Help!

[yasminA]

Hi, recently I purchased a 15.3h Irish sports horse mare 8yr old, before buying her I viewed her a few times and rode her, I found her to be very laid back and a nice quiet ride (a little bit to laid back for my liking, but my 15yr old sister a competent novice has to be able to ride her)my sister also found her to be a nice straight forward ride.

However now after buying her I am finding her a complete nightmare to ride, in hacking out in the company of a complete schoolmaster she is rearing randomly, I carnt seem to find the cause of it, she's fine when cars, tractors, vans ect go back, fine if something jumps out of the bushes ect her rears just seem to be all of a sudden, currently i'm trying to keep her in an active walk and leg yeilding ect to prevent her from doing it. She also rears whilst been schooled and bucks, spins and pulls for the opposite direction. Before owning her I'd competed and backed youngsters so I wouldn't consider myself a novice and previously thorught myself quite brave and confident but her rearing is really beginning to unerve me.

Her teeth,back, hooves, tack fitting ect have all been checked and are fine, and the vet has been out to give her a health check! It's only in ridden and schooling work where im having problems with her, shes very settled in the field and stable ect

Im not accusing her of being a nasty horse, I am just at a loss as to what is causing her to act out the way she is. I should probably mention she's being ridden in an eggbut snaffle, wearing a caverson noseband and a running martinglae. Any advice would be greatly apprecaited, thankyou.

 

[*hic*]

How has her feeding and turnout regime changed since you bought her?

 

[montysmum1]

Are you using the same tack as when you tried her? Is her saddle pinching? Or bit upsetting her?

 

[ossy]

could just be the change in environment, as said above is she getting enough turnout and/or too much food for the work she is doing. Failing that I would be having the bloods from the vetting tested.

 

[rhino]

How 'recent' was the purchase? Did you have a vetting done/bloods taken?

A lot of horses do take a long time to settle in, but a complete personality change is odd. The fact she is so good to handle would suggest some degree of pain, even if 'remembered' pain. How much history do you have on her, and have you tried speaking to the seller to ask their thoughts?

Sorry to hear you are having problems

 

[BorgRae]

Could it be that she is just testing the boundaries with you as you've only had her a short while?

Things have changed for her, and perhaps she is just trying to find her feet and see how far she can pust it? Mares

Do you carry on riding her when she has one of her silly doo's? Or do you get off?

How long have you had her?

I really hope she settles down for you!!!

 

[POLLDARK]

How 'recent' was the purchase? Did you have a vetting done/bloods taken?

A lot of horses do take a long time to settle in, but a complete personality change is odd. The fact she is so good to handle would suggest some degree of pain, even if 'remembered' pain. How much history do you have on her, and have you tried speaking to the seller to ask their thoughts?



Agree with this. If blood was taken at purchase perhaps you should think of having it tested. The behavior change sounds a little extreme to be just trying it on & being unsettled.

 

[*hic*]

How has her feeding and turnout regime changed since you bought her?

I'd suggest taking her off all hard feed if she is on any as a start.

 

[yasminA]

Thankyou for your replies,

In response to her feeding and turnout regime, she's getting the same sort of feed and amount as her perviouse home, however turnout wise I'm turnning her out alot more than she was in her last home, she's out (rugged up) during the day and then been brought in to be stabled during the night.

Yes I'm using the same tack which I tried her in, but I have had a saddler out just incase this was the root of the problem and she checked it over, I also got her to have a look at her bit in her mouth whcih she was in the same opinion as me that it was fitting her fine (one wrinkle in the corners of her mouth, lying correctly in her mouth not to high or low) I've even put rubber rings on her bit just incase it was nipping.

I purchased her about a month ago, which I know does mean she is still quite new, but she does seem to be setteled with everything else and I have been doing my best to get her into a routine.

When she begins being silly I stay on and ride her through it and usually she settles down into her work for 5-10 minuets and then just as I think i've got her she throws another one.

Yes I did get her bloods taken when I purchased her, I will ring up the vet and get them checked, thankyou, I would never have thought of that.

 

[KatieK]

My daughter is having a similar problem with her ISH. She has always been a bit difficult but recently the bucking has increased and she is now rearing. We had a trainer out to her yesterday who suggested taking her off her hard feed (she was on conditioning mix). We're also going to try turning her out a lot more to get rid of some of the energy - despite the field being more muddy puddle than grass!
Hopefully some of things will help. From speaking to other horse owners it does sound like a lot of mares go through this 'teenage girl' period, but it doesn't make it any easier.

 

[AmyMay]

Was this purchased through a dealer?

Get bloods checked.

 

[hessy12]

Exactly like the last horse I bought. He was nothing like he was here as he was when I tried him. We suspected he had been given sedalin to make him so relaxed when I'd tried him (twice). We met a person who confirmed it - she said he was often "a nightmare" for previous owner. This was news to me. It wrecked my confidence. I sold him on, honestly, as I don;t believe in lying to purchasers. They knew what he was like when he bought him (ie, that he could buck, rear and spin). All the same tests done as you (teeth, back, saddle, vet check).
This is JUST my experience, but I would get bloods tested if you took them at the vetting and see if she was given anything. I really hope you manage to get her back to the horse she was when you tried her. I really do sympathize.