How long did it take for your 'bad' horse to come 'good'!

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canteron

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I have had my horse for 10 years, unbeknown to me, she had a really bad start in life, being beaten up, etc. so in the 10 years I have fallen off goodness knows how many times, completely lost my nerve, been squashed, she wouldn't load, be shoed or really do anything initially, but something made me keep faith with her, despite all the people who said 'sell her' 'get rid of her'.

On our journey to being a good girl, I have met masess of different people, some have become amazing friends for life and some have been discarded (or discarded me), I have been forced to continually keep an open mind to new information and new ways of doing things, had to really learn to ride and been to many different places to get the information and techniques I needed. I was lucky enough that she went on loan to a wonderful person who took her out and about and competed her at a high level and that was awesome in its own right.

But this Summer, we have had the best Summer ever. We have hacked out and around and enjoyed the wonderful countryside and had the most complete satisfaction ever of proving everyone wrong. I have felt 100% confident in her whatever we faced and looking back on the journey, it has been something I would't have missed for the world. She has finally become my horse of a lifetime.

So, when I read posts about people giving up on their horse after a few weeks, I sometimes think they have missed the whole point, learning to ride is always a journey, never a destination? And to anyone else on this journey, keep faith, there normally is a way through.
 
I'm in year five with my 'bad' boy! Still having rough days but less of them. Now I can brush his tummy and scratch his ears :)
I agree, you develop an open mind. We've gained a great vet and farrier and a super instructor. We've made proper friends (ones who will scrape you up from a stubble field and then worry more about your horse than your injury :D )
Met lots of people, lost the odd rubbish instructor. Gained a great back man and had visits from a horse communicator!
We haven't done as much as I'd hoped competitively but what I've learnt about horses and myself have been much more valuable than ribbons.
I've had a broken leg , a crushed hand and have also torn my hip cartilage but I now actually understand what it means to really ride and listen to your horse, and always think ahead. I've also learnt that there is no shame in getting off and sometimes it's for the best.

Nice to hear your story :)
 
Lovely post :) and how right you are about riding being more about the journey than the destination. I'm helping a friend with her ASBO coblet and he's teaching me a lot about me while I'm busy trying to figure out what makes him tick ( and buck!) . It's sometimes three steps forward and four steps back but I believe in him and one day he will be the model horse his owner wants him to be and it'll be all the sweeter because of the challenges we've had to overcome in the process. :)
 
I think you're right about it being a journey. Had my saddler out today and she said what an amazing journey I have had with my boy.

My lad was actually called 'Asbo Izzy' at the rescue as he was so bargy and rude. He had been in a field for 3 years and had gone wild basically. I was a novice and he was a git and obese.

I did lots of ground work, had gazillions of lessons and we are now a great team. He was never bad but he had forgotten any manners and was (still is) cheeky. But he just needed a lot of work and I needed to improve my own riding. I have fallen off A LOT and have had to cure his bucking in excitement. Had lots of shouts of 'Hold on, sit back, kick him on' from various hacking partners.:D

We now jump, do trec, endurance, cross country, hacking, gymkhana and a bit of stressage. We are now even hacking on our own and we are the ones that people want to hack with to give young/nervous horses and riders confidence and a good escort.

It is so easy to forget how far you have come until someone reminds you what it was like at the start. There were times when I would have like the perfect pony but now I have an almost perfect pony it is hugely satisfying that it is my hard work that got us there.
 
It has been about 8 months for me.

I ride a lovely little horse who everyone told me "needed shooting".

We sorted the pain element and how we are working through the emotional. He has gone from scaring the living daylights out of me to being a horse I really care about, who is giving me new experiences every ride :)
 
When I got Whyn on a 30 day trial, I was told that if I couldn't take her on, she'd be put to sleep, such was her behavior.

She's not perfect, and still gets upset if she's overfaced or doesn't understand what's being asked of her. Right now she has lyme disease, which makes them a little more irritable than usual, but she's a total sweetie on the ground, and good to ride 90% of the time. This is after about 2 months of ridden work, and a couple of months virtually unhandled turn out.

So less than 6 months and she's gone from having her euthanasia scheduled (literally already booked with the vet) to jumping short courses, trail rides, basic schooling.
 
