Zorro is a 16hh, 9 year old standardbred. He is the sweetest horse on the ground and is just so friendly (he will greet anyone that walks past his paddock). When l am out hacking behind other horses he is really well behaved and can be walked on a loose rein. But if l am trying to school him in an enclosed place or getting him to trot/canter outside of his paddock. He has a problem. He bolts.

Zorro will not even trot in a full circle before he takes off round to his stall. l cannot prevent this as his stall and the tackroom are in the paddock and it is even worse for me if we are outside the paddock because he will take off at full gallop till he reaches a fence. Thats when he will stop.

l have tried and tried pulling him round in a tight circle and also the One Rein Stop but he will just run through it and l do not have the strength to stop him (14 year old girl).

Just yesterday l was getting him to canter a full circle in this open space out of his paddock. His paddock mate and his rider were also there and standing perfectly still. Zorro did the circle and l was slowing him back down to a trot when he took off at a gallop back up a very steep hill and down the other side and only stopped when he came to a fence with a ditch. l did not fall off but lost both stirrups.

l am not scared of him doing this it is just l am really scared that one day there will not be a fence to stop him and he will just keep going.

He is $500.

Should l buy him (l have had him on trial for over a month) on the basis that he might get better?

He would be my first horse (although l have been riding for 7 years).

It would be really sad to see him go because he is soooooo friendly and sweet but l know he cannot be doing this serious behaviour.

Sorry for the long long question but would buying him be really worth it?

Thanks

No. Unless u can afford a good trainer to get him past this. You may have been riding for 7 years but u need to get a horse that u can trust wont take off with you. Its dangerous for u as well as for him. Find a different horse. You r too young to be seriously injured by a horse that has a vice like that. And in todays horse market $500 is too much for a horse with a dangerous problem. You can find a great fully trained horse that wont bolt for that (or even cheaper. l know here horses r going for $75 at auction. And l mean good horses not nags)

On top of that if u take him the owner should be paying YOU to take him, not vise versa!

l would say if you guys believe you were ment to be together, maybe you will be the one to tame him.

l know this doesnt really answer ur question, but l have a standard bred who did exactly the same thing as u described Zorro as doing; he would take off when l was riding in the paddock at a full gallop & would not stop until he reached the top gate & l could not stop him because he is 16.3hh & very strong. A few times l had to jump off in case he hit the fence, anway, l stopped riding him in the paddock the the behaviour stopped, u said you've already tried that though, maybe get some one else (who is a bit stronger) to ride him & then if they cant stop him then l would not buy him. Its up to you.
Weird though how they both were/are bolters!

No, it sounds like he may be a little more than you can handle. You should pick a horse that suits your height and weight so that the horse will feel your commands on his back when you sit heavier telling him to stop! this is a bad habit and i've seen horses that never come back from it. With some really good training it is possible, but you should choose a horse that you are able to enjoy and not have to worry about accidents right from the start. Good Luck

If u want to just go out there & have fun on ur horse, then l would say buy a different horse. That horse will need some serious work with a trainer & if this is ur first horse, i'm sure u would rather spend time in the saddle having fun. He sounds rather dangerous & unpredictable. l tried out a Thoroughbred that was basically free & l wanted him so badly because he was beautiful (and free). But he had two issues that concerned me, he was cold backed ( u would have to sit on him for 5 minutes before he would move) & if u accidently squeezed too hard or if the stirrup hit his sides he would take off. Not my kind of horse! l like to mess around & have fun on horse back. With his unknown past, since she bought him from a feedlot, there was really no hope for a change. So l moved on & got a free unbroke 3 year old. l am training her myself & it is tough because l really want to ride.. but once she is broke l will have the joy of knowing l did it all myself. And l will know where all her bad habbits came from! lol. Good luck & find yourself a nice horse. There r many many great horses out there for really cheap :)

look It is nothing to play with
l know with what u said he is sweet
but he also is dangerous
One day there will not be a fence maybe a road with a car
that will not just kill the horse or even u
but the driver of that car...
well u get the picture
some horses that just r meant for a pasture
and the person should give u the horse free
$500 in to much for a troubled horse

so if u want him for just a friend or a stable buddy then ya but still $500 is to much

but whatever u do be safe

No.Do not ever buy anything, especially a horse if there is any doubt in your mind.You will end up regreting it and not being able to get rid of him, when you do. Find something safe and sound for that money or give a little more. You can find pretty nice horses for that or a little more.

For your first horse, sadly this is not the right choice. The current owner of the horse took up more than half the description box talking about his problem. Unless you have a great trainer, and are willing to be super patient, this is not a good choice. He may be sweet, but an uncontrollable horse is a disaster waiting to happen. Like the girl said, one day there may not be a fence to stop him. He may run up a big vet and doctor bill.

Sorry :( l would keep searching

l dont think so. you are obviously already doubting the situation now and in the future.like others have said, based on the current horse market, you can find a more suitable horse for $500 price range, or even less.
good luck, ;-)

l am sorry to say, but as far as u r concerned Zorro, this is an accident waiting to happen.
The two of u would need some serious lessons from a good trainer. If he behaves like this regularly it is only a matter of time before he slips or runs through something he should not & you're gonna end up with a very large vet bill. l know he is cheap, but he is cheap for a reason.he is badly behaved.
Wait ur time & a more suitable horse will come up for you!!!
Good luck!

