Rode Tucker Thursday

Tucker's been at trainer #3 for a month. I went out to see/ride him Thursday morning. The trainer rode him first.....He went like a dream!!!! Gait transitions were nice.....Even does a nice flying-lead change!!!!!! Then It was my turn. I stepped up.....an d it was a whole different story. I had to fight him to keep him moving....He wanted to go back to the gate/trainer. He got light in the front end....raised his back, threatening to buck. The trainer was amazed. He said Tucker had NEVER acted like that with him. We figure that he has limited respect for me....I'm the lady with the food, the brushes, the back rubs, etc.....But he doesn't see me as an authority. I'm going to have to go out there and ride him a couple times a week. Tucker will be there at least another month....My choice.

WHEN WILL THIS EVER END!!!!!!?????????

Pep was like that with me too. I got tough with him and didn't let him get away with not listening to me. That and regular lessons with the trainer.
It will get better. Just let him know you're the top of the pecking order, not his personal servant.
No pics of him?

Well, I'm really afraid of him rearing/bucking and falling. I have osteoporosis of the spine and hips....I also have scoliosis, lordosis, and bad disks. I have my dr's blessing and encouragment to ride. He says it's the best therapy for my back.

I haven't the vaugest idea of how to put pics on here....or anywhere for that matter. I do have pics that trainer #2 sent me last October. I can forward them to anyone who wants to see him. Sent them to Lil Sip a while back.

Hmmmm...... I also have a video of me riding him early this spring, down in Fallon, Nevada.

There is an article about the horse being better for the trainer than the rider in the last issue of Horse & Rider magazine. It might be helpful.
It's amazing that you still are given the ok to ride. My doctor didn't like me riding because of my knees and back.
I didn't know how to put pictures up here either. Turns out it's actually quite easy. Do you have a digital camera?

Ya...The pics were taken with digital cameras....My daughter knows how to do it, but she says she doesn't have time. I've got some pics of me riding Angel, Tucker's half-sister too.

Both my dr and my physical therapist encourage me to ride. They say that ins pays for re-hab riding, and I've got it right in my backyard. I basically stopped riding about 14 yrs ago when my daughter was nearly killed on a horse. To help pay bills I sold most of my horses and tack. I went back to work 7 yrs ago....Last 2 yrs I've worked night-shift. I'm trying to budget my time to ride, but it's hard. I also don't want to ride when I'm alone. Everyone else is busy doing other stuff. Somewhere in this mess I have to find time to clean my house!!!!

I find that cleaning house gets left till last all the time. Right now it's hot outside, so I'm in doing housework. Well, cleaning the basement because it's nice and cool down here.
It's really easy to move digital pictures from your computer to the internet. You go to www.photobucket.com and start yourself an account. You then go to "upload photos". It will bring up pictures from your computer, you click them, follow the instructions and presto, they're on there.
To get the pictures from photobucket onto here, you open both this site and the photobucket site, look under the picture you want, find the line that says img code. Left click it, then right click. It'll give you the option to copy. Copy it, then come back to here, right click your mouse, click paste. It took me a while, but once you figure it out, it's nice to be able to do.

Thanks for the info....I'll have to get someone to help me.

Ya....I read the article in H&R. I didn't see anything that would apply to this situation. They are descibing horses that just don't do as well for the owner.....This horse isn't just not changing leads or poking along. He wants me OFF!!!!!! He fights about doing anything I ask....Even just moving at all, except back to the gate and out of the arena to his pen. He doesn't see me as any kind of authority.

That's not good. It would be terrible to have a pile of hopes and dreams into this horse, plus money, then not feel safe riding him.
Is your trainer willing to help you through this?

I really don't know how much help he'd be. He's not a full-time trainer. He works in a gold mine, and trains on the side. It might help a lot if he was on another horse. Tucker would tend to want to follow.

I've spent over $6,000.00 to get this horse broke. I've had him since he was conceived. No way will I give up. If other people can ride him, I will too!!!!!!!

You can email the pictures to me and I will post them here for you..

Horses can and do act very differently with one person to the next. Have you thought about getting some training for yourself to build confidence so he will not pull this on you I went off several years ago and broke my arm really bad. It took months to heal and I have not wanted to ride since then. I have considered taking some training on a horse that I trusted to get my confidence back.. I pretty much decided for my self I like it better on the ground. It's hell getting old...

