My 12yr old bombproof cob threw my friend off

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Wightman

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Hi guys, I bought a bombproof cob, she's 12 yrs old and 15 hh. I am a novice rider, and so wanted something that I could learn on. My friend who is very horsey, got on her after lunging( of which she was very difficult) and she rode her in the feild but Dolly (the horse) seems to be really sensitive to voice commands and off the leg, after seeing her buck I am quite nervous to get on her, but worried about leaving it too long in case she gets worse!
Thanks for reading, she is a brilliant horse and was wondering if trainingher to the cart would be more beneficial for the both of us! Thanks Wightman.
 
I'm a little confused...what was Dolly like when you rode her at the viewing? How long have you had her for and what has she been like for you to ride up until this incident with the friend? In your shoes I would look to get her back, tack and teeth checked to see if there are any physical reasons for her to have bucked. Once you've ruled out any physical reasons I'd look to get a good instructor who can help build your confidence with Dolly. Best of luck!
 
Ditto above, plus how much work is she doing and what food is she eating. The grass is growing massively = fresh horses.
When you bought her, how much work was she doing? Was she being ridden every day?

My old boy threatened a buck the other day, and the whole 16 years I have had him he has never bucked under saddle.
 
Also just another thought, when you say "she rode her in the field" do you mean the field she's usually turned out in or another one? I know some horses are a total pain to work if you're trying to work them in the same field they graze in. If this is the case and assuming you don't have access to a school I'd recommend fencing off a section of the field to ride in so there's a clear division between the two.
 
If you have just recently bought her, it would appear she is not bombproof.

If you have had her for a significant time and she has been bombproof, it sounds like you need an experienced person (not your horsey friend) to help you. Actually either way you need one.
 
First thing is how long have you owned her for and how much have you ridden her?
If you have only had her a short time then you need to get used to each other and take her for some nice laid back hacks at a walk only so that you both become used to each other.
Under no circumstances allow your friends to ride your horse.
She may be a good rider but you want your horse to stay quiet and calm in all situations and you do not need someone with a hot bum geeing her up.
She is your horse and if you want her to be a nice quiet plod then you should be the only person to ride her.
I would suggest that the reason she bucked was that she did not like being pushed on by your friend.
 
Thanks so much for your reaction! She was brilliant when I rode her very calm, however that was in a school, I have had her since Nov now, and I have ridden her around 3-4 times, down the quiet lane she was very good. I have a great bond with her and she is very good on the ground she has around 0.8 of an acre, to graze on so not to much and we are not over feeding her on the hay. She also is a mare so I don't know of that makes a difference. Thanks again
 
Wightman said:
Thanks so much for your reaction! She was brilliant when I rode her very calm, however that was in a school, I have had her since Nov now, and I have ridden her around 3-4 times, down the quiet lane she was very good. I have a great bond with her and she is very good on the ground she has around 0.8 of an acre, to graze on so not to much and we are not over feeding her on the hay. She also is a mare so I don't know of that makes a difference. Thanks again
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How much work was she in before you got her? Being ridden 3-4 times since November isn't much at all...particularly when you consider the spring grass has now started coming through. As a rough guide, my boy I've recently sold was ridden 3-4 times a week in Winter and 6 times a week the rest of the year.
 
She was bought from a dealer and I will admit we were a bit quick to buy her, but she was really good!! She came from Ireland and I think she did a bit of everything there. Any advice of what to do now?
 
If she's used to leisurely riding/ doing novice stuff and bonding with you your horsey friend may have over ridden her and being not used to it it may have wound her up. I'd get back into doing things with her your own way if she's been okay since you bought her :)
 
I would get her in a proper routine i.e. riding her X amount of times a week and recruit the help of a decent instructor to help you gain confidence.
 
If you are genuine and you are saying you've ridden her 5 times in 7 months then I urge you to get professional advice from a qualified instructor as this situation and your inexperience is an accident waiting to happen.
 
Wightman said:
Thanks so much for your reaction! She was brilliant when I rode her very calm, however that was in a school, I have had her since Nov now, and I have ridden her around 3-4 times, down the quiet lane she was very good. I have a great bond with her and she is very good on the ground she has around 0.8 of an acre, to graze on so not to much and we are not over feeding her on the hay. She also is a mare so I don't know of that makes a difference. Thanks again
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. Can I just double check? Dolly has only been ridden 4 times in 7 months. Was ridden in an open field. Cantered, put a buck in and your friend came off?
 
I think most horses not having been ridden then going into an open field would have a hooray moment and buck! Especially with grass coming through, and possibly coming into season.
 
Dolly will be extremely unfit if she has only been ridden 4 times since November. Lunging is very strenuous for unfit horses and you risk injury. Also she should only be ridden in walk for a couple of weeks (if ridden 5 or more times a week, longer if not ridden that often). Then gradually introduce small periods of trot. Build up her fitness gradually. If she misbehaved on the lunge she may easily have hurt herself and that maybe why she bucked. Also, is she being kept alone? This can make them more nervous and jumpy.
 
ridden 5 times since November??? 7 months?? 4 times in a school, then out in the field? Most horses would have a wahaay moment. It sounds like you and your friend need help from an instructor, and the horse needs riding regularly, 4-5 times a week, before she gets bad habits.
 
I can only echo what others have said. She needs regular work and a fitness programme starting from scratch, as outlined above.

