I've finally had enough, What should I do !!

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BBH

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What do you do with a horse who no-one can reach, I don't want to sell him as I think in the wrong hands he could be too much of a handful and am seriously thinking of having him PTS which totally goes against my morals but am thinking this is better than being pushed from pillar to post. He is a professionals horse but doesn't yet if ever have the head for competition.

He has trust issues and needs carefully management and I no longer want him. I am a novice owner and I didn't buy this horse for me to have but as a horse to be professionally produced, which we now know he doesn't have the head for and isn't gonna happen anytime soon. Its a waste of money to keep sending him to a professional yard just for them to handle him.

He needs someone who is experienced and has the time to bond with him on a one to one basis and that isn't me.

He is 16'2" ISH / Dutch Warmblood Cruising / Animo
8 yrs.

+ Side - Lots of Ability both over jumps and on flat
- Can be very loving
- Very good looking
- will hack alone and in company
- is used to traffic


Issues - Has separation issues from heard
- Has to be in heard with Geldings
- Too intelligent - he thinks of evasions quicker than old ones are un-done
- Stress head - weaves when people on yard
- argues over just about everything accept dinner arriving.
- Nappy
- Will rear if in tantrum ( happened 5 times- not over backwards though, very controlled if that makes sense ),


He has been a field ornament for 8 months now and needs restarting.

This is a very hard decision for me and I want him gone quickly now I have made my mind up.

What are your views -
 
Am I right in saying he has been professionally schooled since you had him? If so, what have they recommended, have you asked them what they think of him?
 
i personally think in the right experienced hands he will be OK
he probably needs to be worked daily and handled by skilled people
i don't think you should have him put to sleep !
cant you put him on project horses

i don't know the whole story but he sounds like he could be brought into line in the proper hands
and at the moment hes behaving like a spoilt toddler
have you had back and teeth checked

good luck
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Yes he has been professionally produced all his life,

Showjumping - hated him, he has lots of ability but they wanted something they could just get on and do the job with,

Dressage - loved him and was told he could go ' all the way' but only when he's in the mood.
 
Please, please don't even think about having him PTS. In one sentence you say you don't want to sell him in case he ends up in the wrong hands and in the next you say you are a novice owner. This is an intelligent, sound young horse - he may well do better on a one-to-one basis with someone much more experienced than you. Not all horses do well on busy professional yards. Advertise him truthfully at a realistic price and you are bound to find him a good home.
 
Yes Hipp you are probably right in the right hands he will come good, but those right hands are very hard to come by, you either find people happy to help for full livery costs and I'm not happy to put anymore money into this horse or the well meaning amateur people who think a bit of TLC is all that is required.

Don't want to sell him as I don't want any repercussions from people who think they are more experienced then they really are and he then gets passed from dealer to dealer. He already has trust issues and that wouldn't be the help he needs.

He has no physical problems- all maintenance stuff is up to date.
 
If you have a look on the British Dressage website, in the classified, horses for sale adverts. There is a wanted advert... someone looking for a 'cheeky' horse with problems that they can produce for dressage. Might be worth a phone call?
 
Can you not sell him to a professional dressage person or dealers of dressage horses, if that is his thing?
I really don't think you should have him PTS, there will be somebody out there for him, you just need to find them.
 
I had a westphalian gelding identical to yours- As he was a talented jumper i tried him with a professional for a month(couldnt afford any longer) . He agreed it was one of the most talented horses he had ever ridden but it was the lack of consistancy as to when he was in the mood to jump rather than the rearing that put him off.
i sold him as a project horse (mainly) due to rearing. The people who bought him returned him after a week threatening to sue me over the rearing - i mean WTF- it was in the ad and on the receipt- what more could i have done? I was completely upfront that you could pothunt dressage and hack all day but take him jumping and he would spend most of the time on his back legs.
So i picked him up, chucked him in the field and considered PTS.A male friend who had long admired him asked if he could try him out hunting so off they went. It still reared like mad but T loved him and it didnt faze him in the slightest so i accepted T's generous(no really i was ready to give it away) offer of £1000 and they are happily hunting and rearing their way across Middle England.
 
All of his issues are manageable if you find an experienced home, rearing 5 times really isn't that big a deal, the warmblood at our yard can probably do that in 30 seconds when she's in a mood.

He's well bred and by the sound of it good looking so he will find a good competition home somewhere. Put him up on the BD website, many dressage riders almost expect that sort of behaviour from a new horse, they would be able to sort him out.
 
I agree with Jaylen.

