New horse not what i expected ( should i give it all up?)

[Pearlsasinger]

It sounds to me as if she needs a change of yard. The first mare we bought was horrendous on the yard we took her to for 6 weeks. We moved her, for various reasons, and she was immediately more settled and much better mannered. She moved twice again during her lifetime and was always exactly the same, not upset by moving. For some reason, she just didn't like the first yard.

 

[sportsmansB]

It sounds like maybe the nervous handling she got from the YO at the beginning has made her concerned and on edge? If she was made to feel that there was something to be concerned about, she will be looking for it.

Agree with all the other advice (including a calmer if you need it to get going again!)
Can you get a lesson now with an instructor you trust, even if you aren't doing much yet, as they can help you with developing a process to deal with the issues in the short term which will give both of you confidence?

Most mares I know definitely like to know whats happening next (a lot of geldings in my experience are much less bothered and just accept the here and now!) so having a strong routine and sticking to it could be key.
Also cut out the alfa, even if its only a tiny bit, as that can send them loopy

 

[charlie76]

We have loads of horses come to our yard from diy, many come with issues and stories of being mega difficult to handle, ride , box walk ect.
Every single one that comes to us that is then on part livery transforms as all the horses on the yard are on the same routine . Try and give her structure and consistency and she will settle.

 

[Micky]

Could be she prefers abigger noisier yard (our old tb definitely settled better on a yard than the field living out/small yard) or as previously said, a proper routine, ignore any silliness (treat like a big dog if possible!) plus the grass is coming through, my normally dope on a rope was doing some beautiful backward steps when meant to be standing still and cantering on spot eyes on stalks the last couple of times I’ve ridden him, not wanted to come in from the field..the green stuff is coming through, or maybe a combination of all three! I’m sure you’ll both settle given time, good luck..

 

[Muddywellies]

I haven't read through all the replies but from my own personal experience I would cut out ALL alfalfa (check ingredients on all feeds and supplements) and swap haylage for hay. Also and would have her scoped for ulcers as this sounds very much like she may have them (they can develop ulcers after just 24hrs of anxiety) My spooky horse is prone to ulcers so I know what to look for now and despite alfalfa being recommended for ulcer prone horses, my horse reacts terribly to it and is completely unmanageable on it even in minute quantities. Finally do feed her a decent scoop of plain (no molasses/alfalfa) chaff 20 mins before you ride.

 

[Orangehorse]

Some very good advice. The only thing I would add that a 6 year old ID X TB is quite a horse, an eventer/hunter type that is capable of lots of work and ready for competitions. So the ideas about turnout/ulcers, etc are spot on, also lots of steady work, hacking, lessons.

 

[spamiad]

Thanks All,

I am a saddle fitter and more than happy with her saddle at present, i have worked her everyday except Friday last week and hacked out Saturday with Harry the Nanny, she was well behaved, lunged her Sunday and she was a little more on edge, but i had to move the fence back a little on Saturday.

Shes never had haylage since she has been with me, only fed adlib hay.

Planning on riding most of the week this week, and hack out again the weekend, not seen a slight weave, until i was a little late up on Sunday, she just wants to go out, that's the routine Monday to Friday, i can turn her out early on a weekend as most people ride out so i have to wait until they come back to turn out, hence i usually hack with them.

see how she goes this week, i want to try and avoid a calmer if at all possible, im going to try and arrange a lesson for some point this week or next weekend, depending when and if he can fit me in.

I would look at a moved of yard, as mentioned, the stables and kennels its self are for sale, and i have not won the lottery yet!!

Unfortunately we are very short of decent yards near where i live, i went to look at another Last weekend, has good indoor school and outdoor school, but turn out is limited and i doubt i would be able to get in the school with all the riding school lessons, all the rest seem to be DIY, and i do need some assistance either an turnout out a bring in, and holiday cover.

I found a lovely small yard last year, i rented their gallops out with a friend, and i very nearly moved there as the hacking was fantastic, but they had reduced the size of the school to just over a lunge pen size top make space for a water tank, and not planning to do it anytime soon.

