new horse came yesterday - bucked me off today

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hessy12

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My lovely new horse arrived yesterday, 8 yo 15.2 cleveland bay X welsh D, previous home for 3 yrs, did R/C, PC and hunted, hacked alone. Passed 5-stage vetting. When i tried him, he was safe and steady. Goes in myler comfort snaffle. He is rather unfit and overweight.

Upon coming here, he was put out next to the other two (separate field) for a few hours, then i bought him into yard, groomed and did ground work. He was unsettled yesterday and quite a different horse than he was at his old home.

This morning, took him out with Hubby next to me on bike, talking to reassure him and remaining relaxed. He did mini buck when a van passed. Went onto field, he apparently saw a hare, went into canter and bucked me off. He then galloped off and i later found him at the other end of the village, broken reins and v. wound up. Bought him home and turned out.
Previous owners don't want to know.

What did i do wrong? What should i do differently?

I would welcome any help, as I do not want to give up on him, but being a mother and self employed, I cannot afford to have another (worse) fall. My confidence is knocked. I plan to groom and handle him later and want to try again - any ideas how to proceed?
Please let me know what you would do?
Thanks.
 
Poor you, not what you would want your first experience to be! Definately try to ride with another sensible horse for the first few times until you and the horse know each other a bit more. I would also consider giving him a bit more time to settle in and get to know you - if you feel he needs to let off steam, lunge him. Also consider what feed he is getting now compared to what he was getting before - including quality of grass. Above all, very early days, hopefully will all resolve itself given a bit of time.
 
I think i would leave him for a few days to let him settle in and get to know you, his new yard and new friends.
Id do lots of grooming, just being with him talking to him. Maybe in 2 or 3 days take him for a nice, slow, non pressured in hand walk
 
Sounds to me he just needs a few days to settle into his new surroundings, I know its exciting to get a new horse but everythings suddenly changed for him, he could just be feeling a bit stressed with the move and just needs to get his bearings and relax. Spend some time grooming and getting to know each other, and enjoy your new horse :)
 
Hope you're not too bruised from his fall. I'd give him some time! His world has changed and he won't understand why. You might expect him to be quite a bit different to how he was in his old place as he will be very unsettled. I wouldn't give him time off, but continue riding and the ground work with a firm but fair approach. You don't want him to think he can take the p, but you also need to be a person he can trust. Assuming he follows the character traits of his breeding he may well be rather sensitive but with a good dollop of liking to have his own say, I bet he is just smashing!
Would love to see a pic, I ADORE cbs!!
 
I agree with baggyb, lunge him a bit and ride in in the schoolif you have one for a week or two till you get to know each other a bit more. I would do more ground work with him too. It can take upto 6 months for a horse to settle in their new surroundings. Try not to put too much presure on yourself - you didn't do anything wrong xx
 
I think some horses are happy being ridden straight away, others need a bit of tim to settle.
I'd give him a few days to settle in before you start any work, maybe just get him in groom him, lead him around the yard so he can have a nose about.
 
You're both right! I will spend lots of time with him over next few days.
He's not on any feed, only grass and hay (plus salt lick). Maybe i expected too much too soon, but he was SO chilled out at his old home, is this a normal thing for him to change and will he calm down once he gets used to being here?
 
I wouldn't give him time off.
I'd be lunging him prior to getting on, not for ages, just to give him chance to have a kick about if he feels the need to. Then I would ride him in the school, I wouldn't go out on him again until I felt that I knew him and his little foibles better.

Good luck!!
 
Don't panic. Take it slowly with him and allow him to settle in. It's so stressful for a horse when they move home and owner. My boy bucked me off several times (OK, many times!) when I first got him. I made the mistake of going hacking with a bunch of loons from the yard and he got WAY too overexcited. His bucks were of the hysterical kind. Hack him with another, steady horse if you can. Only in walk for the first few times. Introduce trot slowly and then a very gentle canter for short bursts. Also - does his saddle fit properly? Is it a new one?
 
He could be testing you, perhaps he's feeling insecure therefore showing his cheeky side...could be anything like that, basically like others have said, it's early days, if he was doing this months later after being ok, then I'd be more worried to be honest.

Can you not ride him at home on your yard and get to know each other, if he wants to play silly buggars, better to get the better of him in the safe surroundings of a school rather than out on a hack, that way he'll learn to respect and trust you...hopefully!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll gel in time.

Shame owners didn't want to know, you'd think they would at least take an interest, I would if it was a horse or pony I'd sold.
 
