By Lindsay Grice

Q    I sent my Quarter Horse gelding to a trainer two weeks ago and want to ask your advice about a concern I have. My gelding is extremely quiet, almost lazy, and never spooks at things. I have ridden him on the trails, and can lead my young nephew around on him and even ride him bareback with just a halter and lead. I sent him for training to get some finishing – neck reining, collection, lead changes – to be able to show him this season.

The trainer reports having some “attitude” problems with my horse, such as kicking out at his leg, and sulling up to the point of rearing a bit. Should I take my horse home before it gets worse? I realise that I will lose my month’s training money, but he’s never done this kind of thing with me.

A    I can understand your concern about your horse, but before you sever ties with your trainer, you might want to consider some things. First, I’m assuming you did some homework before sending your gelding away. Does this trainer have the reputation of producing happy, well-educated horses - not just what he’s told you, but a track record over the years to back it up? Does he have a clientele of loyal, satisfied horse owners? Is his character honest and straightforward? If so, it takes backbone to tell a customer the truth when things aren’t going well, instead of tickling her ears with what she wants to hear. Whether it’s my doctor, accountant or child’s music teacher, I respect people who will give it to me straight, don’t you?

From a trainer’s point of view, I can tell you that during the education process the horse often gets worse before he gets better. I regularly see the scenario of a home raised and broke horse, accustomed to marching to his own drum, realising that he’s not the King of the Hill anymore when he finds himself answering to the trainer each day. As the horse shows his displeasure with the boundaries that the trainer sets, things can get a little nasty.

It is the nature of the training process to push a horse out of his comfort zone. Typically, day to day stable activities and trail riding don’t do this. A novice rider doesn’t ask as many questions as a trainer does, and often doesn’t notice when the horse subtly answers “no.” Here are some lessons a horse will learn when sent away to “boarding school.”

Yield to pressure – He must answer “yes” to every request, from the smallest pressure on his halter in the barn aisle to increasing his canter stride in response to the rider’s legs, to yielding to the bit when asked to collect. A prompt response is crucial. Sulling happens when a horse leans into the pressure to go forward, delaying his response or even going in the opposite direction (i.e. rearing or backing up). Kicking out at a rider’s leg is his way of avoiding lateral movement. This is usually self rewarding because the leg of a novice rider pops off with every kick. Adding to the payoff is the fact that he gets to stop and rest while his rider recovers her seat.

Defer to your leader – He must learn to be attentive to the trainer as his alpha leader, waiting for him to make every decision when ridden, fed, or handled. I’m not talking about fear, rather about the instinctive respect for the leader’s authority and personal space.

Try and be there at least once a week to watch the progress for yourself. Ask questions. A wise trainer will know when to take a risk and push the horse out of his comfort zone, and when to wait and let the horse soak in something that he’s learned.

To demand too much is inviting rebellion; to demand too little is wasting the customer’s money.

Main photo: The horse must answer “yes” to the rider’s every request, and accept the rider as his alpha leader. Photo credit: ©CanStockPhoto/Virgonira.