A poor match between horse and rider results in all kinds of problems, such as falls, accidents on the ground and run-offs. These are often the most visible symptoms in the short term, but not necessarily the most serious in the long term. For example:
A horse that becomes stressed, agitated, or on the contrary, apathetic, while it was the complete opposite before being bought;
A horse that becomes increasingly difficult to manage, whose rider «must» start using increasingly sophisticated reins, bits or control devices, to finally conclude that the horse is crazy and must be sold (or worse);
A horse that develops stable vices and behavior problems that it never exhibited prior.
To find the right horse, you would have to take the time to visit dozens of horses and to try them out (you could even arrange for a trial period of at least 15 days). If you already ride the horse you want to purchase, it does not mean that you know it well or that you would be able to become its sole rider. If it is ridden by other people, it may be exercised more often than you would be able to, and it might become increasingly nervous if it is taken out less frequently. Or simply, the change of environment and the new barn might disturb it. You must sometimes acknowledge the fact that the other riders might have been retraining the horse, correcting your mistakes without your awareness.
There is no one solution to problems that appear between a horse and its human. If you love your horse, that is the foundation. You must be motivated and patient to successfully build a partnership with your horse. In addition, it is possible to devise a program to help you be HAPPY and SAFE with your horse, without subjecting it to hard treatment and severe mechanical control devices.
To build or rebuild a relationship based on respect and understanding with your equine, you must first find a way to restore confidence in the partnership. If your experience as a rider does not allow you to solve these issues yourself, a good solution might be to get help from a professional that will help you work on your communication at all levels - on the ground and in the saddle.
Here are a few stories based on real cases of difficulties lived by owners and their horses. These examples are used to show that there are in reality very few bad horses, only too many unsuccessful matches between human and horse!
Names and locations have been changed to protect the identity of the people and horses. These case studies are by no way unique and may resemble a number of situations lived by riders that you know personally!
Francis is 15 years old and has been taking riding lessons once a week for 3 years at a certified riding school. She loves to spend her summer days on show grounds to watch the competitions and the jumping events. She dreams of having her own horse and of bringing home plenty of ribbons. Her father is wealthy and loves his daughter, they decide to get her first horse. Since he knows nothing about horses, he asks Francis' trainer to help them find a suitable mount.
The trainer presents a number of prospects, and Francis makes several visits during which she has the opportunity to try a dozen horses with her trainer. The father does not participate, he is busy at work and cannot be of help since he has no horsemanship training or interest. After all, Francis will be the one riding and caring for the horse, she gets to decide. Finally, Francis falls in love with a handsome gelding from a reputable breeder and convinces her father to buy it despite the high price tag. This horse has the lineage to win, he is magnificent, very imposing and a great jumper (as seen on the video and at the demo by the breeder). Francis' trainer is of the opinion that this horse has a lot of potential.
Three months later, the situation has deteriorated rapidly. Francis will no longer ride her horse. It is a big horse, and despite his lineage and beauty, he is too difficult for her and she has gotten hurt several times. The horse rears up, runs off and since he is very powerful, she is unable to stop him. Her lack of experience does not allow her to work safely with a horse that big and that dominant, who is used to much more experienced riders. The horse is put up for sale and Francis starts to look for another with her trainer.
During the next two years, Francis buys and sells 5 horses. None of which are a good fit. When she participates in jumping classes, she comes home bruised and disappointed from refusals and falls, and does not win the coveted ribbons. Yet she is being trained by a competent coach and she bought quality horses that were expensive and that are kept in the best conditions.
What happened? First of all, Francis did not set realistic expectations for herself and her horse, in line with her limited experience and equestrian ability at that point. Determined to compete, she did not understand that what she needed most was a horse that would help her learn, provide a positive feeling and allow her to develop her confidence. She over-estimated her own capabilities and under-estimated the importance of the time needed to build a relationship with her horses. Also, she always picked very beautiful mounts that succeeded under the saddle of a professional rider. Still young and impulsive, Francis did not have the maturity or the character to ride this type of horse and got discouraged quickly. The trainer, whose salary depended in a large portion on the money that Francis and her family spent on her hobby, was not in an easy position to set the record straight and maybe advise Francis to buy a calmer and older horse, a good teacher, to help her focus on her learning, on developing her seat and her horsemanship, even if that meant that she was not going to win it all the first year!
Today, Francis has quit the sport, disappointed and traumatized by her experience.
