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Discussion on TB shies on trail | |
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 8, 2000 - 3:36 pm: We are considering buying an 8 yr. old TB gelding. He is trained for 3rd level dressage but has not been worked with much at least in the past year. The owner is a trainer and says she doesn't like riding him because she has a bad back and the movement of this horse aggrevates her back. She has students who have tried to work with him but they are freightened of him and he senses it. My daughter is 14 and has been riding since 7. She has an arab she has outgrown and is bored with showing. She really likes dressage and this TB and her have clicked! She handles him beautifully even though she herself is training in dressage.The problem is the TB had not been off the property for a year not even a little trail ride. Myself, the trainer and my daughter went off the property for a short trail ride. The TB was nervous but only baulked once. Then the other day after a good training lesson my daughter and another girl took the horses off the property to cool them down. Both horses spooked at some ponies in the trees. My daughter kept her cool and had him under control after about 4 leaps. My question is this. My daughter has rode a bomb proof horse all her life, she is an excellent rider but I do not want to purchase a horse that is so trail shy he hurts her. Do you think that this shyness is something he will overcome with lots of practice. My daughter leading him with halter, chain and whip to get him familiar and riding him of course with another rider? Or are there horses that you can never take out of the trail, horses that can't be cured? |
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 9, 2000 - 1:16 am: I would say that if he has not been off the property for a year, and then only baulked once the first time out, he is exceptionally well-behaved for a TB. The fact that the other horse spooked at the ponies in the trees also on the second ride indicates that the ponies were looking like dangerous creatures, probably due to shadows.If he were really an uptight horse, he would have been shying and leaping at EVERYTHING. A TB at 8 years old is still young in the head, as far as I am concerned - and if he has only done dressage he is probably not too "streetwise" yet. Thoroughbreds are a livelier breed than most, don't forget, but that is part of their charm. He will settle down nicely, I am sure, with a competent young rider and lots of interesting things to do. Please forget about chains and whips - he only needs to gain confidence in his rider and surroundings and yes, your daughter should always have another rider with her. He will be vetted, I hope, before you buy him? |
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 9, 2000 - 10:27 am: Some horses will always be edgey on the trail. Often you can reposition the nervous horse behind a bombproof one, or in front of a rival and it will settle. In time, with experience and greater confidence in the rider, an edgey horse will do better on the trail. But it does take some time and good experiences to overcome trail fears.In response to fear, a horse can flee or fight. Most choose to flee - some flee at every small thing, others are a little less "fleesome" and choose for better reasons. As their experience is developed, their confidence and need to flee can be subdued, but some horses just carry it closer to the surface. What does the riding instructor who knows both your daughter and the horse say? Are they impartial or have a vested interest in the sale of the horse? If it is someone you can trust, they are going to be the best judge. In general, we learn and improved by pushing the envelope of our skills. The real question is whether your daughter is over-faced with this horse, or only pushing the envelope and developing new skills. I'm ambivalent on the situation as I've not seen your daughter or the horse. If it were my child, I'd probably be cautious, too. But all riding has a risk factor to it, so if your daughter is a cautious rider, wears a helmet at all times, rides out with safety in mind - no racing, walking back to barn, good trail ettiquite etc., then she is mitigating the risk. Peacock safety stirrups, perhaps an eventing vest, a grab strap on the neck or saddle pommel are reasonable when trail riding. A running martigale is also a bit helpful and a passive aid that really only comes into play when the horse throws its head up. Just some thoughts to noodle over. Most horses aren't perfect, so when buying one we have to choose faults we can live with. Be sure to have the animal vetted before buying it, too. |
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