Diary of a first time horse owner

JenJ

JenJ

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Well, thought it was time to move on from the old thread as I'm not quite so rusty now, and I'm a horse owner rather than just a rider!

Friday

Handed over the cash, and became a horse owner for the first time, 20 years after starting riding, and after a few shares along the way.

Saddler was up to fit a new saddle and sort all my leatherwork out. Just as when I went to a saddlery with a budget of £50 for a bridle and kept picking out the £200 Stubben ones (before leaving empty-handed in a huff), today I ended up with a more-than-£50 Mark Todd one...

The saddle she thought fitted best was a second hand Black Country one. After satisfying herself with the fit, I got on to test it when riding. I wasn't quite dressed for riding, being in jeans etc but only planned to do a few minutes. The saddle felt nice but I was more bothered with the seam on my jeans digging in!

It was the first time OH had been to the yard and seen Jack (formerly known as Ronan) and Jack decided to put on a little display for him by bucking me off. He had previously spooked at something on one side, and this time round slammed on the brakes, threw his head down, and lifted his back legs. I landed flat on my back in the (thankfully soft) sand and rubber.

I didn't get back on again, but don't think it really affected my confidence. The saddler thought it may be as he is a little cold backed and he had no numnah on to insulate him from the cool of the leather saddle.

We bought the saddle anyway, as everyone was happy it was a good fit. I haven't ridden him since, but he was used in the school over the weekend and I have yet to hear of any more bucking.


Tuesday

I had been away all weekend, so hadn't had a chance to see Jack for a few days. As I left home on the bike, it started raining, and within a few minutes was chucking it down. By the time I reached the yard an hour later, I was soaked through, and decided not to ride as I didn't see the point in getting Jack and all my new tack wet for the sake of trotting in circles for half an hour.

Instead, I had a little bonding time with him, and groomed him and picked his feet out for the first time - he's a complete dope on a rope in the box, and ever so sweet. Sorted out some of his new stuff, made notes on sizes to get more new stuff, and spent yet more money, this time on the livery bill. I think I've already got used to the money drain!

As I left the yard, it stopped raining...
 
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From Friday. It was a bit of a flying visit so please excuse the civvies.

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Hi just to say that I left a post some while back suggesting you take pics of Jack 'naked' for future use - now is the time!! Also left a post there re use of your tack, contract with school re working livery etc. Hope they are useful.
 
Aye, TFC moved it for me :D

I did see your other post jojo, and it's a great idea. I'll take some pics at the weekend when I've got some daylight! As for tack, at the moment I'm of the mind that if the saddle is the best fit for him, it should be used by anyone, but I reserve the right to change my mind...

Jen, feet are pretty fine now. They were never that bad, but with 70 miles to go, they wouldn't have lasted for long! No regrets anyway, I marshalled the rest as I should probably have done in the first place.
 
So, after chucking me off for the second time in two rides, Jack was visited by the back lady last Friday. He was prescribed a couple of days off, two days walking, then a few days of walk/trot. No cantering until she'd seen him again.

Tuesday

I arrived after work, and he'd just been fed, so I didn't get on him. When I was grooming him though, he got very fidgety when I was doing his back, so I thought it was just as well I didn't ride.

Thursday

I had planned to do the walk session, but when I was grooming him (avoiding his back) the YM asked if I was planning to ride, and suggested that I leave it and let one of the instructors get on him tomorrow, as he may be a bit fresh after a week off. I happily agreed, and walked him in hand for a bit.

Sunday

So, today I was determined to get on him for a walk. I asked if he'd been ridden on Friday/yesterday, but the most of the Sunday staff hadn't been in those days. I asked to borrow the saddle that had been used beforehand on him (it was only in the new saddle that I'd been dumped) and went to tack up my lovely new horse.

I got on ok at the mounting block, but then he didn't want to walk towards the schools. It was as if he was scared of something, and felt very tense and wouldn't move forward. I let him stand for a moment and asked again, then repeated this a few times. Then he decided he would move - his back end up. He bucked a few times and I managed to stay on, but quickly realised that he wasn't going to stop broncing until I was off, so half fell, half dismounted, managed to land on my feet but then ended up on my bottom. Luckily this time I didn't land on my back, as it was concrete rather than the sandy surface of the school.

One of the instructors walked past shortly afterwards, and I explained what had happened and asked if he would get on and walk him on a lap of the school, as if he was testing me out, I didn't want him to think bucking = work over. The instructor was a good few stone lighter than me, and Jack was fairly ok. He put his back up a few times, but no bucking or antics. He still looked tense though. After a minute or two the instructor jumped off and I put Jack back in his box. Yet another failed attempt to ride my first horse.

