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

£40,000?

really?

he sounds like a highly strung comp horse who needs a job, not a bullet
confused.gif
 
I definitely don't think he warrants being PTS at all. I think he probably just needs a complete change of lifestyle really. i have a similar(ish) pony who, although the ability is there his head cannot cope with the pressure. He has never reared but he has other 'quirks'. I couldn't sell him as my conscience wouldn't let me but after several years trying to work through his problems I have to say we gave up, he wasnever going to cope or be a consistent jumper and we decided he could live out his days as a hack and he's happy doing this - no pressure so less 'arguments'!

we actually tried some polocrosse on him at one time and he was calm and more chilled out than ever so maybe we should have loaned him out for that, he picked up the 'rules' very quickly!

I think there will be someone who will take him on - you say he hacks alone or in company well that's a big plus already for him for many people! I do think some horses just are not cut out to compete under any sort of pressure and it is generally these overly intelligent and extremely talented animals (which makes it more frustrating for us) but if their brain is not suited to it then we have to realise that and try another approach/type of life for that animal.
 
I think you've had some great responses here. And I agree that you shouldn't have him pts, if he is as talented as you say then someone will take him on, he's still young, and believe me I've turned around horses that were considered evil before.

I think you'll find though that a lot of animo bloodlines have this quirky trait, my friends had a couple, one of them was a right nightmare, but so talented, you couldnt touch its mouth, but god could he jump!!
 
I agree with everything that's been said already. My boy is very similar to this, can be nappy, weaves and can't be left alone,but doesn't rear. I've had him 4 months and the change in him is quite remarkable.
All he needed was a consistent one to one routine with someone who loves him to bits!
I bought him knowing his issues and wouldn't have him any other way, I'd be bored with a horse who did everything right
grin.gif

Just to say as well, I wouldn't class myself as experienced at all but I'm confident and I think that's the key. Please don't have him PTS you WILL find a home for him
 
My horse is very similar, another warmblood!
I would say warmbloods can be slow to mature and I would say mine settled down age 8-10, but he can still be tricky now at 16!
Def try project horses and if you want to weed out the muppets tend towards people who have had warmbloods and are used to their temperaments, because I think yours is quite typical.
 
Sooty - yes all the usual suspects have been covered.

Everybody has been very kind and balanced with their views, and thankyou to everyone who has Pm'd me. I am going to take stock and really think things through.

I am trying really hard to make the right choices for him. I have been brought up to believe that animals are for life but I can't cope with him and it is heartbreaking to find myself in this position.

xx
 
You could well be describing my Fly. To be honest he probably will always have issues. I have had Fly over a year now and it has taken that long for him to settle down and trust me. We do most things, sj, fun rides etc but it is still very much when he wants to. I can enter the 2ft 3" and get round albeit disjointedtly and the next time enter the 3ft 9 and win it. Your horse needs leadership from you and that means you having the confidence to deal with his tantrums. If that bothers you then you will never succeed. There is someone out there that will give him a good life, you just have to be honest and I guess a little lucky. I hope you can sort it but I do think that means re-homing or loaning preferably then you can check that he is well and adjusted. Good luck. x
 
He sounds like one of my instructors horses. A is magnificant but totally tapped. If he wasn't he'd have probably been with a top rider on the circuit now but he is utterly mental.
Incrediably talented but totally loony. A you couldn't touch, couldn't hack, couldn't warm up and certainly couldn't control when they got him. My instructors sponsor spent ages with him (he's really into natural horseman ship) and now he's a lot calmer. He'll never be sane, she can't jump him at home or he tries to kill her but he can now be hacked around the block. He is a jumping beast at shows and is stunning to look at - just too clever for his own good.
My instructor is a very talented rider who's skint and took on A knowing exactly what she was doing. A is happy and adjusted. So people will take on difficult horses as long as you're honest.
 
His issues don't honestly sound that bad, just what you would expect from a reasonably talented horse - most of them are a bit quirky. My mare's grandsire is Animo and she is also very intelligent and she does tiny little half rears when she says OF COURSE I CANNOT DO THAT. I think its cute. What seems to work best is not reacting or laughing at her. A lot of this just sounds like normal horse behaviour. I think he just needs a confident rider who is prepared to put a reasonable amount of time in schooling and he will be an excellent horse. He needs to have his mind occupied all the time so he doesn't think up little tricks and evasions. Zero tolerance works well, you can do a lot of schooling just in walk. I hope you find someone good for him.
 
Hi LHS! I've read your post and the replies with interest, I don't know your horse or how bad he really is, but just wanted to say that you are right to consider PTS as a possibility. My first horse was totally unsuitable for a novice owner, which is a common problem, but turned out to be totally unsuitable for ANY owner. I had her on schooling livery with a professional more than once and she was returned as too dangerous even for them to deal with. Even handling she was dangerous, most yards did not have a groom able to deal with her and she was completely stressed all the time (both fence walking when out and box walking when in). I spent four and a half years with vets, dentists, physios, etc. - nothing physically wrong with her. I tried Monty Roberts stuff, no help, I tried limiting what she did but she always developped a new problem. This is an extreme case but the only solution was PTS. It was very difficult but it had to be done.

Not all difficult horses can find lovely new homes. Professionals do not want to buy really difficult horses, why would they???! Amateurs who proclaim themselves able to deal with challenges often turn tail and run when faced with a real one (I don't blame them, some horses are dangerous, but people do overestimate their own abilities to deal with them. You often hear of a teenager who is 'ready for a challenge' as she has dealt with her bucking pony!).

