> He had 60 days as a 2 yr old (previous owner) < Oh yikes. . . way too young to be under saddle.
>and has had over a year off.< Good for you to let him grow up some more. > I've been riding him almost everyday for a month or so now (He'll be 4 > next month). < How long are you riding him everyday? Are we talking half hour sessions or an hour or two at a time? I'm wondering if he could be tired? He's still a relative "baby". The growth plates in his body won't be completely fused shut until he's 5 or 6 (with the spine being last), so maybe he's just giving you as much as he can right now. How is his weight? > I have ridden him in his pasture and in a riding ring (all with bad > footing and tons of grass and bushes in the way making riding most horses > a bit more challenging.) < Well, the good side of that it's probably a lot more interesting to him than a flat, round and round ring. : ) > On his own, in the pasture, he either walks or gallops mostly. I rarely > see him trot or slow canter out there. < Maybe the trot is not a "strong" or easy gait for him. We had a mare that had absolutely no trot what-so-ever, over ground poles (she'd trip), doing serpentines or circles, deep snow, you name it. > > I know what you mean about the cues, the thing is, I get the sense he's > afraid to move out, but I could be wrong. You could be on to something. He may not feel secure in the gait to begin with, and then, with a rider REALLY feel off-balance or insecure. >For the first few weeks of getting back to riding he was veyr nervous >under saddle (wood chewing while standing at the fence, throwing his head >down, high head, and pawing.) but is finally comfortable at the walk-halt >now. Also he'll sometimes slow down when I him to move out. Hmmm. . .. Do you trust this horse? I ask, because I've seen people cue a horse to go faster, but then subconsiously, hold them back with the reins. They are apprehensive of what a young or new horse may offer in a faster gait, so they cue to speed up with the seat or legs, but then don't follow with the reins, even pulling back a little bit. Have someone watch you next time you cue him. I had a friend who didn't know/ believe she was doing this until she saw a video of herself. She was just floored. Keep us posted Karah, Renee M. up in Michigan. P.S. Love the spelling of your name BTW!
