Advice please.........what on earth should i do??

I think you should take him to a quiet low key show before u make any decisions. I bet he would be fine :). Do a walk and trot test or a quiet clear round jumping or something and asses then.
My old horse was a gent but OMG you could NOT take him hunting or on fun rides. It blew his brain and he was dangerous. He would bolt and bolt! The last fun ride I did I had to bail out before he bolted onto a main road! The last time I took him hunting it was a week b4 I could walk down the stairs. I ached so much I had to slide down on my bum! He was just awful! I returned home from hunting with both myself and him wringing with blood, mud and sweat and he was still psyco and trying to climb over the horse in front! He would run through barbed wire, jump on other horses he just went insane. I would have dots in my eyes like I was going to black out with the effort of staying on ;)

however at normal shows he was perfect. He was a pro showjumper and a dream xc, not strong at all! He was spooky in the dressage but that was just him :)

I'd give your boy a bit longer. Also it takes ages to fully bond with a new horse I think. A good 18 months to really know each other and feel totally safe :)

good luck
 
This part of what you say in your original post worries me -

skychick said:
He can be sharp, with a mini rear,spin buck if he didnt want to do something....this is fine. I am big enough and experienced enough to deal with it with no problems. He is also spooky...but that doesnt bother me at all.
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He behaves like this on a small scale and you didn't address it then,? in fact you say its fine??? Yet taking him to a Pleasure/Sponsored Ride is bound to excite most horses I would have thought anyone would agree with that. If your horse already behaves badly and you accept this as ok, surely with a bit of adrenaline flying around his systems it obvious that things are going to get worse!!!
I would go right back to basics and try to rectify the bad behaviour( whatever its specific cause) and make him clear to him that you wont accept it at ANY time.
 
if previous owner is happy too I would def invite them to come and see him.

we did this with my boy (had been owned for 4 months by the people we bought him off and developed some issues) on seeing previous owner to this and how she rode the problem became pretty apparent. He isnt perfect but he is pretty bloomin good (thats now 5 years in!)

as you say yours has already improved which is great :)... we had a lightbulb moment about 9 months in and have rarely looked back.
 
You say he is a cob, but not how old. He sounds a lot like my horse. I got him when he was 8, and he was soo immature and naughty, bolting. mini rears, nipping, general bolshy ness. He knew how to press buttons. He scared the bejesus out of me.

Due to financial reasons I had to either sell or loan him out, and thinking that I didnt want to sell him as he had been passed on through 3 owner in 3 years - 2 of these were kids (for pc) and everyone had given up - i loaned him to a girl who had more guts than brains and she wasnt scared of him. He matured so much in the 9 months she had him.

Is there any way you could share him with someone who could be very firm (in a good way) with him, and help him mature? 4 months isn't a lot of time to bond with him.
 
Firstly I admire your guts! He really doesn't sound an easy pony. But as he has shown signs of improvement I would sugest it is worth persevering with him. a lot of it sounds like insecurity and the more work you can do with him, the more he will improve. try some groundwork in the school - longreining through obstacles is a good one to get their confidence up as they lean to tackle things alone..

I can really recomend you look at what you're feeding him as some feeds can send some completely bonkers! Alfa a is one such feed that many do not suspect. I can also recomend you try feeding him a calmer. At least in the short term, then once you've got to grips with him a bit more you can wean him of it... NAF Magic is a good one.

I think you've been offered some wonderful advice and it is worth persevering but perhaps you will have to take baby steps at first and look at just concentrating on him at home this year with a view to taking him out next year? theres no rush...
 