In two weeks, I've sat on him for a total of about 15 minutes, and on all 3 occasions I have been dumped. I don't know what to do. I love the horse to bits, but cannot afford to keep him forever as an unrideable pet. His back is still clearly causing pain, but what if the back recovers but he still remembers the pain and acts up accordingly. I want the horse that I tried out, not the one that's making me scared to go near him. It's silly, as he is so sweet natured, but everytime I go near him I'm losing confidence.

Luckily today I had a hack booked on Tom afterwards, so managed to build a bit back, but it seems ironic that a month ago I was going to share Tom, but wasn't confident enough to take him on. Instead I bought a prefect confidence giving first horse, yet it's Tom who's restoring my confidence after Jack wrecks it!

I'll have a good chat with the yard on Tuesday, when people have returned from holiday, and see what to do. I'm guessing more time off until the back lady gets here. But even when/if his back is fixed, I'm now too scared to get on. How can I work through my issues with riding him when I can't even stay on for a minute?
 
Absolutely agree with the others on your other thread - however much you like this horse, he may well not be right for your first horse as an owner. Only because you need to enjoy this experience and really feel deep down that you look forward to being with your horse and riding him. In these early days you should be building the foundations of a great relationship with every encounter, rather than chipping them away. Sorry to say all this but as everyone says you might need to make a decision sooner rather than later, if you are to get a refund of your pony pot.
Have posted this on your other thread too. X
 
This sounds like a bit of a nightmare situation that you are in - sorry to hear that.

Sorry I have come to these posts quite late so don't think I have fully caught up so apologies if I have got the wrong end of some sticks!

Did you get him vetted and blood taken - wonder if he was on bute whenever you tried him to mask any pain.

I know master saddlers can sometimes get it wrong, but to the degree that they have if this is indeed what is causing the back pain to such an extent that his first reaction is to buck you off then should they be calling themselves master saddlers? The saddle has to be appallingly uncomfortable for a confidence giver to go from normal to you can't sit on my back in such a short time with no build up to this, and should never have been sold to you, would love to know what the saddler's verdict is.

What has your back lady said, does she think there could be any underlying problems? And did you speak to your vet before the back lady came, as they might have an idea (plus it's the law :D) as to what could be causing these problems and that maybe the new saddle is exasperating this problem.

I know buying a horse is a risky business but by the sounds of it he hasn't moved homes since you bought him so shouldn't be having settling in problems or has he moved? Have you had it long now or is there any room for comeback from the people who sold it to you as it does not sound like a perfect confidence giving first horse to me?

Do you know if anything has happened in one of the schools - you say he is on working livery I am guessing that is where the riding school use him for lessons, the fact that he is reluctant to go into the school would shout a warning to me especially as it can't be said that you have been drilling him in the school to make him completely bored. Would get him out of working livery as fast as you can.

I know it's horrible when you lose your confidence with a horse, that happened to me once and took years to come back from it and I still don't ride with the confidence that I once had and that was after being sold something not just a little tricky as had been led to belive but downright dangerous!

Good luck with any decision you make and I really hope it all turns out ok for you as he does look a stunner!
 
Thanks all. I know the (unanimous!) advice makes sense on paper, but in reality I'm not ready to give up on him yet.

It seems that he hadn't been sat on Friday/Saturday, so when I got on on Sunday, he hadn't been sat on for a week, and last time it hurt. So there may have been an element of fear there (and I'm no lightweight), and possibly a hint of him taking advantage of the situation!

I've got a private lesson on him on Thursday, I will borrow a back protector and buy one at the weekend.

Some of the people at the yard are being very helpful and have been lunging and riding him the last couple of days. Back lady gave him the all clear yesterday, so there's no real reason why I shouldn't have a successful (but quiet) lesson tomorrow.
 
Hi Letslip. He was vetted (2 stage) but no bloods done. He'd been at the riding school (they do some dealing too) for a couple of weeks, and I'd ridden him 5-6 times (including a day ride) before making an offer. He was always going to stay there on working livery, so even putting aside the fact that I trust the yard, it wouldn't be in their interest to cover anything up to get a sale.

The back lady and vet both said his back was a bit sore when I bought him, but the back lady visited again yesterday and said he was now fine.

He has only been used in the school a couple of times so far - partly as he's new and partly as he's had a week (or almost two now) off so the 'working livery' is currently more of a title than reality!

I'll see how it goes, but I'm getting a lot of support, and want to make it work. If determination counts for anything...
 
Progress of a sort tonight, and what I consider to be good news.

I'd booked a private lesson with L, who was determined to get me some confidence back and start me bonding with Jack. I'd spoken to L during the week, and he'd ridden him a few times without any issues. He and the YM had also had a good look at the saddle, and both considered that it fit well.