Going to try and stick it out where i am for now, i have decided to send her away for a week when i go away in June, so she can still be worked, but i am a little concerned about the summer turnout changing in around 6 weeks, most people bring in during the day, and im not sure how she will settlke with this routine, and what is usually a good thing at a yard, is our grass is well growing and very rich, every horse i have owned there has A put weight on B gone Silly C gone stuffy, i just hope its not B

 

[Jellymoon]

Many horses get extremely stressed moving to a new yard, and she has a new owner to boot. The sensitive types can take many many months to settle.
I get all the advice about working her hard and lunging etc, I can see why people would say that, personally I would take a step back from that and try to be calm. If you keep getting on her and schooling her and spinning her about on the lunge she could just get even more stressed. She is not behaving the way she is because she is bored. She has hours of turnout. She’s on high Adrenalin and fear. Poor thing.

If she were mine, I’d try to become her rock, and her safety blanket. She’s hyped up and anxious. Be kind and calm and quiet. Do some in hand stuff to get her to bond with you. When you ride her, just walk until she’s calm, then pat her and get off. Take her out for some nice calm walk hacks. Sure, be firm if she barges or runs into you, but not in a shouty way.
I adore the sensitive types - it’s the most amazing thing when they eventually trust you, so rewarding. Then you can start all the fun stuff like whizzing about and jumping everything!

This is maybe not what you want to hear, but it could take a long time. If you don’t have the patience, she’s not for you, that’s fine. But I think you’ll be missing out, and what’s the big rush?

 

[cundlegreen]

Many horses get extremely stressed moving to a new yard, and she has a new owner to boot. The sensitive types can take many many months to settle.
I get all the advice about working her hard and lunging etc, I can see why people would say that, personally I would take a step back from that and try to be calm. If you keep getting on her and schooling her and spinning her about on the lunge she could just get even more stressed. She is not behaving the way she is because she is bored. She has hours of turnout. She’s on high Adrenalin and fear. Poor thing.

If she were mine, I’d try to become her rock, and her safety blanket. She’s hyped up and anxious. Be kind and calm and quiet. Do some in hand stuff to get her to bond with you. When you ride her, just walk until she’s calm, then pat her and get off. Take her out for some nice calm walk hacks. Sure, be firm if she barges or runs into you, but not in a shouty way.
I adore the sensitive types - it’s the most amazing thing when they eventually trust you, so rewarding. Then you can start all the fun stuff like whizzing about and jumping everything!

This is maybe not what you want to hear, but it could take a long time. If you don’t have the patience, she’s not for you, that’s fine. But I think you’ll be missing out, and what’s the big rush?

Well said!

 

[Puzzled]

Ulcers? That can definitely make the more sensitive ones spooky!

 

[Jenni_]

Could have been me 6 months ago...

My mare needed work work and more work. She needed me to be level at all times, unreactive, and dependable. She needed less hard feed, more forage (I was scared of her ever being hungry due to ulcers). She also would probably benefit from a 'routine' but she lives out 24/7 and prefers it, so her 'routine' is consistent work).

When work got too busy and I struggled to work her every day, I bit the bullet and turned to Facebook for help - found myself a lovely 3rd year vet student with nerves of steel and the patience of a saint to help me ride her. It means horse gets exercised most days, she prefers week day mornings /lunch time so I get weekends for competing, and if I've had a bad day I don't think twice about pulling her in to be ridden again, albeit just a mooch round the estate for a bit brain space.

Been a godsend. She's off on placement at the minute and we're really missing her!

Oh, and like above, I also make the effort to handle her in a really consistent and routine way. Always tied up outside her stable for prep / tacking up. Always with a net. Always a treat before I get on. Get on at same mounting block. Off at same mounting block. I do notice a change in her behaviour if I leave anything out. Its like she mentally ticks off all the points in her head and doesn't have to worry as she knows what will come next.

I also got lessons from someone who worked on my approach to riding her - so if she was a flighty mess when I got in the school, why was I rushing to get on? Why didn't I take the time to settle her in hand - which not only worked, but was safer and lessened the risk of me getting hurt / knocking my confidence. That ten minutes of good work was better than 40 minutes of nonsense.

 

[spamiad]

Could have been me 6 months ago...

My mare needed work work and more work. She needed me to be level at all times, unreactive, and dependable. She needed less hard feed, more forage (I was scared of her ever being hungry due to ulcers). She also would probably benefit from a 'routine' but she lives out 24/7 and prefers it, so her 'routine' is consistent work).

When work got too busy and I struggled to work her every day, I bit the bullet and turned to Facebook for help - found myself a lovely 3rd year vet student with nerves of steel and the patience of a saint to help me ride her. It means horse gets exercised most days, she prefers week day mornings /lunch time so I get weekends for competing, and if I've had a bad day I don't think twice about pulling her in to be ridden again, albeit just a mooch round the estate for a bit brain space.

