Help, new horse rearing, running off, can't stop!!

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Chesnutnutter

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Hi, I've just brought a new horse. Went to view it and rode in the school, out on hack and had a canter. At first I struggled to stop her in the school but once I got used to the bouncyness it was abit easier. We had a canter and she was good a little difficult to stop but stoppable. I tried her in a wintec saddle. She came on wed with a different saddle however previous owners assure me it has been checked and definitely fits her and they rode in it all the time. I took her out yesterday she was good to start with. went down the road to meet my friend it was only when we meet a building site she started doing a few hops which I think she does normally but then she reared up twice and again going down my drive way . I put it down to nerves and probs not giving her enough time to settle. Went out today and initially she was fine but once we started trotting she tensed up. We then stopped to talk to someone and when we went to move off again she bolted onto the verge and cantered fast down the road for a while I couldn't stop her! Managed to get that under control but when we went on the bridle path she did it again I couldn't stop her, tried half haults etc. there was a very tight bend and she was either going to jump the gate at the end or fly into the bush around the corner. I ended up in the bush on the floor. We walked for abit but when I tried to get on again she reared up, walked abit more and again she reared when I put my foot in stirrup. Needless to say we walked home! I'm abit worried about trying again now. I'm normally very confident and would say I'm quite a capable rider. She is a happy mouth snaffle with a soft mouth. Yesterday I used a thick saddle pad but today I used a basic thin one and she was much worst. Previous owner is adamant she never fell off or reared with her in 3 yrs. I'm thinking it's the saddle or nerves however she was nothing like it when I tried her. Got saddle fitter coming Tuesday but just wondered what anyone else thought.
 
Did you have her vetted?

How old is she? What had she done before you bought her? How long have you had her? What's her routine at the moment? What's she fed?

How much experience do you have?

She sounds very unsettled and that could be due to a number of reasons, hence all the questions.
 
She 16.1 irish sports horse mare. Have been hacking down the road to meet my friend luckily my friend has been with us when she done this. I've had her since Wednesday so I know she is a little unsettled but I would expect her to be more alert and wary rather than rearing and running away with me. She been stabled at night and out in the field in the day. I've feed her calm and condition and magnitude at night and half a scoop of nuts in the morning. I've had cobs the last few years because of my kids and wanted to go back to a bigger horse for jumping. Before I had her she was mainly being schooled and hacked 4 times a week I believe the owner when she says she never acted like it with her.
 
Do you know what her previous owners fed her? Calm And Condition does not always do what it says on the tin..... Also what was her regime with her previous owners? Was she in at night with them?
 
Hifi lite and horse cubes yes she was in at night and many days too in the winter. I'm thinking more the saddle tho as it wasn't what I tried her in and she went better yesterday when I used the thick poly pad compared to today with the thin one. Also she tenses up when I ask for trot and that's when she ran away with me and I couldn't stop
 
I would put the old owner on notice that she might be coming back and start the negotiations from there. Then you can make a reasoned decision about whether to keep her or to start work on re-training/ resolving the issues you have been having. How those negotiations go will depend on what you were told about her when you bought her and whether you had her vetted but at least if you put them on notice they can't argue that it all happened weeks down the line. I would make a note NOW of everything you were told about her, everything you did to check that and everything that has happened since. Would also be worth getting a professional trainer/ instructor out to assess what's going on and to start you off on the right track if you decide to keep her.
 
SarahWeston said:
I would put the old owner on notice that she might be coming back and start the negotiations from there. Then you can make a reasoned decision about whether to keep her or to start work on re-training/ resolving the issues you have been having. How those negotiations go will depend on what you were told about her when you bought her and whether you had her vetted but at least if you put them on notice they can't argue that it all happened weeks down the line. I would make a note NOW of everything you were told about her, everything you did to check that and everything that has happened since. Would also be worth getting a professional trainer/ instructor out to assess what's going on and to start you off on the right track if you decide to keep her.
Click to expand...

This and I would suggest getting someone out to check her back and saddle fit if you believe this is a factor.
 
Can I ask why you have changed her feed?that could be contributing to her change in behaviour. Some also don't react that calmly to calm and condition. She may just need more time to settle though too
 
Ditch the calm and condition and just stick to hay.

As for "putting previous owner on notice that the horse may be going back", you have no legal right to return a horse from a private owner.

As a vendor I would not be accepting the horse back when you've only had it a few days, and have not had the vet to have a look at the horse.
 
I also would ditch the hard feed and just give hay for now.

Two days is no time for a horse to settle in, of course she would be on her toes. I'm not one for leaving a horse to settle, and would have ridden her too, but you have to expect her to be on edge generally in a strange area. My first couple of rides with my mare were like that too.