Annabelle is a housewife in her forties, her children are grown up and live on their own. She has always dreamed of riding, but was not able to do it until recently because she spent her days caring for her family. She now has more time for herself and has started to take riding lessons. She is a bit nervous, not really sure of herself on a horse, but she likes it. Her husband, wanting to surprise his wife for her birthday, shows up one weekend at a horse sale and right there and then, buys a horse that he is told is friendly and safe. Annabelle finds her new horse at the barn with a big ribbon around his neck; she is delighted. She starts to get acquainted with her new equine partner by gently pampering him, feeding him carrots and giving him lots of love. The horse is nice and calm in the barn.
A few days later, it's time for her first lesson with Jade. The first minutes go well, but when Annabelle asks for a canter, Jade runs off and takes her full speed around the arena while she hangs on helpless. Annabelle falls down and the horse must be caught. Bad start! The following days, same scenario. Annabelle's confidence is shaken, she gets increasingly afraid to ride Jade and she finally stops trying. Right about that time, she discovers the horse is lame. He has weak knees and falls on them, injures himself. Sutures, medicine, cooling treatments, wraps. Annabelle spends the following couple of months caring for her injured horse and paying the vet fees.
Once Jade is back to health, she decides to have him trained. Jade continues to run off at the canter, even under the saddle of a professional rider. The horse gets injured again. Annabelle cares for him another several weeks. And so it goes for several months. She decides to try to sell Jade. But finding a buyer will not be easy: the horse is not fit, not particularly attractive and moreover, difficult to ride. She keeps him 2 years before finally sending him to a facility for retired horses. Two years during which she spends money on a horse she cannot ride, worries about his health and cares for his injuries, but most importantly, two years during which her fear of riding keeps growing stronger.
What happened? Evidently, Annabelle's husband, acting with the best of intention, made the common mistake of trusting the dealer's assessment, and bought a horse without knowing anything about it. Annabelle, despite her love for Jade, did not have the experience nor the confidence to manage a horse that had obvious emotional issues and suffered physically. Her growing fear added to an already deteriorating relationship. Jade's physical problems could have been detected by a vet, but the husband was not aware that a vet exam should precede any purchase, and it was not done.
Lisa has been riding for several years, has rented horses for half board and estimates she is quite knowledgeable about horses. She is often on the show grounds, spends a lot of time talking to coaches and riders and asking questions. She rides several times a week, with lapses when she does not have a mount. She decides to buy her first horse and feels capable of finding the right one herself. After all, she has contacts in the equestrian community that can recommend good prospects. She does not have a lot of money to spend, but she would like a well-bred horse. Her quest for the 'good deal' lasts many months, and she finally falls in love with a pretty 4-year old mare of known breeding. The mare is already over 17 hands and weighs about 1800 pounds. She appears well cared for, has been backed and kept out to pasture with other horses. The horse is affectionate and Lisa likes her right away.
Once back at the barn, Lisa notices quickly that Cloud has a lot of energy, but she is also high strung and very anxious. She does not react well to being separated from other horses or left alone by humans. The mare panics quickly and during the first week, injures herself kicking. Under saddle, she spooks easily. Lisa falls several times and gets injured twice. On line, Cloud cannot be led outside because she rears up and takes off, pulling the line from the hands of her owner. One of the barn employees is hurt while trying to lead Cloud out to the paddock. Lisa is herself an emotional and impulsive person, she is easily intimidated by Cloud's reactions, gets unnerved, which aggravates the mare's insecurity.
Very soon, the barn owners decide to stop turning Cloud outdoors because she is too high strung and cannot be left alone in the paddock without monitoring. Cloud only gets out of the stall when Lisa is at the barn, and only to go into the indoor arena, because Lisa also gives up on taking her outside for the time being.
Several months later, Lisa meets someone that has trained in various natural horsemanship methods and who agrees to work with Cloud on the ground. It's a lucky break for Lisa and Cloud. Roger, who does not back off in the face of Cloud's size and antics, uses desensitizing techniques and distance handling on the ground to work with Cloud. He manages to keep her relatively calm and to lead her outside, he gets her used to various unusual objects, to going through doors, etc. The mare improves on the ground and becomes quieter outside, but not enough to convince the barn staff to turn her out without supervision. Lisa decides to find a different barn for Cloud where the owners will find the time and the way to let her out more often, so she gets used to it and has a chance to unwind.