Storminateacup said:
This part of what you say in your original post worries me -
He behaves like this on a small scale and you didn't address it then,? in fact you say its fine??? Yet taking him to a Pleasure/Sponsored Ride is bound to excite most horses I would have thought anyone would agree with that. If your horse already behaves badly and you accept this as ok, surely with a bit of adrenaline flying around his systems it obvious that things are going to get worse!!!
I would go right back to basics and try to rectify the bad behaviour( whatever its specific cause) and make him clear to him that you wont accept it at ANY time.
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I think i may have been misunderstood when i say that its "fine", what i meant is managable without being dangeraous. A typical impatient horse wanting to get going. I certainly dont class it as ok, i just meant that i am big enough on him, im 5 ft 3 and he is 14.2 and i have ridden for enough years to be able to handle it without it getting out of controll. I certainly done think his behaviour is ok, i just made sure that i kept him moving about and away from horse boxes, other peoples horses and any children.
I certainly shall be taking him back to basics.
 
CBFan said:
Firstly I admire your guts! He really doesn't sound an easy pony. But as he has shown signs of improvement I would sugest it is worth persevering with him. a lot of it sounds like insecurity and the more work you can do with him, the more he will improve. try some groundwork in the school - longreining through obstacles is a good one to get their confidence up as they lean to tackle things alone..

I can really recomend you look at what you're feeding him as some feeds can send some completely bonkers! Alfa a is one such feed that many do not suspect. I can also recomend you try feeding him a calmer. At least in the short term, then once you've got to grips with him a bit more you can wean him of it... NAF Magic is a good one.

I think you've been offered some wonderful advice and it is worth persevering but perhaps you will have to take baby steps at first and look at just concentrating on him at home this year with a view to taking him out next year? theres no rush...
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Thank you ever so much for you post. Unfortunately......i feed him nothing. He is just on restricted grass and hay. He is one of those horses that lives on fresh air but still looks amazingly well.
I have thought about trying a calmer....but there are so many and so many peoeple disagree as to whether they work or not, so i havent actually got round to trying out a calmer.

There is no rush with him. So if i scrap the ideas of doing anything this year its no problem. The only problem i now have is that my OH and dad think that he is dangerous, and without their support its a bit tricky (not financially, more time wise).

Stil......going back to basics and things may mean that we work throught the issues and we get to have some fun.....although i think i will give the fun rides and hunting a miss lol!!!!!!
 
WishfulThinker said:
You say he is a cob, but not how old. He sounds a lot like my horse. I got him when he was 8, and he was soo immature and naughty, bolting. mini rears, nipping, general bolshy ness. He knew how to press buttons. He scared the bejesus out of me.

Due to financial reasons I had to either sell or loan him out, and thinking that I didnt want to sell him as he had been passed on through 3 owner in 3 years - 2 of these were kids (for pc) and everyone had given up - i loaned him to a girl who had more guts than brains and she wasnt scared of him. He matured so much in the 9 months she had him.

Is there any way you could share him with someone who could be very firm (in a good way) with him, and help him mature? 4 months isn't a lot of time to bond with him.
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He is a cob x ISH. He has got the strenght of a cob but is quite fine boned etc and no feather. He is 12 years old!!

This is the predicament i am in. I cant afford to keep two. So i etiher have to sell him and save to get another horse. But....issues are.....he would have to go to someone who i was certain i could handle him, and understand that he is a lovely horse but...has his moments.
Or i persevear without the support of parents/OH.
Or i continue with him and scrp the idea of any competitions.

Although i am lucky, my YO is very supportive and would never rush me into making any decisions etc.
 
firewell said:
I think you should take him to a quiet low key show before u make any decisions. I bet he would be fine :). Do a walk and trot test or a quiet clear round jumping or something and asses then.
My old horse was a gent but OMG you could NOT take him hunting or on fun rides. It blew his brain and he was dangerous. He would bolt and bolt! The last fun ride I did I had to bail out before he bolted onto a main road! The last time I took him hunting it was a week b4 I could walk down the stairs. I ached so much I had to slide down on my bum! He was just awful! I returned home from hunting with both myself and him wringing with blood, mud and sweat and he was still psyco and trying to climb over the horse in front! He would run through barbed wire, jump on other horses he just went insane. I would have dots in my eyes like I was going to black out with the effort of staying on ;)

however at normal shows he was perfect. He was a pro showjumper and a dream xc, not strong at all! He was spooky in the dressage but that was just him :)