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I agree with you on the whole point of having a horse is the journey. It takes a long time to build up a relationship with a horse.

Took my 'nightmare' horse 2 years to come good, he is now a superstar and I adore him :D
 
About five years: horse was of the opinion that if he got you first, you wouldn't get him! Unsurprising, given he went from being very popular stallion, to being gelded and sold to people who were frightened of him. The liked the cachet of having such a fabulous looking horse, but did not have the confidence or skill to enjoy doing anything. He was abandoned on marshland and taken by travellers who beat and starved him, to break his spirit. No chance. I bought him off them when I saw them corner him and start hitting with pitchforks. (I'd gone there to look at another horse the had for sale, not realising it was a traveller site) I learned what had happened to him, because they told me!
Anyway, after a long time, which was costly in terms of emotions, broken bones, headcollars and ropes and bank balance, and a horde of equine specialist for his mind and body, we progressed, and he became my Horse of A Lifetime. We had a lovely bond, lots of fun, and I adored him. He was pts two years ago, reduced mobility caused by chronic arthritis getting beyond satisfactory management and his increasing age. I miss him every day.
 
I had my boy on loan from a trekking centre at 11 yrs old and all he knew how to do was follow the bum ahead; plus a few little rider-frightener tricks!

There was something about him which I liked in spite of him being completely green; he had some awful habits like napping badly, turning/spinning, backing up into ditches, taking his front legs up and threatening to rear - just a few of his little quirks.

I'd had him just over a year, and couldn't bear him any more, and was going to sell him, until a friend suggested I send him on loan to equestrian college. Within a term he was a totally different horse, going beautifully into a contact and a nicely schooled, polite horse! Totally different.

So in his case, all he needed was a good bit of basic schooling and bringing on, plus sufficient work.

He can still throw in a few tricks from time to time now - but at least I know what he's capable of and myself and friend who sometimes rides out on him know all his tricks and he's not allowed to get away with it.
 
well first horse midnight the dales, already had thread about him on here took 8 years but he was so bad he had to be turned away for 3 years lol

second one ish very bad past... had her 1 year before we were getting any kind of bond on her part, 2 years and we were great together going out and doing stuff but never really felt close like with my others, 3rd year will be here in march and well we have made it, shes fab, the horse that would never let you cuddle scratch groom etc now loves it... infact shes really lovely to have around now, just so pleased what i thought she could be with some tlc has finally happened :)
 
I was thinking about this tonight myself OP.

Three years ago I bought my 7 yr old then, burnt out and stressed ex SJr Mare from a dealer. She had been that difficult that she had already been on 8 yards in 6 months and was rapidly heading for the bottom rung of the ladder.

Think bad horse and you'll be describing her then. I don't know what had gone wrong be it jumping injury or pushed to the limit but I'm convinced she had had some kind of breakdown and had become impossible on the ground and under saddle. In fact she scared the bejesus out of everybody I knew. I was fairly a novice who hadn't had much to do with horses in over 20 yrs!

This evening after work I brought her in and she stood on a loose rope outside her stable munching hay as I picked her feet, brushed her and tacked her up for a late hack over the farm. We left the yard with the YO's 8 year old granddaughter on her 12h pony just before dusk and had a lovely uneventful wander over fields, through hedges and dark wooded lanes full of twilight spookiness and pheasants starting to roost and running before us. My girl was the perfect lady and as always she took special Care of pony and it's little rider, never putting a foot wrong. We got back as it got dark and she nuzzled the little sister(4) asking for a treat which the little girl gave her as Elz gently took it. The kids charged around her and screaming and playing and she didn't even notice:rolleyes:

To a lot of people it would not be amazing but to me and those that knew her before it's no less than a miracle! She still has her days like any other horse but at her root she is good and kind. It took me or should I say us, 18mnths to look at each other in the eye without contempt to wanting to be together and trust one another let alone be a team.

She is my horse of a lifetime and for me there will never be another.

Thank you Elz for teaching me so much and for being my girl.
 
I bought my horse as a project, after the sudden death of my previous horse. I just thought he wsd beautiful :). He was as green as a cabbage, nervous as hell, could not be caught, tied up, mounted or hacked out alone. It took me two hours to get on the git initially. Rides involved spinning rearing bucking and general pratting. 2 years later he is a little star, I'm glad i took a chance on him. Oh, and he is gorgeous :)
 
Age 4 I was told by a BHSI to have my horse shoot as she was too dangerous, I never had a lesson with her again.