I do hope you find a solution for your boy, but if PTS seems like the right thing to do, don't feel guilty, it is the right thing.

Good Luck,
Nafsika
 
I think he shouldn't be PTS thats for sure. Lots of horses nap and quite a few do rear (although few owners will admit it!). There are people out there who are willing to put up with a napper / rearer and work through it / around it. One of my horses bucks when excited, they can get pretty big if he's wound up but I just ignore them. Im sure some people would be petrified and think he was dangerous though. There will always be the perfect owner for your horse somewhere out there
wink.gif
 
When I got Pip he was much worse than what you describe, and with disputable talent.
He was a known bolter( no no for driving), had never let anyone ride him- bolshy to lead. Reared tied up; Almost over backwards. Bucked driven, compulsively and wouldn't even long rein straight.
After 2 years of careful work, 24/7 turnout he is a super pony. He jumps too well for me- placed in his few dressage outings- Working at about elem. level. A pleasure to be around and competing driving trials every other week end. And is taking me to the work championships in 2 weeks
smile.gif
.

So PLEASE do not PTS this horse. If Pip had been with a novice owner he may well have killed them- but in a suitable home your boy could transform.
 
Hi, I feel your stress here. It is difficult when you feel there isn't really 'a job' for your animal.

What about seeking a 1to1 home with someone who works in in a less traditional manner. Perhaps they could do something more with him.
This way all his issues can be dealt with sympathetically and correctly.

You are very right in not wanting him passed around, he would become a liability to himself and others.

Heartfelt situation and I hope you can have ahappy ending.
 
I would try t find a professional with whom he clicks. I'm reminded of HH's post the other day in Breeding about certain types of horses going better for professionals. However, even professionals can have problems 'clicking' with a horse.

What part of the country are you based in?? I know a very good rider in Glous. Professional - small yard, real attention to detail etc. Female. May suit.
 
Well i have got one the same as yours.

I have had him for nearly 5 yrs and only in the last 3 mths has he started to mellow.
He was an exrace horse, very strong minded and a complete pig with no regard for rider saftey what so ever.

I tried to sell him but he kept ending up back with me.
He was like a bloody bad penny!

Anyway now i wouldn't sell him for the world infact i was offered good money for him last weekend and my husband turned it down on my behalf as he wants him for himself!
If you can find someone with time and patience i reckon he will come good.
 
The problem is the "right" solution depends almost entirely on your circumstances and the horse himself - what works successfully for one horse in one place for one owner might not be nearly as viable an option for another situation.

I've "fixed" horses for people to sell only to have them start to enjoy the horse and want to keep it. Sometimes this seemed like an unlikely scenario at best but worked out just fine. Sometimes I've had to explain to someone that the solution depended on specific circumstances and they've chosen to move the horse on even as they were enjoying it again.

I've had clients who fully intended to keep a horse discover during the process that the horse is not, in fact, the one for them and there are better options for all concerned.

Unfortunately horses are organic individuals - there is lots of potential for things to go wrong but then again, there is always the potential for things to go right again!

This is also why every horse does not excel in every professional situation, no matter how skilled. By definition competitive environments tend to have little flexibility and time for horses that don't fit in fairly easily (even a horse with "issues" CAN fit in somewhere if the problems don't interfere with the program - which can be hell for some horses, by the way), even to the point where certain professionals favour particular temperaments, builds etc. (Hence why so many pros have many horses from the same breeding.) I think it's actually the sign of a GOOD professional when someone is secure enough to say they like such and such a type and aren't really interested in horses to far from that, feeling they would excel more easily with someone else - know thyself! Obviously a good horse is a good horse but not everyone defines the term the same way!

Also, big professional outfits can be difficult for a horse that's having trouble adjusting, although many horses who start a little slower can build confidence in a quieter, more understanding environment and go on to live happily in such situations when they've been taught how to cope.

I also feel, to some extent, people with very competitive temperaments and ambitions are not always the best choice for young or struggling horses. It's a bit like asking a university prof to excel at special education! Also, some of the "big" systems are attrition based - the assumption is that not every horse will "come good" and part of the process is to weed them out. In the bigger picture this makes some sense (time and money and all that) but obviously if you have the horse that doesn't quite fit it can be a disaster. It's also not an exact science - there are so many horses that have "failed" in one situation only to excel in another. (I knew someone when I was young who bought a horse from a huge sj producer for relatively low money because it was deemed to be difficult and limited. It won the World Championships for her . . .)

I must say I've never had anyone put a horse down on purely behavioural issues - there are always solutions for that sort of thing - BUT I have advised people to think seriously about the option for a horse with physical issues contributing to behavioural problems, especially if the prognosis is bleak and/or circumstances are such that the horse can't receive the care and management necessary. It's not a nice conversation but some people prefer it to sending an already compromised horse out into the great unknown.

Hmm . . . all a bit of an essay!
smile.gif
In the end, only YOU can make the right decision for both or you. It really doesn't sound like you're in a drastic place yet, but I agree you have to make a radical change. How you go forward depends a lot on how you feel about the horse, money, time etc.

Tough decisions. But there are solutions! Good luck.
 
Looking at the replies I think there are plenty of people who would bite your hand off for him!

I don't think it would be fair to have him PTS - you've admitted yourself that you are a novice and are not the right person for him but by getting him PTS you would not be giving him a chance to come good with the right owner.

I understand that you don't want to be one of these people who offloads there problem to someone else but TBH his issues aren't that extreme and if you are totally honest in you advert for him he should get a new home with no problem - he deserves that chance at least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top