| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| AFMom |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 05:59:53 AM
Hello Gals,
I am writing today to announce we are the proud new owners of a 7 yr old purebred Quarter Horse. He was moved to the stable we are working with in training him this past Saturday. His name is Samson and a beauty of a horse. My problem is I know NOTHING about horses! My daughter, Katie, is the horse lover and has experience with them. When we lived in Va. she was active in riding (English)at the local stable and volunteered weekly with a theraputic riding program. That all happened the last 2yrs. She knows the ins and outs of the stable and horses, but when we moved back to our home town, we didn't have time to get her involved with horses. So, my SIL has 2 horses, and Samson is one of them. She didn't have the time to work with him or train him due to a full time job, and was going to sell him at auction. She then offered him to us, but we had to find a stable to board him at. I did all that, and now we are going to have to make time to take care of Samson and work with him daily. Which we most definatly will do, starting today actually, but I have to be honest....I am scared of large animals..please don't laugh at me...I have no problem with sheep, cats, dogs, chickens, but cows and horses frighten me...do any of you have this problem and if you do/did..how did you overcome it? Also, he is trained to ride Western and Katie is trained in English...please help me to know what to do so when we go to the stable today, I do not look like a complete idiot;) Katie is great with him, he does spook easily, but she is so confident and knows him very well. The owner of the stable is going to work with Katie and Samson to get him used to the barn and the other horses and he wants to get a feel for how much training Samson needs. I am excited for us, but feel anxious too....what do you all think?
Thanks, Erica |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| artbysue |
Posted - Dec 14 2007 : 8:27:28 PM
I am glad to hear he is settling in. If he's not been off the farm before and this is his first time in a new environment than hopefully you saw him at his worst. Just go slow and ask for help.
artist, equine portraits, animal art, farms, barns, Amish art
www.suesteiner.com www.amish-art.com
www.amulticolored-life.blogspot.com |
| goneriding |
Posted - Dec 14 2007 : 6:53:45 PM
Welp, congrats on the new horse...however...if he doesn't settle in pretty soon, another horse might be a better deal. You don't want your daughter scared or hurt, even if the horse doesn't 'mean' it. I'm glad the barn owner is around to oversee things but he sounds, to me, a little much for a starter horse. I kind of think that's why you got him. Books and tapes are great to learn from but a kid needs to relax around a horse to learn too. What is he being fed?? My mare had an allergic reaction to some hay and went sort of pschyco (sp?) for a couple of weeks. Other horses had the same reaction and once the hay was dumped out, the horses have all gone back to being sweeties. Just a thought.
The QH breed isn't a 'pure' breed. It is actually a mixture of several breeds that has been refined over the years. The registry only goes back to the late 1930's or early 1940's. Those horses from those years are way different from the QH's you see nowadays...just an FYI...hehehe...
Winona :-)
When you lose, don't lose the lesson!!
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| Tracey |
Posted - Dec 11 2007 : 2:54:11 PM
Glad to hear he's doing well, Erica! No fun having a bossy, spooky horse; takes all the enjoyment out of it.
Mesteno Wild Horse Photogrpahy
http://mesteno.blogspot.com
http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com |
| AFMom |
Posted - Dec 11 2007 : 2:45:51 PM
Update on Samson:
Today went really well...woohoo! I told Katie to read the advice of all you kind ladies and she really worked on keeping space between her and the horse just as Sue suggested. He did get pushy, throwing his head around and crowding her, but she just kept practising moving him with the pressure points and he got the hint and didn't mess around after that. She kept her carrots on top of the barn fridge and when she was all done grooming him, she left and got the carrots...when she came back with them, he stepped back and didn't crowd and she offered them to him...I thought she did great.
He was much more calmer today and comfortable with the surroundings. Last night I was awake at 3am going over and over him being scared and pulling her, and was contemplating not keeping him, but today he was good. Almost like the old guy that was on the pig farm. Katie is very pleased and so are the owners of the stable. Thanks for all your advice and support...it does help.
I know I need to get a pic on here, but I have no clue as to how to do it..that will be another day. Farmgirls have been asking about my house too, but it is just I haven't gotten around to figuring out how to post a pic. Sorry:)
Warmly, Erica |
| Tracey |
Posted - Dec 11 2007 : 07:32:58 AM
Quarter Horses are typically a laid back breed. There are, of course, exceptions, especially if he was bred to run. You say he's a purebred, is he registered? No that it has any bearing on the issues at hand, just curious.
I think you need to post a picture of Katie and her new horse 
Mesteno Wild Horse Photogrpahy
http://mesteno.blogspot.com
http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com |
| AFMom |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 7:03:59 PM
Hi Alee,
Thanks for all your responses. I agree that riding him only 3-4 a year is not enough and it would bother Katie and I immensly when we were on the farm to see him being so neglected. My SIL did not do it intentionally, but life took over for her in a different way than I would do it and none of her time was devoted to the horses. So yes, he doesn't know his own enviroment. Keep your fingers crossed this works for Katie...and for him. He deserves a chance to enjoy his life and to be loved and cared for properly. I think we can do that for him.