Bet this horse came off the track, sounds like he does not neck rein.but to do the correct one rein stop, u have to school them into being flexible to do it---this horse would not have been worked to be flexible in his neck(harness horses r not expected to turn)--so he is not used to turning.You could try working in a smaller space a small circle first for a long time--But my advice as a 32 year 4-H horse advisor, is that u & ur parents should go look at more horses--you r over horsed & would not have the fun on a horse that u could have--$500-1000 right now will get u a 10-15 year old, broke, quiet, fun to ride horse. To get this horse safe for you--it will cost u another $1000--put that into a good horse--- & remember most of the horses r soooo sweet thats why we love them!

You r lucky that u had this chance for a trial--you found out before u put ur hard saved money down on him before u r stuck with him. And its okay to be afraid of this horse--- l think u should be afraid--you could have been in the fence at the bottom of a ditch.

One more thing, u r smart enough to realize this is a serious problem, & it is! You should remember that it costs the same to feed & care for a horse that is fun to ride as it does to feed a horse that is dangerous!!!!! Since u r smart enough to ask the question-- u knew the answer-- believe in ur gut feelings not ur warm & fuzzy feelings, unless u just want to pet him over the stall door & not ride.
Cowgirl Up there r other good horses ready to be ur partner & one with you!!!!!!
Good Luck & check out 4-H in ur area, its a great way to learn & with horses u learn something new everyday!

yes l think u should buy him because im 15 & l also have a stanardbred gelding that also bolts on all my friends his only done it to me once when he bolts u cant tern his head so u just have to let him run it out because his so strong . l would say not to ride him in Ur paddock ride him in a different part of ur adjustment every time so he dissent think that his always going to be ride in there also l would look at the bit ur r using l use l tom tub l think eventually he will get used to u & wont do it as much has he raced? do u know his brand ? stanardbreds r sweet horses his probble just trying u out if his sweet on the ground also try closing the gate so he cant get to his paddock also l think that he will stop doing it if u r no scared of riding him & u get on when u ride him (this helps me) give him a carrot before & after u ride only if he dosn,t bolt that is also if he bolts on u lunge him for 20 mints each way & l would suggest to lunge him every time before u ride & this will help u


hope this helps do u have msn ? let me know if u do & l can help u more

ru rich then yes!

CHECK HIS TEETH. If his teeth have not been floated (rasped) in over one year, he may be due & when u pick up on the rein it might be causing pain = he bolts

CHECK YOUR TACK: if u r 100% sure that the saddle fits & does not pinch. If it pinches him, u will know it when u trot or lope = he will bolt

If u can 100% rule out pain (teeth or tack) then simply:

He is a green broke horse. He is not well broke. So, that means, r u willing to work with a trainer to get him to where he understands pressure?

Hacking behind other horses does not make a horse broke to ride. The horse is just following & ''copying'' the horse ahead = not training.

That is why soon as u pick up the reins, he bolts/freaks out. He does not understand the pressure. So, when a horse does not understand something, it scares him & he MUST flee (bolt). It is in his nature.

This horse needs to be ridden with ONE REIN at a time in a snaffle bit (no shanks). Left rein or right rein NOT with both reins at the same time. At least for 30 days. 60 days would be better. This is how u start a horse. Using one rein at a time.

There r several great exercises u can do. But if you've never started an unbroke horse, u will need help.

This is why he is only $500. Because he is not broke.

Can u get him past this? Of course! The only problem that u have is that he does not understand rein cues & you're rushing him too fast = he gets scared & tries to run away from the pressure.

If you're willing to put in the time & effort to get him started correctly & not rush him, u can restart him & get rid of this problem. And to pay $500 for him would be a good thing, because then u can put more money into him by getting a trainer to help you.

He needs professional training to be restarted before u can then take lessons with him from the trainer.

If u can not get a trainer then forget it. You're not an exerienced enough rider at 14 years old (even if u were an adult, I'd say the same thing) to handle a green broke horse. Find one that is really broke.

l agree with jl_vjthe. :) good luck xoxo

l do not think you should buy this horse unless you know someone more experienced that would be willing to work with him.
Also you should get a vet to check him over to see if he is suffering with back problems. Check his tack as well because this could be causing him pain if it does not fit properly.
If none of the above are a problem good luck finding a more suitable horse.

This answer comes from a similar experience. l had a horse on trial for a month who started bombing off every time he saw something different. l could not stop him either & he would just stop when he'd had enough but l felt like l had not got the control over him that l needed. l was scared to take him out in the open as l knew that l would not be able to stop him if he decided that he wanted to go & l started to not enjoy riding him as it just was not fun any more! l decided not to keep him & thought that it would be really hard letting him go, although he scared me l loved him! When l did let him go l actually felt relief & l found my perfect horse a couple of months later.

Do not have this horse just because he is available. Hold out for ur ideal horse & l promise u that u will find it eventually. If u keep this horse it may put u off riding. l know mine almost did but l am so glad l gave him up when l did or l may have never rode again. Do not buy him in the hope that he will get better as he may not & r u ready to keep a horse for the rest of it is life that acts this way?

l would if u know that u could work him through it my horse had a few problems when we got her l hated her for two years now l love her to death & l would wear spurs when he tries to run do a one rein whoa pull his head almost to ur leg spur him as hard as u can with ur inside leg when he clams down walk him off like nothing ever happend & remember a horse is only running away if u think he is just be calm & u can get through if u can take him on trail rides & fun stuff away from the barn would be good for him but make sure u have someone with u it would be great if u could ride him with his buddy & just walk try to make it fun when u ride him & always end on a good note hope that helped if u want more u can email me