Was your friend intending to canter her or did Dolly take off? I do hope she wasn't cantering or even trotting her after such a long break from proper ridden work.

It's important to have the saddle fit checked by a saddler asap because if her work routine has changed drastically, her shape will have done too but even if the saddle needs adjusting, so does your approach to her routine.

Time with a good, qualified instructor would be a good start and there is absolutely nothing wrong with walk only lessons, until she is fit enough to do more.

The problem you've described does not mean your mare isn't bombproof. There are plenty of horses who come back into work without any issues after a break but they all need bringing back into work considerately - or there would be issues.
 
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Hi guys I know it's a shock about her not being ridden much! I am just a very nervous rider, so wanted to gradually get into it, I have some experienced help and so will hopefully be better soon. When I lunged her she seemed great. She took off with my friend on her as she was just walking.
 
The first thing to do is to ride her each day and every day and get her back in to the habit of being ridden.
Just hack her out at a gentle walk and most certainly do not lung her or ask for anything other than a walk so that she gets established in walk which is the pace you will feel comfortable with.
Do not let anyone else ride your horse so that she gets absolutely used to you and you with her.
If possible do circular routes starting with shorter ones and then gradually getting longer.
That way she will get used to her surroundings.
 
I'm surprised that people are encouraging a very nervous rider to be the one to bring her horse who hasn't been ridden properly in months back into work.

I would be wanting a confident rider to take the reins for a few weeks until the mare is used to the new routine.
 
Peter7917 said:
I'm surprised that people are encouraging a very nervous rider to be the one to bring her horse who hasn't been ridden properly in months back into work.

I would be wanting a confident rider to take the reins for a few weeks until the mare is used to the new routine.
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I think you'll find most of us have recommended the OP finds a qualified instructor to help with their confidence issues and get them into a routine but it seems to be falling on deaf ears somewhat.
 
If you've only ridden her 3 or 4 times in 7 months no wonder she bucked.

Get yourself a good instructor who can ride and have them help you bring her back into work. Ride in a school or hack with a quiet, safe buddy, not the field for now. And ride your horse regularly (or have someone else do it if you are too nervous) so that she is not fresh every time you do decide to ride her.
 
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exracehorse said:
. Can I just double check? Dolly has only been ridden 4 times in 7 months. Was ridden in an open field. Cantered, put a buck in and your friend came off?
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^^^^ This!!! FFS what does OP expect! IF this is the case, and (dare I say it) if this thread is genuine...... then this mare is VERY long-suffering and tolerant and is a true angel (I want her!). I really don't get it: Why bother to buy a horse if you're only gonna ride it once in a blue moon, if that? Cheaper to go to riding stables surely.

OP, sorry to be blunt, but it sounds to me like this is a lovely horse just going to waste. Think you need to decide whether you intend to ride her or not (in which case YOU ride her not every Tom Dick & Sally) and you will need professional help to achieve this, for your own safety bearing in mind the horse hasn't been ridden for such a long time.

Or sell her basically: if you cannot be bothered to ride your horse then what's the point?
 
Your horse is going to need riding much more than once ever few months, it's really not good enough. It's your duty as her owner to ensure she gets the suitable exercise and stimulation, if you're too nervous to ride her at LEAST several times a week then I would suggest you share her out to somebody who can ride her, or reconsider actually owning a horse. If your nerves are a huge problem then perhaps riding school horses would be a better option.
Riding her so little really isn't fair on her and of course she won't be 'bombproof' if she's had very little exercise for months, it's to be expected. All things considered, she's an angel for not doing much worse after that much time between work.
 
None of my lot have been ridden all winter and they never never have been from a young Arab x tb to old ploddy cobs and everything inbetween, even through summer they aren't ridden more than 3 times times a week and I've never had any issues with any of them (obviously there are lots of horses that don't cope well if they aren't in a proper work routine) but if you say she has been fine hacking down the lane with you then maybe she was objecting to being schooled? Maybe your friend just rode her in a manner that she didn't find comfortable or it was the spring grass, my bombproof old fella has always been testing of new riders/people he just takes a dislike to for no apparent reason but never put a good wrong with me or my novice sister. Since you say you are nervous and a novice I would call in an instructor who can go with you and teach you whilst hacking (maybe on a lead for extra safety) while you build up your confidence. Many horses will object to being ridden in the same field they are turned out in.
 
MisterRex said:
Your horse is going to need riding much more than once ever few months, it's really not good enough. It's your duty as her owner to ensure she gets the suitable exercise and stimulation, if you're too nervous to ride her at LEAST several times a week..
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Nonsense!! My cob is often roughed off all winter and has frequently had periods off of longer than that (e.g. when I was pregnant). Horses don't actually require riding to stay healthy you know, providing you don't shut them up in stables or pocket-sized pens of course.

OP - if you want this horse as more than a pet then you need to get professional help, either lessons or send it away for re-starting. As a nervous novice you aren't a suitable person to re-start a horse after a long break on your own, and your friend doesn't sound at all suitable either. To be honest you are probably better off just taking lessons for now, it does sound like you got your own horse a bit too early. The comment about breaking to drive is a bit worrying (this isn't something you can just "do" without any experience or help). Whilst I disagree with MisterRex about pet horses, it isn't fair to expect a horse to suddenly have a schooling session in a field after months of nothing. You also need to be aware that if you aren't working your horse it will be much more difficult for it to find a home and its value will be reduced so you need to take that into account and make sure you have a plan if anything happens.
 
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