Ever felt like giving up on your horse? *Long feeling sorry for myself post*

Cortez, I was referring to myself as being a she, not you.
Sorry if I ruffled any feathers as I'm certainly not normally one to do so.
I just feel (maybe unjustly) that the OP was under attack and I dont feel it's fair considering he/she is only seeking some advice.
Apologies if I have offended anyone as that was certainly not my intention.
 
Glad I'm not the only one! My haggle was brill when first bought her now she used to
Buck every time i asked for canter, it turned out to be number of issues: being jn season was making het back soft(had marble fitted) and her teeth where HORRIbLE I found out on Monday, no wonder she was playing up so much! She is still her stubborn self just with less bucking now ;) things happen but in the far it makes you a better rider and owner, I found this out  stick with him I'm sure he will come out a new pony !
 
I have felt exactly the same. I almost sold him but when it came to it I couldn't do it. Please persevere. It took me a while but things do get better. I am doing things on him now I could never have imagined doing. He still has the odd buck but they don't bother me anymore. Good luck, you will get there x
 
Gusbear said:
Cortez, I was referring to myself as being a she, not you.
Sorry if I ruffled any feathers as I'm certainly not normally one to do so.
I just feel (maybe unjustly) that the OP was under attack and I dont feel it's fair considering he/she is only seeking some advice.
Apologies if I have offended anyone as that was certainly not my intention.
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Don't apologise, your original post was spot on and lots of members feel that way.
 
Oh yes! If we could have ridden her well enough to sell her in the first 6 weeks we probably would have.
Then we moved yards and she improved considerably (although we seriously considered abandoning her in a field on the way). We kept her for another 25 yrs until she was pts at home aged 33.
She could always be argumentative but she was one of the most affectionate horses ever, so worth persevering with. We learned more from her than from any other horse we've ever had.
 
Well you can't give up until you know what you're giving up on.

First things first, find out what's up with him (sounds like there is some soundness issue) see if that can be resolved, take your time, better to listen and learn from a horse or a bad experience rather than putting it down to giving up, not being good enough etc sounds like the horse could have a un diagnosed problem, could be something really simple or something that has never been looked into in the past therefore will take longer to sort, Id say give him AND yourself a chance.

Tomorrow is always another day and you may feel very differnt when you know more about what could be going on, couple of months away you may be in a differnt situation and be back with a big smile and progress report ....if not, well at least you tried, then decide.

There's always people out there that will help with the hands on stuff, just having the patience n right folk to find out what issue us first.

Good Luck
 
Cortez makes a lot of sense.

You bought the horse as a "project" which as we all know often translates into "trouble on four legs." and in which case needs experienced handling.

Having said that, as a novice myself I bought a difficult horse three years ago:eek: and on more than one occation if someone had handed me a gun, I could of easily shot her!:mad:

She's great now and my horse of a lifetime and for life.;)
 
I have one like this, however he has a way to earn his keep as a hireling, so when he bucks me off at home because he's bored/fresh/pleased to be out/has a sense of humour I can suck it up, get back on, take a deep breath and think of the money. He has had everything checked, and ironically does it less in a worse fitting saddle, perhaps as it gives him less freedom, and NEVER out hunting. I fully admit to doing my first few rides after his summer holiday in a horrible saddle!

I do this for a living though, and tend to land on my feet or my arse, which is well padded.
Do bear in mind that some just do it, so if all pain related things are checked, well, he might just be like that.
 
Like everyone else, I think once the back & saddle issue is sorted, you should get in some help. I think the idea of getting a pro to teach you how to lunge is a great one too. It may be that with some help he's your ideal horse. Worse case scenario, even when schooled he might be too much for you. But you won't know until you give it a try.
 
Cortez said:
Cortez is a. definately NOT being disparaging, and b. not necessarily a "she" :-)
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i believe i referred to you as a she and whats more, got your name wrong as well. Not sure what made me think you were female :o

my apologies!
 
dafthoss said:
Why dont you get some one to show you how to lunge him properly, it will help him build up the correct muscle and you can see any tension. An instructor will also be able to help you decide when to get back on him and possibly will ride him a few times. If he has a good personality then I would carry on with him and sort his physical issues before getting some one to help you to start riding him again.
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I think that is such a good idea. With my horse, unable to find a saddle that fitted him and not wanting to hurt his back any more until I did, I got my instructor to help me lunge him (I had done it a few times on other horses, but without knowing anything). It helped so much. Both with exercising him and rebuilding his muscles, but also with us working together.

I hadn't done any ground work with him or seen him moving and I had to work quite hard to get him responsive to my voice aids. I got to know him much better in the month I didn't ride, and he began to respect me much more. Now I have a saddle that fits and am relaxed pain free horse, but I have also learnt a lot in the process, and continue to lunge him once a week.
 
Always Henesy said:
Good grief! I was wondering how long it would take before we got the "over horsed" comments. :rolleyes:

I have a 17.1hh ex point to pointer who I am having to get NH help with as he likes to nap when you ride him off road (still in the racing mindset).
Does this mean I am over horsed?
I have been riding over 30 years and am a very experienced rider, but I still have confidence issues - especially as I am a mum to 3 children now.

OP - I understand how you feel. Ditto getting some outside help and spend more time bonding with your horse. Don't lose heart.
Be absolutely sure there are no pain issues first and then get someone with bags of confidence and experience to help you get started.
Sending you much support and wishing you only success and happiness with your new horse. :)
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I don't want to throw a spanner in your works Henesy, but racehorses in training don't tend to nap, the lads soon sort out such problems as they have enough to do without horses taking control!
I am however interested to know what method your nh trainer uses to stop napping, I will try it!
I got one "behaviourist" out to mine, she said he was unsettled due to moving, yes I guessed that. and would take up to a year to settle [hmm], when asked about loading problems, yes she could load him, but not until he has settled in!
The advice was to lay a trail of apples and carrots up the track where he was napping!
I seem to recall this "sweet horse" mucks about when being led out, to be honest, it sounds like a major problem which someone has "got rid of".
 
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RubyFrench said:
I was sold him as she said she had no time for him, or the money. He was only a project as she had brought him 7 months earlier as a hack, and then stopped riding him due to "other commitments", so he had been out of work for a while. Theoretically I wouldn't have thought a horse would need reschooling after 10 weeks off, but as I said I suspect it was a lot longer due to his condition, and it also raised a thought that "I wander if he had been doing this with her, hence why she is getting rid of him". I hope that wasn't the case.

Victoria: Re- needing support. I am on a livery yard, but go up at quiet times due to my shift work and wouldn't really know who to ask for help :(

I know horses aren't perfect, and owners gloss over the minor details when selling them but I have discovered since having him that a) he is not brilliant at hacking on his own (granted I have never rode him, only lead him the route we usually hacked, and he would call out, jog, go tense, then relax, then repeat!) infact, he does this when leading him to the yard sometimes!! and b) he is not easy to catch, previous owner said she kept a head collar on him for convenience, i now know she was lying. this isn't a big issue as i can quickly grab his head collar and clip his rope on, rather than chasing him round the field!)
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This doesn't sound like first horse material to me. Project is sometimes shorthand for 'needs a producer'. If your budget is low it will get even lower paying out for back people and pro riders and you will spend a lot of time on the ground.
Put him on ad lib hay and look around for a livery yard with resident trainers, you need to train together. Good luck:)
 
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