What happened? Lisa did have a certain level of knowledge with horses, and she is a decent rider, but she over-estimated her emotional capabilities with a young horse that is impulsive and has received only very basic education. Cloud became quickly dominant, which made matters worse. In addition, Lisa made a very common error: she bought a horse much too large for her, which meant she has to deal with physical constraints posed by her size and to bear the increased risk when Cloud gets flighty. Cloud is a smart mare, willing to work, but she needs to be exposed to a variety of situations to build her confidence, and to be handled by someone who has enough savvy to react correctly at the right time, who won't lose control of the situation and who is not afraid to stand up to the horse. In fact, Cloud was always quite insecure around Lisa but much calmer and focussed with Roger, who had a calmer demeanour. It's the classic example of a pair that are too similar, the horse and the human both very nervous and emotional, there is too much electricity between them and sparks fly!
Time, patience and a lot of work can definitely restore a balance to this partnership, but Lisa has undoubtedly set herself up for a tremendous challenge by choosing this type of horse.
Julie is forty and has been riding for years. She has already owned three horses in succession, and is shopping for her fourth. She has ridden a lot and mainly enjoys trail riding. She has tried a bit of everything and touched on several riding styles, but never very long. She has never shown and has no interest in competing. She has taken riding lessons, mainly when she started to learn to sit on a horse, and then only occasionally, usually to fix specific problems. She is passionate about horses, reads a lot and travels to all kinds of horse events as a spectator. It really is a hobby for her, an activity to relax and to unwind from work and daily life.
Her budget for a horse is limited, but she is ready to look for a long time to find a horse that she will like. She wants a young horse, to be able to shape him from the start. She also hopes to reduce the likelihood of having to deal with the health problems that her older horses suffered.
Finally, she buys a handsome colt of lovely color, two and half years old, just backed and very flashy. He is cheap, the owner is an amateur who raised him in his backyard, and is eager to sell. The horse has no known lineage.
Quiet during the initial visit and his first week at the barn, Julie finds Pegasus lacks muscle and needs to put on weight. She starts putting him to work and increases his feed to fatten him up. Her first attempts at lunging already show that Pegasus is disrespectful and that he does not easily get to work. In the barn, he is very mouthy, bites occasionally and quickly becomes agitated. He won't stand in the aisle, grabs everything in reach in his mouth and is not easily manipulated. Still, Julie feels ready to take on his training.
During the next two years, Julie spends many hours at the barn trying to educate her young horse. She gets some results, but it is demanding, takes a lot of time, work and energy. The first months under saddle are very difficult, Pegasus does not respond well, does not turn, runs off, throws himself against the fence and other horses. He has a lot of energy, is very quick, very smart and has an unending supply of defensive tricks. He becomes easily aggressive when frustrated. His reactions are so quick that Julie is often taken by surprise and has no chance to correct in time.
She decides to have Pegasus trained by a professional rider for a few months. The trainer demonstrates progress with the horse, but when Julie rides, she still has a hard time getting respect. She has to work a long time to get an acceptable ride and to obtain the horse's cooperation. She is never able to get the same results as the trainer. At the barn, Pegasus' behavior degrades. He bites often, charges at times, misbehaves on line and is not liked by the barn staff who have to handle him. He is moved to a different stall to avoid injuries to visitors. Julie, who likes to travel, has a difficult time finding people to care for him while she is away, because he is hard to handle and not always safe.
What happened? Julie was essentially impressed by Pegasus' looks and color, matched to a suitable price tag. She had set specific criteria for her choice, but unfortunately did not have the tools nor the savvy to evaluate the character of the horse that she bought. The short initial visit did not allow her to highlight any of the behavior issues that she discovered later. In addition, Pegasus, under-fed and under-exercised prior to purchase, did not have his normal energy level when she got him. Fed and fit, his true nature returned! Another mistake: this type of horse does not do well cooped up in a stall, and might be calmer if kept outdoors with other horses, especially older mares that would teach him some manners! Julie preferred to board him in a facility close to where she lived which could not offer this type of service, in order to minimize travel time after her day at work.
Today, Julie is still working with her horse, but her hobby is a lot more like an obligation and she often returns from the barn frustrated and tense. She would like to sell her horse in a year or so, but Pegasus is not making a lot of progress and he has earned a poor reputation in the barns that hosted him, that could make him difficult to sell. Julie spends a lot of her time at the stable 'tiring' him, trying to get him to calm down, and attempting to earn some respect. She has little time left to go out on the trail and does not have all the fun she expected from her partnership with her horse.