Been a godsend. She's off on placement at the minute and we're really missing her!

Oh, and like above, I also make the effort to handle her in a really consistent and routine way. Always tied up outside her stable for prep / tacking up. Always with a net. Always a treat before I get on. Get on at same mounting block. Off at same mounting block. I do notice a change in her behaviour if I leave anything out. Its like she mentally ticks off all the points in her head and doesn't have to worry as she knows what will come next.

I also got lessons from someone who worked on my approach to riding her - so if she was a flighty mess when I got in the school, why was I rushing to get on? Why didn't I take the time to settle her in hand - which not only worked, but was safer and lessened the risk of me getting hurt / knocking my confidence. That ten minutes of good work was better than 40 minutes of nonsense.

Thanks Jenni,

I have been taking that approach, ans she hasn't been too bad lately, although she didn't seem quite comfortable when i rode last Monday, which threw the routine out again, as we had the Physio out on The Wednesday, nothing significant found, which resulted in her having two days off and trying to give her a light lunge on the Friday, That wash Wishful thinking!

Got back on her yesterday after the initial bronking around on the lunge, but the weather is stopping me today. shes on little hard feed at all just enough to get some magnesium down her

shes really good to hack in company in fact shes better to hack than take in the school, i suppose one of my biggest worries is taking her out for the first time, shes been out places before and i have been reliably informed that she was the quietest of a lorry load on a trip to somerford,

 

[Old Speckled Hen]

Many horses get extremely stressed moving to a new yard, and she has a new owner to boot. The sensitive types can take many many months to settle.
I get all the advice about working her hard and lunging etc, I can see why people would say that, personally I would take a step back from that and try to be calm. If you keep getting on her and schooling her and spinning her about on the lunge she could just get even more stressed. She is not behaving the way she is because she is bored. She has hours of turnout. She’s on high Adrenalin and fear. Poor thing.

If she were mine, I’d try to become her rock, and her safety blanket. She’s hyped up and anxious. Be kind and calm and quiet. Do some in hand stuff to get her to bond with you. When you ride her, just walk until she’s calm, then pat her and get off. Take her out for some nice calm walk hacks. Sure, be firm if she barges or runs into you, but not in a shouty way.
I adore the sensitive types - it’s the most amazing thing when they eventually trust you, so rewarding. Then you can start all the fun stuff like whizzing about and jumping everything!

This is maybe not what you want to hear, but it could take a long time. If you don’t have the patience, she’s not for you, that’s fine. But I think you’ll be missing out, and what’s the big rush?

This. I've just moved my dope on a rope IDxTB mare this weekend. She is a completely different horse!! If I didn't know her I'd probably think OMG what have i done ?!! She has coincidentally come into season too - so thats not helping - but she is on edge, spooking, bargey, not eating up and shouting to let everyone know where she is.

I know she's normally a kind and independent soul, and although she is dominant she is also very sensitive. All I can do is carry on as normal, ignore the stressy behaviour, and praise her like mad for the good behaviour (she acted this way when we moved to our previous yard... so not unexpected - but still sad to see)

We lunged last night for the first time, I say that, I walked around with her until she was confident enough to walk out on her own without motorbiking a mad trot around me (not what I wanted obvs)

A routine and time to settle is what my mare needs.

I'm really sorry about your old horse Grace, I did feel exactly the same way when my current mare came into my life (incidentally 8 years ago yesterday - she was an April Fool) and my old boy was PTS 8 years ago this coming Thursday) At the time I wanted the new mare to be my old gelding ... BUT she has turned out to be absolutely bloody awesome, its just been a rocky road - as all partnerships are.

Hope you find some resolution xxxxx

 

[Coblover63]

Why are you feeding magnesium? If they are not deficient, it is well known for turning them loopy. Have you tried taking her off it for a few days?

 

[DabDab]

Thanks Jenni,

I have been taking that approach, ans she hasn't been too bad lately, although she didn't seem quite comfortable when i rode last Monday, which threw the routine out again, as we had the Physio out on The Wednesday, nothing significant found, which resulted in her having two days off and trying to give her a light lunge on the Friday, That wash Wishful thinking!

