Dangerous mare

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Baileybones

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I really need some advice.

I have a a tb mare who I got 18 months ago. She is stroppy at best and dangerous at worst but I honestly think she doesn't mean any harm.

She came from racing and had a very hard time - broken pelvis, broken jaw etc so is is very distrusting. She has got much better and is really talented and trys so hard.

Every now and then though something will set her off and she will flip! Today I was tacking her up and something set her off and she reared up and the proceeded to smash up the yard, the school fence, herself and her bridle.

My instructor watched her today and has said that she honestly thinks this mare will end up hurting or killing either me or herself.

I can't pass her on and wouldn't dream of breeding from a horse with a temperment like this but I don't want to make a final decision that I will live to regret.

Do you think its possible that this unpredictable dangerous behaviour will stop in time or am I just kidding myself??

Within minutes of exploding she is back for cuddles. She has seen dentists, vets, farriers, physios and chiros.

Any ideas welcomed.
 
Wow thats really not a good position to be in.

If you have exhaused all the options, ie physical problems, then you're really down to a mental issue that may or may not be resolved with training.
But I suspect you have already tried most routes, and if she's only doing this at odd times and you still dont know the trigger, then she's likely to always be this way.
Personally if it was me and if your instructor is right, and she really is capable of seriously injuring you or worse killing you, I would pts.
Sorry it may not be what you want to hear, but as a mother I could never have a horse that is capable of being so dangerous, nor would my consicience ever allow me to pass them on.
Horses are meant to be enjoyable, there is no enjoyment in your horse behaving that way.
Its very sad when its not the horses fault, that some human in their past has made them that way, but even so I still wouldn't take my life in my hands and would still go the pts route.

I really hope someone can offer you possible solutions x
 
Get her checked out by a vet as there may be some underlying problem that is causing her pain. Pelvis injury's can cause all sorts of problems.

ps, just noticed that you have had a vet look at her!
 
How old is she? Is she always unpredictable, or is it worse when she is in season? Is the frequency of her outbursts getting less?

Its difficult to really offer much advice or give an opinion without seeing her, as what one person thinks is dangerous could be someone else's idea of just being a tb mare, but you mustn't put yourself in danger. If you are frightened by her behaviour, then you must think long and hard as to whether she is worth it. But if you find her behaviour tricky but something you can deal with, that's quite different.
 
I really dont think that you have any choice if she is as bad as you say. I feel sorry for you and the mare, but in this situation I would not want to put myself in danger or anyone else. It seems that she has had a hard time in her life and it is not just pain that sends them like this, her mind might be messed up aswell. Good luck, but be very careful with this mare.
 
There are a lot of people on here who will tell you otherwise, but an animal communicator may help? Make sure you find a good one, who comes recommended as, due to the nature of it there are always going to be dodgy ones.

If not, I would say field companion or if that isn't possible, there are much worse things that can happen to a horse than PTS.

Very sorry for your situation, it must be very hard. If you need an AC recommendation, I know of a couple. PM me :)
 
It's a hard one, def not sell on, if you couldn't keep her anymore I would say pts.
Is there any pattern to her behaviour? When you tack up? Any pattern at all could give you a starting point.
You say fractured pelvis and jaw? Do you know the history as to why this happens? I'm wondering if the jaw has anything to do with the rearing and remembering pain.
If I'm honest if she was one I had in to work with I would sersiouly get " thermal imageing" carried out which is cheap and please consider it.
 
Also wanted to add, from the behaviour you have described, it sounds very much that she could be putting others in danger if she's flipping out like that.
I've no idea what kind of yard you are at, it may be private and your own in which case its not so much of an issue, but if like mine which is a busy livery yard with about 50 horses and kids with ponies, that would be a big concern x
 
How old is she and what is she by? Was she turned away before you got her? Are the incidents completely random or is it always when she is tacked up or always when she is tied up?
 
