Am discouraged but going forward!

[1horse1spirit]

I am very discouraged but am not one to let it stop me...I recently bought a horse which is 8 years old...I have ended up with a green broke Arabian who has no respect for humans but is not intentionally mean...I am knew to horses as far has riding and training...Have just been around horses for about a year...In his old enviorment he seemed fine and then I got him home and things are now different....Any way he is a beautiful horse with Great blood lines...And he is very calm for an Arabian..But we all know that means he is still more active than the regular horse...He is more than I can handle right now and that is what is depressing...I can not ride and control him...I am looking for a good training school that can teach him while teaching me so that I learn the way he is being taught...And then hopefully they can get us together so we are safe...I keep reminding myself that everything will work out and if not, I can always sell him...But I like this little gelding and want to give him and me a chanch together...The question is about how much time should I give us to see if we can work together...One person told me that a horse can learn basics in 1 week...another suggested that a month of training is called for...That sounds more reasonable to me...I was figuring maybe two months of training...Me and Him...Before I step back and look at the situation and the facts again...What does everybody think?

MAY OUR LOVE OF THE HORSE WALK WITH
OUR LOVE OF LIFE...TOGETHER...ONE SPIRIT...
D. WindWalker

[anuvb]

So you have only been riding for a year..... and I take it you have just bought your horse.....

Don't be too hard on yourself and don't set yourself time limits. First things first, it probably wasn't the best idea to "out horse" yourself, but we've all done it and it is quite often the best way to learn as long as you are prepared to listen and learn from people who are more experienced.

Going on to a good training yard is a great idea. If you are having trouble riding him then get lessons and also ask if someone whom you can trust to ride well will school him during the week. Also enquire about stable management lessons. You'll be surprised about how much there is to learn and how it can improve your relationship with your horse if you handle him correctly on the ground. Yes, horses can learn things very rapidly but it will depend on both the horses ability and the rider's, and how much work the horse has done previously.

There is no point setting yourself time limits, we all get far too attached to our horses for that to ever be successful! Anyway, as previous threads have discussed we all estimate it takes about a year for a horse to really settle down to it's new home and rider, so in two months time, you may not have given him or yourself enough of a chance.

What does concern me about your post is the fact that you say you are having trouble controlling him. What kind of trouble?

If you are a relatively novice rider then don't expect too much of yourself. There is much to learn and your horses progress will be significantly determined by your speed of learning. Instead of biting off more than you can chew try and break down everything into acheivable goals both for your stable management and your riding and your horse's schooling. Do this alongside your instructor as they will have a btter feel for your level of ability than you (as a species humans are very good at either putting ourselves down or blowing ourselves up so it's best to get an outside opinion :) ) As an example though, say to yourself, in a months time I will have learnt (a) what the best of types of feed are for my horse (b) started lessons to work on my basic paces with my horse and teachinghim to listen to my aids (c) I will have started to learn how to lunge. At the end of each month see if you have achieved these goals (again talk to your instuctor about areas for improvement) and then make your decisions about your horses future based on these.

Most importantly - get yourself a good quality reliable instructor. My instructors have helped me so much over the years and I know them so well I could ask them the dumbest question and know they won't laugh at me!

If, however, you really think you are having trouble then discuss this an instructor. They should be able to give you an honest answer. It's not fair to yourself to struggle with a horse (it's amazing how soul destroying it can be) and it's not fair to the horse if you can't give him the correct instruction as he will only get confused.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Danae]

I really believe Anuvb did a wonderful job explaining - couldn't have said it better myself!

Having had experience with an Arabian, I do recommend you get an experienced trainer that has preferably had experience with Arabians so they know how to correctly teach the horse aswell as you. My Arabian is much different than the other types of horses I ride. He is alot more spirited yet he's alot more loyal.

Finding a good trainer and keeping an open mind to more experienced rider's suggestions is the best advice I can give you.

I would say it's going to take about a year to understand your horse and for your horse to trust and understand you. Good luck and please stay safe with him, your going to have a wonderful companion if you stay consistent and patient :).

[theresamac]

Just remember that you don't have to do everything on your own. Get someone who is more experienced to help - just make sure that you are involved in everything, so that you can see how the horse responds in certain situations. Asking for help doesn't mean that you are not up to the job - just brave enough to know when the horse is taking over!!

Good luck