Help with training stubborn horse

[Allen]

I have a Four year old Gelding that was sent to a trainer for 90 days, then was turned out for about a year. I bought him and he was hard to catch, but if i want to work with him i catch him at morning feeding time. My problem is he run's backwards when he see's the bridle and saddle. He is getting better with a saddle, but still having a hard time with the bridle. I have been using a tom thumb bit. I need some suggestions to break him from running backwards and taking the bridle better, would appreciate any advise . THANK'S

[appychick]

Hi Allen,,, I have a couple suggestions.. what i would do is i would hang up a bridle right next to your horses feed bucket. then he would get used to it.. and everytime you go out to your pasture, take the bridle with you, if u can pet him, then just leave,, that way he knows if he sees the bridle he wont always get caught. if he still wont come up to you, then go out to the pasture with a bucket(the bridle too) with just a couple handfuls of feed in it, then once he eats just pet him, and let him leave when he is done without catching him... this might work, it might not... but its worth giving it a try...

[Brooke]

I've retrained many horses with this problem. The problem is not the bridle. It's what the bridle means to your horse. For starters horse trainers that only train for 90 days, rarely do good for a horses manners. They are in such a rush for money, they skip alot of important steps. The bridle means vigoris work to your horse. He figures out 90 days of work, the bridle was there . A year of turnout, bridle not there! You need to begin by making lose this idea. Turn the bridle and even the saddle into something rewarding for a while. Put the briddle on, go for a walk, don't even get on. Go to a nice grassy area, let him eat. If you don't want him to eat with the bit in, put the briddle on over a halter, in the field slip the briddle off and let him graze a while. Put the bridle back on. Maybe let him graze with the briddle the first couple of times. Also the days when you are just brushing him in the barn, put the briddle and saddle on, then take them off! NO work. After he stops the association. He will stop avoiding them.