I don't know whether to sell my horse?

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eden.burridge

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Just over a year ago i bought a 5 year old welsh section d, a gelding. I bought him at the beging of winter and lets just say things didn't get of to a great start, he wasn't bad behaved, just inexperienced and lively. And due to the facilites on my yard riding was very limited, which made matters worse. However i stuck with it, then spring came and all of a sudden things got a hundred times better i was riding more and was more confident, i would be happy to get him from the field (a 20 minute walk away form my yard on a public road) on my own and we even competed in a small local show (even though we came last in everything i felt like we had turned a massive corner). Everything was going great i was optimistic about this winter, i knew it was going to be hard. But when i was schooling him one eveing he threw me off, so now i am a nervous wreck when i go in the school with him, the bad weather and the early nights have started again and so riding has becomme limited, its doesn't seem to bother him but he would be a fantastic horse in the right hands and everytime i look at him i feel that i am ruining him. I do have limited experience and have started my a-levels, plus have to work 3 nights a week at a local pub to keep him, so time is tight. Sometimes i don't feel like i have the time or the experience he deserves, but i really really want to give it a go, he is a lovely horse, abousulty no malase in him. He seems to have settled in really well, and always comes over when i come to the yard. He's has such a little character but genuine at the same time, before i got him he had been passed around from pillar to post and has become really anxious becuase of it. I have had him the longest and because he has settled so well i am afariad if i do sell him i will damage him forever. Becuase of where i am no profeesional help will come down in winter but am hoping in summer if a keep him will get some lessons. I am really at a cross roads at wether to sell him. please i need some advice :) xx
 
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Honestly your yard doesn't sound a great set up if your lacking in confidence. I wouldn't be happy with a 20 min walk from the field down a road with most horses and definitely not with a lively youngster. I'd probably explre the option of another yard with fields and yard all off road, off road hacking and liveries who have sane horses to hack out with you if possible. And a decent school or paddock too. If flood lights or indoor would be good as then could work him more consistantly.

If the issue is winter, or not enough time for consistant riding over winter then I'd probably leave him with the winter off riding.
 
Keep him. The weather is gona get bad but will soon be better and you can get back to normal like you have had.

Can you not move to a yard with more facilities?
 
Its complicated, but for certain reasons i can't move yards. Also the next closest one is an hour away and seeing as can only afford DIY livery and cannot drive it isn't really an option. I appreciate what your saying, and do agree the yard is a problem but i don't think it would be fair to sell him for that reason alone, but thank you for your advice very much appreciated :) xx
 
Selling wasn't mentioned. From your op you don't actually seem to want to sell him and want to put time in so unless it looks like one of you are going to end up seriously injured I wouldn't even contemplate this right now.
Is there anyone at the yard you could do a sane walk out with? Or just spend winter for playing and work on him when you can ride consistently. Or work him ahead of getting on in the school.
Perhaps pop poles and tyres etc out and do walk to one trot to next etc. Or use dressage letters. Lots of thinking for you and horse and lots of targets so you're focused on getting to next point rather than what horse will do. I tend to tthink of what I'm doing one step ahead rather than planning but always reach my target. So I'll walk to this letter then stop, I'll trot between these two, I'll circle once when I get to this end, serpentine etc.
 
Perhaps you could advertise for a private yard, someone might have a spare stable, otherwise perhaps you could go on to part livery at a better yard so you only have to go once a day but it has better facilities?
A 20 min walk down a busy road isn't ideal to get to your stable and doesn't sound very safe or secure?
Anyway, could you look for a sharer? Somebody with experience to help you out? Depending on what they do to help you out and the amount they ride you could charge £20 a week which means you could afford a more expensive yard and your horse would get more exercise?
 
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