Martingale? horse questions!!?

Question

Hi i just brought a 15.3 TB X gelding

i got him about 3 weeks ago i have rode him a far bit only walk and trot because of this....

he throws his head around so so so much when u want him to trot or canter and does like a little jump kind of like a little rear. he has never worn a martingale in his life what would he be like with one? also me and my friend went out for a ride about 2 weeks ago now and we started to canter and pepper got really really fast got into a gallop pigrooted and i couldn't stop him then he took off into the bush!! what is wrong with him!! im so worried because this is the last horse i ever get until i own my own place and have my own money

any suggestions!!??

Answer 1

He sounds like a handful! I think a running martingale would help a bunch.

Does the saddle fit properly? I have a 4 year old Tennessee Walker and when he was about 3, everytime i would try to get him to canter, he would start doing little bunny bucks. I ended up getting an OrthoFlex saddle. It made a big difference.

Another thing you could do is lunge him with a saddle on at a canter before you ride. This way he can take out all his excitment to be cantering before you are actually on him.

I would also consider a new bit. I ride my horses in a Myler Bit. They work wonders.

I hope I helped!

Answer 2

I always advise a Market Harborough over a martingale...even a novice cant use it wrong.   Google up both and weigh up the pos and cons for each and decide which would be best suited for you.

Answer 3

Firstly - did he come with all his own tack or have you had to replace it ? If it's all new ( or at least new to him I'd suggest that you check the fit of everything just in case there is something that is causing discomfort.

Get his teeth checked if he's not been done recently.

Other than that it sounds like excitement - did you change his feed at all ( if he's on something high energy you may want to tone that down a bit)

Get yourself a running martingale. Fit it properly, this will stop you getting his head in your face when he starts his dance routine.

Try lunging before you ride to take any excess energy away. He may just be testing you at this point but you don't want it to become a habit.

Answer 4

If you are going to use a martingale, it should probably be a well-fitted running martingale. Standing martingales can feel restrictive to a horse, especially if they are too tight, and sometimes they can cause a horse to rear (and it sounds like yours might want to rear in that situation, which obviously would be a bad thing).

Technically, any martingale shouldn't have any effect on the horse at all unless the horse's head isn't where it's supposed to be.

Assuming that your tack fits your horse and you are positive that it isn't a health issue (have you had a vet out to check body and teeth?), you may also want to lunge your horse before you get on because it kind of sounds like he is too excited and wants to burn off some energy.

If that is the problem, you could also check what he is eating and make sure that he isn't getting too much or the wrong kind of grain, because this can make a horse "hot". Some horses have a total attitude change when they are eating hay only (or hay and VERY little grain).

Standing martingale:

http://www.saddlersrow.com/store/item.as...

Running Martingale:

http://www.saddlersrow.com/store/item.as...

Answer 5

well, i'm assuming you either didn't try him before you bought him, or when you did try him he was fine? cuz i don't think you would have bought him if he was acting like this when you rode him. anyways...

i would highly suggest calling a horse dentist and having him take a look at your horses mouth. there could be sharp points on his teeth that cause him pain when you pull on the reins. if his mouth is his problem, the running away part might just be his way of trying to escape the pain. i used to have a horse with sharp teeth who would take off and rear every time i pulled on his mouth. after the dentist came, he was back to normal.

it could also be his back, or he could just be being an *** too. horses are funny. what kind of bit do you have on him right now? if it's heavy, maybe you should try switchign to a lighter bit. that may sound a little bit backwards, but another one of my old horses used to go around in a pelham. he would bolt after every fence but i switched him to a rubber snaffle and he was perfect.

but anyways i would DEFINITELY put him in a martingale. or draw reins. or side reins. or something.

Answer 6

Well, he could have many different issues.

My suggestions...

-Get a much stronger bit in his mouth

- Get his teeth checked

- Try a martingale

- Free lunge him  with out any thing on him and see if he does that same thing he does when you riding him

- Try making sure your saddle isn't bugging him

- He also might just be hot-headed

Hope this all helped! Good Luck!

Answer 7

He will be fine with a martingale

Answer 8

You need a running martingale badly!! He sounds like the kind of horse that would benefit with some time with a running martingale. You might not need it forever, he sounds like he just needs to learn some manners. A running martingale will keep him from throwing his head up in the air really high, and it will also give you more leverage which equals stronger brakes. With the martingale you will be able to stop the head shaking by pulling on the bit in a kind of see-saw motion (not too rough keep in mind). You will also get better turning because of the increased leverage. It is irrelevant that he has never worn one. Is he medically sound? I would have his teeth checked because head tossing and all the other behavior can be related to that. I would also have the vet check him out to make sure that there are no other problems that you don't know about. If it isn't medical get a running martingale not a standing because a running martingale only comes into play when you need it. If it still doesn't go away I think you should consider trying a nurtural bitless bridle, it comes with a 30 day warranty so you can always get a refund.

Answer 9

i would talk to the old owners and see if they had the same problems and what they used.. then go from there.