She's now 19 and a dream to own.

I think the change started when she turned 10, and she's improved as she's got old to the point of just being amazing. It is a journey, and not always an easy one, but as long as she improved I stuck with her, and we've always had a bond (I think that help me keep the faith at times)
 
Mine was 2 when I got her, she had already been rehabbed to a degree for a few months but I couldn't touch her other than her face without her kicking or biting violently and she had a broken nose, recurrent rain scald. She was fine if you stroked her nose but not much else :o. I backed her at 3 and by then she was completely normal although I never could lunge her as she saw that as aggression and was aggressive back :eek: so really I can't remember exactly but three months in she was getting reasonable but completely fine within a year!
 
I think it is about a total of five years , though I've only had soul ownership the last two years!
He has always been a nervous/stressy type and I was warned when I brought him he was difficult on the ground!
I may have underestimated what difficult actually meant! If anything on the yard changed he would bolt one minute you where leading a horse next your looking at his backend trotting at break neck speed in the opposite direction. He would do this randomly also so it was/ is difficult to be prepared!
He did get better for a while.
Apparently he has never been a lucky horse and lost his right eye five years ago. We battled to save it but with little luck.
Now losing a eye , you would think this would make things worse . But no his behaviour improved and I guess he started to trust us a bit more.
He's always been good with his ridden work and losing an eye didn't change this at all.
Unfortunately shortly after I lost my old boy who was my mares companion so trouble decided she needed a friend and jumped in with her! Fine I thought I don't want them to be seperated really.
Well it would turn out that he loves my mare very very much and hes impossible to seperate from her! This is an ongoing problem ( mare by the way really not bothered either way)
So really he started turning into more of a problem though the bolting in hand had stopped and I had gone back to using a normal head collar.
Then without warning it started again only this time he got hurt :( he must of run over something and ended up infecting his navicular bursa and puncturing his ddft. He was given 50% chance of survival.
He nearly didn't make it several times the vets struggled to control him and he was sedated up to the eyeballs whilst he was there.
He was much lamer than they wanted but sent him home with a poor prognosis.
As he hopped back to his stable I didn't think we would make the week. But he kept improving and although not at the speed the vet wanted I could see his progress.
His behaviour was amazing he was obviously on long term box rest and never barged/bolted once even changing his dressing I was told would take three people but I did it most of the time with just me and my mum.
So here we are now the closest I've ever been with him he only has to hear my voice and his head springs up and on occasion he will gallop up the field!
He's more broken than fixed but he's certainly improved that time and I'm still hoping that one day I might just get back on him and go for a nice walk :)
 
I'll let you know when it happens, don't hold your breath though (please note I did say when not if, I'm a determined so and so when the mood takes me!). :)
 
What a lovely thread and so great for those of us that have persevered to know that we are not alone :)
We got our boy 3 1/2 years ago as my daughter's first horse off ponies. We knew that he needed work (didn't realise just how much until we started work on him!) but could see the potential in him.
It took about 2 1/2 years to be able to really get him out and about competing and during that time struggled with brakes, back pain, bucking, bronking, rearing in hand to name just a few issues.
My daughter didn't really jump him for those 2 1/2 years (he was bought as a jumping horse) and her instructor told me at one point that she didn't know if he would ever cope with jumping a course in a competition as it blew his brains. She even told me that she would never allow her daughter to take him out to compete :eek:
I threatend to sell him on so many occassions but all credit to my daughter she refused to give up on him.
After lots of ground work, heart ache, tears and 3 1/2 years later we now have the dream horse. He is the most loving, calm, dopey boy who is a star in every way - both on the ground and under saddle. He is now jumping affiliated courses and winning!!! Sometimes I watch them in the ring and find it hard to remember just how bad he was and that it is amazing that we have got him this stage.
Wouldn't swap him for the world and a huge hats off to my girlie who refused to give up on him like several owners did before us. I believe that the journey we have been through with him has bonded us all for life and has made my daughter the fantastic rider that she is today.
Looking back I think he was meant to come to us and can't imagine being without him.
 
