Bit of advise please?

LivingTheDream92

LivingTheDream92

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have had my new boy (first horse after a very cheeky New Forest) and lets say he has taught me ALOT in the last 6 months of having him, just not in the best way. after him having "no vices" on buying him he proceeded to buck, rear, rodeo, nap, kick, bite and bolt, all of which, at 10 years old, i was told he had never done before. after a full body check and a weeks bute test (which proved he wasnt bucking out of pain, but just because he wanted to)

but through all this he has improved my seat, confidence, ability, and i love him dearly regardless.

the problem is that i want to compete, and he very clearly doesnt. i recently found out the previous owner already knew this but sold him to me anyway even though i said i eventually wanted to affiliate him. his advert didnt warn of any of this and now i have a difficult decision:

i adore him even though he is an arse, and i dont know who would want him if i advertised him honestly anyway. i would never lie in an advert, saw too many of those when looking. but i was planning to event him next year and he really doesn't seem to want to do it. he will jump huge and brave and do medium trot and counter canter at home, but as soon as you take him out he just refuses tiny fences and almost flat out refuse to do XC fences. at 10 i think he's very very green! i have tried every type of riding i've been advised and he still refuses to work well out at shows, indoor or outdoor.

any useful advise?
sorry about the length of the post!!
thanks
 
Not a lot of advice but my boy is pretty much the same. Have had him since he was just turned 4 (now 7) and within about 9 months he was jumping 1m at home yet refusing tiny fences at shows and trying to bolt xc. I don't think it's badness as he loves going out it's just like he gets stage fright!!
I know it's frustrating though, it would break my heart to ever sell him but when he's being a t*t at shows I start to resent him for it!
 
i know what you mean smirnoff, because he's so good i want to take him out but it just seems pointless! he doesnt even step over the fence after refusing, you have to do another run up so thats even more frustrating!
i know he's not bad, he gets excited out hacking and jumping so he bucks then, and during flat work its just stubbornness and wanting his own way. he's like a little child! XD

it just feels like we're not going to get anywhere. he hunts beautifully so the XC doesnt make any sense, i just woder if he would be better with someone that doesnt want to compete, but if they didnt want to compete why would they want to put up with vices every day just for a happy hack?
 
Why not leave the shows for a while. Get a brilliant instructor (if you don't already), hire out local xc courses/ show jumps / as many different arenas as poss and have some lessons at these places.

If he has this talent and you love him so dearly I'd keep going with him for a little longer. Get him going well away from home with no pressure for either of you, before you start competing again.
 
madhoss
i have an amazing instructor who has brought us on brilliantly. we rented XC, have done tiny clear rounds indoor and outdoor and i dont take it seriously or get nervous so no pressure on him. i'm not doing anything big or testing, he gets more of a test at home than out and rises to the challenge amazingly! the problem is finding out the previous owner knew. she had him two years and after two years of hard work trying to get him competing she still couldn't. :S
thanks though, any suggestions wont be ignored! :)
 
Could you bear to change what you want to use him for? Two things he and you might really enjoy are Long Distance/Endurance Riding, or hunting. I never did LDR properly but enough to know that it really brings out the best in horses - and almost any type can do it.

My father was what nowadays would probably be called a horse whisperer or healer. Hunting was our life, and we had horses sent to us - usually totally jaded dressage or show jumping horses, to try and revitalise them. Hunting did just that, and I used to compete at Pony Club with them as well.

It might be a big leap of faith, but it could work, and you love your boy, so don't let him go.
 
Can you join a riding club and go to lots of rallies, comps etc, everywhere where there are lots of horses and it's exciting and new. They should hopefully be supportive and help your horse get used to being out and about. You could aim to get him out once a week to do something or other.

Or you say he's good at hunting, maybe sell him to a hunting home?
 
Noblesteed-i'm part of a local RC and have been going to their little shows, getting out is hard atm but a new box will be sorting problem soon :)
he has been competed regularly over the last 2 years and still wont do it, resulting in his sale to me without warning me of this.

rose folly- i love the atmosphere of hunting but i cant bear the foxes being involved and theres no drag hunts around my area. i am taking him to a LDR in november which has a big group and fences so its not that different to hunting which i'm really looking forward to :D
 
I think I'd give competing a miss for now and invest your time and money into some quality lessons, or even pay for someone to school him for you if you're still having no joy. He has plenty more years ahead in which to compete.

If you love him, which it seems you do, keep him and give him the chance to redeem himself. If, after trying everything, he's still not playing ball, then I'd sell him on as a project for someone.

Go with your gut feeling, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision with your boy!

Good luck! :)
 
OP, I think it would be worth popping into the hunting board and asking about hunting. Post ban lots of traditional hunts are now drag hunting or trail hunting. You could also look for a bloodhound pack as they don't chase animals, only runners!

Hunting might be just the career for him and you might find him a perfect home via the hunt if you get him out and about now.

You could also look at team chasing. I know someone who had a grade A show jumper who went stale and refused to jump at competitions and he found a new lease of life team chasing and was very successful.

Or what about doing dressage or trec or showing or endurance for a while.

Trying a new discipline might mean that you find something you are both happy to do or it might help you sell him to a good home for decent money so that you can buy a horse that can help you fulfill your ambitions.
 
Also you don't say how long you have had him..... it could be he improves when he is more settled with you..... especially if his behaviour is due to previous bad experiences with the old owners.
 
madhoss- i dont want to sell him, i was just wondering if it was best? or if anyone had ideas to improve him?

mytwofriends- i am having brilliant (and very expensive :S) lessons with a top dressage rider in my area and he goes great at home so its hard to get him to improve when he's not playing up at the time. i know he's not old its just more the amount of time that has already been spent over tiny fences and still with no luck. at 10 he's a bit set in his ways for a project.
i've got a baby show next weekend and i'm renting an XC soon so will see what will happen.

its helped just having a little vent anyway so cheers everyone XD bringing him in this morning after being away for a week made me so happy and i gave him such a fuss, it was just a shame finding out shortly after what his previous owner knew, i just wish she'd been honest, but then again if she had i probably wouldnt have my lovely boy :)
 
Katt- i've had him for 7 months and we're really starting to bond and trust eachother after a few very testing months! XD i just worry that if he didnt improve over two years i might not be able to improve him either?
though she was dishonest she isnt a bad rider and is doing well with her new horse, but its true i dont know what bad experience he might have had over the last 10 years.
 
Aww! Well if you don't want to sell him I'd persevere for a while longer. He's clearly capable and in horse terms 6 months isn't an awful long time for him to have settled with you. I understand completely that you are worried because of his old owner's struggles with him, but you are a different person, you will be trying different things and the two of you will have a different relationship.

Do you have a jump/xc instructor with you when jumping away from home?
 
discipline-wise i have had my heart set on eventing since i was tiny. i tried dressage with him but the amount of flat work made him nearly uncontrollable, jumping calms him down, i'll look into the hunting stuff thanks :) i love the atmosphere, just nothing seems to be around, i know the bans on but its not really regulated in my area unfortunately :(
team chasing sounds fun :) not sure whats around my area but will look into it :)
 
maddhoss- the price of my current instructor makes it pretty hard to have another one, but i have an experienced competitive friend helping me with his jumping, unfortunately she lives halfway on the other side of the country and only comes down occasionally!
 
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