Posted 2015-04-30 11:04 AM (#163303) Subject: horse wants to be with his buddies
Veteran
Posts: 153 Location: Grant City, Missouri
I am a veteran trail rider at CCTR. The past few years I have taken my grand daughter, just she and I. This year was the first year in taking her that I knew enough in advance to be able to get stalls close to our camp which will make it a lot easier. It just occurred to me that maybe I should make some changes. My grand daughter is 14 this year and she only rides once a year with me. The horse that she rides of the 3 that I take, is the worst for being barn sour to the other horses. Last year she wanted to ride around camp by herself, which my own kids used to do all the time but they were riders. She had a bad experience because her horse did not want to leave it's buddies. Would she have any better luck if I stalled him away from the other horses?
Posted 2015-04-30 4:01 PM (#163308 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Elite Veteran
Posts: 690 Location: missouri
You need to work with her, and him, by taking him out alone with some sweet feed in a baggie... take him away from home and reward him with a treat at a rest stop... If he is not manageable after several trips, you don't need to risk her safety. It is not a good idea for any little girl, or old girl, for that matter to ride up there around camp alone ( Unless it has changed a lot- last I knew of, shine was everywhere and it was partyville).
Posted 2015-04-30 6:24 PM (#163310 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Veteran
Posts: 153 Location: Grant City, Missouri
I can ride him alone, and do all the time. He just knows that he can throw a fit with her and get to go back to his stall and be with his buddies. The August trail ride is family oriented and I don't have a problem with her riding anywhere in camp. I just thought if he wasn't drawn back to his buddies that maybe he would not be as bad for her. She needs to learn to make him mind; she can do it if she would just try.
Posted 2015-05-08 5:38 PM (#163366 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Regular
Posts: 91 Location: Waverly,Oh
You might try tying the buddy sour horse to a hitching post or patience pole every day until he settles down. [out of he sun and away from flies of course ]This will take a while. As you said, the horse has learned to get out of work by acting up, now it is time to teach him that he is not going back to the stall or to he other horse no mater what he does. Wait for him to stand with a cocked leg before turning him loose every day.
Posted 2015-10-20 9:35 AM (#165147 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I went and helped gather some cattle a week or two ago. In the process, I was constantly leaving the other horses to go collect a cow or two and usually herd them back toward the main herd. My horse was showing his buddy sour mentality as we started this. Every time we would leave the other to go, and he would calm down as we gathered the cows and headed back toward the other horse/riders. After a few hours of this he calmed down and figured out the quicker we collected the cows, the sooner he got to be with his buddiesSometimes you just need to go out and tolerate the buddy sour and make the horse work by himself until they get over it.
Posted 2015-10-20 8:41 PM (#165150 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Veteran
Posts: 153 Location: Grant City, Missouri
I really don't think anyone understood what I was asking. The horse is a very good well behaved horse but most horses will "try" a different rider to see what they can get away from. I ended up only taking the two horses. Her horse was a prince the entire ride. Plus my granddaughter got to visit the week before and we did a few days trail ride in Iowa just the two of us. She is fourteen this year and besides being bigger in stature and strength she is more mature and a better rider. She was able to get her horse away from our camp and the stalls; I walked closed by to make sure he didn't try anything until I was sure he would be okay. They did fine. He is a great grand child sitter! He knows now that she is going to make him mind.
Posted 2015-10-23 11:06 AM (#165159 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Regular
Posts: 72 Location: Hoosierville
I know this is an old post but just now read it.
Here is what works for me: Take or ride the horse away from buddies but only to the point where he is 'about' to get upset, then take him back to his buddies but then turn back around and go a little further the next time. Keep doing this until he settles down and you can go further and further away from his buddies. The horse learns to cope emotionally with leaving his herd (after all, this is instinctual to them to be in a herd where they are safe!) This way he knows he always gets to come back to them. This has always worked for me whether at home or on the trail. Of course it's wonderful to have the horse that is happy to go away from his buddies!
Posted 2015-10-24 8:52 PM (#165168 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Veteran
Posts: 153 Location: Grant City, Missouri
"I" can do that. The point was...."she" could not. I had thought that if I put the horse in a stall away from his buddies, it would give her a better chance. She did this year...so no problem now. Thanks anyway everyone.
Posted 2016-07-05 10:04 PM (#167485 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
New User
Posts: 2
In my opinion, the issue is not that the horse is so much barn-sour, as he doesn't respect your grand daughter as a leader. I believe this because you say he is fine for you, but knows he can get away with it with her. While I am ALL about positive reinforcement, I don't think giving the horse treats as he goes along will help. It's hard to be sure without seeing the issue first hand, but I feel like your grand daughter needs to just work on being a more authoritative figure. If she knows how to lunge PROPERLY (not just running him around in a hectic circle, but actually working on cues, obedience, and leadership), I would suggest she lunge him away from the other horses first. This way, it's a safer alternative to riding him by herself, but the horse will also learn that she is a competent leader and get used to relying on her company rather than the other horses. If he behaves, then start getting on, but only going out for short outings not very far away. If he's good, let him come home. Tell her to NOT WAIT for him to misbehave or show any signs of distress before you turn back..... this will only encourage him to throw a fit if he wants to go home. You want to make it so that leaving the barn is the easiest option for the horse... every time he pitches a fit and tries to turn back, have your grand daughter WORK HIM harder (ride him in a circle, or if she's very frightened, get off and lunge right then in there until he calms), when he relaxes and gives in, immediately take him back. This way, he learns to relax and behave in order to get what he wants. When my horse gets sour to get home, I make him turn around and walk away from the barn for about 15-20 ft, then turn around back towards home the moment he relaxes, and every single time he gets antsy I turn around again. Eventually, he will learn that the fastest way to get home is to ride calmly.... pitching a fit just makes it so that he has to go further from the barn and work harder.All in all: tell the young rider to be positive, but FIRM. It seems like it's more of a respect issue than a typical nervous barn-sour case. Tell her to try to outsmart him.... good horse = go home, bad horse = work him in a circle AWAY from barn until he calms. By "calms," I mean improves in any way (stops bucking, slows down, maybe something as simple as exhales to release tension. Whatever is considered an improvement for this specific horse.)
Posted 2016-07-06 6:43 AM (#167496 - in reply to #163303) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Horse needs time on the patience tree, 100% agree. They both need some "round pen" type work on who is in control. If she only rides once a year she might not have enough skills to realize when the horse is taking advantage of her before the big problem arises. Swap horses if you can.
Posted 2016-08-14 3:55 PM (#168013 - in reply to #167496) Subject: RE: horse wants to be with his buddies
New User
Posts: 3
huntseat - 2016-07-06 6:43 AM
Horse needs time on the patience tree, 100% agree. They both need some "round pen" type work on who is in control. If she only rides once a year she might not have enough skills to realize when the horse is taking advantage of her before the big problem arises. Swap horses if you can.
horse wants to be with his buddies