Got back on her yesterday after the initial bronking around on the lunge, but the weather is stopping me today. shes on little hard feed at all just enough to get some magnesium down her

shes really good to hack in company in fact shes better to hack than take in the school, i suppose one of my biggest worries is taking her out for the first time, shes been out places before and i have been reliably informed that she was the quietest of a lorry load on a trip to somerford,

TBH, I wouldn't be lunging her after a couple of days off if she's liable to just bronk around being silly. Horses don't need to run around like tits when we take them to work - they can do that in the field. After some time off I tend to do less speedy work, in fact I often barely get out of walk, just to reestablish calm and concentration before doing anything more exciting. Otherwise work time becomes woohoo time pretty quickly and they get into that annoying habit of needing to be stupid for the first 10-20mins of every session.

 

[Red-1]

Doh, I just realised I put this on the wrong thread. I have moved it onto the "Now in hospital" thread...


I am sorry that you got hurt.

It is true that you now have a problem. I am afraid that at the moment you have 2 options...

1. Turn her away.
2. Send her to a pro for at least evaluation to see what you have.

Number 1 is cheaper, but then you are not sorting anything out and may bring her in to find she is just the same yet you re not as physically capable after a year off.

The reason I say to send her to a pro is that now she has caused a serious injury, if anything else happens it is messy, both for her and for you.

As long as you get on with the pro who sold her to you, I would pick them, or if you know someone else than that is good too.

I would send her for 6 weeks initially, give them free rein to assess, play with saddles, change routine to see the effect, have a vet to assess if she does not act as expected. It would take 6 weeks minimum to give a good assessment and hopefully stabilise her.

If it is just that she needed more work and a different routine then you have more options. You could choose to get her to a few competitions and sell as a competition horse while she is up and at it. I would be honest with the new owners, allow the pro to do the selling so they can say what their experience of the horse is. Expect to take a bit of a hit on price, but if she is out and about and capable that should be minimised. Then when you are ready to be back riding you can start afresh with a different horse.

If she is settled you could equally choose to loan to a competent person for a minimum of 12 months. Again, this would be more attractive if she is out and about competing. The down side is that they *could* have the summer with her competing, then return for the winter. Having said that, it would still be a better place than you are currently as long as it is with the correct person and the horse comes on.

If she is fit and well at the pro yard, you could choose to keep her there. This would be FAB, but expensive.

Equally, you could have her assessed at the pro yard and then turn away, using the pro to get her back into work before you start to ride again in a year. At least you would know that the horse proved basically OK with the pro, but TBH this would not be my preferred option as you may simply find yourself in the same boat in 12 months. Also, it sounds like your current yard would not be at all suitable to turn away for a year, so you would need to find something different.

I don't know how your injury will affect your income. Not having a horse for 12 months would help financially anyways, so that is the way I would go.

 

[spamiad]

I am sorry that you got hurt.

It is true that you now have a problem. I am afraid that at the moment you have 2 options...

1. Turn her away.
2. Send her to a pro for at least evaluation to see what you have.

Number 1 is cheaper, but then you are not sorting anything out and may bring her in to find she is just the same yet you re not as physically capable after a year off.

The reason I say to send her to a pro is that now she has caused a serious injury, if anything else happens it is messy, both for her and for you.

As long as you get on with the pro who sold her to you, I would pick them, or if you know someone else than that is good too.

I would send her for 6 weeks initially, give them free rein to assess, play with saddles, change routine to see the effect, have a vet to assess if she does not act as expected. It would take 6 weeks minimum to give a good assessment and hopefully stabilise her.

If it is just that she needed more work and a different routine then you have more options. You could choose to get her to a few competitions and sell as a competition horse while she is up and at it. I would be honest with the new owners, allow the pro to do the selling so they can say what their experience of the horse is. Expect to take a bit of a hit on price, but if she is out and about and capable that should be minimised. Then when you are ready to be back riding you can start afresh with a different horse.

If she is settled you could equally choose to loan to a competent person for a minimum of 12 months. Again, this would be more attractive if she is out and about competing. The down side is that they *could* have the summer with her competing, then return for the winter. Having said that, it would still be a better place than you are currently as long as it is with the correct person and the horse comes on.

If she is fit and well at the pro yard, you could choose to keep her there. This would be FAB, but expensive.

Equally, you could have her assessed at the pro yard and then turn away, using the pro to get her back into work before you start to ride again in a year. At least you would know that the horse proved basically OK with the pro, but TBH this would not be my preferred option as you may simply find yourself in the same boat in 12 months. Also, it sounds like your current yard would not be at all suitable to turn away for a year, so you would need to find something different.

I don't know how your injury will affect your income. Not having a horse for 12 months would help financially anyways, so that is the way I would go.

