Desperate for help on re-homing my 6 year old TB

From the thread I wouldn't have classed him as an intermediate ride at least.

I don't think the OP has actually answered the queries either way about exactly what veterinary work up the horse has had which is a bit frustrating!
 
I was hoping that the vet checks he has had RE his behaviour would be listed in the Vet section.

I'm not convinced that 'He bucks, bronks and rears vertical when anything spooks him, he gets scared (which is every time I ride him). I have been severely concussed' is the same as 'He can spook but nothing to silly' but maybe I'm being harsh? I've never seen the horse IRL after all.
 
Foxy109 said:
He refuses jumping...............which is what I bought him for. He just does not want to and I will not force him as I feel it is not fair. He has lovely paces and schools beautiful. He is totally unpredictable and get scared at the slightest thing. I have tried everything to re-assure him. He bucks, bronks and rears vertical when anything spooks him, he gets scared (which is every time I ride him). I have been severely concussed but was adamant I could turn him around but I cant. I have offered some outstanding riders to get on him and they don't want to. I am at a total loss.
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the spooks read a bit different to me, ie most of the time they are nothing- like what my 14.2 welshie does, not that he bucks, bronks and rears every time the OP rides him.
 
Faracat said:
I was hoping that the vet checks he has had RE his behaviour would be listed in the Vet section.

I'm not convinced that 'He bucks, bronks and rears vertical when anything spooks him, he gets scared (which is every time I ride him). I have been severely concussed' is the same as 'He can spook but nothing to silly' but maybe I'm being harsh? I've never seen the horse IRL after all.
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Seems conflicting, if he has passed the vet checks the other to check is feed, is it just this time of year? Is he like this with other riders more confident as they will pick up if you aren't confident...

Mine has gone through spells of being a potentially dangerous twit, we've had rearing, broncing, spinning, biting, kicking, spooking at his own shadow or nothing at all, bogging off with me and now while he isn't sane 100% of the time I know the reasons behind his behaviour (has never had me on the deck through this, I tend to fall off more randomly...) His is conficence/feed/sugar/spring grass/lack of work combined and he is becoming a twit again by spooking at everything and nothing again so I've adjusted his work/feed to suit. I also had great support over the last 12 months and he is different horse now. We've gone from the horse that wouldn't go down the drive at theyard in company to one that hacks out on his own for hours, he competes on his own XC/DR/SJ (only little stuff), is fine in company and I know I can go for a gallop round a 20 acre field and have a ball, he also hated jumping and would refuse or duck out and now loves it (TB Green desert lines, now 9yr old, did race) so it is possible with the right management and time and confidence. Sometimes when they shatter your confidence you move on and sometimes you don't, good luck and I would try final furlong as they check their homes too :)
 
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Foxy109 said:
He refuses jumping...............which is what I bought him for. He just does not want to and I will not force him as I feel it is not fair. He has lovely paces and schools beautiful. He is totally unpredictable and get scared at the slightest thing. I have tried everything to re-assure him. He bucks, bronks and rears vertical when anything spooks him, he gets scared (which is every time I ride him). I have been severely concussed but was adamant I could turn him around but I cant. I have offered some outstanding riders to get on him and they don't want to. I am at a total loss.
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How can you pass this horse on? Experienced people who know what he is like will not ride him, that says it all. PTS before he kills somebody.
 
Firefly9410 said:
How can you pass this horse on? Experienced people who know what he is like will not ride him, that says it all. PTS before he kills somebody.
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This!

I really struggle to get my head round why anyone else should be expected to take on a horse like this and if you care that much about the horse, have it PTS, cold, heartless?? Not at all, it is KINDER for the horse. Just harder on the owner.
 
I tend to agree Firefly. If everything has been ruled out, from a pain perspective, then I would PTS. I think somewhere the OP mentioned there is a family tendency to "behaviour", this is not unheard of with TB breeding. I think that the type of rider who may be able to 'deal' with this sort of unpredictability would only be prepared to tolerate it from a very talented horse! There is a regular poster on here who has fairly recently had to PTS a TB, many of us will know who. She tried everything to resolve his issues but after an awful lot of heartache came to the PTS decision, for the safety of the horse and everyone else. Sometimes it really is the only option.
 
The horse described in this thread sounds dangerous. The one on the H4H one doesn't.

Good luck to anyone that takes it on....!
 
"He spooks, is not stupid with it, just spooks and then realises that whatever it is, is not actually scary!! Has reared about 5 times in the last year but only when finding a job difficult (jumping) or when something has really scared him. Does not like jumping. Will buck when having a blast, only through enjoyment but they are huge bucks."


Completely different horse to what you have described on this thread!!!! "He spooks, is not stupid with it" Really?

As you have put that he only rears etc when finding a job difficult or is scared, have you thought about taking the pressure off him and showing/teaching him what YOU are actually asking of him? Or have you thought that due to PAIN, that might be why he is finding the job difficult?? He sounds like a very unhappy confused horse to me and I would suggest you re-word your ad otherwise he really is going to go to a wrong home. Find it quite shocking how you have painted two completely different pictures of what at the end of the day is a dangerous horse.
 
I think the OP is getting a bit of a hard time here. I personally WOULD think the horse she describes in the ad is dangerous, simply from the 5 rears and huge bucks, and to be frank, I don't think she will get anyone interested in him other than for meat or a companion. But even that is unlikely. It sounds as though the OP has a huge number of personal problems to deal with and people are being terribly unkind. Having said all this, I do actually think the horse has pain issues that have not been investigated, and that trying to pass him on as a riding horse is ill advised. But I do NOT think she has been dishonest with her ad.

