New challenge!

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CathyQ

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Hi All, this is my first post on this forum, so I hope I am posting in the right place, many apologies if I am not. I have just hit the big 60 and decided to celebrate by buying my first horse since 1969...yes, really! So my new boy arrived yesterday...a handsome black, Welsh Cob, 15.1 and 11yrs old. He is a very handsome, bombproof in traffic, kind and intelligent and is a very safe ride...which is obviously important for anybody, but vital for someone in my position. I am very excited about this new challenge in my life and hope we both have a very happy future together.
i would appreciate your advice though, on the advisability/necessity of doing 'join up', in order to establish a bond more effectively. If I don't do join up, what else do you advise that I do with him. Thank you
 
Good luck on your new challenge.

Just spend time with him, grooming him, spend time in the stable (if you have one) or in the field and get to know each other.
 
I'd advise against doing join up. To be effective, it should be done by someone with an expert awareness of equine body language and instant timing. I've seen quite a few people attempt it and have ended up with a very confused and excited horse.

Don't be in a hurry, it takes time to build a bond. If you just work away by always being consistent, clear and fair, the bond will develop. Invest time, just being around and also doing things with your new horse. Every thing you do, from riding, walking to the field and grooming is an interaction that teaches your horse what you expect from him. He'll learn that you are dependable and worth being around.

A regular routine will help in the early days so he knows what to expect each day and be less anxious.

On a more practical level, if you are working from the ground, just affirming that he leads well, stands still and moves at the pace and direction that you ask, is invaluable. Those basics will transfer to the saddle and let him know that you are the leader.
 
MerrySherryRider said:
I'd advise against doing join up. To be effective, it should be done by someone with an expert awareness of equine body language and instant timing. I've seen quite a few people attempt it and have ended up with a very confused and excited horse.

Don't be in a hurry, it takes time to build a bond. If you just work away by always being consistent, clear and fair, the bond will develop. Invest time, just being around and also doing things with your new horse. Every thing you do, from riding, walking to the field and grooming is an interaction that teaches your horse what you expect from him. He'll learn that you are dependable and worth being around.

A regular routine will help in the early days so he knows what to expect each day and be less anxious.

On a more practical level, if you are working from the ground, just affirming that he leads well, stands still and moves at the pace and direction that you ask, is invaluable. Those basics will transfer to the saddle and let him know that you are the leader.
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Echo this entirely. Having been owned by a Welsh D for 15 years, the other thing I would add is that as a breed they have a great sense of fairness a,d if you are fair to them they will look after you. If you loose it unfairly they will get their stubborn "NO" head on.
 
Oooh! Congratulations! Bet you're excited getting back into horses after such a long break. Advice: don't overfeed and make sure he gets a lot of exercise. Seek help when needed. Enjoy!
 
I would advise against join up too, i have done it with my baby horse who is a real people pleaser and she responds very well but her mother is far too stubborn to do it and would rather gallop until she dropped yet she is one of the easiest horses to work with. Neither are welsh d's however i do have to agree with what EllenJay says and i do have one that is quite stubborn and its one of the qualities i love about her, if she says no, she means it and you have to respect that decision, however she will only do it if you ask something of her that is completely unreasonable and stupid.

Knowing my Welsh d it would confuse her and i have had her over 10 years, the best methods of bonding i have found is grooming, remember this is the most natural part of horsemanship after all this is what they do to establish bonds in the wild. As both before me have said establish commands while leading and make sure he respects it, even if it means leading in a bridle for now.
 
Interesting.

I was at the first main demo that Monty Roberts gave in this country, when Horse and Hound brought him over to give a clinic at Stoneleigh in 1989. I volunteered my 3 yo TB/section D (aka the chesnut git) as one of their guinea pigs for starting so got free tickets for the day.

It was clear that those horses who had not been handled much at all, coped very well with the join up. However, those who were well mannered and used to conventional handling, got very upset as they didn't 'get' why they were being chased away.

Mine coped the best of the regularly handled horses, but he was an over confident in-your-face type. (Which is why I let them use him, as there would be no lasting harm done.). My other TB/section D, a year older, would have had a melt down.
 
i think if you know how to do it well and have a nice facility for doing it (a round pen is ideal) then give it a go, it can be fun and rewarding. But otherwise I wouldn't bother. I can do it (actually trained with KM and Monty for 12 weeks years and years ago) but I have never actually done it with any of my own horses as they seemed happy/mannerly enough without it - having said that they were all already backed and well handled. I certainly don't think its a necessity and echo others advise that unless you are pretty sure you can do it well don't try to do it at all.
 
Wow congratulations. Just spend time grooming scatching (loved finding babys itchy spot) and genrrally being with your horse. Go for walks out in hand which you canuse to reinforce good manners. but most of just enjoy your horse. looking forward to happy posts and pictures :)
 
babymare said:
Wow congratulations. Just spend time grooming scatching (loved finding babys itchy spot) and genrrally being with your horse. Go for walks out in hand which you canuse to reinforce good manners. but most of just enjoy your horse. looking forward to happy posts and pictures :)
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Hi, thank you for your reply. However, today has turned from a dream into a nightmare. Today I have watched in stunned horror as my stunning boy windsucked and cribbed, on and off, all day. In 24hrs he has damaged metres of new fencing, but worse to me, is watching him contort his neck, gulping in air, over and over again. When I rang the last owner today to tell her, she said she knows he does it, always has, but he only does it when he is stressed, when moving yards, after lunging and when she puts him in his field after riding...only? I know some people can cope with this, but I can't..I find it very distressing. He was sold by her friend to me,(as she is very ill) with no known vices. I have, after hours of arguing, finally got them to agree to taking him back, saying had I known about it, I would not have bought him. So very sad.
 