L got on and rode him first, so that I could see he was fine and get rid of some nerves, and also as it was his first time in the indoor school. I though he looked a bit tense initially, but then he started to relax. Walked, trotted and cantered on both reins, no problem. Then after about 10 minutes he suddenly bucked and stopped dead - likely to be the cause of me coming off previously as my seat isn't strong enough to defy gravity! Leon stayed on fine, but immediately he saw why I was having issues with doing the same - it's the stopping dead that ensures the fall, not the bucking.

N had by now joined us, and noticed that the saddle was rocking and bouncing at the back - right on the area where his back had been weakest. She then got on so L could have a look, and he confirmed that the saddle was a problem. It was also agreed that I wouldn't ride tonight!

His back was been given the all clear from the back lady last Monday (I received the first invoice from her yesterday, and saw she was one that I've known of for years, and is very highly recommended on here), so the only cause for his behaviour was down to naughtiness or the saddle. As everyone kept saying the saddle was fine, I was starting to despair, thinking that I was doing something really wrong, but now it is clear that though the saddle fits when he's standing still, it doesn't when he's moving. Combined with my weight in the saddle (more than a few stone above L & N) it was too much for him to continue nicely, hence the dumping.

Tonight's revelation has given me a lot of confidence back - both in him and myself. He isn't a demon horse, and I am not a (completely) useless rider. There is simply a saddle issue.

We'll send the saddle back, and get a lightweight one that fits him perfectly. For the next couple of weeks I'll have private lessons on him, taking things slowly, and then venture out with a kindly babysitter for some quiet hacks.

L & N are two of the people whose experience I trust most at the yard, and today was just the first time they'd seen me with him. Both are willing to help sort us out and, *IF* the worst comes to the worst, find me another perfect first horse. I want this one though...
 
Glad to hear that you are making some progress with Jack.

This saddle business however is very worrying and any master saddler worth their salt should see you ride in the saddle you are looking at to buy, I don't understand why they didn't, I find that appalling and unacceptable.

How did you find this saddler, did someone recommend them to you, if so I would be very wary about taking any further recommendations from these people, plus was no one from the yard around when the saddler was there to help you re this and maybe ask why you hadn't ridden in it?

Moving forward with the saddle, are you going back to this saddler for an exchange or demanding your money back and going to another saddler and this time please make sure that you ride in this saddle.

Saying this though I have now read all your posts - which I found very enjoyable by the way, and you mentioned in one that he had bucked a couple of times before with you when out on a hack, I presume this was before you bought this new saddle, so although I can imagine that the saddle is causing some problems he obviously had this buck in him before and that to me is not a first time confidence giving horse, either that or there is something very wrong with either his teeth or something down his neck/back/hindquarters that has been causing him a large degree of pain!!!!!!!

You have obviously fallen in love with him though so I really hope you can make it work but if you don't maybe shop around a bit further a field this time to ensure you do get the confidence giver you were after.

Hope to hear on your next post that all is going well he has been a dream and weren't we all wrong about him! :D
 
Hi Letslip, yes he bucked a couple of times out hacking. We think he had a bit of a sore back when he arrived, which then got worse when he worked hard, then with the new heavier saddle it was probably the final straw! I did ride in the saddle with the saddler watching, and another person from the yard was there. That's when he first dumped me. I must admit my head was all over the place at the time, as I had the biggest event of my life happening the next day. With hindsight, I shouldn't have arranged the fitting for then, rather taken my time another day and really grilled the saddler, but as it was, her saying it fitted was enough for me. My inexperience shone through that day unfortunately.

She is used by the yard, and I will get the new saddle from her, but L will deal with it and ride in it, hopefully with N there too watching closely! I really do trust their judgement with Jack, and both have been a great support, particularly over the last few days.

I have also had some very helpful saddle fitting advice from a very lovely person on here, so feel a bit more knowledgeable now.
 
Did the yard buy this horse in as a school horse originally or did his previous owner put him there to be sold? It would be useful to find out about his history prior to your first encounters with him. You say that maybe he had a sore back when he first arrived which has been exacerbated by harder work than he is used to - how come he was sold on with a sore back to the yard? Does he have a previous history of bucking? Perhaps that is why he has found himself looking for a new owner? I know it is hard if you really like him but it may not be the perfect situation as I mentioned before.
 
Haven't got any advice but i wish you all the best with your new neddy. Most owners go though teething problems and it sounds like your doing everything you can to iron them out. Carry on with the lessons, keep the back persons number on speed dial and perhaps get your saddle fitter to come out a little more often.
If you feel he's the right horse for you then persevere until you feel you can't go any further.
I'm glad your not the type that gives a horse back because it looks at a blade of grass the wrong way!!!
Stay safe and wear as much protective clothing as possible.
Good luck :)
 
Woop woop! Still at the yard, but briefly, I rode my horse and didn't get dumped!

That's the first time I've ever been able to say that!
 
Hi JenJ

How is everything going - hope Jack is behaving and that you have the saddle issue all sorted out and now able to enjoy riding your horse x
 
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