Is she kept at home with your cob or on a yard? I think you need to ride in a school initially (perhaps with lessons to build up your confidence?) or hack out with a more experienced horse.

I agree that you need to get the saddle checked.
 
She's an ish do you think it would be ok just to give hay? I understand about the settling in however she went cantering/ golloping along the road and left my friend walking behind it could of been very dangerous if I car had come or we'd of slipped over. Has anyone experienced such a change in there horses? I am planning on leaving her a week and just lungeing everyday but then I fear it may make the hacking worst and lose my confidence to go out hacking. I keep her at home with my Shetland and we have no school so I'd have to box up every time I wanted to go to school. I don't mind going once a week but feel I may end up being to scared to hack. I brought her because I was told she would never run off, buck, rear etc and I have two young kids and work so if I where to have an accident it would be pretty much us buggered.
 
She came on Wednesday....with a different saddle. And you've been hacking her out.
Personally I would have allowed her some time to settle. Leave her be until you get the saddle checked and take it from there. Shes obviously not keen to be mounted.
The only time mine has ever reared was when he was in pain from his saddle the previous owner used. He's never done it since.
 
I know it was abit soon however I was stuck between giving it a go and not wanting her to be full of energy when I first did. How long would you leave it before riding? I've never had a problem with riding new horses before. Also I wouldn't off been so bad but she just wouldn't stop
 
I don't think it was a bad thing riding so soon, they can get too fresh otherwise, but you have to be ready for a more "on their toes" horse.

I have two ISH horses, they live off fresh air and get hay alone (with a low-cal balancer).

Try and get her back checked out, then take her to the arena for your next ride, if you can get a good instructor to join you even better. Then decide how you feel. I can understand why you feel nervous, it wasn't a nice thing to happen.
 
Ok start by getting the teeth saddle and back checked by professionals. Look at diet and turnout. Spend time doing ground work with her and having lessons get to know her

Look at it from her view she is at a new place new routine people etc. A complete stranger takes her out past all sorts of scary things. It's a lot to deal with and take in.
 
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Shysmum- everyone does it different ways I felt she needed to work (granted probs too soon) I then felt I didn't want her to get the better off me so tried again. I'm going to give her a week- get saddle fitter out and take it from there. Yes my instructor will be coming to help next week when we go to the school. She seems nervous and was in previous home for 3years so I think she will take a lot longer to settle than my previous horses did
 
Please remember that the poor mare has just had her whole world turned upside down.... Some take that kind of thing in their stride, others really don't.
My friend moved her ID/TB to my new yard a few months back. Previously he was a real solid sort, very laid back and chilled out to ride - which was fantastic as she is nervous novicy. I rode him a few times and was surprised by just how solid he felt.
I moved yards and soon after she moved too, her horse moving to a different field to Pie's. She gave him a few days to settle, we went for a ride and for the first time ever he reared because he saw a bus! She baled out and I ended up riding him. Totally different horse, like being sat on a stick of dynamite. Made it home, I was about to get off when he stood up vertical then launched in the air!
My friend then (rightly or wrongly?) didn't even think about riding him for a month or so until he seemed more settled on the ground. They have since been riding him and he hasn't put a hoof wrong.
Good luck - I hope that you can work through this and start enjoying your new girl very soon .
 
From my experience of mares and having new horses it sounds like she may just be testing the water with you- she's worried about her new home and her only way of telling you is to react violently like she is. If something is pinching it may have been made worse when she spooked at the building site and maybe there was an element of running away from the pain. Also, the attempting to rear when you put your foot in the stirrup shows she associates weight on her back with something bad happening. As others have said get her checked out, and maybe cut down on the hard feed, also I would not lunge too regularly if you suspect she is in pain.
 
Personally I wouldn't have ridden her in the different saddle until I'd had my saddler out to check it fits correctly. I would definitely say it sounds like she's acting out of pain rather than trying it on with you so I'd rule out back and tack issues before assuming the horse was mis-sold.
 
I don't believe she was mid sold at all I think possibly the saddle, and new home nerves. She was in her previous home for 3 years so I think that's a big thing in its self. Saddler fitter is coming on Tuesday and will go from there until then going to try and spend lots of time grooming, and just in hand pottering around abit getting her to trust me. I've got two young children so will be trying to fit it in around them, also will be going to a school with instructor next time I ride
 
My dog freaks out when he's somewhere new - and he is with me, who he knows! Horses are the same. Once they get to to know the area and the people, they're happy. Much luck for it all. I hope it will be fine.
 
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