BuzzyBea said:
What a lovely thread and so great for those of us that have persevered to know that we are not alone :)
We got our boy 3 1/2 years ago as my daughter's first horse off ponies. We knew that he needed work (didn't realise just how much until we started work on him!) but could see the potential in him.
It took about 2 1/2 years to be able to really get him out and about competing and during that time struggled with brakes, back pain, bucking, bronking, rearing in hand to name just a few issues.
My daughter didn't really jump him for those 2 1/2 years (he was bought as a jumping horse) and her instructor told me at one point that she didn't know if he would ever cope with jumping a course in a competition as it blew his brains. She even told me that she would never allow her daughter to take him out to compete :eek:
I threatend to sell him on so many occassions but all credit to my daughter she refused to give up on him.
After lots of ground work, heart ache, tears and 3 1/2 years later we now have the dream horse. He is the most loving, calm, dopey boy who is a star in every way - both on the ground and under saddle. He is now jumping affiliated courses and winning!!! Sometimes I watch them in the ring and find it hard to remember just how bad he was and that it is amazing that we have got him this stage.
Wouldn't swap him for the world and a huge hats off to my girlie who refused to give up on him like several owners did before us. I believe that the journey we have been through with him has bonded us all for life and has made my daughter the fantastic rider that she is today.
Looking back I think he was meant to come to us and can't imagine being without him.
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I particularly love this tale BuzzyBea because ponies, I think, have it even harder as there are fewer adults willing to take a damaged pony on - so a huge 'hurrah' to your daughter, what a great story.
 
I've had various projects, with assorted issues, & it comes down to how quickly they trust you, & how deeply ingrained their issues are. I had one project pony who was supposedly a dangerous lunatic to ride. But actually she just needed all the gadgets removing & her mouth not to be socked. She'd obviously been very well schooled in the past, & within minutes of riding her you could feel her relaxing because at last someone was riding her nicely again. Within 3weeks she was a dream.
Mine I had as a nervous 2yr old, we had various probs along the way, but by 8 she was the perfect like gold dust pony everyone wants, & is still like that now at 23. Sometimes it suprises me that she is unrecognizable from the pony I had in my early teens.
Daughters I got as a wreck of a yearling. Physically & mentally messed up from living alone in some numpties mudbath tiny paddock from 3mnths old. Extremely fear aggressive (with good reason, she had both fresh wounds & scars from dogs she'd defended herself from) & from having to look after herself so long. And once introduced to company, my mare adopted her like she was her own foal, & she had understandable separation anxiety because she was scared of being alone again. I suppose by 3 she was almost a typical youngster, & from first off adored my daughter, who was 3 when we got her. I imagine cos she was too small to be a threat. Although I've always been on hand, its really daughter who's done the work. Pony now 5, & is the perfect second pony for daughter. She has typical moments you'd expect from any youngster, but is good considering her age & start in life. She does stuff like come to daughters bday partys, school etc & really couldn't be more of a good match. She's certainly never going to be a first ridden type, but that's her no matter what start she'd had. Safe, but very lively & opinionated. She is still capable of responding aggressively to dominant handling or body language, but that's not something anyone needs to do with her anyway. I also think she'd still bully anyone lacking confidence. But for us she's fab. I watch daughter doing all the normal stuff little girls do with their ponies, from riding, shows, sitting sharing packed lunchs, plaiting her mane with ribbons, putting her doll on to 'ride' to the field etc. And its almost impossible to remember the tiny vicious yearling, that I had to pin to the floor with a vet the first week. Or that took farriers apprentice, farrier & I holding her down to get the worst of her decomposing feet off. And she's more than happy alone, even past spooky objects in strange places, which is so far removed from the youngster that spent her first 6mnths within 5' of my mare at all times.
 