I know a lot of talented but quirky horses who just cant cope on a professional yard in fact my mum has ended up with one. These horses tend to need quiet, consistency and a one to one.

I think you should advertise him as exactly what you described him on here, put a cheap price on him and only sell him to someone whos quiet, sensitive and experienced. Theres lots of people out there who want something talented but are on a very tight budget and have the experience to make compromises
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your nightmare could be someone elses dream horse.
 
Sorry you're having such problems, he sounds like a stroppy child used to getting his own way!

It comes down to whether you want to profit out of him or not?
If you are thinking of having him put to sleep (please don't, he 'can' come good) then you must have resigned yourself to loosing out financially.

In which case put an advert here, ask among the forums if there is anyone who has the experience and expertise to take him on. Part with him for a meesly sum but know he is in good hands and not put to sleep.

He obviously needs a small yard and a lot of exercise to keep that brain used!

Best of luck finding him a home, I hope its someone on here and we can watch his progress
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This is just my view, I am not close enough to the situation to know for sure;

He needs first and foremostly an experienced person to provide his routine, every day, and also to provide exercise. Don't take this personally, but I think the biggest issue here is that this horse is too much for you and needs experienced handling. He needs to be surrounded by a confident person that can think ahead in situations based on past experience.

An experienced handler and regular routine may well build this horse's confidence and thus make him more secure and ease problems such as nappiness, weaving, having to be with geldings all the time etc.

This horse is not for you and you have acknowledged this.

I don't believe this horse is dangerous and surely a horse should only be PTS when it is dangerous (danger that can't be dealt with) or sick????

PLEASE find an alternative owner, even if you have to accept very little money. Give this horse another chance. PTS is not a fair option or even an option in my mind.
 
I also agree with Jaylen.

I think he needs an experienced rider that won't take any nonsense, he does sound like he is throwing his toys out the pram. I think once in a routine and ridden regularly he will be a cracking horse in the right hands. Advertise him be completely honest, don't have him PTS he clearly has a lot of talent.
My mare was a cow when i got her, hadn't been ridden for 3 months, she to is a rearer, throwing tantrums i know with the wrong person she would walk all over them.
Chin up, but I would advertise and respond to wanted adverts.
Firewell is right - your nightmare could well be someone elses dream. Angel certainly was mine.
 
Yes I think you are right. He is a lovely horse and deserves a chance, I had somebody lined up to have him but she decided at the last minute that she couldn't afford to keep him so pulled out. I think this is why I am so keen that he goes quickly. He has never been lame and is not dangerous but whoever takes him on must not underestimate how tricky he can be.

The perfect home for him would be with someone very experienced who doesn't have the money for a quality horse, but has time and love in abundance.

A good home is more important than price and if anyone in the home counties particularly Hants wants to give him a go pls Pm me.
 
As well as the project horses site, have you tried the intelligent horsemanship site for help/ ideas. I would have thought that he is just the sort of horse someone there would like to take on and would give a good home to. There discussion forum is http://ihdg.proboards91.com/ and they have a specific section for horses for sale/ offered. I would have thought it would be worth trying before PTS even if you decided to give him or permenantly loan him to a good home.

Their main website is http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/
 
BTW: I didn't mean to criticise your level of experience, but I think that sometimes we all have to acknowledge that a horse is too much and you have readily done that...........We all have our limits, I know I have mine!
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The last line you have just written to me sums it all up perfectly - And if you can advertise him in this way there should be no reason that someone wouldn't snap him up. Just be honest about him, as you are.
 
I agree with the others please dont have him PTS. there are plenty of talented young riders out there who would jump at the chance to get a horse with talent even if that horse had problems.

10 years ago i bought a show pony, he was a nasty piece of work, he bit, he kicked, he would attack you in his stable, he'd attack you if you went in the same field as him, he couldnt be trusted around anyone, he was sooo ring sour it was unbelievable, heavy in your hands, hated work, got extremely nasty when you tried to put bridle on him. I bought him at a market for meat money. within a year the biteing had stopped and so had the attacking people, we spent 2 years hacking and doing fun stuff like beachrides and XC. 4 years after i bought him he was a superstar, all the behavior issues were over, he was back in the show ring, back winning. He is now semi retired and comes out to shows to do the odd veteran class an to keep my other pony company. You couldnt ask for more pleasent pony to deal with. You still have to watch and be careful but its been years since he bit or kicked anyone.

My next pony was a confirmed bucker and occasionaly put in the odd rear, he has planted me head first into the ground on numerous occasions (i stopped counting after the first month) but he has soo much talent in the show ring that i put up with his tempertantrums and ride him through it, its done wonders for my stickability.

