Am I stuck with him?

[GeorgeGuns]

Let downs.. the gal that ws going to buy Rio and changed her mind changed it back and he went to her place a few weeks ago. Thought all was going fair, I'm over there weekly, wanted to make sure she was on the same page that he has been started on.. didn't happen. He "doesn't like" them. My sweet gentle boy came home today with major TUDE. Bugger reared on me while loading - only smacked my hand, but that is enough to wake me up, lol.

Now here is the odd bent on the situation. After he reared, he may have realized that he hurt me, cuz he made a very fast change and ended up loading with a lot less fuss. Now the story I got is that he was uncontrollable, kicking (he was, I saw it, they did nuthin about it), and basically unapproachable. Yes I did not have a typical easy time with him today, and I had to get his attention.. but I got it (yeah, after he darned near broke my hand!) and he was merely upset and never offered to kick at myself. Well, yeah, I bred and raised him. Of course I was the one that caught him today. Am I stuck with this 4x Hilachas boy????? My guts tell me I might not should have barked up the concentrated H tree, its going to have to be quite a particular person to by him? Is this "welcome to seller-land"? Should I let his papa whoop his hiney for even thinking of having such an attitude? Blame the humans?

Well, Rio is back, he's ridable as far as I am concerned, I finally have my TRAILER on the road, and just in time for fall colors!!! I'm looking forward to readjusting that tude, cuz frankly, that horse is a lot of FUN! Better luck next time?

[reuben T]

Typical horse that needs an actual horseman to take him rather than just a wannabe horseman, that trainer i ran into reciently runs a school teaching people how to train and ride safely and properly, that's what people need to handle the horses that need a little more of a horseman to handle them.
That's actually what makes horses so versatile, some so easy a child can handle them, and some that challenge the most experienced.


http://kinseyhorsetraining.com/staticpages/index.php?page=startemright

It's odd that it seems to take more than experience sometimes, some people can get horse handling expertise from experience and some don't, there's people who'v had and rode horses all their lives and don't do it safe or right, and those kind can't handle horses that have certain issues or need a more skilled handler. Sometimes, (frequently maybe) the people who have the expirence but not the skill don't recognize their lack and therefore won't take steps to supply the lack. Or they're just not seriously into horses enough to really want to be good. Guess thats why i jumped right into wild mustangs, i was serious about learning, + I've dug into all the horse training material I can get ahold of, gone to all the training seminars i can get to, and I've learned it, but it's taken some time, quite a few years actually.

[GeorgeGuns]

Good points, thanks. And some folks are focused on the ride and the ribbons.. ah well.
I saw that website from your post in the training forum.. :smile:

[appyday]

Did you sell him? Had he been paid for? Was it a trial? Thats just wierd.. When I buy its mine.. :-?

[Linda Y]

It is possible that he just didn't 'like' his new owners. I have had 2 that I couldn't get along with no matter how hard I tried. All the ones I have now I just adore, and they all seem to like me, are completely trustworthy and a joy to be around.
Some years ago, my friend had her elbow and a rib broken when a horse (not one of ours) spun and kicked her in the pasture. Just the other day, she asked me exactly when it was that she quit being afraid of being around the horses. I told he it was when we got all this current bunch of great horses we have now.
Horses have likes and dislikes. Just like us, they can't get along with some folks. Rio will find 'his' person when they come to look at him. He will let you know.

[motorgypsy]

They do definitely have likes and dislikes. He just hasn't met his person yet.

I would indeed put him in with "dad" if dad is up to it. Brilliant is in with dad and now dad moves away from dinner when Brilliant tells him to. Very funny. Brilliant isn't agressive either - just pushier than dad (age 13) at age 2. (No he's not gelded but SloughP is a gelding and is dominant over both the stallions).

[pasoglide]

I will not got near a Hilachas horse . Maggie was three or four times
Hilachas and she was very hard to bond with .

[appyday]

I will not got near a Hilachas horse . Maggie was three or four times
Hilachas and she was very hard to bond with .

I just sold a double Hilachas horse to an older lady...they get along great..the mare makes some funny faces but thats all..very easy to get along with and very laid back.

[SandyMM]

Hilachas bloodlines - you like'm or you don't. I try to steer clear of male line Hilachas because of gait issues I have seen.

[Kerry W]

My mare is double Hilachas, and she's an absolute dreamboat! I never try to guage a horse by it's pedigree alone, there are far too many variables, that determine what a horse is like. I bonded with mine immediately...only took ONE cookie! :lol:

[GeorgeGuns]

LOL - at least you guys are putting a smile on my face.

Gait problems with H horses.. now that's the first I've ever heard, I'd always heard it was a fine gait line. I am sure it also matters what other horses are mixed in there.

Personally I adore their intellegence, and the bonding power. I guess for someone that wants a horse to just "do what I tell ya to" these aren't the right ones at all!

Shelley - he was paritally paid for, she took him home already to lighten my load here, and Domingo had gone with him for that reason too and to hopefully make it an easier transition for him.. didn't work. Both are back out with their buds now, acting like nuthin ever happened. (Of COURSE they cut up for a while. Pesquisa is out there figthing everyone off of Domingo... ) Papers are still with me.

