Ex-loan pony readvertised - Would you say something?

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jennywren07

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I had a pony on loan a month or so back. Advertised as a sane sensible type who could be a bit cheeky and needed a firm hand on the ground. Good to hack, load, travel, clip etc and owner confirmed he could live out would stable but would kick the door and fine in a mixed herd.

So he came home we ended up getting him rather late on the bank holiday (she was ment to drop him off but apparently her tow car broke down) when we got there the owner had popped down the road to print a loan agreement so we waited about for her and when she got back she pretty much thrust his stuff at us popped him on the trailer and off we went. She had no hay for him (i know we should of had one but we'd just unloaded from a show and forgot we'd taken it out) but said he'd be fine to go without. She mentioned he prfered to travel facing backwards but would be fine

So off we set. he was a bit bangy to start with but settled untill we were on the M1 when all hell broke loose. He somehow managed to break his rope get under the breat bar turn and into the opposite side on the trailer by going under the breast bar again and started rearing up at the back ramp!! Never been so scared in our lives had to jump out on the hard shoulder and shut the 2 back doors.
Finally got home in one peice and kept him in and though that the end of it.


kept him in that night and turned him out the next day, where he proceeded to chase down and rape a yearling mare (actually penitrating her!!) then chase her down and do it again. We removed her and let him get to know the rest of the herd and he had a go at mounting a few other maresb ut got told off for his troubles so gave up.

We reintroduced the yearling with the same result so kept her in tduring the day and him in at night for a couple of days, his behaviour got steadly worse to the point that he was ramming the gate when turned out and jumping out the stable when in seeming to get back to the mare. Owners only suggestion was the mare should kick him?! or we should sedate him!!

Eventually decided he had to go back, contacted owner and put him on the trailer with another horse where he lost the plot and broke the breast bar forcing his way out!! we called the owner again whos only suggestion was that we drive to her get some ACP dope him then travel him back which i wasnt prepared to do.

Eventually his owner arranged for someone to collect him 3 days later who revealed he had smashed his way into the living of a horsebox before


Now ive just seen his owner readvertise him with the same adver as being good to load etc on FB and im wondering if i should comment and say something? or just keep my nose out?
 
Since you have seen the pronlems first hand i would say something yes

But wait until her thread has a few replies and sge isnt watching it as closely so give it hours/a day then post your comment. Everyone that gets notifications by email and who commented will get the comment then even if the owner deletes the thread
 
I was in a similar position, little gelding perfect childs pony etc. Went to see it, it was a nappy lil poo with attitude and bit my sons finger so hard i couldnt open its mouth, i got so scard he'd have no finger left i just kicked it as hard as i could. Eventually it let go, finger still intact just about. Told woman what i thought about her very unridable biting pony and left. Saw the same advert so i commented on it. Low and behold they changed the advert to companion only. So in short yes comment and say something. It could be a child who's on recieving end next time.
 
Yes, because it's dangerous. Normally I'd keep my nose out, but I think this could go very badly wrong in less experienced hands. Being a chicken I'd be tempted to do it on the quiet by setting up a new page though hehe
 
If you dont want to be direct,could you say something like.." I had a loan pony once that sounded just like this one but it didn't work out as he was a nightmare to travel and not good with mares" and advise anyone thinking if looking to ask a lot of questions- maybe put people on their guard a bit? It's all too easy for some irresponsible owner to foist this pony off on some unsuspecting person at this time of the year! Someone could get hurt next time.....
 
thanks, i shall think of a way to say it tactfully. She has put in the add thats he's cheeky and bolshy which is correct but no mention of him not being good with mares or becomming so obssed with them and the fact that shes put good to load and not mentioned him trying to escape that trailer!!

I forgot to mention that when we got home and i text her to let her know what happened on the M! she replyed "little git, thats his part peice!!" so she obv knew it was a problem
 
harrysmum said:
If you dont want to be direct,could you say something like.." I had a loan pony once that sounded just like this one but it didn't work out as he was a nightmare to travel and not good with mares" and advise anyone thinking if looking to ask a lot of questions- maybe put people on their guard a bit? It's all too easy for some irresponsible owner to foist this pony off on some unsuspecting person at this time of the year! Someone could get hurt next time.....
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Yep, brilliant bit of wisdom this. Mega tactful, and shouldn't cause too much of a hoo-hah.

Pony sounds riggy to me, they're obviously aware of the situation which is why they're getting rid.
 
If you post something negative, I am sure your post will get deleted so perhaps you could just post something like "anyone interested in this loan please pm me for further information"
 
Seems my friend beat me too it and commented. The frustrating part is he could make someone a really lovely pony. he was a good boy to ride and he responded well to firm handling on the ground but the issue with him travelling could get someone seriously hurt!!
 
i have the same problem but no where near as worse, had too drop out last minute on loaning mare because she had gas colic twice within two weeks because of grass, but no mention of her recent colic incidentsin advert :-\
 
Yes I would say something, there was a man who died recently trying to sort out a pony that got tangled up in the trailer, this is a safety issue.
 
Comment "he looks just like a rig I know that needs to be sedated to travel"
Imagine the accident it could have caused if he tried to jump out of the trailer!
If the horse is good to ride then the owner should be looking for a gelding only home where they do not wish to compete/go out in trailer. Then they should sedate the horse and transport it for the loanee. Honesty would help the owner find a suitable long term home. Lies are just getting the owner a bad name and the horse moved from pillar to post, possibly killing itself or someone else along the way!
 
thats exactly my argument minimilton, in the right home he'll do well but by not being honest shes putting others a risk.