Erica:) |
| Alee |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 6:39:22 PM
Pure bred vs not pure bred doesn't usually mean more energy or less energy. But he is a quarter horse who were originally bred for work. Like out riding the ranges day and night all year round type work. Most of the quarter horses I have known do best when they get regular exercise.
Riding 3-4 times a year is not enough to teach a horse anything constructive.
He is probably a lot more spooky right now because he doesn't know his own environment.
I am sure he will be a great learning experience for both of you! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
The amazing one handed typist! One hand to keep Nora out of trouble! |
| AFMom |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 6:20:53 PM
Thanks for all your responses...the trainers, who are the owners of this stable are on site in the barn while Katie is in the barn too. (BTW Katie is 16yrs old). Samson hasn't had hardly any riding time with my SIL and she has had him for about 3 yrs before now. I am not aware of his history before that. The owners of the stables want to just let him get to used to Katie and them...they have him seperated from the other horses right now. He will be introduced to the ring probably next week to see how he does in there, but Katie will not be riding him...probably just lunges for now. As far as riding goes, when he was with my SIL he was at most ridden 3-4 times a year! That is horrible in my opinion...I believe he would be so much more calmer if he had more attention...but that is why we decided to try this. I need to figure out how to post pics so I can show you all his pic...but one step at a time. I so appreciate all your advice. Katie and I are reading a horse training book, but I am not as far along as Katie.
To answer the questions I may have forgotten...he is under the daily care of the owners. Right now we are just touching him with grooming and talking to him...they do not want him around the other horses just yet. It was our first day together..his 2nd full day at the new barn...so with that in mind, I think it went pretty well. Katie is hoping to be accepted at Penn State or Univ. of Pa. to study in Vet. Medicine or Equine studies, so she is in her element.
One other thing I was thinking about was since he is purebred horse, he has more pent-up energy so he really would need to be worked in the ring on a daily basis to release some of that energy, right? We are not giving up...he needs to be trained and I believe he will be a beautiful horse for Katie to ride and possibly compete with in the future...he just needs constant attention. I will keep you all posted on his progress.
Thanks again,
Erica |
| artbysue |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 5:38:25 PM
Is this his 3rd day at the new place? Let him settle into a routine with the barn owners (feeding, turn-out, being introduced to new horses) for a few more days than evaluate his reactions-- but I would limit what your daughter does with him until the barn owners have handled him and he is more settled. You are not responsible for his daily care are you? If he has not been handled or if he never left his previous barn he may not be able to really think straight right now because he is overwhelmed.
A tractor at a new place in a horse's mind may not translate to a tractor at his old place if he is already being reactive. A tractor out of one eye does not translate into the same tractor out of the other eye for horses, believe it or not. They can spook at the same thing just by looking out of it from a different eye.
How much riding time has he had? Take it very slow and get help-- ease into it and don't have your daughter take on too much until someone more experienced gets to know him.
artist, equine portraits, animal art, farms, barns, Amish art
www.suesteiner.com www.amish-art.com
www.amulticolored-life.blogspot.com |
| Tracey |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 5:21:09 PM
Congratulations!
Sounds like he's a bit of a handful. Alee is right, he needs to have a lot of round pen/ground work done to keep his mind focused on respect rather than looking for things to spook at. Sadly, this spooking could easily be why his former owner sold him; they most likely didn't have the skill to deal with it or knowledge it took to train a horse and decided to pass him off onto someone else; lucky you! 
Keeping him away from scary things won't help the situation. He needs to be exposed to this stuff day in and day out until he realizes that none of it is going to kill him. Is there a round pen at this boarding facility where he can be kept safe while all these 'scary' things are going on around him? Is there a trainer there who can help Katie through all of this? (And how old is Katie?)
Mesteno Wild Horse Photogrpahy
http://mesteno.blogspot.com
http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 3:07:24 PM
Hi Erica-
I don't know your horse's story, but I agree with what Sue said above. You have to make sure the horse respects you. I would suggest looking into the videos and books like John Lyons. Your horse sounds like he needs energy burned off and exposure to lots of different stimuli in a reassuring way.
A horse that is not naturally dominate who is put into a dominate position will react in a skittish way. If people around Samson have been letting him get away with bad behavior it might make him feel panicky because he doesn't feel up to dealing with the unknown.
Also some horses are naturally skittish.
Go slow with this horse. If he was mine I would do a lot of respect exercises on the ground and in a round pen. I would round pen him for at least 10 minutes each day before doing much with him. This gets his attention, teaches him to respect his handler and burns off some energy. Then I would work on ground exercises like leading and backing up.
Go ahead and let him explore items. If he needs to sniff the combs, let him. He will soon feel more confident in them if there is consistency in his life.