She's owned by parents, so it's slightly out of my hands, but I would like them to get some enjoyment out of her, she's had everything Checked.

I will ask who I bought her off,, were not prepared to turn her away for 12 months so I have a few other people I mind.

I'm a capable rider and that's the first time I've fell off in three years even after all the bucking, just had me this time.

Luckily I will still be able to work, either from home of if somone can give me a lift but yes not having a horse for 12 months would be financing good

 

[ycbm]

Why are you feeding magnesium? If they are not deficient, it is well known for turning them loopy. Have you tried taking her off it for a few days?

I have heard of owners reporting horses acting up when supplemented magnesium, but I don't think it's common. I think that's a myth put about by someone who wants to promote a calcium based calmer. There appears to be no research to back up their claims. It's actually an anaesthetic and an analgesic, in humans at least. Most horses on a 'barefoot' type no iron, no manganese supplement will be receiving high doses of magnesium and many owners of barefoot horses supplement high doses of it.

 

[ycbm]

She's owned by parents, so it's slightly out of my hands, but I would like them to get some enjoyment out of her, she's had everything Checked.

I will ask who I bought her off,, were not prepared to turn her away for 12 months so I have a few other people I mind.

I'm a capable rider and that's the first time I've fell off in three years even after all the bucking, just had me this time.

Luckily I will still be able to work, either from home of if somone can give me a lift but yes not having a horse for 12 months would be financing good

What's 'everything'? Ulcer scope, suspensory scan, spine x rays?

 

[ycbm]

Doh, I just realised I put this on the wrong thread. I have moved it onto the "Now in hospital" thread...


I am sorry that you got hurt.

It is true that you now have a problem. I am afraid that at the moment you have 2 options...

1. Turn her away.
2. Send her to a pro for at least evaluation to see what you have.

Number 1 is cheaper, but then you are not sorting anything out and may bring her in to find she is just the same yet you re not as physically capable after a year off.

The reason I say to send her to a pro is that now she has caused a serious injury, if anything else happens it is messy, both for her and for you.

As long as you get on with the pro who sold her to you, I would pick them, or if you know someone else than that is good too.

I would send her for 6 weeks initially, give them free rein to assess, play with saddles, change routine to see the effect, have a vet to assess if she does not act as expected. It would take 6 weeks minimum to give a good assessment and hopefully stabilise her.

If it is just that she needed more work and a different routine then you have more options. You could choose to get her to a few competitions and sell as a competition horse while she is up and at it. I would be honest with the new owners, allow the pro to do the selling so they can say what their experience of the horse is. Expect to take a bit of a hit on price, but if she is out and about and capable that should be minimised. Then when you are ready to be back riding you can start afresh with a different horse.

If she is settled you could equally choose to loan to a competent person for a minimum of 12 months. Again, this would be more attractive if she is out and about competing. The down side is that they *could* have the summer with her competing, then return for the winter. Having said that, it would still be a better place than you are currently as long as it is with the correct person and the horse comes on.

If she is fit and well at the pro yard, you could choose to keep her there. This would be FAB, but expensive.

Equally, you could have her assessed at the pro yard and then turn away, using the pro to get her back into work before you start to ride again in a year. At least you would know that the horse proved basically OK with the pro, but TBH this would not be my preferred option as you may simply find yourself in the same boat in 12 months. Also, it sounds like your current yard would not be at all suitable to turn away for a year, so you would need to find something different.

I don't know how your injury will affect your income. Not having a horse for 12 months would help financially anyways, so that is the way I would go.

Since you posted on the wrong thread, I've copied my response from the other one too.

I'm sorry to hear about your accident, it sounds like a nasty double break.

I mostly agree with Red, but I would not send her to the pro who sold her to you unless she has been worked up by a vet, including an ulcer scope and spine x rays, first.

The reasoning is that the pro you bought her from knows how to get her to work through pain, if she was in pain when sold, and has a vested interest in proving to you that she did not sell you a horse which is in pain. I'm not suggesting, btw, that she will have known that the horse was in pain. Many mentally/physically strong riders don't.

I would send her to someone who is going to listen to her if she is trying to explain that there is something wrong.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What's 'everything'? Ulcer scope, suspensory scan, spine x rays?

I would want all those checked before allowing anyone else to sit on her.

 

[MissP]

Why are you feeding magnesium? If they are not deficient, it is well known for turning them loopy. Have you tried taking her off it for a few days?

Never heard that? Is there any proof? It's meant to do the opposite and certainly works for mine.