Shes moved the advert now, apprently he misbehaved because im a novice :rolleyes: but hopfully she'll think twice about she advertises him next time
 
I have to say that reading your OP it would appear that you made a significant number of mistakes:( Hopefully the pony will find a home to which he is more suited.
 
..surely though if the pony has know 'issues' shall we say, then responsibility lies with them to disclose them prior to anyone taking on the pony. They are the people putting others at risk. (having been hospitalised twice by a horse with known (by the owners) huge behavioural problems (think Jekyll and Hide) then 'mistakes or no mistakes' pony owners have messed up. Just my own personal view.
 
jemima*askin said:
I have to say that reading your OP it would appear that you made a significant number of mistakes:( Hopefully the pony will find a home to which he is more suited.
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I thought this too. I wouldn't say anything at all. You're going to look really silly if he goes somewhere and they don't experience any issues with him.
 
Surely you wouldn't turn out a new pony into a full mixed herd straight away, but would turn it out with maybe one other gelding first, in a securely fenced field?

It sounds like you were warned the pony had issues (kicks stable, behavioural, etc). I know of many horses that have difficulty in travelling, and wouldn't attempt it in a strange trailer or horsebox without taking extreme precautions. It doesn't mean the equine in question is unmanageable, but just that its something you have to work on. But I certainly wouldn't put a haynet in with a restive traveller, and if he prefers to travel backwards, that probably indicates he has been used to a horsebox, not a trailer.

Anyway, you have returned the pony, the owner seems to have behaved rather well and is now trying to find the pony a good home. What on earth is wrong with that? Is the pony unridable and dangerous? If not, keep out of it.
 
I believe the OPs point is that the pony does not travel well but is being advertised as such.

What they did or didn't do right in other regards doesn't have any bearing on that, and detailing their faults is unnecessary.
 
Mithras said:
Surely you wouldn't turn out a new pony into a full mixed herd straight away, but would turn it out with maybe one other gelding first, in a securely fenced field?

It sounds like you were warned the pony had issues (kicks stable, behavioural, etc). I know of many horses that have difficulty in travelling, and wouldn't attempt it in a strange trailer or horsebox without taking extreme precautions. It doesn't mean the equine in question is unmanageable, but just that its something you have to work on. But I certainly wouldn't put a haynet in with a restive traveller, and if he prefers to travel backwards, that probably indicates he has been used to a horsebox, not a trailer.

Anyway, you have returned the pony, the owner seems to have behaved rather well and is now trying to find the pony a good home. What on earth is wrong with that? Is the pony unridable and dangerous? If not, keep out of it.
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We were advised the pony was "cheeky" and needed a firm hand and that he was prone to kicking the stable door when he can see people on the yard. It was never mentioned he would attempt to escape the trailer nor that he had a history of trying to turn and face backwards. We were advised however he had been in both a lorry and a trailer (we checked as we only have a trailer!!) Had we of known then he could have travelled backwards no problems.

It was only after we got him home that the owner decided to mention his "party peice" of turning round in the trailer!! Yes she took him back however im not sure how good a home you think he'll find if he manages to escape the next persons trailer onto the motorway?
 
I probably wouldn't have said anything either because horses can be so different with different people handling them. We've had a number of horses here who have come with dreadful reputations and yet we've found these horses are totally different to the type they've been branded as and had no problems with them.
 
I think it does need to be mentioned to the next person that he doesn't travel well, whether the OP is novice or not, however this is more likely to be mentioned by mouth when someone comes to see the horse than on an advert perhaps, so you don't know that they are totally passing it on as perfect and not mentioning it.. OP you would have perhaps been better messaging the owner to say you're a bit worried by their ad that the horse will end up with a novice again..
 
I completely agree Spring feather but given that the travelling problem in particular has the potential to go horribly wrong it seems foolish at best to advertise him as good to travel.

Im intriged into my mistakes though? do people mean turning him straigh out with the herd? i know its not everyone cup of tea but it is the way we've always done it with no problems apart from usual herd politics.

I guess we can only learn from our mistakes :)
 
jennywren07 said:
I completely agree Spring feather but given that the travelling problem in particular has the potential to go horribly wrong it seems foolish at best to advertise him as good to travel.
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Well it kind of depends on what she says to potential takers when they turn up to meet him. If she says to them that he travels well but must be travelled backwards then he may well be good to travel. It's probably not something that someone would put in an advert though.

Im intriged into my mistakes though? do people mean turning him straigh out with the herd? i know its not everyone cup of tea but it is the way we've always done it with no problems apart from usual herd politics.
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I do this too and have never had any problems either, but I do have a lot of herds to choose from and I'm onsite all the time so can easily and quickly whiz horses out of any herd if I need to.
 
Spring Feather said:
I do this too and have never had any problems either, but I do have a lot of herds to choose from and I'm onsite all the time so can easily and quickly whiz horses out of any herd if I need to.
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And presumably having identified a problem you wouldn't remove the horse for a short while and then immediately chuck it back out with the same herd, you'd either carefully re-introduce it or try a different herd.
 
jemima*askin said:
And presumably having identified a problem you wouldn't remove the horse for a short while and then immediately chuck it back out with the same herd, you'd either carefully re-introduce it or try a different herd.
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No it wouldn't be going back in with those horses again that's for sure. It would be going in with a herd more suited to its wayward behaviour.
 
the mare was put back after seeking advise from his owner? She felt he'd just got over excited. Once it was clear he wasnt going to settle down we kept them apart the best we could, despite his repeated attempts to get to her.

We may not of done it the way everyone would have but we did our best with the situation and facilities we have
 
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