Weight sensative horse?

Question

I have a horse (Rusty) I ride at one of my friends barns who is very sensitive to where my weight is. If I lean forward, he immeadiately trots or canters. If I lean way back he slows. Leaning right or left results in a turn. A firm heal in his side can send him sideways at a pretty good speed.

Now here is the question. Is he trained in a non-English style, or just has some issues to adapt to?

The barn predominately rides western (or bareback) and I have been trained (some) in in English style. I see a lot of differences in what I get told to do now verses what my classes taught.

I am frustrated by the mixed signals and have requested a different horse to ride that meets my riding style better. Interestingly the very experienced riders at my new barn love Rusty. They often tell me I should buy him, before someone else gets him.

Answer 1

Relax,,and trust me when I say it is not you and it is not specifically Rusty.

Rusty has been trained to listen to those specific commands that you were talking about,and therefor thats why he reacts the way he does.

It sounds like you are more of a beginner rider and yes a different horse is just what you need.....

Speak up and tell them you want a different horse to ride and be demanding about it ! Riding a horse that isnt suited to your needs is going to be frustrating,and when your frustrated,the horse is also frustrated and going to react.....

Rusty maybe a great horse,but he is great for a rider that is suited to his needs and level of riding

not every horse is suited for every rider,,horses have different levels of expierience just as riders do,and you cant take a horse thats advanced and trained in english or leg commands and match them to a rider thats trained in western

you have to match the horse to the rider,just as you wouldnt take a beginner rider and put them up on a thoroughbred race horse

thats only asking for an unhappy rider and horse and possably some injuries.

If the place you are riding wont listen to you,,then maybe its time you seek out some place else to ride...

Answer 2

I would agree with country_girl... she gives a very good answer.

I think that you likely learned to ride on some lesson horses that took a lot of muscle before they'd do what you ask.  You probably had to use more leg on those horses, so when you get on a horse that actually listens to your leg, the reaction is a bit too sudden for you.  On your old lesson horses, you could probably get away with a little bit of leaning... when going up to a canter, you're not supposed to lean forward, but a lot of people do... it seems like the natural thing to do and that's why people do it... but it's actually the opposite of what you should do.  Your old horses were probably a little more accepting of your leaning because they're used to carrying around beginners.  Rusty is a bit more advanced.  He sounds like he was very well trained and he does everything that you're asking very willingly.  All of the things you're describing is what a horse is supposed to do... go forward, listen to the leg, move laterally with your seat or leg commands, slow down when you half halt, etc.  He does sound like a great horse for a more advanced rider... that's probably why the other girls at your barn love him... he'll go forward and is willing to listen to leg cues and body aids.  You're just not quite ready for a horse like that yet.  

Riding him would make you a better rider... you'd learn to stay seated back in the saddle and you'd adjust your leg cues.  However, you say that he took you into a full gallop the other day and you're saying that you're not entirely confident on him.  Since that's the case, you ought to ride a different horse.  Maybe your barn has a medium horse between the beginner lesson horses you used to ride and the advanced Rusty.

You'll need to speak up to the people at the barn... tell them that you're not feeling too confident about riding Rusty and ask if there's a horse that would fit with you better.  Then once you learn to keep your balance over the center of the horse and use lighter leg cues, then try riding Rusty again.  One day you'll love him as much as the other girls in the barn!

Answer 3

It sounds like you have to adapt to your horse Rusty

You said ""lean WAY back well most would slow down

Then you said a FIRM HEEL  any well trained horse would go side ways fast ,,

Why not try to do things softer,, and not so fast and hard

From what your telling me is , he trained to someone else Style

may be right maybe wrong

I need to see you ride,  I do not know if your using a Firm heel or not !

what you say is firm, might be to others not so

I would ask the trainer there or find one to go to and get a pro's opinion  

Answer 4

He sounds like a sensitive and well-trained western horse.  You can teach a horse to move in any direction, etc, by whatever cues you choose, virtually.  (eg, for many horses, slightly leaning forward indicates to back up) So he's trained the way he's responding to your inadvertant aids.  You should either decide to learn his language or insist on another horse, for both of your sakes.  It's not fair to him to reteach him if he's not yours, and since the other riders love him, he should be left alone.,  If you did buy him, you could probably fairly easily retrain him, since he's so sensitive.

Basically, it sounds like a bit of a mismatch, you and Rusty.