I'm scared of my horse!

I can't tell you the number of times I have been told to get rid of my boy because of his bad behaviour, he was the worst youngster ever and had no respect for anyone. I was told at one livery yard that no-one would handle him because he would jump on them, he had no respect for anyone and walked to the field on his hind legs, not funny at 16.3. He knew he could get away with things because people were scared of him. I am a novice owner but I was never scared of him. I had to learn that he was not the cuddly pony I wanted and to treat him firmly and fairly and our relationship flourished. I did send him to a professional trainer who helped him learn some manners and even now at rising 8 he can be a handful but he is very loving and a real character. There is light at the end of the tunnel if you want to persevere with your horse, he is in a new environment and needs to know the boundaries, if you are scared though get some sympathetic professional help. Good luck
 
If you have really decided to get rid of him, then take him to a dealer. You will lose money, but at least you won't have the horse anymore. It is not a crime to accept its the wrong horse for you.

BUT, what has most likely happened, is this horse is still not settled in his new home. He does not trust you and that scares HIM, which also scares YOU.

People rarely think about how a new home makes a horse feel. He has a new stable that smells of other horses, strange new friends, new places to hack, probably new tack to wear etc.

If you can afford to, put him on full livery, so you don't have to handle him, and a professional can. It will put him back on the straight and narrow and give you some breathing space. Only ride him in a school, with an instructor, who will make you work the horse properly. This will stop him being a twit and make you think about what you are doing, rather than give you time to worry.
 
It doesn't sound to me like you want to ride this horse and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Horses are supposed to be fun and if he is scaring you, then he is not for you.

If you think that is correct then the next question is what to do with him and how much money would you like to have back. I don't think you will get far with a legal course of action against a private seller, so I would look at selling the horse on. If you prefer to sell him very quickly but lose a bit of money contact a few dealers and see who will give you the best price to come and collect him - they should be able to sort him out and if not, it's their problem. If you want to get your money back you will need to spend money. For me this horse has lost his confidence and needs someone to give it back to him both handling and riding, so I think you would need to send him to a professional to sort out and then consider selling. Livery at professional yards can be quite expenssive though and you need to think whether it would be worth it given what you might realistically get for selling the horse at the end of it. I would only contact the behaviourist and instructor if you decide you want to your partnership with this horse another chance.
 
If im honest, it sounds as though the horse is hormonal. Its the time of year where most mares are coming / are in season, and the boys (especially if cut late) are playing up. Is he stabled next door to a mare, or is in a field next to a mare in season, as this could explain his behaviour towards the other gelding (stallion like behaviour) do you know when he was cut, or is it possible he could have a retained testicle? If you can try keeping him away from any mares, and try working with him when there is no other activity on the yard ie 1st light, or at dawn? Please always wear your hat whilst being with him, just incase, but i feel that it really isnt an evil thing, its a natural type of behaviour for a highly hormonal gelding / rig at this type of year. Try giving him some super calm or rigcalm and see how he goes. I would also let his previous owner ride him for now so you can gain confidence from her, or see that he is not what you hoped for in a horse.

Good Luck,

let us know how you get on,

Laura xxx
 
I agree you've not had this horse v long really for him to have settled in to his environment but i also feel it isn't right to not enjoy having the horse either. Stilll i would try the further help route first as there must have been some reason you felt he was right for you and bought him in the first place?

If you are feeding him any hard feed maybe have a look at exactly WHAT you are feeding him - some horses react very ddly to certain supplements - my sister's horse turns into a bit of a bolshy idiot if he has oats and he's usually v v calm!

Also, some horses DO take a long time to settle and are always going to be more aggressive towards other horses in the field, he will still be trying to establish himself in the hierachy. Keep him so he can 'talk' to the other horse but cannot physically injure him, eventually he should settle down in that respect. Believe me have a v v dominant pony and horse but we used to have a worse one who was v aggressive with anything nerw we introduced it would actually take us months to get harmony in the group. Normally the new horse was separated for several weeks before steadily introducing the to the horses lower in the pecking order first.

