I dont know what to do anymore

I agree with spottedcat, I had a mare who got more and more dangerous to the point she was throwing herself on the ground and going over backwards, once she had gone the stress and worry just went, and i could finally enjoy horses again.
 
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Exactly what my boss said to me this morning, she thinks I should send him back in the lorry to Ireland on Sunday after it drops her new youngsters off...

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Much as I understand your point of view, having been there, I agree with your boss and if I was in the same situation again, I'd do what she says.....sorry.
 
Well its up to you, if you have confidence i would get tough with him, he is taking the piss I think and challenging you, if you have the confidence, personally after having this battle myself in the past I wouldnt, but sometimes they need a good smack and showing who is boss.

If you are scared of him though, wel i would send him away for a bit, let someone else try and sort him out, and take it from there.
 
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You can tell him off, but occassionally he doesnt take it very well, most of the time he is fine with it, although I have only ever really smacked him once when he was napping and he shot forward like a rocket!

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Theres your answer, as soon as you feel him come back at you hit him really hard - you have to be brave which i know is a lot easier said than done. A horse cant rear if its moving forwards and off your leg. If its behind the vertical and behind your leg then it can.

You need to ride him really firmly and forwards, you might feel like you are going fast but it dosent matter at this stage. He must listen to you and move in front of your leg aids.

When Archie used to rear and nap with me i used to hit him hard - he'd fight me tho and would kick out, run backwards, rear, buck, stand on his front legs and do handstands with me on him. I just made sure i had hold of the neck strap and kept driving him forwards. He soon learnt. Now if he even thinks about it all i have to do is close my legs around him, touch him behind my leg with the stick and he knows he has to go forwards and that hes not going to win with me.

Its the only way to deal with a horse that rears/naps otherwise they will do it for life with you.

Just to add there is no point in sending a horse like this away, as its you that has to overcome the problem with him not someone else. Send him away and someone will sort him, he'l come back to you and start doing it to you again.
 
See all that makes so much sense, but its so hard to actually reach that decision. Each time I ride him and he messes about I think well it isn't surprising really given the time of he had when I broke my leg and everything, but that was him!

I don't know, I want to carry on as I hate giving up and feeling like Ive failed.
 
Whatever you decide hun, be careful. Have you spoken to your instructor since this happened this morning? I think that I would be inclined to get their opinon as well.
 
He has hardly been in the school at all. We didnt have it until a couple of months ago, and then I was off with my leg, and then him with his infection, we did loads of hacking and then popped in the school twice a week to work(for 15mins) So I dont think thats it. But thanks for the advice
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I Think he scares me, which no horse has done before,

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Ah, Love. Get rid of. It's a slippery slope. Not all partnerships are meant to be, and maybe this is one of those. As heartbreaking as it may be............
 
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See all that makes so much sense, but its so hard to actually reach that decision. Each time I ride him and he messes about I think well it isn't surprising really given the time of he had when I broke my leg and everything, but that was him!

I don't know, I want to carry on as I hate giving up and feeling like Ive failed.

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I think you need to change your mindset here, as calling time on something that isn't working is not a failure, just a decision that you happen to make IF you choose to make it.
 
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I don't know, I want to carry on as I hate giving up and feeling like Ive failed.

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You haven't failed! It is perfectly acceptable to say "You know what, this horse doesn't give me any enjoyment, therefore off he goes".
 
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See all that makes so much sense, but its so hard to actually reach that decision. Each time I ride him and he messes about I think well it isn't surprising really given the time of he had when I broke my leg and everything, but that was him!

I don't know, I want to carry on as I hate giving up and feeling like Ive failed.

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I stood in the school in floods of tears once I'd made the decision, it was, and still is, the hardest decision I have ever had to make, and I felt like a failure too - until I got my new horse and took him from nothing to Novice in two seasons and have had two professionals express an interest in buying him - so I can't be that bad after all! I gave Twiggy excuse after excuse after excuse, and I wish to god fewer people had said to me 'you're doing such a good job, keep going, it'll be fine' and more had said 'sack it and have some fun' because I kept getting these glimmers of hope with her. I literally tried everything, from being nice to a hell of a smack and sending her forwards, it made bog all difference in the end. We got to the point where every time I put my leg on she went vertical, but if someone led her she was fine.

Like I say, I completely understand how hard it is, but I look back and my god I put myself in a position of risk I could ill-afford as if had broken anything I'd struggle to work, and would have been totaly shafted - not worth it IMO.
 
He has done a few little rears before this, but never right up.

