Is my horse too much for me ?

Or is he just too much right now ?
 

I see this question come up a lot.  Most of the time when I see this question its because someone has come to a horsemanship course as a 'last ditch effort' to see if the horse is 'worth keeping' or if they should just move onto another horse.

When it comes to deciding if our horse is the 'right one' for us, there are many things we need to take into consideration.  I will cover a few of the general items we should consider when we are assessing our horse and our compatibility.

Firstly.   Your desires.  What is it that you truly want to achieve when it comes to your horse.  What does your 'perfect' experience look like ?  Cantering through the forest and along beaches confidently ?  Having that blue ribbon placed around your horses neck at the hack show ?  Dressage ?  Cowboy Dressage ?  Reining ? Camp draft ?  Competing at the national finals in your chosen discipline ?  Casual meet ups and rides with friends - maybe a show here and there but nothing too serious ?  Going to clinics and enjoying the 'learning journey'  ?  

Does your horse meet the physical requirements ?  

This is where it can be a little tricky - you need to know how 'serious' you want to be within your chosen discipline - me personally - my horse would have a pretty good go at any of the above - would he be a champion in all of them ? No.  But thats what I want - I want a nice 'allrounder' that I can just go and have a 'crack' with no matter what the discipline.  And if this is what you want - then really any breed will be able to be an 'allrounder' but if you want to win the Nationals - then you need to start looking at the breed you need, and the bloodlines.

Once you have decided what you are wanting your horse owning  experience to be then you can move onto specifics such as time.  If you have only the ability to ride on the weekends, then you don't have time to 'train' a horse to your chosen discipline.  You are probably needing to purchase a horse that has had the training put in, and all you need to do is maintain it.

Again, if you are wanting to experience the journey of the education, then thats fine, but if you want to compete at nationals in 2017, then go and buy yourself a trained one.

I personally am the 'journey' type.  I don't much care how long it will take Cooper (or any of my other horses) get to the high level stuff - I enjoy the journey and teaching them the skills.  

Baby Horses.  If you are limited on time then a baby horse probably isn't the best option for you.  They need a lot of help and skill to develop into a good partner horse.  That said I have seen a baby horse be ridden only at my clinics (the owner gets basically no time to ride at home, but spends a full 2 days at a course, and sometimes longer, putting quality hours in) and I have watched that horse develop into a partner horse - the trick here was 'quality' hours.  The quantity was small, but the quality was high - you aren't going to get the same result riding on the weekend in your backyard, unless you have the knowledge to be able to do that.  The other 'trick' in this situation is that the owner is prepared to take the time it takes.  He is not rushing about trying to get the horse ready to compete.

I have seen many people with baby horses think that they are out of their element, and the horse is too much for them, simply because they were trying to get the horse to behave like their 10 year old horse at home.  Considering the demands and expectations you are putting on your horse, may help you decide if he is too much horse - or if you are just blowing him up.  This comes down to the question - is he too much horse ?  Or is he acting out because of the pressure I am putting on him ?

Trained horses.  Some people purchase a trained horse and think that the horse is too much for them.  The question again comes down to - are you wanting to learn how to be better so you can ride this horse ?  Or do you want a horse you can ride right now ?  Neither answer is wrong - it comes down to your desires.  Some people may not be interested in training for 12 months or more so they have the knowledge to ride a trained horse.  They would rather go and buy a horse that is simple - turn left, turn right, stop, go.  Ok lets go on a trail ride.  Its not a bad thing!  Again it comes down to your experience - do you want to grow in knowledge, or do you just want to enjoy a trail on the weekends ?  Again no wrong answer!  We are all looking for a different experience with our horses.

Troubled horses.  If you have a horse that has a few issues - perhaps from previous handling or experiences, or a horse that just seems to react to things, the question is - do you want to invest the time and money to become the person that that horse needs ?  Or do you want to have a horse that you can just get on with ?  Depending on the issues, it may take a long time for you to be able to help him, and perhaps it is too risky for you to keep going with the horse.  These are all things that need to be taken into consideration.

Every situation is different.  And everyone you talk to will have a different opinion on what you should do.  Sometimes simply taking a step back from it all, and really being honest about what you want to achieve and experience, is all you need to do to make the right decision.

Something else to consider - have your desires changed ?  I have met countless people who did eventing or dressage when they were a teenager, then left horses to raise a family, and then when getting back into horses they go and buy a 5 year old thoroughbred  or warmblood - because thats what they know and remember, they get into a bit of strife with a young horse, turn up at a clinic and I ask 'what is it you want to do' and they will say 'I don't really know, but I do know I just want to be safe and confident.   I ask why they purchased a young, untrained horse, and they basically did it because that was their dream horse when they were still competing as a teenager or 20 year old.  Its ok for your goals and desires to have changed, or its ok for them to be the same,  but choose the right horse to suit your needs.  

This horse journey isn't quick, and its not always easy, but its worth it.

Happy trails

Tk