Any novices over horsed themselves??

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express_75

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Im struggling with my mare at the moment.
Im a confident novice with a 5yr old Section D mare, who is lovely but i feel im not getting the best out of her & myself.

I've lost my confidence in her this week and don't want to rider her. She ploughed my over in the school while i was doing some gound work with her, she barged out of her stable tonight and squashed me against the door, she pulling faces and just being hard work, spooking at tack boxes that have always been there.

I want something i can just get on & enjoy. I feel so upset and it would break my heart to sell her but i have't got the experience to bring the best out of her & she hasnt got the experience to bring me on.

She's 100% to hack out in company (her field mate) but doesn't like the new gelding that has just arrived but he joins us now. I have hacked her alone and shes ok but very hesitant (sp), she's not fussed on going into the school but i have lessons in there every week, just walk & trot, i do school her myself too but because she doesn't enjoy it then neither do i. I feel awful for makin her work.

What do i do? I can't have another year of this as its not much fun.

I wanted her for ever but if we're unsuitable then its bad for us both...

This is SO hard.......

I miss just getting on & getting on with it

Do i sell her & get an older horse that has been there & done it all?

help
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I bought my Sec D x Hackney Gelding at the age of 10 and he was a bit too much then, but I never lost my confidence on him ..... don't know whether I could have coped with him at 5 though ..... it is easy to advise from afar, but I would really think that it may be better for you to look for a horse who's personality is more suited, however hard it seems at the moment
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Good Luck
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I was thinking about selling her to a local Welsh Cob stud. They have an excellent yard & do very well at the shows.

They actually wanted her when i bought her at the WPC sales last year.

I feel sick just thinking about it but im not enjoying her as a should....
 
I did this too. My first horse was just five when I got him, and I was in my late 20's. I went through similar problems as you are now, and in the first six months had a broken wrist, collar bone and ribs - and not all at the same time! It was a classic case of us both being too novice.

I ended up putting him on loan, as I was going to be working away. He went to a teenage girl who had no fear in her (not that he was ever nasty, just green) and they had a fab time together. I got him back one year later, I was terrified to ride him, started very small, just 10 minutes in walk in the school etc, built it up, and gained loads of confidence - we did our first sponsored ride less than two months after I got him back. We're still together, eleven years later. He is still the same character though, very spooky, even just in his own field with the other horses.

Could you maybe have more lessons on your horse, or put her in working livery at a decent school? hat way you stil get to ride her, she gets work/schooling, and it should be a win'win situation?
 
You're story sounds great. Well done!

I've had broken ribs too! lol

I worked SO hard on gettin her settled at the yard in at now and i know she's hate to be moved.

I had my instructor school her while i was out of action with the ribs and she goes nicely it just that because she is green i lack confidence in her & myself. Im not nervous getting on her at all, it just she has such a strong mind that she makes everything so hard.

She competed at the RWS last month & i wonder if this has blown her brains a bit????
 
Grrrrrr. You have every help with Shari hun. Its a case of a novice with a novice. Until you let her know that you are in charge, she wont trust you and, being a mare, will go her own way. Dont forget, she is an entire! Ask Shari or Alex for help, or ring me, PM me in confidence, I will help you
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Well really it's up to you, if you have lots of lessons, discover how to make her less bargey and obedient then carry on, but WC's are notoriously stroppy sometimes (I've owned 8 so I do know) and they always need firm calm handling.
I found the last one I had was such a star to ride I put up with the constant messing about when tied up, the bouncing around at shows before I got on etc and the fact he would barge if he thought he could get away with it.
If however your mare irritates the hell out of you and you want something you can just get on and go, then think about a change.
There are far too many riders struggling with horses they don't really enjoy, I know a few on here have commented how much better they were feeling when they bought something different.
Your mare most probably can be sorted, if not by you then by a professional rider, but don't feel you are a failure if you don't want to go down that route..
If you bought a car and didn't like driving it would you keep it? No, then think logically about it, not with your heart.
I struggled for years and years with a horse that loathed jumping, in the end I gave up, but if I had changed him for something that did what I wanted to do, it would have been different.
Don't feel bad about it, just accept perhaps like some boyfriends, she and you aren't right for each other at this time..
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Thanks Llwyncwn
I PM'd you!

Thanks HenryHorn - Maybe she's havin a bad week?? Im having a week from hell with her

I wish they could talk!
 
I can't give any better advice than what's already been posted (I'm a novice with an older pony) but perhaps give yourself a time limit, say a month, and if you are still feeling the same and things haven't got better I would seriously consider selling/loaning her.

Life is short and horses are expensive - but the buggers get under our skin and make us fall in love. I really hope you work things out whatever decision you make
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I agree putting a time limit on things is a good idea but also perhaps set yourself a couple of measurable goals in that time and get some help so you can see if you are making progress.

One of mine is a 5 year old cob, I got her last year and she sounds like yours, she threw her weight around too when I first got her and has the odd tantrum. I've had several youngsters but never had a cob before (bought her mostly as a companion and to hunt) and was surprised at just how much 'handling' she needed. She's coming on really well now though with really consistent management and never letting her think she's in charge.

If you have/can get the right sort of help I am sure she could improve but if you really are struggling I would look for an alternative. My little mare is startng to be quite nice now but it's really obvious what a monster she could be in the wrong hands.
 
To be honest she just sounds like a typical Welshy
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Hopefully with more lessons you'll become more confident and able to work through the handling and spooking issues you are having. My green Welsh cob was exactly the same, used to spook and spin at his own shadow and was terribly bargy.
Thankfully now he's a million times better
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and if I can manage it. I'm sure you can too. The question is do you want too?
 
