Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, this weekend is gonna be D-Day. I'll be getting back on Pistol's back after a good 4 or 5 week vacation from riding due to his bad rainrot all over his spine. Now that it's just about gone I have to piss him off and ride him all over again. The first time I rode him he took off at top speed for a good 45 minutes or so. I'll have you know I only fell off once too, and that was after he ran off with me for maybe like 2 minutes. After that I learned how to hang on great.
Any pointers on how to prepare him for this? Should I lunge him with tack or anything as a warning, or will that make him worse? Should I just hop on or let him putz around? Should I let him eat first or no? Any advice is GREATLY appreciated

Man you weren't kidding when you named his pistol!!
I would definately lunge him with his tack on. A round pen might be better if he decides to go nuts on you. Let him walk around next to you with the tack on - let him get comfortable. If you can, have someone ride next to you. Another horse might help him realize he isn't going to die . I doubt eating will help at all. Every few steps he takes while you are on his back tell him what a good boy he is!!
I don't have an incredible amount of experience with fast horses (mine is slow as hell). Just remember to be patient . The only reason he takes off is because he doesn't understand!! Good luck!!

First and foremost - go slow

Find an enclosed area so that he isn't as likely to want to take off, and if he does, he's restricted to where he goes. While saddling him, watch his reaction. Does he act nervous about the saddle? May be he hasn't had as much saddle time as you think he has and just needs a good bit more ground work. When you put the bridle on, take your left rein and pull it around toward the saddle - does he bend his neck and "give" you his head? Then to the right - same thing. And then both reins to the chest should have him give his head down and back. If he doesn't, he hasn't been taught to and that needs to be done before you ever get on.

If everything checks out ok, walk him around or even drive him with two lungelines attached to the bit and run through your stirrups. He should turn and stop on the long lines like he would with you on him. If he doesn't...yep, you guessed it, teach him to before riding.

When you do mount, be sure its smoothly and gently, though not necessarily slow and overly cautious because that could not only make him nervous but could put you suspended in the air for too long a time, giving him time to leave you in the dirt! Insist that he stand still when you mount. If he tries to move off with you before you tell him to, firmly tell him whoa with your voice and hands. If you aren't on yet, step back down, if you are, have him stop and back, dismount and mount again. The idea is not to allow him to reward himself by walking off...he needs to stand still until you are ready to move forward. When you do ask him to move forward, you want to start out walking and make sure all systems are go before asking for more.

And remember - everything you do with him is training, just be sure when you are training that its things you want him to learn
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PH Cody
HorseHobbyist Site Coordinator

You suggested a roundpen.... hehehe, what if I definitely don't have one and all I have are about 12 acres? Should I have someone hold onto a lead line as well? I don't have a roundpen because all the money we have is tied up in renovating the barn before winter gets here or else they'll have frozen bodies and frozen water INSIDE! I wish I could take him places and practice there, but the trailer ride always leaves him feeling pretty... how should i describe.... hmm... "OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!"
Thankfully I just got my third horse yesterday and my second 2 weeks ago. He loves them both, and the third I've bought is dead broke, and the second is amazing for a 3 going on 4 year old. He's in love with the mare and the new gelding has become his new buddy. I like Botch's idea, bring along another horse so he's aware that YES, he is not going to die!
He's really a good horse, he doesn't kick or buck or anything like that. It's like he's ADHD or something! "OK, gotta do this... gotta do this.... NOOOO GOTTA DO THIS OTHER THING MOOOORE!" He's just got so much energy and he's so extremely alert all the time and focusing so hard on one thing or the other that everything takes him by surprise, and he's really quite scared of new things. He'll do his best not to hurt you when he freaks out though which I find impressive. He's almost hurt himself trying not to run over me. He's done this alot, and will usually let me take hold of him in the middle of these fits. MAN he's nervous. I've also tried some stuff called Quietex, but it doesn't seem to work very well at all.
Yes you've probably noticed that supposed D-Day has come and gone. Well it ended up being cancelled because, not at all as planned, I was completely alone last AND this weekend and it's not a safe idea when you're all alone. It's been postponed to Sunday. Haha, what a birthday present this will be for me!
I'll try everything you suggested. Anyone wanna send me some sedative samplers??!?
Thanks!

You really need to find/create/build/borrow a smaller area to work with him and please don't use sedatives on a horse you are planning to train or ride. Not only will they not learn with sedatives on board, but they can be even more unpredicatably dangerous because most sedatives have an "excitement threshhold" which once the horse exceeds, can cause the sedative to work in the exact opposite way you want it to - making them worse off. Not to mention that if the only thing keeping you safe is a sedative, there's no way to predict exactly when it will lose its affect and leave you hanging.
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PH Cody
HorseHobbyist Site Coordinator

Well, I haven't used it on him again since that day. I think we've figured out his problem. And I only tried to quietex because I was trying to calm him down so that it wouldn't be such a shock when I got back on. I guess the reverse effect took place instead.
Today was quite an adventure. All 3 of them got loose while I was in Charlottesville and Dad found them outside. He tried to get them to come to him, and Lacy (the mare) almost did, but Pistol (the jerk) basically said no in horse language, and convinced her to walk off with him instead. Apparently he is the leader and just lets her have her way sometimes. Anyway, this happened around 8 AM and they got lost in the woods until (thanks to our very helpful wonderful fantastic neighbors) they were found waaaaaaay back in the woods in an old field they keep cut down. Oddly enough, Pistol came right to me and let us lead them all out of there. Man that was a pain. But I think we realized he thinks he's a stallion.
He used to be fine when his only herd was of people, when horses came onto the scene it was Mr. Bossman. He also sniffs Lacy's urine, geldings don't bother, at least I haven't noticed any that did.
I suspect that maybe he was gelded late, and we're dealing with those problems. We're thinking of simply selling him to our friend who happens to be an old barrel racer. He loves this horse, and he has no other horses, and he'd love to have a horse. Well, why not? He's a fantastic horse without other horses around, and Johnny knows how to ride great, and I bet anything he could get him under control. We're thinking of either sending this horse to something like a horsey boot camp, or giving him to Johnny for a few weeks to give him a chance to calm him down, and if he likes him he can have him for what we paid for him, if not he can give him back and we'll figure something else up.
So... any suggestions on what to do NOW, or at least FOR now? Sheesh... what a handful