Tinypony
Well-Known Member
This is more common than many realise, and sounds to me like classic for a horse that has spent a large period of it's life living alone. People are suggesting he is a rig - does he mount other horses? Even if he does, most aren't true rigs, but "behavioural rigs" and again often horses that have problems socially with other equines.
My friend's horse has recently been savaged by a very similar horse, because someone left a gate open by accident. Her vets bills are huge and all being paid by the YO, who was devastated. My friend's horse may never be ridden again, as his back seems to have been damaged when he was on the ground being knelt on! We know the horse that caused the damage has been kept on his own for years previously.
I think you are in a difficult situation as a YO, because you can't try any more experiments with other horses at the yard in case they are injured. Also, just putting myself in the shoes of your liveries, what if he gets out again and injures one of their horses? Personally that is one of the rare situations where I might consider suing a YO, because you know about the problem and have a duty of care to your liveries. Also consider that if he does do this again, some human could get injured trying to sort things out. If you aren't there at the time, who would leap over the fence with a broom to try and get him off?
I think that the owners can either go down the route of taking behaviour advice and trying to sort this out. Downside of that is finding a behaviourist up to the job, and working around his problems meanwhile. And - it might not work.
Or, sorting things out so that he can live as he did on the continent, as many have said above. That's probably 24/7 indoors with a little bit of turnout in a secure area. Something I'd almost never be happy with... but... I visited a classical rider some time back who has a stable full of stallions from the continent. He explained how he just keeps them as they are used to, and they all seemed very relaxed and happy. He said that he has even been given a stallion by someone who tried to give it a "nicer" life with turnout etc - and couldn't handle the resulting chaos.
I have to say, I think you seriously need to consider your situation as YO. However much you feel for the owners in their troubles, there is enough history of this horse being dangerous to put you in a very sticky situation if he injures anyone elses horse.
My friend's horse has recently been savaged by a very similar horse, because someone left a gate open by accident. Her vets bills are huge and all being paid by the YO, who was devastated. My friend's horse may never be ridden again, as his back seems to have been damaged when he was on the ground being knelt on! We know the horse that caused the damage has been kept on his own for years previously.
I think you are in a difficult situation as a YO, because you can't try any more experiments with other horses at the yard in case they are injured. Also, just putting myself in the shoes of your liveries, what if he gets out again and injures one of their horses? Personally that is one of the rare situations where I might consider suing a YO, because you know about the problem and have a duty of care to your liveries. Also consider that if he does do this again, some human could get injured trying to sort things out. If you aren't there at the time, who would leap over the fence with a broom to try and get him off?
I think that the owners can either go down the route of taking behaviour advice and trying to sort this out. Downside of that is finding a behaviourist up to the job, and working around his problems meanwhile. And - it might not work.
Or, sorting things out so that he can live as he did on the continent, as many have said above. That's probably 24/7 indoors with a little bit of turnout in a secure area. Something I'd almost never be happy with... but... I visited a classical rider some time back who has a stable full of stallions from the continent. He explained how he just keeps them as they are used to, and they all seemed very relaxed and happy. He said that he has even been given a stallion by someone who tried to give it a "nicer" life with turnout etc - and couldn't handle the resulting chaos.
I have to say, I think you seriously need to consider your situation as YO. However much you feel for the owners in their troubles, there is enough history of this horse being dangerous to put you in a very sticky situation if he injures anyone elses horse.