Unfortunately, some horses are a lost cause. Both mentally and physically.
My honest opinion, after trying all options, would be euthanasia. Sometimes no amount of NH or behavioral help can help these horses.
You need to think if she's really worth it, and if it's humane to keep her going if she's that distrusting and dangerous towards humans.
 
Sorry to hear you are having these problems. I had a gelding like this ex eventer who was perfect on the ground however when ridden all could be going well and suddenly he would flip out, in his time he threw me into the side of indoor school, put me over 3 cars,tried to run through a barbed wire fence and much more, you get the idea.

He was 17 and I got him as a bit of a 'rescue' as he had fallen into the hands of dealers. It became clear that soon he would either end up killing either me or himself. I went through all the options but he wouldn't of made a companion horse as he hated being out (from minute he went out he stood by gate trashing the area until brought in) but couldn't keep him in 24/7 for rest of life, and couldn't sell him as couldn't bare the thought of him possibly killing someone else or ending up god knows where being beaten due to his behaviour.

In the end I made the sad decision to have him PTS as believed that would be the best outcome for him. It was speculated that he may have been suffering from either a brain or spinal tumour hence the sudden blind panic behaviour and complete disregard for his own safety. I didn't go through all the rigmoral or exploring this further as he was an older horse it was uncertain what could have been done if it had been discovered to be this and didn't get an autopsy done as at the time too much of a wreck to think of any such thing plus didn't have the money.

Sorry it's not a happy tale to tell but do think sometimes with such issues very hard decisions do have to be made sometimes. But I hope you have better luck and good fortune than I did
 
I knew someone who had a similar experience to you. All the usual checks were done time and again. The vet saw him regularly as he frequently injured himself - often in one of his outbursts. There was nothing obviously wrong with him just that his behaviour was so unpredictable. He ended up hurting his owner.

Having come out of racing with all these issues you really need to think hard as to whether you will make any difference to her. I'm sorry - but I'm doubtful.
 
I had a TBxWelshD who gradually became more and more unpredictable and dangerous to handle, particularly when bringing her in in the dark. She was within days of being pts - we were really only waiting for Christmas to be over- when we changed her diet. We didn't know we were going to change her behaviour (we were trying to cure a cough) but we stopped giving her sugar and cereals and her behaviour changed in 3 days. If you haven't considered this it might be worth a try, otherwise I'm afraid I think you should pts before someone, including possibly the mare, gets seriously hurt.

ETA, it wasn't actually anything to do with the dark, she was just like a drug-addict, ready for her next 'fix'. It's not always easy to work out what the trigger for weird behaviour is.
 
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A customer of ours has just had her ex racer mare PTS - similar reasons, fine often, but would sometimes flip, in her case that meant bucking until the rider was off. Her owner had explored some routes, and took the decision not to pass the problem on - her concern was understandably how could she live with herself if the mare injured someone else?
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I had a TBxWelshD who gradually became more and more unpredictable and dangerous to handle, particularly when bringing her in in the dark. She was within days of being pts - we were really only waiting for Christmas to be over- when we changed her diet. We didn't know we were going to change her behaviour (we were trying to cure a cough) but we stopped giving her sugar and cereals and her behaviour changed in 3 days. If you haven't considered this it might be worth a try, otherwise I'm afraid I think you should pts before someone, including possibly the mare, gets seriously hurt.

ETA, it wasn't actually anything to do with the dark, she was just like a drug-addict, ready for her next 'fix'. It's not always easy to work out what the trigger for weird behaviour is.
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This is a very good point which I forgot to mention, diet can be a big part off behaviour ESP cereals and high sugar feeds. I won't feed any mixes or sugar beet to any horse and stick with low sugar,starch feed. It's made a huge difference to horses iv worked with
 
I think you have to go by your gut feeling. I had the same problem several years ago and I still have her, she still has issues and we work round them, she's now 14. If you mare is young give her a chance, if handled right things do come right.
 
