George was seized by law enforcement officers and then awarded to a rescue organization by the courts. The rescue knew nothing of his history - not what he had been used for in the past, how he was treated, or whether or not he was even broke to ride. George spent the first few months in a foster home gaining weight and recuperating.

After George gained weight, someone test-rode him and found out he was broke to ride, but they said he was very rusty. He moved to The Equine Behaviorist's barn so she could work with him.

After letting him settle in, The Equine Behaviorist started working with George. She quickly discovered that he was not so rusty - but he was very insecure when being ridden. He was not spooky and did not jump or bolt, but when asked to do anything new - like step over a pole on the ground or cross a dry creek bed - George would hesitate, sidestep, and even balk the first time. Once he did what was asked of him the first time, he would do it again and again without hesitating. He was leery of anything new, but once he learned that it would not hurt him, he was willing to do it again without question.

Since he was so insecure, The Equine Behaviorist decided that George needed to see anything and everything she could find: tarps, small jumps, barrels to weave around, cones to turn around, etc. The more he saw, the more his confidence began to grow and the less unsure he was about new things.

George's issues with easy to handle - he just needed to feel secure with his rider, and he needed to see a variety to help build his confidence. The more he was ridden, the better he got. His rider did have to remain steady and a nervous rider would make George more nervous. A harsh rider who reprimanded George for balking instead of urging him forward would have also made George more nervous.

Before long, George was a nice riding horse who was able to step out with confidence.

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