Skye's Paradise said:

He needs to be started from the ground up in my opinion. I wouldn't even consider backing him until his ground manners are impeccable. It sounds as though he's pretty much had his way his whole life. A horse like that needs 6 days a week training.

Can't comment on the man hater issue. Probably bad experiences with them has left him sour.

Wish I could help more Foggy. Good luck!

Skye's Paradise said:

He needs to be started from the ground up in my opinion. I wouldn't even consider backing him until his ground manners are impeccable. It sounds as though he's pretty much had his way his whole life. A horse like that needs 6 days a week training.

Can't comment on the man hater issue. Probably bad experiences with them has left him sour.

Wish I could help more Foggy. Good luck!

Coruscant Farm said:

I agree with this, and I'd actually go a step further to say you should probably bring in a professional if you are serious about making this horse into a riding horse at this point. If he's had 13 years of biting and bucking to get his way go unchecked, it's going to take some serious skill to undo those habits that are above the paygrade of internet advice in my opinion (particularly the biting). This also doesn't sound like a horse I think you should currently trust around children; I don't care how "friendly" he can be, a horse that bites could do serious harm to a child (not to mention yourself). I'd start with a vet workup and the evaluation of a professional trainer or two, and see if it's worth even taking the trouble to train him at this point. If you can afford to keep him as a pasture puff if you like him (and it sounds like you can, being he's been doing it for 13 years) and you have the land for another horse which it also sounds like, would it be easier/cheaper to find a horse that's had proper training without the excess baggage of this horse? Horse prices are low right now, it may be worth checking into if it's even worth paying for a trainer.

I definitely wouldn't advise you keep working with him yourself though. I don't mean this offensively as I certainly would have no business working with such a horse either, so I am not knocking your skillset, but there are a few habits I firmly believe are best left to professionals and habitual biting is one of them. A simple change of tack isn't going to solve your problem I'm afraid. If you have to ask on the internet I just feel it would be safer to consult with a professional/professionals vs. chancing you getting hurt.

Good luck whatever you decide, and stay safe.

Skye's Paradise said:

He needs to be started from the ground up in my opinion. I wouldn't even consider backing him until his ground manners are impeccable. It sounds as though he's pretty much had his way his whole life. A horse like that needs 6 days a week training.

Can't comment on the man hater issue. Probably bad experiences with them has left him sour.

Wish I could help more Foggy. Good luck!

Cando Farm said:

The one question I have is, what was his past before? That sometimes does have an effect on the bitting and kicking and not wanting to learn issues. Some horses just like to have another around to comfort them, and some rather have more human attention. So what I always say when you have an older horse and are trying to flip / starter train. Take I bit to understand their way, and why they want it. Figure out their personality, before getting into training and connect a firm bond.

Shingashina said:

Honestly, he reminds me of a horse my mom had 30 years ago. She described her horse as a plain asshole. He could be pleasant on the ground and he was trained, but he had major attitude problems. They used him as a ponyhorse for race horses, and he was a great ponyhorse, but every now and then he had a blow up and had to be reminded at he wasn't in charge. He knew better than to bite or kick anyone, but he would buck and throw a fit if he thought he could get away with it. He was almost untouchable when they got him because he was so awful. They treated him like he was an asshole. He was given unlimited hay and no grain and was an absolute tank. He was ridden almost every day. My mom, who was a licensed race trainer at the time, has never ridden with spurs and he was no exception, but he understood what a good kick in the ribs meant. The bit they used for him was a twisted dogbone semi gag that I occasionally run barrels with. The trick with that horse was to treat him like he was mean because that's exactly what he was. He could be an absolute gentleman over the fence and was fine to catch and tack, but he could be downright hateful if he wasn't under strict control. When we start horses, our goal is to be as light handed and quiet as possible, but he was the one thing that had to be ridden heavy handed.