Mare doesn't want to stop

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Anniecarer

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After owning for 21 years (sadly lost last year), and sharing a 8 year old, fairly green but relatively safe mare for 6 months I decided to buy Mother/Daughter share - mainly for my totally novice daughter. Therefore horse needs to be safe, calm, experienced etc
Today we viewed a lovely 11 year old cob. Absolutely gorgeous on the ground, totally calm, easy to handle, tacked up like a dream, stood totally still while I mounted and moved off beautifully - straight on the bit when I asked. (I had watched the owner hack down to the school without so much as a flinch, and watched her ride beautifully).
Rode in trot fine, but I asked her to canter (I haven't cantered in a long time) - which, in hindsight, was silly - and she wouldn't stop. Nothing horrible, no bucks, no rears, just kept going and wouldn't stop. I froze, my hands went up and I was hanging on to her mouth. I know it confused her, and I became rigid - yet still still did nothing bad except keep going. The owners were telling me to lower my hands but I couldn't hear/act on it!
Apart from this, everything was fine. I've paid a deposit, but now I am just a little worried that she will be unstoppable. They did say afterwards "when she does this just turn her in circles" which now makes me wonder if she's done it before. She's ridden in a straight bit (my instructor says they are for babies and offer no brakes) with no martingale on today - which may have helped.
She seems to be everything we want in a horse in terms of handling, nature etc. She seemed to take to us, which was nice. I have a very experienced instructor who will give us both lessons, so I was feeling OK about it, but just starting to wonder now if I'm being too hopeful. The owners say they think she has been driven, as she trots and canters at her own pace - wonder if this will cause problems?
Just wonder if anyone has experienced this before, and is it something that lots of lessons/schooling and getting used to the horse will get over.
Thanks everyone
 
walk away !! Never every buy a horse if there is a doubt in your mind like this, listen to your gut and dont just brush your doubts under the carpet and think it will work out and be ok. I speak having done this on more than one occasion and regretted it immensely! Chances are, you WILL have problems with his horse if you did on her home ground. There are many many horses out there for sale, dont be in a hurry and take your time finding something that ticks every box. You can compromise on height, shape, colour, gender, age.. but never on behaviour/rideability.
 
It sounds to me as if you have rushed to leave a deposit without fully trying the mare or thinking it through, did you try her anywhere other than in a school, did your daughter ride her? a safe confidence giver should not run away when cantering, you may need to ask more questions about her behaviour, read between the lines not just what you want to hear but how they respond to searching questions.
If you have a good instructor take the instructor with you for a second viewing, try the mare in an open field and do not be pushed into making a quick decision if you are unsure, if you have any doubts walk away.
 
Although I agree with the other posters who have said, if in doubt walk away, I would recommend a ride and drive horse for a novice rider every time, especially if she is good to handle on the ground. I would tell any-one who is having trouble stopping to turn in a circle, so maybe the owners were just trying to give you a strategy in case it happened again.
However I think you need to talk to the owners again, explain your doubts, ask for another trial and take the mare out for a hack. Drivers can be quite strong but with the correct bit can be stopped. I doubt that a martingale would help you to stop, as they really only come into play when the horse lefts its head too high, which would be unusual for a driver.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Although I agree with the other posters who have said, if in doubt walk away, I would recommend a ride and drive horse for a novice rider every time, especially if she is good to handle on the ground. I would tell any-one who is having trouble stopping to turn in a circle, so maybe the owners were just trying to give you a strategy in case it happened again.
However I think you need to talk to the owners again, explain your doubts, ask for another trial and take the mare out for a hack. Drivers can be quite strong but with the correct bit can be stopped. I doubt that a martingale would help you to stop, as they really only come into play when the horse lefts its head too high, which would be unusual for a driver.
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Thanks very much for your comments. I've spent a lot of time looking at websites on the breed (Gypsy Cob) and also riding previously driven horses and I am sure it was something I did that set her off. She didn't bolt, just kept going as though I'd asked her to and seemed confused when I pulled on her to stop, so I suspect I pressed a certain button. I am going back to see her next weekend with a more experienced friend who will also ride her, and the owners have suggested I hack her to the school and they will accompany me on another horse. Hopefully all of this will give me reassurance.
 
