Dangerous Horse

Can I just say something for the intelligence of horses, which is something that through my experience I have always found to be true (especially when I have needed to believe a little in myself after a particularly bad experience with a 4yo mare who reared and napped and did whatever)

Here is my wisdom….stolen from a very old YO who knew everything about horses (she really did)…

Horses are near on a ton of animal, with minds of there own that should be respected. If they don’t want to do something, ask them, and show them – they might even learn to enjoy it. If they still don’t want to do it, then respect them and leave it be. They will always beat you on strength, but do not underestimate their mental determination too.

This theory has worked for me through various horses that I have owned and ridden. It also worked for a famous dressage horse who was bred to jump but had a career change when his owner realised that he really didn’t enjoy his job…he went on to win the Shearwater 5yo championships in his first year out of jumping.

I think that this horse sounds like it has had enough of being prodded, sat on, poked and whatever. Leave the poor bugger to be – you can’t win every battle, just on size the horse is always going to win. Sometimes you have to accept that the horse is just not right for the job – and in this case if the ‘job’ is being ridden, then it looks like you have exhausted every option.

Good luck – its gutting I know but I would loose the horse before my confidence (or life) any day. Xxx
 
I agree, I also think it's not just a matter of what impact this horse may have on someone's life at some point in the future - there is also the issue of what may become of a horse known as a dangerous rearer. It could end up being passed through various dealer's hands until it ends up in the very worst situation in a meat waggon on it's way to some foreign slaughter house.
I would only ever give away or sell a horse which has real value & should be valuable & loved all it's life, otherwise it's an awful risk.
 
Just out of interest, is there a theme to this horses rearing??
Like in the same place everyday (say going past field gate), or going past the same sort of things(say going past dustbins), or when asked to do something (say turning left or right or jumping)..

Just interested.
 
go for LOU and retire is one option

also look around at other professionals there are some about doing various "natural horse" training levels. I'd try being totally up front about it and giving it away free if someone wanted to have a go. If they pass it on after that on their head be it.

Also known one loon who took to driving, ok it was people who specialised in driving and problem horses who took them and they were always treated with kids gloves as going up in a cart it worse than with a rider on board. (thankfully the horse never ever tried it but they never trust it either).

If all this has failed then yes PTS and I would only try the above if the horse was well beahaved on the ground.

If its a physco on the ground and under saddle PTS really is the only safe option.
 
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I would never put a healthy horse down if is good to handle on the floor.

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Yes, good point as the floor is precisely where you will end up (with half a tonne of horse on top of you). At least if he is destroyed then he will do no more harm and although, in an ideal world, he would loive out his days in an equine utopia, rearers are serious business and not all have any discernable reason for it. Passing him on would be irresponsible as others have said- I was asked to take a horse the YO had just got in to a rally to 'socialise him'. I ended up with 16.3 of irish nutter on top of me. We were walking round the filed with quiet company at the time. Later found out that he had gone over several times with his old owner. The horse won't suffer and neither should anyone else.
 
Just to say 2 things
1. I have been through this - sold the horse on (with full disclosure of problem) and have regretted it ever since....should really have bitten the bullet & PTS

2. If you had a similar problem with a dog (habitually endangering it's owner or other people) you wouldn't have a choice - you would be ordered to PTS...
 
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2. If you had a similar problem with a dog (habitually endangering it's owner or other people) you wouldn't have a choice - you would be ordered to PTS...

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That is a great point to make. If my dog habitually bit people, I would have it PTS. Why not a horse that is likely to kill or seriously hurt someone?

(My mare rears too, but only bunny hops, so we are getting there, if she keeled over doing it theres no way I would ride her)
 
Putting a healthy horse down? I just think its taking advantage of the choice we have of euthanasia.

Let him be a horse and find him somewhere where he wont be ridden.

Its not THAT hard, we had one until a few years ago.
 
But if there was even a 1% chance it would be ridden and hurt I kid - I think it is not worth it.

I would rather kill them all and 99% die early, then the 100% live and a human dies early.
 
My view is put him to sleep, however, if a companion home is a consideration why not spend a few quid on getting him freezemarked with an L for loss of use with "rearer" underneath it.

It's just a thought, I've never heard of anyone doing it. This way he is clearly marked that he is a problem. No-one will unknowingly ride him and he would be very difficult to sell on.
 
I would never put a horse to sleep unless for a physical reason whereby it was the only option.

I would never ever kill a horse simply because it didnt like being ridden! I personally think its selfish that just because a horse doesnt fit in with what WE want it to do then it deserves to die. Ive had a rearer so I do understand however he only did it in particular situations, I sold him to a new home where he didnt encounter these situations anymore and he's the happiest horse now and the owners love him.

If I had a horse who was so dangerous that he couldnt be ridden at all, then I would keep him as a companion or sell him as a companion (there ARE people out there who will take bigger horse companions). If your worried it would be sold on as a riding horse then loan it out so you can keep an eye on it all the time! Simple.

Please do not put the horse to sleep, we are very lucky most horses dont mind being ridden but of course there will be the odd few who it simply does not suit. As usual, Im shocked at how many people on here straight away would kill the horse when they dont even know the entire story.

With regard to people comparing to a dog who bites someone - that is TOTALLY different!! This horse only rears when ridden (I believe?) therefore if its NOT ridden the horse is presumably NOT dangerous! Whereas a dog who bites, well there's nothing you can do about that (if you know what I mean).

Don't put the horse to sleep - You owe it to the horse to at least try and find it a home elsewhere who dont want to ride.
 
I know some people this being PTS is not a fair option but personally i'd rather that than have it on my concience that it hurt someone else or got sold to someone who beat the hell out of it for its bad behaviour, or it was miserable out in a muddy field with me resenting it for costing me so much money just to stand in a field for 10-20 years, or worse that is went from its companion home to a ridden one and thus the cycle starts again and someone else would be having the same torment deciding what to do/spending £££'s trying to find out what was wrong when its all been done before
 
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