iam very sad and sorry its a long one !!!!

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PaintboxEDT

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as you know i got my loan horse on sunday,he settled in very well in field and made friends very quickly.
i brought him in on monday for a pamper and so we could start getting to know each other !!
well he was on his toes the whole time and dragged me round the yard trying to get back to field !!!
but i coped and when he calmed down i put him out,all was fine !
but brought him in today and he was a nitemare he was all over the place he set his neck and that was it i couldnt controll him,so friend at yard got hold of him and tried to calm him and walk him round !!
trouble was there was two horses that left yard to go for a hack !!! omg big mistake he went crazy like his eyes glazed over and that was it dragged my friend the length of yard,there was noooooo way he was gona stop !!!!
just managed to get yard gate shut in time,if it wasnt for my brother grabbing his headcollar at last min and spinning him round he would have deff jumped gates !!!!
i know i havnt had him long and owner says he will settle eventually !! but do i need to take the risk of him hurting himself or one of us in the mean time ?
when he was lead back out to field we had to have two lead ropes on him and a person either side to control him !!
now we own our yard and ive never experienced this sort of behavior in a horse they have settled in and been relatively good although a bit spooky looking around at new things but never like this !!!
i have told owner that he has to go back as i do not want to take that risk with a loan horse !!
am i doing the rite thing or should i stick at it ?????
 
Could you maybe try doing some ground work with him in a pressure halter? My mare used to drag me all over the place when I first got her but there was no choice about sending her back so we had to work through it. I hope you can find a way to communicate with him. It seems a shame to send him back but then your safety is paramount
Hugs
AManda
 
the trouble is its just his shear strengh !!
even put leadrope through heacoller to apply a bit of preasure and it did nothing he went regardless there was no stopping him !!!
my friend has had horses since she was 16 she is now 45 !!!
and there was nothing she could do it was scarey really !!!
he would have jumped no doubt about it !!!
 
Personally, no; I wouldn't be sending him back. He needs time to settle in; some settle immediately and others take a week or so and often months before they are truly back to their normal self.

If it was me, I would turn him out in the field for a week and not take him out of the field. I'd spend loads of time out there with him as this is where he feels safe. Then I would move onto taking him out to be groomed or fed; and then once he is happy with that, and only then, take him out for some walks.

However I totally understand how you are feeling as this is a loan horse - sadly this happens all too often with loan horses - one of the reasons I generally advise people to sell! Then the buyer has to put that little bit extra in.

Best of luck to you.
 
i understand he needs time to settle in,but im not sure !!!
as the loan is only for a year it means putting in alot of time and effort to sort him only for him to go back and his actions tonite where not safe i think that hes only use to being fed and groomed in filed most of the time as he is so happy in field and i can catch him perfectly
its just when he leave field hes very nappy.spooky and very bloody strong, i want a horse thats a bit safer than that as i do not want to put the other horses at risk as he nearly took one out on his lets bolt out of the yard moment and i dont think its worth the stress and heartache is it ?
 
Maybe one last thought - ask the owner to come over to your yard and see how he behaves with her? It might be interesting to see if he walks out calmly with her.

What was he like when you were trying him out at his previous home before you accepting the loan agreement?
 
he was fine with me when i tried him very sedate,he hasnt had much work done with him as owner has an injury,but theres alot of factors since getting him that point out to me that hes prob not the rite horse,he wont go in stable,he suffers seperation probs hes gona need alot of time to build up trust very stong on the ground and quite nervous.
owner has said she will bring him in etc but i dont think it will make much diff and i dont want her injuring herself more !!
 
Ah I see. I just thought that as you've only had him for 4 days that a longer period may be needed. Well perhaps suggest to her that if she re-loans him again then it may be better to have him kept at her yard where he is happily settled.

Sorry it has turned out to be a bit of an unfortunate turn of events for you. Good luck in finding another.
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not sure on this one, I'd probs give him a bit more of a chance I think but if he doesn't calm down, he doesn't sound the horse for you.

Sounds like he is either really stressed out or being a little [****]. If it's the first he might settle so give him a chance, if not send him back, not worth the hassle if he's not yours.