I expect that you were rather nervous - most of us are when trying a new horse - so you probably gripped her a bit harder than she is used to, which she thought meant that you wanted her to go. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, you will need to practise asking her to slow with your seat, which is much easier when you are relaxed.
I have a very strong Draft horse, who was advertised as having run away with her novice owner, I hack her in a Neue Schule Universal with 2 reins, which means that I can ride her on the snaffle rein most of the time but can bring the curb rein into play if I need to. I have made the mistake of hacking her in her NS Tranz (a snaffle), because I couldn't be bothered to change her bit after a schooling session. I shall not make that mistake again!
The vendor sounds as if they have their horse's best interests (and yours) at heart, so I would take them up on their offer. Good luck!
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
I expect that you were rather nervous - most of us are when trying a new horse - so you probably gripped her a bit harder than she is used to, which she thought meant that you wanted her to go. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, you will need to practise asking her to slow with your seat, which is much easier when you are relaxed.
I have a very strong Draft horse, who was advertised as having run away with her novice owner, I hack her in a Neue Schule Universal with 2 reins, which means that I can ride her on the snaffle rein most of the time but can bring the curb rein into play if I need to. I have made the mistake of hacking her in her NS Tranz (a snaffle), because I couldn't be bothered to change her bit after a schooling session. I shall not make that mistake again!
The vendor sounds as if they have their horse's best interests (and yours) at heart, so I would take them up on their offer. Good luck!
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Thanks very much for your comments. You are right, I was very nervous and wished I'd taken my friend with me the first time. Hindisght is a great thing. I am very interested in your information about the bits and reins as a friend had a similar cob who was very strong and she rode in a pelham saying she couldn't hold him in anything less - and he was a wonderful horse. I have been in touch with the owner tonight and they are being so helpful, so I am feeling a lot happier. Thanks again
 
My mare is a fantastic hack, almost completely bombproof, never worried by traffic, no matter how big or noisy but she can get strong. She had been allowed to trot/canter in the same places every time in her previous home and I have had to teach her that putting your hooves on grass or tracks doesn't necessarily mean upping the pace. But the worst experience I've had of her strength was on the hack in the snaffle that I mentioned above. We were trotting uphill in company and she was getting stronger and stronger. I ended up with my hands as fists (very stylish!) to stop her pulling the reins through and then of course, when she decided to stop, I had to keep her going, to make the point that it isn't up to her. I shall definitely always use the 2 reins in future. I very rarely need the curb rein if she knows that it's there.
I'm sure you'll be fine with this mare, she sounds great, you just need to get to know her better.
 
Actually if she wasn't running away with you and just kept cantering at the same pace I'd say that is an advantage! So many horses fall out of canter when you don't want them to, if you can put her in a pace and she will carry on until you say stop that's brilliant! I would suggest you just didn't find the right button for slow down. When I was looking for a horse I tried a couple where you had to use your balance to slow them down - not hold with the seat exactly, but just shift your upper body slightly back, without becoming unbalanced. They were so sensitive to where your weight was it taught me a lot!
 
Just re-read my post from when I bought my girl. Thank you to everyone who commented then. Just an update. I did buy the horse in question. She turned out to be the most, loving, kind, willing horse I could ever have imagined. The problem was, as we found out, she much much, much greener than we had been told and needed to be taken back to basics. After I did this, with the help of two or three very, very good instructors and lots and lots of work she is now the horse that everyone wants. Still very strong and I am careful of "blasting", but she always tries so hard to please. We take dressage tests and are now doing OK at Prelim, with a view to Novice one day. Turns out she was a Spindles Rescue horse and we love her so much.
 
Anniecarer said:
Just re-read my post from when I bought my girl. Thank you to everyone who commented then. Just an update. I did buy the horse in question. She turned out to be the most, loving, kind, willing horse I could ever have imagined. The problem was, as we found out, she much much, much greener than we had been told and needed to be taken back to basics. After I did this, with the help of two or three very, very good instructors and lots and lots of work she is now the horse that everyone wants. Still very strong and I am careful of "blasting", but she always tries so hard to please. We take dressage tests and are now doing OK at Prelim, with a view to Novice one day. Turns out she was a Spindles Rescue horse and we love her so much.
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Thanks for the update! It took me back a bit!
 
Glad it worked out for you. In your original post you mentioned you had professional help lined up to train you and your daughter with your mare. That makes all the difference; knowing from the get-go that training will be part of the experience.
 
I hadn't looked at the date on the original post so loved seeing an update from years later! She sounds like a smashing horse.
 
if you're going to worry about being in a no break scenario you aren't going to enjoy riding. Will you be riding in a menage or out hacking, the latter might become a frightening experience if you aren't confident enough to pull her round on one rein and turning into a circle until she slows down. There's plenty of horses, there's only one you. Look around if in doubt.
 
Muzzlechops said:
if you're going to worry about being in a no break scenario you aren't going to enjoy riding. Will you be riding in a menage or out hacking, the latter might become a frightening experience if you aren't confident enough to pull her round on one rein and turning into a circle until she slows down. There's plenty of horses, there's only one you. Look around if in doubt.
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I think you must have missed the update! And the date of the OP.:)
 
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