I'd say it took me a year to be able to properly ride my boy. I wouldn't say he was bad but he came out of a professional competition yard to a teenager coming off ponies who'd had a nasty accident and not ridden for a couple of months before he arrived. The yard he was as had turn out arrangements that didn't suit him, he was still fed 'competition yard' feed, the combination of the above had led to him getting the 'dangerous' label in under 3 months.
I gave him a few months off to unwind, 24 hour turnout in company, no hard feed and just completely ignored all the rider scaring tactics he'd learned and he is now absolutely perfect!
Is he 'cured'? probably not - if he went back to arrangement that didn't suit him and was left to get away with stuff I'm sure he'd be 'dangerous' again pretty quickly.
I think he's better labelled 'clever'!!!
 
god, a good while. his last owner had left him starving in a stable for several months, prior to that he'd been a racer.

trying to go off of the yard was out of the question. he'd rear, spin, randomly stop and take a total flakey. hed constantly put his head down and pull the reins out my hands. he'd nip people walking by the stable, grooming and bathing was a nightmare, ears would be flat back all the time, trying to nip you. kicked out when you tried picking out his feet, so many times i just wanted to give up, couldnt take the fighting with him much more.

im so glad i persevered. it took him realising that i wasnt going to hurt him, and that i was his friend to get the dopey donkey i have today. does whatever is asked of him (okay the ears still twitch back, because he is a stubborn arse), hacks out a dream, loves being groomed and bathed, and id happily let a total novice ride him.
 
weesophz said:
god, a good while. his last owner had left him starving in a stable for several months, prior to that he'd been a racer.

trying to go off of the yard was out of the question. he'd rear, spin, randomly stop and take a total flakey. hed constantly put his head down and pull the reins out my hands. he'd nip people walking by the stable, grooming and bathing was a nightmare, ears would be flat back all the time, trying to nip you. kicked out when you tried picking out his feet, so many times i just wanted to give up, couldnt take the fighting with him much more.

im so glad i persevered. it took him realising that i wasnt going to hurt him, and that i was his friend to get the dopey donkey i have today. does whatever is asked of him (okay the ears still twitch back, because he is a stubborn arse), hacks out a dream, loves being groomed and bathed, and id happily let a total novice ride him.
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THAT!!.......is a total love story and a real tear jerker. Thank God he found you weesohz:)
 
I have recently got a 16.2hh TB chestnut mare, shes 12 years old & currently seems to have a few issues! She has been passed around quite a bit in the local area but those who know her say she is a sweetie! the problem I'm having is she seems quite aggressive on the ground, ears back, going to bite you & flicking up the back legs when brushing her tummy! I must admit to not having the greatest of confidence around her at the moment but think that we need to go back to basics so she can learn to trust me! She lives to eat as she was underweight when I got her at the end of June, but shes on 1 hard feed a day at the moment & has put on weight nicely & has moved herself into the hay barn when the mood takes her!! Shes not bad to ride she's certainly not what I'd dangerous as I wouldn't get on her if she was (don't think my old bones could take the falls) so I think its ground work we need to do first! 3 months is nothing & I need to figure out a way to get her to relax more ~ going for the rubbing inside the top/bottom lip next! I wouldn't trust her as far as I could chuck her at the moment but she's definitely a work in progress!!!! Its so nice to hear that not everyone has an instant bond with a new horse as at the moment we certainly haven't!! She knows when her next meal is coming, she knows mum carries sweets in her right hand side pocket & she knows grandad is a pushover but I'm sure the rest will come with time & patience!!!
 
LouiseL008 it all sounds too familiar! The very best of luck with your project.

Just as a thought, have you had the back/bone person to see her, you may have to choose quite carefully, but since having his 'cranium' aligned or something my horse has been so much nicer. Apparently, this gives headaches in humans, so no reason to think it doesn't do the same in horses!! Just wondering if she has a pain issue somewhere?
 
canteron said:
LouiseL008 it all sounds too familiar! The very best of luck with your project.

Just as a thought, have you had the back/bone person to see her, you may have to choose quite carefully, but since having his 'cranium' aligned or something my horse has been so much nicer. Apparently, this gives headaches in humans, so no reason to think it doesn't do the same in horses!! Just wondering if she has a pain issue somewhere?
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was thinking about that earlier as to whether or not she'd had some sort of injury ~ when shes playing in the field which she does often galloping around like shes in the St Leger she does do rather large bucks & her back legs go right up!! she may have pulled something!! Will get her checked out but I think as shes been passed around a bit too often for my liking she may be a tad insecure but she's not gonna realise she's here for the rest of her life until she learns to chill out a bit!! hey ho the joy of owning horses!! :)
 
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