If you and your daughter are feeling out of your depth, I would ask you vet to recommend a good horse trainer. A skittish horse in a novice's hands can be a really bad combination. He might need a more experienced hand to get him back in shape.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
The amazing one handed typist! One hand to keep Nora out of trouble! |
| AFMom |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 2:31:09 PM
Well, we just came home from the stable. Katie seemed to do pretty well with him. He was out in a penned pasture by himself when we arrived. Katie went out to bring him up to his stall to groom him. He was happy to see her, and took the halter well and did fine until they got to the barn. Once they got to the barn though, the owner had started a tractor and he spooked. He practically drug Katie down the hill and the other stable owner, Vicki, had to go out and help Katie bring him in to his stall. The entire time the tractor was running he acted skittish....ears perked up, kicked the wall a few times etc. Katie did groom him but didn't pick the hooves just because she didn't want to push it with him. She had treats in her pocket, and he figured out they were there and got pushy with her wanting the treats...he would nose her pocket and shove her, and she pushed him back on his pressure points and told him "no". He is definatly not ready to be ridden and I do not feel comfortable with Katie on him.
His behavior is odd. I have never seen a horse so easily spooked. He is not mean in any way, but if I can explain it correctly, he is "scared" and scared of everything...tractors, dogs, other horses, he has to sniff the combs and everything before he will be groomed...he does love attention and the more you talk to him and touch him, the better he is. Katie and I were talking that it is odd that he is so skittish with the tractor, because at my SIL, that was a full hog farm with all kinds of machinery....even while other stalls were being cleaned he was nervous about the sound of the shovel on the floor...when Katie would leave his stall, he would neigh for her so she continued to talk to him while she was out of sight because it seemed he liked the sound of her voice....anyway, Katie and I are wondering if he has been traumitized in some way. Not beaten, because he looks very healty and the vet says he is healty, but could he have been neglected so much, his social skills are just gone?
I am thankful he is in a better enviromnent now, but I hope I am not allowing my daughter to take on more than she can handle. All the horses in Va. were school horses, so they were very docile and easy going, but he is not a school horse and wasn't ridden regularly. The last time he was ridden was in October. The owners of the stable didn't bother too much with Katie. They let her spend as much time with him as possible without intervening. I guess it is going to be alot more time than I had planned. If only I had my own land, with my stable...then it would be easier to see what he will be like....someday:)
Thanks, Erica |
| artbysue |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 1:50:11 PM
I used to own and run a large boarding barn and have had horses most of my life. First thing you need to do is learn safe horse handling practises. A little fear is okay because that fear will keep you aware. The other thing is to read some of the books out there on horse body language so you can 'read' a horse correctly. Feeding treats are okay as was mentioned but you want a horse's respect-- (very important) and that needs to be gotten not with rough handling or treats but in how you respond to him. Horses are very social and live in a herd setting so they understand a pecking order. Without knowing it you can be conveying to the horse that he is dominant over you and thats where things can get tricky. One of the easiest ways to convey to a horse that you are more dominant than him is to make him respect YOUR personal space. He should always step back away from you if you move toward him. Horses do this to each other all the time in the pasture and its not mean or cruel or hurtful in anyway. My horses are not the least bit afraid of me but its how horses show they are respectful to you. I always have my horses step back away from me. They should not rub or bump or crowd you even if it feels cute or sweet or cuddly-- at least not until you get to know your horse and you know how dominant of a personality he has. They aren't like dogs in the same way that they are 'cuddly'. Horses can show affection but not like a dog would. You don't want the in-your-face affection that a dog shows because that gives a horse a very different message and some horses will take advantage of that. Any time you step away from a horse it gives him the message that he is dominant over you and you lose some of his respect. When you lead him he should also not crowd you and stop when you stop and leave your personal space alone. Think of a person who talks too close to your face and how that is not polite. Give yourself a big bubble that this horse needs to know not to invade unless you initiate contact. You can pet, groom, fuss over him all you want because YOU initiate contact but he should not crowd you-- see the difference? This is easier to show than to write so it is much better to have someone experienced with horses show you how to lead him etc.
artist, equine portraits, animal art, farms, barns, Amish art
www.suesteiner.com www.amish-art.com
www.amulticolored-life.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Dec 10 2007 : 09:05:26 AM
Erica-
I think it is great that your family is taking on Samson. One of the best ways to overcome your fear of large animals is to get friendly with him. I would suggest letting your daughter do the handling of Samson until you feel more comfortable around him. Bring carrots (long ones) and break off bits that are about 4 inches long to give to him. He will really love that and soon will think you are the best person in the whole wide world.
There is a lot to learn about how to be around horses, so maybe if you could ask the stable owner for horse handling lessons that would probably help. Explain to them that you are nervous around large animals but that you want to over come this fear. Most people will be happy to help and they will be pleased that you ask for help instead of getting into a situation by trying to brave through it.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
The amazing one handed typist! One hand to keep Nora out of trouble! |
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