Good luck!
smile.gif
xx
 
thank you tia,im not one to give up but i think that he maybe to much of a handfull,he is quite over wieght and his neck is very thick and hard idearly i wanted to keep him in a few hours a day but i think that he will go mad in stable !!!
also once ive got him fit what an earth will he be like then ?
he wasnt really taking the mick he was just constantly paceing the yard and pulling to gate,there was 4 other horses on the yard and still didnt settle !!
and as soon as two left for thier hack that was it he bolted to gate dragging friend with him nothing would have stopped him !!!
 
Yep, certainly sounds like a mismatch. You are probably doing the right thing by sending him back. Sounds like he has no manners whatsoever and it isn't really your job to teach him them.

There will be others and you have gained valuable experience here which will help you evaluate any others you may look to loan. Hope you find a nice one in the end.
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Hmm, yes it may not be the horse for you but these things are very easy to cure. I get sent horses like this all the time and its usually the bold strong ones that come round before the quiet ones do. With his stable issues, if it is possible put him in a stable with a really good deep bed, put boots on as well if you want and make sure there is nothing in the stable that he could hurt himself on, put his hay and a little bit of food or carrot on the floor and dotted round. Get a grill for the top door or make one and put him and leave him there. Take his headcollar off and just ignore him. This may sound horrible but his has to realise that he can kick and squeal and it won't get him anywhere. they will usually stay wound up for about 1-2 hourse then get tired and chill out. it only takes a few days but then he will be fine with a stable. It is easier for us because we run a full-time competition yard and there is always something happening and horses coming and going so they learn to accept that horses will go and they do return!!!
As for leading, you need a chifney and a long lead rope with ideally a chain on the end and a schooling whip. A lunging line is also quite handy. When you go to fetch him in put the chiffney and the long lead on him, start to walk him in purposefully, have the schooling whip upside down and in your left hand. When he starts to barge off from you either give him a quick yank on the chifney which might do the trick or raise you whip to infront of his face so he can see it which will back him off. If this don't back him off tap him at the side off his nose when he starts to barge and turn him to the right in a very small circle, so you are on the outside off him, they cannot then use their neck as a strong point when it is bent around and also find it difficult to rear. This will take time and you might fiend yourself circling all the way from the fiedl to the stable but don't let him get away with any barging and he will soon get fed-up of knocking you about. His behaviour seems like it needs either a professional for a little while or somebody who is capable and knowledgeable in handling strong horses. If this is not you then perhaps you are making the right decision however, I would persevere, make sure you don't get in the wrong place so that he could hurt you and just do lots with him. If he is full of beans go and lunge him for half an hour in the field before you do anything, this will knock a bit of life out of him and some weight off him. He does have no excuse though, every horse from a little shetland to a big warmblood stallion must respect their owner and your horse needs to do this. Once he has you will have a fantastic time together.
 
thank you for the helpfull tips but im not sure that i want to go through all this with a loan horse thats only for a year !
i would school him and get him perfect only for him to go back !!
i also know this is a problem with loans and that yes they will go back to owner eventually but last nite he was dangerous and i dont know if im prepared to go through all of this and possibly get hurt.
i know that he is to strong for me and im a stong girl i did keep circleing him and my elbow was in his neck we adjusted the leadrope and headcoller so it would put pressure on if he bolted but it did nothing at all,there is always horses coming and going and 4 of them are stable on and of in the day this did nothing to calm him and when two of them went out of the gate that was it he was like something possesd !!
its not normal imo !! ive seen horses come in and out of our yard for 30 years and none that have behaved like this !!
 
he was good,a bit spooky but i rode him in the school and over a couple of xc jumps and he was very good,he hasnt had much done with him and is use to being in field and fed in there ect all he wanted to do was go back out there it took two people to lead him back to field !!
i know they have to settle in but this his the extreem !!
if id managed to get him in stable last nite he would have been up and over the door,i just dont think i can risk it,if i leave him in field to settle in for a couple of weeks i dont think he will be any different when he comes out !!
he has become very attatched to a horse already and i want to bring him out every day before this becomes a major problem !!
he is know to have jumped out of field when he was alone in it,i dont want to risk other horses and owners getting hurt as he nearly knocked one of the horses over in his attempt to legg it !!!
 