You mention a new gelding that has appeared on the yard, has her behaviour declined more since he arrived? Could be a hormonal thing going on with her?
 
I overhorsed myself (with my instructor's help since she insisted that this was the horse for me and I stupidly believed her) with my big WB. He was also very bargy, extemely nappy and too spooky to hack out on the roads because he freaked out if even the slowest car came past him. I persevered for a year before finally selling him.

I might have been ok if I'd had help but my instructor got injured and she wouldn't let anyone else on the yard help me so I was completely on my own and I simply couldn't cope with such a big, nappy animal. I felt guilty and as though I'd failed when I decided to sell him but it was actually the best decision I ever made because I was able to buy my current pony and she is the most brilliant thing on four legs as far as I'm concerned.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I cant understand why some riders choose such young horses, I appreciate that my two are, but I know what to expect. I firmly believe that horses that are 16+ & have been there, done it all & have the experience are far better suited to novice riders. -I accept there are variations to that rule, but so many people dont want any horse that is in its mid teens or later, even though they could learn so much and there's probably 10yrs+ life left in them.

Perhaps it's because my old riding school had ponies well into their thirties who were so much fun to ride. Boris is in his mid twenties & loves my OH going there & taking him round the xc course. Boris truely taught my OH to ride properly.
 
About 6 weeks ago I fell off George again and really thought he was too much for me to cope with, more because of his size and that he is just so sensitive to the vibes I give off. I sat in the school on my own sobbing and texting my instructor saying I would have to sell G, who then promptly started licking my face to try to dry the tears (how could I sell a horse that did that??). Then by a quirk of fate one of my friends at the yard came to me, her horse is on long term box rest and she asked if I would like some help with George. She is a better & more experienced rider than me and I was thrilled she offered to help, so she now has a lesson once a week on George and is happy to come up when I ride and just give me encouragement, and what with that and my understanding instructor the difference is amazing. I am more confident (still wobbly mind!) and George is trying his heart out.

BUT, for me the reason I perserved is because George is such a lovely, kind horse with lovely manners, it is just that as soon as I panic / worry he does too. I think I knew deep down that I couldn't part with him, but like you I just wanted to have fun and not get butterflies every time I thought about riding.

I'm sorry, I don't think this is much help? But I really hope you can sort things out.
 
I think it can be a Section D thing. They are a bit unique, you sort of need to know what you're buying when you get one because a lot of them do have so much personality which often you do have to keep in check. Especially a 5yo.

I got my 15.2hh Welsh Cob as a late 3yo, he was dreadful! He was bolshy as hell (regularily barged through the stable door or gateways), was agressive over his feed, was terrible to travel in the trailer (took a year to get him standing with all 4 feet on the correct side of the breast bar!), would kick other horses at shows and although he was backed (video showed him walk,trot,canter fine) he napped so bad it took me a month to get him into trot. I persevered though and love him to pieces. He still tests me occassionally but generally his manners are fine, he never naps and he's a joy at shows now. But TBH I went out to get a Welsh Cob, I knew they stereotypically can be brats but I also knew they could be brilliant fun which he is. By taking on a young horse let alone a welsh cob, you sort of need to accept that you need to put the work in with them.
 
i did.
I only got my horse because she belonged to a relative.
She kept rearing and running backwards with me. i lost confidence really quick and didnt wanna ride her.
She was an absolute star on the ground, but i sent her back as i didnt want to lose my confidence.
even though i miss her i am now buying a new horse next week and shes a lot easier to ride.
i decided it would be best for her to go to someone experienced who could stop her rather then me who could probably make it worse.
 
Completely overhorsed myself with one a few years ago. But I'm such a wuss I just never sell horses. So I stuck with him, got some lessons with a sympathetic instructor, have cried, shaken with fear and nearly fallen off giggling with delight at successful times. Wouldn't change anything for the world now, he taught me so much more about horses and their behaviour than I ever dreamt that I would know.

He could go on to do a lot more with a proper rider, but he doesn't stand in his stable or field thinking about that! He's too busy eating and being a horse...
 
sorry to hear of your situation.

one thing I will say is that alot of horses will take advantage of a rider/handler who is not confident in one aspect.

I overhorsed myself with Ty but have kept him, perservered and he's turned into a nice horse - just one that is best kept with his mum!

Unfortunately as she's a youngster, if you don't show her the boundaries then you can't expect her to behave!
 
Yep, I had a young unbroken mare, i struggled for nearly 18 months in the end when she almost broke my back i said enough is enough. I also told my OH that i was going to give up horses, my confidence was at rock bottem.

I now have a fabulous TBX gelding, 15 yrs old, real fun but safe horse and i enjoy it again
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They cost far too much to be miserable. .
 
i completley overhorsed myself with my mare. An unbroken 3yr WC XTB was probably not the best choice for a horse after a break of 10 years LOL

It took me a year of teaching her manners and paying 2 yards to break her in (the first did a REALLY bad job!!!!) and me not getting on her for 8 months to make me realise that i hated owning her. I loved the horse that she was, really sweet and gentle on the ground but as soon as I got on her then she went psycho. Anyone else could get on her not a problem - would go like butter wouldnt melt but not with me.

I eventually made the decision that she was going to go and sold her to some family friends where I know she has a home for life and who will definatley be able to handle her should she decide to revert back. She is a horse of a lifetime - just unfortunatley not mine.

Have now decided that im not going to get another one for an extremley long time - just need to get my confidence etc back up. Have just reread this and realised that its REALLY long
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- basically what i meant to say was - everyone overhorses themselves sometimes - its how you deal with it that matters. If you think you can make something out of it then try if not, its hard but it would be the right thing to do for both of you to sell and move on
 
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