Absolutely, he got up yesterday morning and all in his world was usual. Then he was loaded up and when he got out EVERYTHING was different, he needs to get used to you and his new surroundings. Mine was extremely chilled in her own home, but not so with me until at least 8 weeks if not longer.... Time and patience and you'll be winning in no time! Find somebody to go out hacking with when you go but don't rush and you'll be fine, I would also get some lessons lined up so you keep your confidence up lol xxx
 
Oh, I am so sorry to hear what happened. Perhaps it was all to much too soon for your new horse and he needs a little longer to settle in. You are new to one another and it may just take a while for him to see that you are going to look after him in all situations and he panicked. He doesn't sound as if he was nasty, just frightened.

You so did the right thing with riding out with your hubby on his bike, BTW.

I spent quite a time grooming and talking to him then I led Archie out in hand in his bridle first, then his tack to get him used to the surrounding area, new smells, new scary road signs, etc. I got a friend to ride him for me to show he wasn't going to explode or anything (my nerves were really bad) and then after a few days I got on and rode. I even rode with a lead rein on I was so worried. Archie was fine, it was me!

Please, don't lose heart, take things slow and don't give up. You are not alone and by all means pm if you feel you need a shoulder to lean on. Also, there are some wonderful people on here so if you say where you are then perhaps someone can pop down and see you. If you are close enough I will x
 
Wow, thanks so, so much everyone. I feel much, much better.
I don't have a school but i can lunge him in the field and ride him in the field. His saddle was fitted professionally and he has had his back done. I will try walking him out and get a friend to come with me. Thank you all again for replying.
 
i remember a friend getting a school master a few years ago & he bucked her off the first time she rode him at his new home. i dont think he ever did anything like it in the 3 years she owned him since. just new home excitement & hopefully it will be the same with yours. after checking back/ tack etc. maybe just allow him to settle in with you on the ground or if you have anyone more experienced/ confident to ride him if your nerves are a bit shot it might help?
 
What a shame you had such a disheartening start.
I always give new horses at least a week to settle into the new routine, get to know their new companions and learn where home is, so that if the worst happens when we're out, at least they should head for home. I would forget about riding (although I do understand the advice about getting on again asap so that you don't lose your nerve), spend time getting to know each other, feeding, grooming, leading out in hand, then maybe leading out and riding for the last short stretch home. It is a massive change for a horse to leave his old companions, old owner, old yard, and old routine. Just imagine if this was a child, you wouldn't expect it to settle in straight away as though nothing had happened. I'm sure if you give him time he will go back to his old safe and steady ways. Good luck!
 
Horses can take 6 months to truly settle. If they are not that confident it can take longer. I always take away all hard feed when they first arrive, I leave them for a day to settle and then normally start with lunging. Second day I will always hack accompanied and then never do anything with could result in us getting upset (walk and trot only). Slowly you build up the amount you do as you get to know them and feel more confident with each other. The first 6 months will be ups and downs.
 
As everyone has said, don't be disheartened, horses are very often completely different when they go to a new home at first. They feel displaced and as flight animals by nature their answer to feeling insecure is to run away. Welsh Section D's can buck and in moments of insecurity are likely to show it with a buck. However, I'm sure once he has settled in with you he won't respond that way again or at least only in a mini way! Horses are herd animals so if you can hack out with another quiet horse it will really him to get his confidence in a strange place. Good luck, I'm sure you will be flying round the countryside very soon.
 
Pity fumanchu isn't here anymore, but here goes you have to give him time to settle in to a new enviroment and 1 DAY doesn't do it. He's been taken from a place that was home to a place he knows sweet bugger all about, ridden by a complete stranger, again that he knows nothing about and you wander why he played up. Poor little bugger was no doubt wandering were his owners had gone and what was he doing there. same as a small child going to school for first time, complete bewilderment.
 
One of my mares has reacted very differently when moving to new yards over the years.

The first yard I took her to she settled almost straight away.

The second yard had cows! She took over a month to relax about them, because I knew her so well I understood what was going on I didn't worry, she just needed time.

I moved her again this February and she settled quickly.

So even with the same owner a move can be traumatic and 'change' the horse until they settle. If I'd been a new owner when she went to the second yard I would have sworn she was drugged before because she was almost a different animal. However once she got over the fact that they had cows she went back to her old self and we had a fantastic time there for many years.
 
hessy12 said:
This morning, took him out with Hubby next to me on bike, talking to reassure him and remaining relaxed. He did mini buck when a van passed. Went onto field, he apparently saw a hare, went into canter and bucked me off. He then galloped off and i later found him at the other end of the village, broken reins and v. wound up. Bought him home and turned out.
Previous owners don't want to know.