It seems to me like you have already made your mind up that you do not want him. This is fair enough if you don't feel safe, but I do feel a little sorry for the horse, he seems to me that he is very unsettled and insecure. He is sticking to other horses and he panicks when he leaves them because he is frightened of being on his own, when a horse is not very confident they can appear bolshy as they are panicky and just want to run back to other horses where he feels safe, he needs to enjoy the company of humans as well as horses. I just hope he eventually gets a nice home where he can settle and feel confident and secure, unfortunately horses like this tend to pass from pillar to post and this does them no favours when all he needs is a little time spending on him. I understand you are only having him for a year and you do not feel it is your place to put this time in, this is right, it is the owners responsibilty really and moving him somewhere for a year I think is her way of hoping that somebody may sort his problem out. Talk to his owner about the situation and jsut remember that horses are herd animals and if he has't done too much, when you take him away from horses or he is left on his own he will panic, that is a natural reaction he just needs to learn he will be away from horses for a while with you and then he will return to his friends and it is nothing to worry about.
 
What a shame. I think sending him back would be the right thing to do, if you are not committed to sorting out his problems long term (and there is no reason you should be) then really there is no point persisting with a horse that may hurt you
 
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Personally, no; I wouldn't be sending him back. He needs time to settle in; some settle immediately and others take a week or so and often months before they are truly back to their normal self.

If it was me, I would turn him out in the field for a week and not take him out of the field. I'd spend loads of time out there with him as this is where he feels safe.

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Ditto!

It's obviously not easy for him being on another yard, how sociable is he in general? Is he used to a small yard and never left and now you've moved him to a new place that's bigger? Some horses cope better with others if they've been in different environments and different situations with other horses. He just sounds to me like he's overstressing himself as he's unsure of what's going on, and he wants to be around the other horses for comfort. Shutting him away or tying him up, to him, is even more stress.

I had an undersocialised horse who took a month to settle in, and after that he was a complete softy. He just needed to learn to cope with other horses and get himself into a routine.

Just depends if you think it's worth sticking at.
 
It does sound like he is insecure & it can take some horses months to feel secure in their new surroundings. As he is a loan horse & you are not happy the best thing for both of you is to let him go. A horse like him is going to take time & probably once he has settled it wont be long before he is back off to his old owner (or where ever after the year). So under normal circumstance I would give the poor b-gger some time this sounds more like a situation of give him back sooner then later.
 
he came from a yard with 40 + horses on !!
he is know in a field with 6 other geldings and is as happy as larry out there even goes and says hi to the other girls when the get theres in,he not a pain and leaves them to carry on.
i havnt at any stage attempted to tie him up or shut him in ive held him the whole time,talked to him and stroked him and still he didnt settle !!!
i dont want to be constantly dragged round the yard,i did turn him and walk him round which work for a few mins then he was off again !!
i dont want him to be pushed from pillar to post and believe me if i thought i could hold him without needing excesive force then i would persivere (sp)
the owner is coming down tonight to handle him and see if he reacts any different to her and im sure he will.
he has to a degree put me off already as im not use to this crazy behavior,i know he unsettled and that i can deal with but how many episodes and potentual injury am i gona have to go through with him before he does calm down ?
 
Personally I would give him a chance.
D took 6 months to settle and he gave me hell in those first 6 months and there was sooo many times I wanted to send him back
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It's never easy during a testing period but your boy has been in his previous home for the past 5 years which he was obviously very settled there and the move has come as a huge shock and he must feel so insecure.
Did you go to his previous yard and do him by yourself (get him out of field and tack him up etc, I cant remember)?

It would be an idea to get his owner down to bring him from the field. Meanwhile spend time with him in the field, get to know each other and build up some trust.
 
yeh i did go and catch him without her he was fine,she told me today when he went to the vets he was foaming at the mouth,screaming and trying to hurt people she said she hid in the corner crying her eyes out and this was before he was treated !!!
im just not sure how settled he will be or is there going to be reacuring problems always as hes a nappy horse in general aparently of which i didnt know !!!
she is coming down tonight to bring him in and is going to come prepared ie steel toecaps,biddle on with headcoller on top and a whip !!!!
does that sound like shes never had to do it before ?????
she said he knows whats gona happen if she comes prepared mmmmm sounds to me that theres potentual for him to do this on a regular basis ??
 