I would find him a talented rider who has a private yard with only a few horses on, i'd then sell him for meat oney and see how he goes.
 
What your horse probably needs is to be kept at a nice quiewt private yard where his knowledgable and experienced owner will give him one to one care and attention.
 
Crikey if I still lived in Hampshire I would be round there with my box to pick him up. He is exactly the sort of horse I like, a brain, a personality and a few quirks. I have a very similar one here, all the ability to go to the top, but with a head that can't cope. So he is a beautiful, elegant hack for me who I enjoy training at home and having training on locally, I adore him and he is happy.

There must be someone like me near to you who would be delighted with a horse like this. A lot of "professional" yards simply don't have the time for "quirky". If you can't find someone, stick him on a lorry and send him over here
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what is his "separation from herd" anxiety? can he be in a paddock next to other horses? does he have to be in with them? does he jump the fence if not?
i would advertise him totally honestly and cheaply. If i didn't have too many horses already i'd love to have him, and i'm sure there are lots of people like me.
best of luck. why not put him on Project Horses?
 
Your comments are a little contradictive. You say he needs someone to bond with him on a one to one basis and that its not you... but you don't want to sell him. You don't want to pay anything any more for him... but don't want to sell him. You don't want to have him PTS but you want to get rid of the horse asap to the right home.
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Either put him out on full loan and let him go off the yard (but be aware that they may want to send him back and have the cash and facilities on standby in your mind) or sell him. There is always a risk that any horse will be passed from pillar to post, but you can minimise that by thoroughly vetting potential owners first. Better to do everything you can for him in finding him a decent home than putting a bullet in his head IMO. Sorry if this all sounds very harsh, but you took on a responsibility to this horse when you bought him, and just because things aren't going well you can't just get a quick fix by selling him right now this instant and expect him to go to a good home. The only quick fix option is PTS which I beg you not to do - he doesn't need it.
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Whilst I agree with a lot of what other people are saying in that some horses just need to find the right owner, I also admire your honesty in saying you are thinking of having him PTS. Whilst it should be a last resort, I also think if he is dangerous and it sounds like he could be if he rears, then sometimes it is fairer to the horse. It is a horrible, horrible situation and I hope you can find someone who'll love him and make him happy, but if you can't keep him and can't in good conscience sell him or find someone to suit him, I don't see what other choice you have. I despise people who sell on a horse with problems into a situation where people or horses are at risk. I have been in this situation and was lucky enough that we found a sympathetic dealer and the horse ended up being sold to an international event rider who then sold him to be a very successful SJ. However, that was after the event rider admitted the horse had the most dangerous rear he'd ever seen. I know he did, he cracked my spine coming over backwards on me. I would never, ever have sold that horse to anyone other than an experienced and sympathetic rider. I was sold the horse as suitable for a novice owner, yet it was quite clear that he took a few weeks to settle into a new home and then played up. I've since learned to research a horse much more thoroughly so I understand in my case, I perhaps was naive. However, I was still sold a dangerous horse under false advertising! However, I took responsibility for him and I was entirely upfront and honest about the horse and his nappiness and rearing and told the dealer and the rider that I did not expect them to get on the horse if they weren't happy but that he was very talented. I told them what he had done to me and what he was capable of (not only could he rear, but he could buck like a rodeo!) In that situation, had I not found this dealer and rider, I would have had him PTS as I would never have subjected him to being knocked about etc. and I would never have let anybody put themselves in the danger I ended up in. Sometimes, if you love them, you have to do whats best for them! This is not to say that you should or shouldn't have your boy PTS but I feel quite strongly that in some circumstances it is the right, if heartbreakingly difficult, decision. Sorry for the essay! I'll shut up now!
 
You could try PMing RachelSkeff - she is looking for a dressage star and will shortly be based with a Very good trainer in your area.
Good luck, please don't PTS, as someone said - your problem might be someone's dream come true.
 
I can understand you comments and from my point of view I would normally say exactly the same as you. I have owned him 6 yrs, he cost £6000 as a yearling and I bought him at two , I have spent circa £ 40,000 having him on livery in that time so I don't feel I am not giving him a fair time to come good.He has had every opportunity with good trainers and I have been dealing with his problems for all that time and I have had enough.

When I posted this he had been asked to leave another yard cos of t/o arrangements. and will now come home again ( I even bought my own yard knowing the day would come when he had reached the end of the road and would need somewhere to stay)

That day has come and whilst I was considering PTS reading some of these posts has made me realise that maybe there are people willing to take on such an horse.
 
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