Am i just panicking or have i bought the wrong horse?? :( sorry very long!

[482739]

My ginger Tb mare took ages to settle, like you two moves in 2 weeks due to reasons. year later & she trust me so much. Hacking it took her such a long time to settle, i spent the majority goign backwards & then any pressure she would rear. So i took a step back gave her 2 weeks off, we did fun things in the arena, building up a bond.

We now have a system of hacking & jumping she wears a hackamoore - she knows this is fun time & her bridle is 'work' time. Sounds silly, but i think she appreciates to know whats coming.

 

[Waffles]

I got a new horse (my old one which I had for 17yrs died in april). He's young and not been ridden much. I had him just over 3 weeks ago and am spending time leading him out in traffic as he hasn't seen ANY before - he is doing really well, but I think (and I am in no way an expert by the way!) that getting a good relationship on the ground first is the way forward - especially if you have a food orientated horse - that can work wonders! (i.e. treats for good bahaviour, lots of hugs and things if they are that sort of horse) - when they get to know you and really trust you, they will do pretty much anything for you (within reason!). Good luck! Planning to start riding my new horse very soon though!

 

[YasandCrystal]

Two months is no time at all. My best horse ever, my horse of a lifetime was a nightmare for the first 6 months. She would not hack out alone or go in front, she bucked, wouldn't stand to be mounted, would blow her lid if asked to stand still for more than a few seconds, buck really high then throw herself back into a rear, you name it, she did it. But gradually she settled. She grew to trust me. When hacking out, if she wouldn't go past something she would run backwards or spin and tank off, but I would get off and lead her past. Then face getting back on her as she pranced around! But then, after 6 months or so she was great. I could take her anywhere (except past the lama field), which she would still, years later want to canter past! Anyway, she turned out to be the best horse ever. I could hack anywhere on her and jump fences from a standstill out of thick undergrowth. Just anything I asked her to do, she would do. So just hang in there and keep building your relationship with her. Don't do battle. Show her you understand her anxieties, and she will learn to respect and trust you as a reliable leader.

Ditto this. 2 months is no time at all. It took me 2 years to really get to know my mare properly. You don't know what the previous owner was like as a rider - she may have had ill fitting tack - maybe they just didn't gel together. I wouldn't get too hung up on the history. Frankly what person would sell a horse they owned for 7 years in a sale??? Very weird I would say!
Get some help or continue to get help from your YO and do not despair - stay positive. All will come good in the end

 

[Annagain]

Again, I would say to give it some time and just spend some time getting to know her. My boy took a good 6-12 months to settle properly. He'd been moved from pillar to post all his life and I think he was just expecting to be moved on again so didn't want to form a bond. 6 years on he's not perfect, in fact he's a bit broken so can't jump any more, but I'm so fond of him I can't bear the thought of selling him so have started doing dressage and TREC instead so I can keep him! If you'd told me that two months after buying him, when I was so terrified of him that the sight of a trotting pole in a lesson had me in tears, I'd never have believed you.

Also I'd take the old owner's version of things with a pinch of salt. People have very different yardsticks and "taking off and bucking" to one person could well be going a bit faster than usual and having a little yeehah moment because it's exciting, or it could have been down to a problem. If you'd seen my friend's horse the other day you would swear he was the devil himself with the bucking and plungeing he was doing - but the reality is he's an angel who's put on a bit of weight and whose saddle was pinching. Saddle sorted he's back to his normal angelic self.

 

[Jazzy B]

this may sound harsh - but if you arent confident on her having moved her to a yard with company then she doesnt sound right for you. After 2 months Id expect to be making strides.

You have to ask yourself are you happy to put work in and more importantly are you confident enough to? It sounds to me like you wanted an easy, safe horse to hack, which isnt what you've got and there are loads out there. This is meant to be fun, its too expensive not to be. If you dont think its going to work out then there is no shame in admitting it, Ive done the same, listen to your gut instinct and ignore those who criticise, you probably know deep down already anyway. If on the other hand you are willing to accept you dont have what you set out to get but are willing to work on things with help, then brilliant, these things are never a quick fix though and could work out expensive with instructors and time, and ultimately you may always have a horse prone to napping.

I agree with NeversayNever, listen to your gut instinct - I had a horse that every bone in my body told me that I had made a bad decision from the first time I tried to hack him out on my own, the relief when I sent him back to his owner was huge (as only loaned him)!