OP, my honest advice is to get a full veterinary workup done on this horse. If this is not possible due to finances, then either send him to the blood bank or PTS.
 
It's a sad fact that really you need to factor in a vet fund when you take on a TB however cheap it is .
Of course this good sense with any horse but TBs have the double whammy of being cheap to buy and they can be very expensive to keep right .
They start work young work hard while they are still developing they are shod young so are prone to so many nasty issues .
You really need to go into TB purchase with your eyes open .
 
Goldenstar said:
It's a sad fact that really you need to factor in a vet fund when you take on a TB however cheap it is .
Of course this good sense with any horse but TBs have the double whammy of being cheap to buy and they can be very expensive to keep right .
They start work young work hard while they are still developing they are shod young so are prone to so many nasty issues .
You really need to go into TB purchase with your eyes open .
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Completely agree with this!
 
I really hope you can sort something out for him OP. You've had loads of helpful replies from very experienced people so I feel a bit daft saying this..

I've just seen his photos on the horses4homes add and he has 'pointy eyebrows' as in his upper eyelid makes a triangle above his eye. This was always a sign of pain or sincere worry in my mare so thought I would mention it.
 
I think that the OP has just over horsed herself, he is only 6yrs old and will be lacking confidence and guidance, why do inexperienced people buy thoroughbreds, especially young ones? There may be physical problems but I suspect most are in his head.
 
justabob said:
I think that the OP has just over horsed herself, he is only 6yrs old and will be lacking confidence and guidance, why do inexperienced people buy thoroughbreds, especially young ones? There may be physical problems but I suspect most are in his head.
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I suspect because they are cheap.
 
I am absolutely no expert on either TB's or 'dangerous horses' but is it at all possible that he just needs someone more experienced with TB's/ex-racer's?

Perhaps he just doesn't understand what he is being asked to do and is trying desperately to tell his rider in the only way he knows how. Also, many horses go through a 'teenager' phase at the age of six. And by the owners own admission he isn't getting regular work. All of these factors could be making him a very unhappy, frustrated horse.

I just wonder if someone who is experienced with this type of horse took him on and got him in to a regular programme of work suitable for a young TB, you might find he is a different horse altogether. I've seen it happen so many times and this isn't a reflection on the OP, but some horses just don't get on with some humans and are a different horse altogether with someone else.

I just kind of wish someone (not me!) would give him a chance.
 
southerncomfort said:
I am absolutely no expert on either TB's or 'dangerous horses' but is it at all possible that he just needs someone more experienced with TB's/ex-racer's?

Perhaps he just doesn't understand what he is being asked to do and is trying desperately to tell his rider in the only way he knows how. Also, many horses go through a 'teenager' phase at the age of six. And by the owners own admission he isn't getting regular work. All of these factors could be making him a very unhappy, frustrated horse.

I just wonder if someone who is experienced with this type of horse took him on and got him in to a regular programme of work suitable for a young TB, you might find he is a different horse altogether. I've seen it happen so many times and this isn't a reflection on the OP, but some horses just don't get on with some humans and are a different horse altogether with someone else.

I just kind of wish someone (not me!) would give him a chance.
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He might be a different horse but then he might not .
Would you take the risk of getting on him ?
Without a full work up from an equine vet it's just a risk not worth taking .
 
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Having had a quick scan through this, I believe the OP is in Berkshire. If so, there are a LOT of experienced TB people and event people in that area who could do a quick one-off visit as an assessment if behavioural, that is of course assuming pain has been eliminated - I don't THINK that the OP has specified as yet precisely what sort of vet investigation the horse has had.
 
I think the horse deserves a chance at finding another home, rather than people who dont even know him saying he should be euthanised. Its winter, hes not being ridden that much (according to OP) - he might be a totally different horse with summer, sun, turnout and more riding.
And as regards the 'huge bucks', as someone who has ridden a good few TBs pt-pt'ers on exercise, and several ex racehorses Ive brought on for myself, even if a TB does a little minor buck they are so athletic and quick they can be unseating. And a lot of TB types are a bit prone to 'hopping up' in front when they want to go forward and aren't allowed to. With excitement and unsympathetic riding this can turn into a rear.
I suggest we leave the OP alone, or try and help her in a positive manner. She is trying to do the best for the horse, and one persons problem horse is another persons perfect partner.
Good luck Alfie in finding your soulmate.... Im sure theres someone out there for you....
 
Goldenstar said:
I suspect because they are cheap.
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Then they are better off being shot. A racehorse in training is an easy horse, take it out of the right environment and it can get lost in the hands of the inexperienced. I am aware that the OP's horse has not been in a race yard, but he is a young horse that has no real work. I very much doubt that a 6 yr old has many physical problems considering he has done very little in his life, TB's are not made of glass.
 
I do think that is poss justabob but it is hard when I don't think the OP said whether the horse had actually seen a vet.
 
justabob said:
I think that the OP has just over horsed herself, he is only 6yrs old and will be lacking confidence and guidance, why do inexperienced people buy thoroughbreds, especially young ones? There may be physical problems but I suspect most are in his head.
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I would say its more the change in routine and lifestyle that casues issues with ex racers not that they are cheap or people are inexperienced. It is one thing to be inexpereinced and another to not admit it or get help...
 
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