[Terry Wallace]

Hilachas was VERY trocha Coreen...and yes, it sounds to me like a "welcome to the real world of horse selling".

I wouldn't blame Hilachas though...sounds more like lack of training.

The market is so bad here....I just heard today that a sizeable, long-time breeder in Utah is selling broke & ready to go horses for $2,000 that is a giveaway price....

There is a broke Paso down the road from me (no papers, but purebred) and TALL...14.3HH+ for $700...yep..seven hundred. I'm trying to help that lady get papers but who knows???

The economy and the market are terrible out here... and with a hay shortage we are faced with this winter...it can only get worse....DARNITALL..... ;-)

[motorgypsy]

Our largo mare is PPR plus Hilachas twice. Her gait is amazing. The faster she goes the more even and smooth she gets. She is very spicy and hot and quite smart but when Kyle had a potentially catastrophic fall when the saddle twiested under her she was a complete angel. Give me Hilachas with the right mare and I'll have a real keeper!!! Plus she's beautiful!!!

[Terry Wallace]

I got nuthin' against Hilachas blood... I have one here...the best trail horse on the place...and also very trocha...but I do NOT blame Hilachas!
Its the BRAIN of the "Hilachans" I like a LOT.....

[Moniece Dickerson]

Already PM'd ya but once again don't worry,the right person for Rio will come along ;-) .Your friend,Moniece

[CarolU]

I happen to love Hilaches blood and everyone here, except Baby and Bruiser have it, Rosie has it X2. I love the intelligence and 'smarts' of these horses, but have to agree they're not for everyone. You either enjoy the challenge of outsmarting a horse, or you don't like being outsmarted by one... ;-)

Coreen, I think it sounds like both, a few holes in his foundation AND people that aren't really 'into' a challenging horse. They're not for everyone and many of these horses can become very beligerent when forced to do something....but ask, and they'll follow you through fire.

You'll find the right home for him...patience. In the meantime, work on that foundation some more.

[GeorgeGuns]

Yep. Sometimes ya just don't know what the challenge will be until the horse goes to someone else entirely. The loyalty of these horses is amazing, but can be problematic too. The worst thing here is that he isn't getting exposed to other people/horses unless i trailer off - which is gonna happen in the near future! Anyone who wants to come by and be exposure is quite welcome! In the meantime, he's acting like he never left, "what attitude, mom?" oh brother. Believe me he's getting a good refresher and then some.

[Jasfino]

The worst thing here is that he isn't getting exposed to other people/horses unless i trailer off -

Boy do I know that feeling. I cant help but put myself in the horses shoes.. so to speak in every situation. Horses are such creatures of habit that a move to them to a new home probably would be much like us being"kidnapped and held at a new location". I'm weird.. I know... but I think of crazy stuff like that all the time.

[Terry Wallace]

Jasfino...you are RIGHT On with your thoughts.....and that is exactly what many a horse suffers from. They don't hardly ever leave their property, and when they get sold, and hauled to the trails somewhere..they are a wreck about it.....I'm working with a horse like that right now... he was never taken out of his "element"..never hauled to trails anywhere.

You really don't know what you have, until you take these horses out of their element, haul them to some trails, get them around other horses and see how they are.

Its a great test to see just how "well trained" they truly are.... Especially horses who were never ridden by themselves...even at home.... never got the most basic of training...which is taugh to be able to ride out by themselves...no other buddies, barn-sour actions not allowed!!

[Jasfino]

which is taugh to be able to ride out by themselves...no other buddies, barn-sour actions not allowed!!


I ran into this with Jasper early on. I would lead him out away from his buddies and he would spook and try to get away from me.. call to his buddies etc. I knew then he was buddy sour.. and so I never tried to ride him out until I got him comfortable just walking out with me to the back of the farm. I talked about this with my farrier who is one heck of a trainer.. and I told him I wish I could pony Jasper out with one of the other horses. He told me it would be better for me to teach Jasper to trust me .. instead of getting used to going out with another horse. In that case .. if I didnt gain his trust and relied on the other horse.. in the end.. I would have a horse that didnt want to go out without another horse. So it made sense and I took his advice. But.. I have never had the chance to take Jasper off the farm.. so I do understand that he would react very differently under those set of circumstances... especially if he didnt trust and have confidence in his human. The one thing I have learned from working around these horses is...You've got to get the horses mind before you get the horses confidence. So I try to put myself in the horses shoes.. think like a horse.. in order to try understand whats going on in any given situation.

[DebbieS]

Listo is Hilachas on the top. He had major trust issues when I got him. He had been with the same herd (mom included) for his entire life (he was 8 when I got him). He had been abused/neglected so I could see why he was that way and didn't push him.

It took a year for him to trust me at all. Now, I wouldn't trade him for anything. I don't think he would do well with most people, though. He is not friendly toward people at all, very aloof. I've come to accept it but most people wouldn't like it.

He is all business. No funny stuff. Very smart - when given a new problem, you can almost hear the gears in his head turning....

He never says 'No'. Just... 'let me think this through first'. He's taught me to be very patient.

[TrueStepPaso]

That's sweet Debbie....sounds like he's very lucky to have you. Those are the best relationships...when you both completely understand each other, and accept everything for what it is....