Getting another horse...

Eesh, I know how frustrating it can be riding when it seems all the horse wants to do is get rid of you. I feel for you.

Maybe Ava is too tense in her back and she bucks to relieve the tension. It's most likely nothing to do with the way you ride her, some horses just tend to stiffen up rather than stay active and supple. Try lots of transitions with her to begin with, like 2 strides walk, two strides trot, over and over until it's perfect. Ava really has to listen to you to get it right and by concentrating on you she will lower her quarters, become more accepting of the bit and a little more supple in the back. If Ava is capable of extending and collecting paces this could help her too. One thing I have read that I've found helps me a lot on difficult horses is aim to do 100 turns and 100 transitions in half an hour, it sounds like a lot but actually you can do it pretty quickly. Maybe Cherokee could benefit from this type of schooling too as I read about his behaviour in your other thread.

Have you tried lunging either of them? By putting the tack on them and then letting them work off some steam for 5 mintues before you mount will help to get them on the bit and working in a good outline. It may sound like that won't help with the rearing, bucking etc, but if you concentrate on maintaining the feel of the horse in a good position underneath you, the horse has to concentrate on that rather than what may frighten him/her.

I hope everything works out for you and the horses!

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Originally Posted by areias

Just a little update-I sent the lady pictures of me riding Ava, so hopefully she'll post those, but I will be going out there tomorrow morning to check out a very prettyful paint mare that they just got in. If I like her enough, I can probably "bring her home"..shes a consignment horse, so the guy may want to trade for ava. I guess he likes horses to "cowboy" on...with a lot of get up and go. The paint is supposedly very laid back, so we'll see. Her stats are right-she's around 10 and is registered. But I don't really like riding a horse that is "dead" so we'll see. She's very pretty. They have had horses that I tried and they said oh it's a great ride, pretty laid back, but it wasn't at all. If I don't like her, Ava will still be for sale and I'll still be looking into Cherokee.

I tried riding Ava yesterday (mainly to get photos but)-she was doing OK a little acting up, not too bad and I was thinking of reconsidering, but then she really attempted to dump me...she threw in this huge buck (She's never bucked with me) and started to rear and jump all over the place. So, -sigh- I don't think it will ever work out. I think that there is someone who can work out her issues but I can't. I tried the same things as I did with Cherokee (keeping the head low and turning her in circles when she tried to rear), and she got really ticked off and acted up worse. :(

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Have you tried using a standing martangale on her?

Thanks guys-well they already adopted out the paint (gee, thanks for calling and telling me!) so I guess Cherokee is back on the menu. Ava is now on the website for adoption so hopefully we'll get someone.

I've not tried a standing martingale-she dosen't wear a regular bridle, she rides in a specific hackamore. I am very against the use of a tie down because once she figures that she can't rear, she's going to continue bucking.

I can put her in a very relaxed frame, head down and neck relaxed, and bring her off her forehand. Then we go by the gate...get a little past the gate...head goes up, she stops and spins. If she dosen't get to go the way she wants, then comes the rearing and hopping around. I can keep spinning her but she gets more frustrated and acts worse. I rode her today with a totally different saddle, but there was no big difference. She was OK by the barn but I started to walk her back to the field and she balked and really started getting nasty. Quiet persistance paid off so I was able to walk down the row and open the gate and get into the field (that was a problem spot) but once we got in the field it was a fight. She bucked a few times here and there. As I said before, bucking dosen't bother me too much, but I couldn't do anything with her. I can do anything I want with her but when she decides she dosen't want to do anything, I can't help that. If I try to get her to back when she's in that mode she'll rear. And transitions won't help if I can't get her to do anything.

I have to go to work now...I planned on typing much more, I will finish later.

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Originally Posted by Miss Z

Eesh, I know how frustrating it can be riding when it seems all the horse wants to do is get rid of you. I feel for you.

Maybe Ava is too tense in her back and she bucks to relieve the tension. It's most likely nothing to do with the way you ride her, some horses just tend to stiffen up rather than stay active and supple. Try lots of transitions with her to begin with, like 2 strides walk, two strides trot, over and over until it's perfect. Ava really has to listen to you to get it right and by concentrating on you she will lower her quarters, become more accepting of the bit and a little more supple in the back. If Ava is capable of extending and collecting paces this could help her too. One thing I have read that I've found helps me a lot on difficult horses is aim to do 100 turns and 100 transitions in half an hour, it sounds like a lot but actually you can do it pretty quickly. Maybe Cherokee could benefit from this type of schooling too as I read about his behaviour in your other thread.

Have you tried lunging either of them? By putting the tack on them and then letting them work off some steam for 5 mintues before you mount will help to get them on the bit and working in a good outline. It may sound like that won't help with the rearing, bucking etc, but if you concentrate on maintaining the feel of the horse in a good position underneath you, the horse has to concentrate on that rather than what may frighten him/her.

I hope everything works out for you and the horses!

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completely agreed with her. did you check if your horses back is sore? try taking your thumb and your index finger on ither side of the horses spine and slightly press down, if your horse react's, they might have a sore back, or tense muscles. take it easy, thank you miss z i never thought of that.