RIDING/DRIVING HORSES
QUESTION: We have a really well broke
western, 6 year old gelding. We purchased a buggy and single horse
harness at a country auction and decided to train him to drive too. It is
the first horse we have trained to drive. He finally got fairly good at it
and no longer was spooky. He was really hard to control at first before he
settled down. Trying to run away and hard to turn. But now, he is not as
nice a horse to ride? He is harder to stop, opens his mouth when asked to
back up and no longer responds as well at neck reining? Our Vet couldn't
find anything wrong with him. His teeth are fine. So Why?
ANSWER: His Mouth. Plain and simple.
When you could not control him to stop or turn him which was because
he was so frightened, you naturally had to do a lot of hard pulling
on his mouth. First that would have caused him pain. Then the bars/corners
of his mouth would have gotten sore. Then when they healed up, he would
then have what we call a "Tough Mouth, meaning he no longer has as much
"Respect" or even "Feeling" to give to the
bit correctly. Plus you were direct reining him during driving. Side pulls
to his mouth, not neck reining.
So then the horse resists or fails to respond to
the bit/reins as well as he used too. Have a Professional Trainer try him in
a couple of different bits for riding to try and find one that he will
respond too like he used too.