Over the years, I've had a few horses who couldn't be ridden by certain people. My Arab stud liked only me, but would behave if I was on another horse....He'd just follow. I had a TB gelding who couldn't stand the sight of a small child, and wouldn't tolerate a young rider....But was otrherwise gentle as a kitten.

I'm 56.... Not ready to get old yet!!!!!!

I'll email you the pics as soon as excite email is fixed. They "upgraded" it so I can't get at anything.

We have one here that we've had his whole life and I can barely ride him. Wade figures we should sell him. Brennen is 11 and can ride him for goodness sake, but I had a wreck with him and am almost scared of him. I know what it's like to put all that energy into a horse.
That's alot of money to spend on training a horse that you still have trouble riding. I agree with Bluejay. Find an instructor in your area and get your confidence back. If you have confidence in your riding, then maybe Tucker will feel that and not try to take advantage of you.

Here is Ragdoll's colt..

THANKS BJ!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE A DOLL!!!!!!!!!!

I just re-sent the pics of Prissy.....They are a couple of years old. I'm proud to say that my daughter has lost 60lbs!!!!!

aww I love Tucker, i would buy him if i was staying here!!! I don't care if he's not for sale!!! I promise you can come visit!

Wow, nice. How old did you say he was?
If he goes missing from the trainer's, don't look at my place

Thanks.....The pics were taken last fall. He was 2 1/2. He turned 3 May 25th....He's bigger now.....16hnds. He looks just like his mom. (I still have her) She's an Azure Te granddaughter on top.... Her mom and Rugged Lark's mom are full-sisters. Tucker's reg name is, Lark To A Te.

I hope your trainer will be able to help you out a lot and get your confidence built back up. He is a nice looking fella.

My trainer isn't intrested in working with people...... And believe me...There's nothing wrong with my confidence. LOL!!!!! I may be getting old, but I'm still good!!!!!!! I just can't figure out why he wants to fight me on his back....He loves me on the ground!!!!!!! I've paid a lot of money so I don't have to do anything but school his gaits, etc.

If your trainer isn't interested in working with you, I don't think he's much of a trainer. Half of their job is the horse, half of their job is you. I've never met a really good trainer who didn't atleast offer weekly lessons when you're paying for training. I think it might be worth saving that extra month of training and putting it towards him going to a new trainer who can work with you. It sounds like the horse does well under saddle, possibly it's just your relationship with him that needs the training. When I give lessons, like the one I did yesterday, this is the MOST COMMON complaint I get. I can go out there and ride these people's horses just fine, but they have allowed their horse to be their boss and the horse won't let them ride, or will, but only with limitations.

This little mare I rode yesterday for some new clients, the woman didn't think the horse was trained hardly at all, the mare would go walk / trot and wouldn't do any type of manuever very quick. I got on there, walked, troted, pushed the little witch into a canter. She bucked with me, nothing too bad, but as soon as we established that relationship that she was going to have to do it anyways, no matter her behavior, she moved out like a whole different horse. I could have went and ran a barrel pattern on her lol.

I unfortunately don't think that a bunch of training on the horse is going to help your relationship with him. Riding him with a firm hand most likely will though. Just out of curiosity, have you ever ridden him in a round pen, with someone else in the middle, doing the work and you just being along for the ride? Sometimes I find this a good place to start...

As far as the question "WHY?" I don't think there's ever going to be any one correct answer, but from what you're describing, it just sounds like he's decided that he's your boss. If you could, would you mind describing his behavior towards you on this ride, from mount to dismount?

I'm going to chime in. I agree with Silverbuckles here... whether you believe it or not, you do have issues with confidence. Go back and reread your posts, and you'll see. No worries, though, I'm kind of the same.

In halter and on the ground, by GAWD, I'm head witch, period, end of story. On their backs, depending who's here (that's the key there), then I start losing my focus. What I normally have to do is get away from "certain" people and just go do my thing. I remember once riding my prize paint mare in an open show once, GAWD, I'd tense up like crazy, so I had two friends of mine - either end of the arena, they'd stand there, and when I'd come around, they'd holler, danged near, SACK O' TATERS! That means, just sit up there and quit pressing in my legs. I learned to ride riding bareback, and so many years of that, that I still instinctively clench in when things get rough - the opposite of what I should do - one reason why I won't wear spurs!!!

