Retraining standardbred ride and drive [Archive]

Lainee

12th Aug 2007, 12:25 PM

We have a retired standardbred gelding who is going 12 years on, he raced from a 2 year old to a 10 year old and was a successful racehorse. We have had him for nearly 12 months and our plan is to drive him in horse driving trials. He has a lovely temperament and when he is good he is very good in harness but sometimes gets over excited and bang goes those back legs, kicking out and when one is sitting in a jogger they come a bit too close to comfort. We are in the process of building a bigger buggy which will be safer in that respect. He is broken to saddle but hasnt done much under saddle, when I have took him down to the sand arena, I lunge him trot walk etc and settle him down and have even successfully lunged him with my daughter on him but when you actually get on his back he plods along and trying to get him to trot is a feat in itself, I carry a crop and even tapping him on the neck its a success just to get him to trot a complete circle and then he stops dead......... I thought if I could give him some schooling and discipline under saddle it would help in the jogger as well but he acts like "what are you doing to me woman....... I don't know about this". I have even put the markers out and lunged him around the markers to give him the idea and then you get on his back ....... same result...... any ideas would be truely appreciated.
I want to have more control before we take him in harness to any training days in the horse driving trials and I know when he gets there it will be a different story as he will be full of himself. When we first had him he would go silly when we took him away from his paddock buddy but he is getting alot better with that now and has settled down alot in the respect, so he is settling in alot of things its just with this kicking in the jogger has really knocked my confidence in wanting to get in behind him so thought if I did more in the riding it may help the other. I know it will take alot of time and effort and patience, with him being 12 is it possible for him to learn all this new way of thinking.........:confused:

jayze

12th Aug 2007, 04:38 PM

maybe hes just confused cos hes used to racing and going fast as possible, not in the way you are asking him to. And maybe under saddle he really is thinking ""what are you doing to me woman....... I don't know about this" - if he hasnt done much under saddle then how can you expect him to know what you are asking him!?
Its never too late for him to learn, dont be discourage by the fact that hes 12 - but dont expect too much from him. Teach him some stuff on the ground, break everything down into small steps and reward him for attempting what you are asking - he will get it eventually!!