Please let me know what you would do?
Thanks.
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I'm going to go against the grain here. I don't think horses should buck people off because they've gone to a new place. Its not acceptable. OP, I wouldn't persevere or "let him settle" too long because if he doesn't improve you won't have a hope in hell of getting your money back, they'll have spent it. I'd give him maximum two more days to redeem himself, ideally in the school and on a hack with company if possible, but if he isn't safe, I'd be back onto the previous owners wanting to return him for a fair amount and if necessary i'd be mentioning courts and take it from there.
 
It is hard to evaluate a horse I have never met over the internet. The two options are;

1.Give him more time and hopefully he will go back to being the horse you tried.

2.Send him back but you risk getting rid of a potentialy good horse if all he needed was time to settle.

Do you have an instructor who can assess this horse for you?
 
Sorry but I think it is total balls about a horse having to settle in. Total utter codswallop. Any horse worth its salt shout be happy to travel and be ridden – what happens with overnight shows, ridden vets assessments, etc etc. You went for a hack you didn’t ask the world.

Did you hack him when you tried him out?

I am really sorry you got bucked off. I would suggest that you contact the new owners as you have only had him for 24hrs. The fact they don’t want to know screams alarm bells to me. If it was me I would load him up, turn up with him at the old yard, and demand they sit on it and hack it out or give you your money back.
 
the most worrrying thing to my mind is the owners not wanting to know - I bought a horse 3 days ago and the old owners have text to see how we are doing, I have added them on facebook so they can see pics etc. You need to make a quick decision, either keep him and deal with the bucking or get on the phone and say horse not as advertised and as mis sold you want your dosh back - its not easy either way, let us know how you get on xx
 
difficult one - sometimes horses need time to settle but sometimes they need to be kept on top of. To be fair, he has 23 hrs a day to settle and get used to his surroundings and being nervous is so no reason to misbehave and buck riders off, he should still have respect for you, and I think perhaps bringing him in every day, grooming, ground work, quiet lunge work in wlak and trot etc and even just walking him down the lane and back either in hand or ridden for 5 mins will establish some kind of routine and builds the bond and trust he has in you and slowly building up on that.

Although competing horses do have to cope with different environments etc they do usually have one constant - their herd leader i.e their rider and they will take a lot of comfort from that. He has been bought to totally new surroundings with new people and nothing familiar so he will be nervous (some horses show it more than others) and you have to take it into account but at the same time by giving him clear leadership and direction he will learn to trust you much quicker and hopefully settle. If he really was totally settled when you saw him (and you dont suspect doping etc) then there should be no reason that a few weeks/ months from now he will be that same horse again and just as sane and sensible.

I would be a little bit worried by the previous owners reaction in that they didnt want to know but without knowing the exact circumstances you tried him/ why they were selling or what was said it is a little difficult to comment.

Good luck, as much as it is exciting having a new horse I always find it incredibly stressful (I have just taken on a little 11.2hh rescue pony and I am even finding that a bit worrying - worrying about him turning from a gentle little chap into a bargy grumpy fence breaking child eating monster, waiting for a reason to show that I have made an utter booboo in choice of pony - there is no reason why he would but I do always look on the negative side!!! pah horses!)
 
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quirky said:
I wouldn't give him time off.
I'd be lunging him prior to getting on, not for ages, just to give him chance to have a kick about if he feels the need to. Then I would ride him in the school, I wouldn't go out on him again until I felt that I knew him and his little foibles better.

Good luck!!
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Sorry to hear you had a bad experience - I would do as Quirky says and establish a very strong routine for him, including stable stuff ie fed at the same time, and then lunged for 10 mins and once warmed up, I'd make sure he really worked on the lunge for another 5-10mins to get him listening to you and reinforce that you are the herd leader. Then, once he's had a moment to settle, I'd get on in the field, up into trot and do plenty of transitions and changes of direction, so that he knows you are in control of the situation. Once he relaxes you can school etc, but I would hack out with another quiet horse the first few times. Personally I don't usually hack for a week of so with a new horse, although I tend to ride every day initially to get them settled into a routine and reassure them that their new life might be quite nice :)
Good luck, and don't feel too down.
 
I totally know how you are feeling, I have gone through the same thing. I would be very surprised if the owners would take him back. I also contacted previous owners for help and advice and more info, have not received any reply! I thought I was fairly con proof and savvy but these people were really good. However, 24 hours is a very short time, my lad took at least 6 weeks to even begin to settle. Persevere for a while but dont put yourself at risk.
 
Flame_ said:
I'm going to go against the grain here. I don't think horses should buck people off because they've gone to a new place. Its not acceptable.
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I have to agree with this. Unless the horse in question had been at its previous home and hadn't left the yard in years then I think bucking you off was totally unacceptable. Like you said, he was safe and steady when you went to try him and I understand that it can be unsettling at a new home but his reaction was a tad extreme! Also he is 8 and has competed so it's not like he hasn't been away from home and seen a little of life.
 
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