When I got back on he felt the same, very cocky and keen to get going again

I am going to asked Ali (the woman who had him when he broke my leg) to come out and see what she thinks, she might be able to work him a couple of times a week for me
 
I hate to say this after all you've been through with him but if he scares you then it is probably better to get rid of him. I would speak to your RI and vet though and get their opinions. You haven't failed at all, you've but in months of work and a lot of money on a horse that can be dangerous and is now damaging your confidence in your ability as a rider deciding that something isn't working and isn't good for you is not failing. Lots of hugs.
 
He was cocky after you got back on? I don't like the sound of that. If he was still full of it when he had gone over has he got any self preservation do you think?

I stopped riding one after he came down on me because I knew full well he didn't care if he hurt himself or me. He was still stupid when I got back on and I decided, enough was enough. He's now a grazing companion.
 
Oh dear MH, thats very sad. If it's any conselation, my old eventer did that once with me, after that, he never attempted it again! (Luckily for me)
That sort of thing really shakes you up and it's hard to see past it right now.
If it was me, I know i'd take the easy option and send him away to someone who is prepared to work through it. Like we did with Boo. He went to the Wiegersma's and it was the best thing ever for him. Now he has been home since August and he is improving every day that I ride him, and I am so thankful that we did decide to send him away.

I hope you manage to sort something out.

Take care.xx
 
Mine reacted erratically if you know what I mean, not deliberately when he reared. Its just that when some do something stupid and you get back on (you were very brave, especially being on your own) they are often quite subdued. Does that make any sense?
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I agree though, you won't really know until he is ridden again. GL with anything you decide.
 
QR A friend of mine has a mare who went through the terrible stage, was frightening to watch when she rode, and it took her about 18 months to get her right. She had to lunge her for about 1/2 hour before she could get on, and then there was no guarantee that she would be safe. She did not go over backwards but she did stand up, buck put her feet through the fence basically anything rather than work. It started after my friend could not ride for a few months because like you she broke her leg and was out of action. This was when the horse was (I think) 5 and about this time of year

I don't know how old yours is, but it sounds the same sort of thing. The horse is now through it and we can all see that she has a lot of ability, but very few people would have wanted to go through that, and I cannot imagine what it was like getting on her not knowing if she was going to walk on, stand up or go off bucking!

Not many people have the confidence lunacy or whatever you want to call it to keep getting on a horse thats a sod to ride, if you have the confidence then go ahead and keep trying, if you don't then let the horse go and find one who may well not be as talented, but will be safer and I don't mean a plod, that you will be able to have a lot of fun on wheras if this one really does kill your confidence you will not want to ride or jump any horse to the standard you are aspiring to which would be a real shame.

I would either get shot of him and find another, or send him to someone to sort him out who will give you regular lessons on him so that you get your confidence back while he is behaving at their place.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
Good advice, but remeber I know it's hard, but try and forget about it. Most horses are just as frightned by going over as we are. My TB used to rear when he got spooked and once did it on a hill and fell over - he never reared again he was too scared. Make sure someone is around when you ride as this will give you more confidence
 
Yep I have a great instucter, Im supposed to be going for a lesson on tues, havent had one for a while becuse Jerry was out of work. He has fallen over sideways in a lesson when he decided he didnt want to turn in canter, and then slipped, got back on, and he was no more careful at corners really
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1st huge hugs xxxxxxxxxx

2nd, my old mare Chloe reared up at a show & landed on me on the road, i daftly enough got back on her to later find out i had a hairline crack at the base of my spine
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i carried on riding her, only hacking her in walk as any faster than trot & she would take off, if i asked her not to she reared, she had her teeth/back/saddle all checked & it was fine. few weeks later she had yellow discharge from her nose, x rays revealed she had a infection in her nasal passage & it was decaying
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she had her op & a while off & she never reared again.

i know its not the same but maybe there is something underlying some where?
 
Can really sympathise with you on this one as I'm in the same situation with my lad. Had him six months now and have hardly ridden him - mainly due to injuries he has sustained (must be most accident prone horse every) but he has also developed the habit of rearing whenever he is unsure or just doesn't want to do something. Doesn't matter whether I'm on the ground or riding. Having narrowly missed getting seriously hurt myself, I came to the point where I didn't feel safe getting back on him as he was dead serious about getting me off by either rearing vertically or through continuous bucking. Went through the process of getting all the usual checks done. He has now been sent away to someone who is experienced in dealing with this sort of problem, so keeping my fingers crossed over the next few weeks.

Really glad you haven't been hurt and good luck with whatever you decide. It's really difficult as you start to second guess yourself and then start to lose confidence. I'm the same as you and don't like to give up as I feel I've failed but sometimes we do need to take a step back and let someone else take the lead on tackling a problem. As someone suggested in an earlier post it may be useful to give yourself a deadline so to speak in terms of has any progress been made or is this going to be an ongoing problem. At the end of the day we need to enjoy our horses not dread getting on them. Good luck.
 
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