Not getting along
Hi John,
I’ve been looking through your advice page as I wanted to ask for some advice. I thought you were charging for such advice now and was ready to ‘join up’, but looks like you have changed things.
Anyway, I have an 8 month old QH I purchased a couple of months ago. I planned to raise him as a future riding horse but at the moment I’m feeling that we are not going to get along. My issue is that to every question I ask his answer is ‘no’. Can you walk forward please? No- not unless you make me. Can you stop now please? No, not unless you make me. Can I catch you please? No- I’ve got to act wild first- but if I’m laying down you can come up and pat me. As he is a cremello I have to take care of his skin- can I put some cream on your nose? No, not unless you can reach it when I back up or put it in the air. Can I put a mask on your face? Not really- well ok, if you insist- but you have to be able to reach my ears. Can I put a cotton rug on your? No- it’s too scary- even though you’ve done it heaps of times before.
TBH, this behaviour is just giving me the shits. Some youngsters are just naturally friendly and like people, and want to please you, but this fellow just makes me work so hard. I’m not interested in working that hard to ‘win over’ a horse. Is this a QH thing? I don’t know what to do right now and just feel like giving up. I can’t just turn him out because he needs to be covered up for the summer.
Kind Regards,
Vivienne Gower
Hi Viv,
I would see 2 options here.
- Sell the Horse immediately, based upon Your inner feelings ( Life is not a Dress Rehearsal) and Global Warming will spell the end of these Horses. You could not give me one.
- or…..take full control of the Horse immediately, basically start Him with everything except Mouthing and see what he is made of. The most important part of that being Leg Restraints Training
Best of Luck