Certainly gve him some more time - don't feed any hard feed at all if you have grass and if possible turn him out 24/7 let him burn his energy up!
 
If you're going the small claims route you have to start by writing her a letter laying out what you're not happy with etc and that you want her to take him back.

One thing I will say though is that if you are ok riding him, then you perhaps need to decide whether you can get tougher with him. When I first got Ty he was so bolshy on the flat with me and I just realised that either I got tough or he'd walk all over me! re. his behaviour with other horses, there have been a few posts like this likely - was he in a field with other geldings before?
 
For those of you who don't know, I called out the vet on Thurs am for some help. My boy had cleared two 5 bar gates and a fence just so that he could get at the other gelding (the one he attacked). He kept 'rounding up' the gelding (which was the beginning of something terrible last time) and so we had to keep our eyes on them. The vet advised me to put my handsome boy to sleep because she thought he had serious behavior issues. She said that I had to think about his future ... if he got passed from pillar to post, he may eventually be sold for slaughter. Also he could hurt another horse or person (or child), and could I live with that on my conscience.
After much soul searching and many tears shed, I decided to go with her advice and have him put to sleep by injection. He died peacefully at approx 1pm on Thurs. Although I hadn't known him for too long, it felt like saying goodbye to my best friend. I know I'll remember him for the good times, not the bad.
 
shocked.gif
 
Didnt the vet do a hormone test before passing such a harsh sentence on him? He couldve been a rig. Im sorry it ended as it did anyhow, it must have been very hard on you.
crazy.gif
. A huge hug from me, Mairi.x
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think it sounds like he has begun to take the mickey a bit. I woudl get the old owner up to ride him and see what she says as he may revert to his old behaviour with you.
If you were thinking of selling him this would be a positive as it would suggest that you could safely sell him to someone more experienced.
Also the fact she is offering to come ride him is positive as she is not just washing her hands of him.
It sounds to me like you just are not confident, perhaps get an instructor or experienced person out to help you with him as it also sounds very recent, he is probably just testing the boundaries.

[/ QUOTE ]

Completely agree, horses are good at sensing uncertainty - I would give him more time and take the old owner up on her offer.
 
[ QUOTE ]
For those of you who don't know, I called out the vet on Thurs am for some help. My boy had cleared two 5 bar gates and a fence just so that he could get at the other gelding (the one he attacked). He kept 'rounding up' the gelding (which was the beginning of something terrible last time) and so we had to keep our eyes on them. The vet advised me to put my handsome boy to sleep because she thought he had serious behavior issues. She said that I had to think about his future ... if he got passed from pillar to post, he may eventually be sold for slaughter. Also he could hurt another horse or person (or child), and could I live with that on my conscience.
After much soul searching and many tears shed, I decided to go with her advice and have him put to sleep by injection. He died peacefully at approx 1pm on Thurs. Although I hadn't known him for too long, it felt like saying goodbye to my best friend. I know I'll remember him for the good times, not the bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

So sorry, did not read this until I had already posted my other post.

You have made a very brave and unselfish decision, hats off to you.
 
blush.gif
I am quite surprised I have to say at the vet for not suggesting a behaviorist before going straight to PTS :S
 
Having gone through everything I have recently, I was a little bored and at a loose end this afternoon, so I thought i'd have a quick look at www.horsemart.co.uk. Ref: HM814N5BC. Imagine my shock .... and anger when I found that the woman, who had sold me my boy I had to have PTS, has another one (a mare) for sale! This woman was telling me that she couldn't afford to buy my boy back and yet she's managed to buy another horse .... AND it looks like she's going to have lots of ££££ in the bank soon.
Please steer clear of this woman. In my experience, she's not what she seems!! For all I know, she could be a horse dealer after all.
I am so angry, and yet again in tears .....
 
Where abouts in Lincolnshire is she AJ? She seems a lot like the woman my mother had a similar incident with buying her mare. The surname's the same but not the first....PM me if you prefer.
 
Hi, sorry, only just read your message. The girl in question lives on the coast. Can't say exactly where as I'm taking her to court. Perhaps your mum dealt with her mum(?). What happened with your mum's mare?

A.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top