I'd give your boy a bit longer. Also it takes ages to fully bond with a new horse I think. A good 18 months to really know each other and feel totally safe :)

good luck
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Im really hopeing this is the case....although OH and parents are groaning and shuddering at the idea of me taking him on another outing!!!!
God it sounds like your fun ride was awfull having to bale out must have been horrid. And the hunting sounds absolutely terrifying especially going through barbed wire fences etc....you must have been so distressed.

Fingers crossed that he is better at a show!!
 
You mentioned something interesting, and it is very much like mine. You said he was like a tired 3 yr old child. I have had my horse 8yrs now and he still does things where I sit there and wonder why. He's quirky but managable and there are certain things I do with him and certain things I don't. We compromise to hopefully land in the middle somewhere of keeping us both happy but one thing I have found out about him is when he is tired he is discusting. If you were to put it in human terms then it is exactly like an overtired child. He doesn't get lazy he gets naughty. If I am working on something at home and he starts to get naughty, I know it's because he is getting tired. Also if he has had time off, he is one that you can just jump back on and he is fine at the beginning, then the 'middle fitness' bit is messy and when he is fully fit he is fine again. Maybe not much help but certainly something to think about.
I also did a fun ride on him......once :)
 
Izzwizz said:
First of all well done you and how brave!! My mare had issues with napping when I first got her and over time we have overcome them. I agree with much of what has already been said but one thing I did wonder, and sorry if it sounds silly. You said you got bit by horse flies. Could it be that they affected your horse, I remember years ago seeing a horse running up and down a field for no apparent reason and as I got closer I could see a fly chasing her and it wouldnt stop atall. She was going mad to escape it. Just a thought anyway.

Good luck with your horse and with more time under your belt, hopefully it will come good.
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Thanks for the suggestion. There were horse flies about.....but i dont think they caused this behaviour. He wasnt really getting bothered by them as i had literally doused him in fly repellant before we went and they seemend to be picking on the thoroughbreds that i was with. I only saw one on him that he got fidgety with and that was as i was leading him home. He doesnt have any bites on him either. I would like to think that that was what it was, but also, im not sure they would have caused him to go that insane for so long.

His tack wasnt rubbing nor were his boots and nothing was over tight (i.e girth, boots, bridle straps etc).

I got bitten....but then i get bitten by anything and everything as i seem to attract every insect within a 100 mile radius!!!
 
Cyberchick said:
You mentioned something interesting, and it is very much like mine. You said he was like a tired 3 yr old child. I have had my horse 8yrs now and he still does things where I sit there and wonder why. He's quirky but managable and there are certain things I do with him and certain things I don't. We compromise to hopefully land in the middle somewhere of keeping us both happy but one thing I have found out about him is when he is tired he is discusting. If you were to put it in human terms then it is exactly like an overtired child. He doesn't get lazy he gets naughty. If I am working on something at home and he starts to get naughty, I know it's because he is getting tired. Also if he has had time off, he is one that you can just jump back on and he is fine at the beginning, then the 'middle fitness' bit is messy and when he is fully fit he is fine again. Maybe not much help but certainly something to think about.
I also did a fun ride on him......once :)
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Lol! im gussing fun rides wernt your horses cup of tea either!! :-D

It could well be that he was tired. Although i dont keep him endurance fit, he is fit, and has fantastic muscle coverage. It could be that he was tired. Although, the funride was only a 3 mile hack away and we regularly hack 10 miles....so he shouldnt have been tired untill about half way around it!
Although...he could have been tired before we even set off if he didnt have a snooze in the field the night before, so maybe you could be right. A really good point, thank you.
 
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