I would say try an animal communicator, I'll PM you some details, but if this fails then I guess if you have exhausted all other animals PTS.
 
I have been in this position twice, once I had the horse pts because he was obviously in pain due to kissing spines and he was very dangerous to handle/ride. The vet had advised that there was not much they could do for the kissing spines and his behaviour was disproportionate to the pain he was in. It was heart breaking, but I did make the right decision.

I have a BW mare, who I have had for 5 years, she is very grumpy and opinionated. However 5 years ago I was advised to have her pts as she was very difficult, exactly as your mare. She has a sacriliac joint injury and in winter is worse as she is stiff and uncomfortable. So I can sympathise with your mare. After several yard moves, she is a different horse and probably one of the safest I know. Although you wouldn't stand behind her!

She would rear and bolt when being turned out, kick out at you, you couldn't catch her without risk of being kicked and she broke numerous bridles. Getting on in the school was a no no, usually end in rearing and biting. I don't think she bitten for a couple of years now! She was so bad the vet was worried for my safety and my friends, YM etc wouldn't go near her and weren't very supportive at all.

She can still be difficult and strong but I wouldn't change her for the world and all the perserverance has paid off. It has also ultimately made me a better person with horses, as the experience has given me a wealth of knowledge!

Good luck with your mare whatever decision you make. Make sure it is your decision and no one elses!!
 
Can i ask how old this mare is ? i had a horse from 6 months old, nothing bad had happened to him etc, sent him away to be schooled at 4 because he was such a handful anyways he was a nitemare, those schooling him sent him back and said pts bolted at anything, ran into barbed wire and traffic and anything remotely dangerous! however due to circumstances he ended up being left turned away for 3 years and brought back into work slowly aged 8 everything from scratch and now, well my daughter rides him he can be ridden anywhere, started jumping and now is nearly a novice ride, he was also very dangerous on the ground aswell as in saddle but now is a gentleman for my 12 year old to lead around !!

maybe turn away for a while and start over again with her building trust :)
 
Given her past it sounds as though she needs some rehabilitation training. Some real natural horsemanship, rework her trust issues.
I certainly wouldn't be thinking about putting her to sleep without seriously trying to get to the route of it.
 
Agree with farriers mum, turn her away for 12 months, on good grass, and bring her back in and rebreak her from scratch, really slowly, spending as much time on groundwork as you do riding.........good luck!
 
It sounds as if she frightens herself tbh. My old chap was similar and i was told to PTS at 6 by a BHSII because he was "Mad". He wasnt mad he was just terribly insecure and needed lots of reassurance. He used to panic under pressure. I found dropping contact and using a really calm voice worked wonders. I had him pts this year aged 32. Had years of fun with him too once i gained his trust but he was only ever a one persons horse...mine. In his later years other people could ride him but only if they told him constantly he was a good boy and put him under no pressure.

By persisting i ended up with the most loyal horse I could ever have dreamt of owning. He was never easy per se but he would have jumped the moon for me had I asked him.

I had him pts in July and I dont think I will ever have the same bond again.:(
 
I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to be in your position. As others have said, definitely don't sell her on. What is it that causes her to act like this? How often does it happen? Does she do it when you are riding her as well? If you can find the cause of the problem, then you can work on solving it. If this fails, and she is still dangerous I would consider having her PTS for yours and her own safety.
 
Could she be used as a field companion or turned away for a while as she has obviously been through a lot in her life and deserves some tlc
 
Sorry about your mare, its a shame my friend had a mare xracehorse on loan but never raced broke her pelvis or hip this was years ago cant remember pelvis or hip , she was grumpy being handled, ie mounting all the time wouldve always just been a light hack i think if i can remember she jumped on a bit of a bend maybe she had arthiritis lovely looking mare the owner sold her and never disclosed the broken hip/pelvis she was alright as a light hack though , happy to plod along with a novice all day .Good luck cant really suggest anything as you are having lessons anyway .
 
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