But I had the same thing happen to me. Anita, my best bud, was helping me with the same paint mare, and Lady would do everything with Anita... well, I coudln't get her to sidepass for nothing. Used to irritate the living daylights out of me. Finally, one day, I was in a bad mood, was PMS'ing - I'll never forget this, and got my reins and popped her on once on her shoulders, and that was it - she never gave me any trouble after that.

My concern also is my hands - I type for a living, so if something happens to my hands, I'm literally screwed, not to mention when I rode so much, I had 2 small boys that I was having to raise with Rick being gone all the time. You're worried about your health and your physical issues - which you should - but one thing I do agree with Silverbuckles on this, your trainer should be able to help you along with this. And he is a heck of a nice gelding, so I'd suggest reading a book called BODY LANGUAGE OF HORSES - that helped me so much!!!! Learn to read your horse, and when you can see he's fixing to do something, like with Kid, I say "HUH-UH" that means, boy, if you so much as even think it, you're fixing to get a whupping!

Kid will get cut this coming Monday, as Rick said, we'll have the best looking geldings in the pen, and in a couple of months, I'm going to send him to a local trainer. I've seen him buck - and oh, my GAWD!!!! I've seen him pitch a rider about 5 feet up in the air, straight up and straight down, and this bronc bucking, standing in one place, and I've got to get past that - somehow... and I will, it'll just take some time. I've got to get past my fears, also. I know one gosh-danged though, if that sucker gets me off, and I can get up, he's going to get the whupping of his life! HA!

I would suggest DETACHING yourself from the horse, meaning think of it as somebody else's horse - don't be overly friendly - yes, pat his neck when he does well, but other than that, keep your hands off of him.

Well, some trainers just train horses (I'm delighted with what he has taught Tucker) and some people just train people. Some do both.

I think Tucker sees me as a nice companion. I'm the lady who brings food, brushes him, gives back rubs, and scratches his "nether parts" for him. He doesn't see me as a boss. He has never tried to bite or kick me (or anyone else).....

I'm confident in my skill level....I've been horseback for about 50 years. I've always trained my own horses, including the BLM mustangs that I adopted. My only concern with this one is that I don't need him to fall on me now that I have osteoporosis.

Instructors are the ones that just train people. They have a limited skill set but are usually good riders themselves, on horses that are already made. I don't think it is right to call yourself a horse trainer and not work with people. You have to create buttons on a horse, that's the training. But, you also have to give the instruction manual. Plain and simple. But, I guess that is why so many people I know who just send their horses off for training have a super nice horse they don't have a clue how to ride. I'm not saying that this is your case at all, you know how to ride... But just the thought of it, kind of funny to me. It's like a lot of futurity horses, the only people who can ride those colts are the trainers because they are the only ones who have taught them the buttons.

I'm sure you are a fantastic rider on a horse that you are confident in. I can completely understand your concern for your bones (I've got them too, I have arthritis in my pinky fingers, one wrong move and they will snap. Also have BAD knee issues.) But, and this is just my opinion, so please don't take this wrong because I can't see you ride him and I don't know the situation, it sounds like your concern with him falling on you has turned into a fear. I don't care how long you have been riding and what your skill level is, if you're thinking about falling or being fallen on, it's going to make you nervous. It's like anticipating a horse to buck. Usually your nerves are what CAUSES the horse to tense up in the first place.

Half of the things we do on a horse are completely unintentional, a consequence of our nervous system, and we don't even realize it. Maybe have someone video you while riding, this helps my clients a lot when they can see themselves and we can go over a tape together and point out bad AND GOOD points.

Here are the shots of Ragdoll's paint mare..

My statement was not about skill and ability. I am 52 and started riding when I was very small and was lifted up on that HUGE shetland pony..

It was about whether or not you are willing to bust your a$$. I am not so, I stay where my butt/bones are safe.. You better then anyone here know what can happen to someone who goes off a horse and ends up on the ground.

I am very happy doing what I do now and only worry about crushed feet or hoof in the head.. Had that one last year.. 12 staples in my head. I could still walk and talk and that one healed up in no time.. Just really bloody more then anything else.. you better believe I think about everytime a youngster gets a little snotty and back off. Stay to the side where the LIL booger can't get me again..