantly, do you genuinely LIKE this horse? If yes to everything above, than keep the horse.
But, if you really want to be out there trail riding or schooling around or working on some skills, this is not the horse for you right now. He’s big, and a relatively clean slate, and you hopefully haven’t pounded his legs off yet. Sell him. Many people start their 2yo’s, turn them out, and restart in the late spring (I personally wouldn’t, but it’s common), so this isn’t a big turn off for many buyers. Put him up for sale, work on the ground manners, maybe have your vet look at that tooth. Then, you can get something more in line with what you want - even if that’s just a more compliant personality! Nothing wrong with that.