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MerrySherryRider said:
I'd advise against doing join up. To be effective, it should be done by someone with an expert awareness of equine body language and instant timing. I've seen quite a few people attempt it and have ended up with a very confused and excited horse.

Don't be in a hurry, it takes time to build a bond. If you just work away by always being consistent, clear and fair, the bond will develop. Invest time, just being around and also doing things with your new horse. Every thing you do, from riding, walking to the field and grooming is an interaction that teaches your horse what you expect from him. He'll learn that you are dependable and worth being around.

A regular routine will help in the early days so he knows what to expect each day and be less anxious.

On a more practical level, if you are working from the ground, just affirming that he leads well, stands still and moves at the pace and direction that you ask, is invaluable. Those basics will transfer to the saddle and let him know that you are the leader.
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^
Ditto this too, I found in hand grazing, the grass outside the field is always greener, grooming, a good scratch and generally spending time with them, cuddles and buckets of TLC.
 
That's unfortunate. However, if he suits you in every other way , I would persevere with him for a while. Can you rig up an inner perimeter of electric fencing so that he hasn't got anything to grab on? That will stop him damaging your fencing even if he carries on wind sucking in the middle of the field.

He may well settle down and crib less in time.

However, if it really distresses you to see him do it, maybe he had better go back. It's just that you may never find a horse that is completely perfect, and if this turns out to be his only 'if', you may have passed up on an otherwise good horse.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Tiddlypom said:
That's unfortunate. However, if he suits you in every other way , I would persevere with him for a while. Can you rig up an inner perimeter of electric fencing so that he hasn't got anything to grab on? That will stop him damaging your fencing even if he carries on wind sucking in the middle of the field.

He may well settle down and crib less in time.

However, if it really distresses you to see him do it, maybe he had better go back. It's just that you may never find a horse that is completely perfect, and if this turns out to be his only 'if', you may have passed up on an otherwise good horse.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Well, if there was any doubt in my mind, my vet has just dispelled it. He has just been to see him and has declared him unfit for sale. Kobi windsucked and cribbed in front of him, as he has been doing all day, but more importantly, he is not sound. He is lame on his right fore and vet has told me to return him immediately. Now I just have to get the previous owners to agree, who are not at all keen to part with my money or have the horse back just before Christmas....I don't want to fight, but I will if I have to. What a disaster.
 
So sorry to hear this. I hope that you aren't completely put off getting back into horses and have better luck with the next one. It's always best to get a horse vetted before you bring it home, rather than afterwards, as I'm sure you wish you had done this time.

Good luck.
 
Tiddlypom said:
So sorry to hear this. I hope that you aren't completely put off getting back into horses and have better luck with the next one. It's always best to get a horse vetted before you bring it home, rather than afterwards, as I'm sure you wish you had done this time.

Good luck.
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I do indeed. Thanks x
 
Could not read and pass on, so very sorry that you have had such an awful experience when starting over again. Once this one has been returned, I hope you will find the right cob for yourself. Take your time and good luck.
 
oh goodness CathyQ that is awful. Not awfully surprised when you said he was also lame, as any seller should know they must disclose vices when selling, which makes me think either they are totally unknowledgeable or totally unscrupulous. I have made horse buying mistakes in the past and now make sure I take someone with me whom I trust and who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of horses. Really recommend doing that next time so you feel confident in your choice. Brilliant idea for a 60th birthday present by the way! I am 51 in two weeks but already have 4 horses so another probably not wise. Good luck with the next one. x
 
tobiano said:
oh goodness CathyQ that is awful. Not awfully surprised when you said he was also lame, as any seller should know they must disclose vices when selling, which makes me think either they are totally unknowledgeable or totally unscrupulous. I have made horse buying mistakes in the past and now make sure I take someone with me whom I trust and who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of horses. Really recommend doing that next time so you feel confident in your choice. Brilliant idea for a 60th birthday present by the way! I am 51 in two weeks but already have 4 horses so another probably not wise. Good luck with the next one. x
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Thank you everyone, your support and understanding in the face of my naïveté is much appreciated. I am however, having a battle royal with the owner, who is digging her feet in, saying she can't afford to give me my money back. But we will get there in the end. Thanks again all of you.
 
So sorry to hear this. Don't feel too bad, even experienced owners get caught out too. A solicitors letter might speed things up if necessary and could save you money in livery costs if the vendor doesn't return your money.
If you have insurance or BHS (or similar) membership, your legal fees with an equine solicitor might be covered.
For the horse's sake and for yours, this needs to be resolved asp.
Good luck.
 
MerrySherryRider said:
So sorry to hear this. Don't feel too bad, even experienced owners get caught out too. A solicitors letter might speed things up if necessary and could save you money in livery costs if the vendor doesn't return your money.
If you have insurance or BHS (or similar) membership, your legal fees with an equine solicitor might be covered.
For the horse's sake and for yours, this needs to be resolved asp.
Good luck.
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Again, in, thank you so much for your encouragement and concern. The emails are continuing and the fight is far from won, but I know I am in the right. Will let you know the good news (forever the optimist) as soon as I have it. X
 
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