Ok, I bought this horse yesterday and this morning I saddled, mounted and went out the barn with him and he flipped.
The horse and I was fine ... I double checked the tack, mounted and went out the barn again. He flipped.
I went to the old owner/trainer and questioned him on this and he said ... he just started doing it after the last race. Now he tells me.
He raced 4 times and not a problem, he hasn't raced since because of him "flipping" on all the riders.
The old trainer said no-one will get on him even to train on the track.
He flips before they get to the open gate.
I do my own riding and such and I want to help this horse.
Any advice on training this horse?
Tack, methods, ideas etc?
Tomorrow I'm going to saddle him in the grass padock and mount there, see what happens.
Thanks, Melissa.

Is he cold bellied?
Try saddleing him and working him in the round pen before mounting him.
Also have his teeth checked, if the bit is hitting his wolf teeth he may do this.

Running W, do not ride him, you'll get killed. Running W, he tries to flip, knock him over, he'll quit really fast. Do not be harsh, do not use harsh words, do not get angry. If he continues to do that, use a flipping/gate halter. Who trains that horse, you should take him to the stewards for not disclosing the information. No wonder weirdos run abundantly at the track, NO one seems to take those important matters up. It sounds like he was ruled off the track for his flipping, I hope you aren't trying to bring him back, gotta think of the riders. Most trainers don't have a lisence to train, but a lisence to butcher horses and murder jockeys.

Thanks for the posts.
I had his teeth done today. And x-rays of his spine. I'll have the x-rays in a day or too.
He didn't mouth the bite as much as yesterday ... so I think he did need the teeth floated.
After the x-rays .. I saddled him in the grass padock and he was fine. I mounted and he was fine. Took him to the ring and he was fine.
I tried something ... took him back to the barn tacked and mounted walked in took a few loop's around shed row and walked out the door and he flipped.
Does this sound like a sight problem?
This is what I'm thinking.

I talked to the jockey today and he told me .. the last time he flipped he was going into the gate for a race. He entered the gates without the jockey. The jockey will ride him again .. but feels the previous trainer slacked on gate training and the horse got hung up on the Equi-cizer and has a problem with this now.

He has an issue with doorways/enter/exits it sounds like.

I'm still going to have his eyes checked just incase.

The horse did fine for the first 3 races .. no flipping and then all of a sudden started this habit. Something's changed.

BRD .. the horse isn't ruled off yet. Once this
quarantine is lifted .. I'll be the taking him to the gates myself.

I'm going to practice on my 2 horse bumper with tack tomorrow see what becomes of it for starters.

If you have further suggestions please post them.

Thanks, Melissa.

Well, put a gate/flipping halter on him, take him to the gate, do NOT ride him in, have a helper on the front end, with a chain or rope, and make him stand in there like a gentleman, he will NOT flip in a gate/flipping halter if used properly. Taking him out like that would be very dangerous if he can't pass this test. Once he realizes he can't go up SEVERAL times, then get on him with the gate/flipping halter. It's much safer knowing he won't split your head open like a watermelon with the halter on. Be sure to bang the doors, and make all the pre-race noises, that way he won't kill his jockey next time out. I'd suggest doing this at the track, that way you have the gate crew who have experience in this, and an ambulance close by.

Will do! Thanks.

And if all that fails and you are still determined to try - use a raw egg. Try to have it body temp. When he comes up to flip break the egg on his head. He'll think he hit his head and is bleeding. It's supposed to work.

Yes, I've heard of this before.

Although it would be hard for me to keep the egg from breaking while in a pocket. Or remember to grab the egg in dire straights.

I did the bareback thing for the past 2 days with him ... and used a hack instead of a bit.
He did fine. 25 mins of riding each day.

Thanks for the post, Melissa.

We always used a thumb tack upside down on the top of the halter, we would just leave the halter on under the bridle. Get a small balloon, fill with water and pop it on the tack.

He throws every now and again... but hasn't gotten the "rise" in three days. This is a good thing.

I'm using a "bit-rig" with the saddle and tight side lines with a crupper.

If anything he'll have a stiff neck.

Thanks for your concern.

Melissa.

I figured that.

Can someone explain what "flipping" means? I do not know horses that well... my soon to be step dad has one but i have only rode it. So I am wonderding what that means in horses.

one person can take the time.... and there is no such thing as "quick fixing", this horse is "marked" and will be forever .. kinda like a "dangerous dog" report.

But, he's not quoted "dangerous" yet or ruled off.

Just no-one willing to "take a chance" to ride knowing what he did a few times.

I take chances all the time, I'll have him ready to run in 60 days ... and all the time and money, I hope will pay off to the good, another chance to take.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

I put him in the Equi-cizer this morning for 8 minutes then rode with racing tack 1 mile at a speedy gallop ... he was too tired to think about flipping. Tomorrow he will swim for 5 minutes and can relax in the hotbox afterwards.


Melissa.

Hotbox? I know the jocks DREAD it, not sure why you'd put the horse in there. Generally we just apply heat where needed. Horses are NOT hot weather animals and putting him in a hotbox(? not sure I've heard of one for horses) can definitely zap his energy and fluctuate his electrolyte level, therefore leading to crampings, a sodium/liquid imbalance, and set you back more than sixty days if he were to contract a cold with his supressed immune system.

pictures of the flipper

another

another pix

pix

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