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i havnt at any stage attempted to tie him up or shut him in ive held him the whole time,talked to him and stroked him and still he didnt settle !!!


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I thought you said you'd stabled him? He'll also feel stressed if he wants to go back to the horses and you're keeping him from them.

tbh I'd not ride him for a week or two and just let him chill out in the field. When my old boy wasn't settling the only work I did with him was to walk him in hand around various parts of the yard and introduce him to as many things as possible.

Even stroking him and talking calmly to him probably won't settle him, nor will being rough. I do believe he needs you to give him more time as it doesn't sound like he's being nasty, rather just afriad of his new surroundings and everything that is unfamiliar to him.

It's up to you if you want to give him time though!
 
no, he will need to be stabled by winter as our horse come in at nite,hes not use to a stable so i need to gradually work with him on that one !!
i dont want to attempt to put him in yet and shut the door !!!!
i wasnt planning to ride him for a couple of weeks anyway or untill i know hes settled,my only problem is of his shear strengh i cnat physically hold him,i havnt been rough with him as im in generall a very calm person i just had to turn him round a few times to stop him !!!
he is a nice lad but he knows how to use his strengh and this worrys me,for instance say i was hacking and some horses rode by would he bolt up the road after them and the same when in hand ?
 
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yeh i did go and catch him without her he was fine,she told me today when he went to the vets he was foaming at the mouth,screaming and trying to hurt people she said she hid in the corner crying her eyes out and this was before he was treated !!!
im just not sure how settled he will be or is there going to be reacuring problems always as hes a nappy horse in general aparently of which i didnt know !!!
she is coming down tonight to bring him in and is going to come prepared ie steel toecaps,biddle on with headcoller on top and a whip !!!!
does that sound like shes never had to do it before ?????
she said he knows whats gona happen if she comes prepared mmmmm sounds to me that theres potentual for him to do this on a regular basis ??

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Hes sounds just like my boy
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I can't stress enough how he probably just needs time to settle. Even though he was stressed at the vet with his old owner, it's still a new place. Hence why I think this is his problem, dealing with new places and people.

My boy would also rear up, attack people, and it took 3 people to handle him. All beauce of fear. A few weeks out really mellowed him and he was a TOTALLY different horse. Would come running up for cuddles and lick you to death.
 
bless him
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i just dont know why he is such a jibbering wreck do you think in his past he has had poor treatment ?
as she said he was like it with her for a long time she has had him 5 years !!
my prob is a getting hurt and b after the stress and hassle of getting him sorted hes then back off to owner !!
i know he deserves to be given a chance but am i really that confidant to do it i havent gained my balls of steal yet !! lol
teathing probs yes can do that no probs buts dragging me across floor no !!!
 
Could be anything really. We can't always know a horses past and they are sensitive animals. My boy did have a lot of abuse in his past.

It doesn't have to be abuse though, it could be as simple as he's not used to new experiences like new yards, or shows, or new horses. He could be set in his ways from being at the same place for 5 years, or it could be underconfident handling or the hrse losing confidence in himself. Could be lots of things!

Could you speak to the owner about being given the oppertunity to buy him once the loan is up for his market value now, or have in the contract that you get some of the sales profit if he improves?
 
she has spoke about selling him then said she doesnt want to sell him !!!
so i dont know where i stand untill later on in to loan period,its a tough one and i have done nothing but think about him and what to do !!
it scared the girls on the yard last nite and they have said to send him back and also my bro that has taken over running yard from my dad has said he doesnt want him here if he is going to be a big problem !!
 
I think you have to decide what you want.

A horse like him will require lots of time and effort. If you wanted a loan horse to have fun with and ride straight away then he's probably not the horse for you.

It's not fun taking on a problem horse, but it is rewarding so you need to decide if it's worth sticking with him for a bit longer.
 
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