New horse, why do I feel disappointed?

sonjafoers said:
You bought her knowing about the fracture so you are obviously prepared to deal with that, and tbh I don't think the fly sensitivity is too much of a problem. Like you say she will be rugged, masked etc.

Taking those 2 issues out of the equation you have to think about the weaving which is something you weren't prepared for. Would you have bought her if you knew she weaved previously?

What you need to do is get some more info about weaving and the problems it can cause and look at the worst case scenario. Then ask yourself if you could cope with the worry and heartache if these problems materialised.
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Correct on all accounts. Um weaving, I always thought that would be a deal breaker for me, just in case the horse had to have box rest... Or a fracture :eek: and would therefore struggle to heal.

I think.... I think I'm going to have to follow some of the advice given in that if I put her in with her new friends, sort out the fly sensitivity so she's not unduly stressed and then go from there really.

I have spent a lot of time looking at this horse, her injury, talking to people, sussing out the difficulties. I am aware I may have problems with her due to that, just wasn't expecting the weaving.

I cannot ride everyday, at best I can ride 3-4 times a week. My criteria was;

1) weight carrier but not a ginormous horse
2) good to handle - so the kids can be involved and non-horsey hubs
3) not too old
4) not fizzy or too much for me - after having had a 5 year break
5) not wasted with me & not over bred for what I need (pointless spending thousands on a papered horse who could win badminton)
6) pretty (come on... I have to have one silly one!)

She ticks all of those boxes (except I have been warned out hacking on her own if she panics she stops dead... Well our hacking is all off road so we can work on that)

If the old owner had said "she's in a new situation, she might weave, don't worry" I might have been more relaxed!! But it was so unexpected, my YO thought she was shaking her head at flies... But I could see her feet lifting and there was definitely swaying. I popped out for a couple of hours for lunch and to leave her unmolested, when I got back I was told she was seen weaving.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow, if the fly bits help and I hope she was strung out from new field, friends and flies... Eek. Gawd if I had known it was so EMOTIONAL buying your first horse as an adult, that frankly, I've worked blimmin hard for, I might have bought a plastic one... :D
 
I bought my horse a stable mat to put in front of the door, so at least she had something soft to stand on if she was going to weave.
 
Don't worry I got my new boy last september after spending a couple of months getting to know him at his previous home. When I eventually bought him and got him home, I have had a winter of one thing after another. First he crib bited horrendously then he started fence walking to the point where he walked a very deep grove in the side of the fence and lost so much condition it was very worrying.

I put him on Magnesium and Brewers Yeast and got him a little companion when out on the field and he is now a changed horse - back to the relaxed gentleman I purchased.

He has completely settled in and happy now. He did have a week of crib biting again when a new horse arrived in the next field but has now stopped again. He obviously doesnt like change and gets stressed!!!

Dont worry about your new horse - give him time to settle down - it took mine 6 months to completely settle in!
 
It's a bit of a 50/50 mix this isn't it with regards to weaving? She's out so the matting won't help :( if she has to come in, the stable has matting down, so I think we're doing everything right so far, b*gger what they think, I'm shopping tomorrow and if she looks like one giant window net, with legs, but is happier then so be it!! I'll monitor the weaving, as she didn't show any signs of it on previous visit, fingers crossed for a stress reaction rather than a constant habit.. If it's going to be harder than that to manage, I think I will sadly have to return her because it's one step too far for me personally.

Thank you everybody, for the opinions, time and advice, I have found this incredibly useful.
 
I bought a horse from a close friend who would have failed a vetting for happy hacking too. She also turned out to be a shocking weaver. My friend denied all knowledge! But-best horse I ever could have, I have nursed her through box rest for laminitis and a foot abcess and manage it the rest of the time by letting her be out as much as possible. She is only in for tacking up etc. I hate the weaving and mine "piaffes" at the door too but I have to deal with it. Her other attributes make up for it. Personally I think you need to ask a vet about this as well as your farrier. All horses have quirks, it just depends if it is going to have an effect on the (presumably healed) fracture. Good luck.
 
She's stressed from moving and this may be excess stomach acid and just disappear in a couple of days. Go to Tesco tomorrow and buy their own brand ranitidine £1.38 fo 12. Give her 6 tablets in the morning and 6 in the evening and the chances are she will stop within 24 hours if it's not an ingrained habit. If 12 a day works, you can drop to a maintenance dose of 3-4 per day after a while and see what happens and then stop altogether.

You can google ranitidine. It's legal, low in side-effects, cheap and effective in horses.
 
Lydz13 said:
No they have a legal requirement to declare because it constitutes an unsoundness rather than 'vice' due to the effects.

I didn't put a thread up about her vetting because I've joined since.

Please don't think I'm beyond mental but...

She has a fracture to her front right coffin bone joint. She is currently showing 1/10 lame on that leg when in a circle, but otherwise movement is good. I have the x-rays, I had her vet talk to my vet, she's had all sorts of tests done and she has also been completely rested for 2 months.


Because of this she would not pass a vetting now. My farrier is coming out to do some remedial work on her feet, and my vet is confident that with a SLOW return to work over the next 6 months, she will be fine as a light happy hacker, which is all I want.


Anyway... Now she's with me LOL and after all of that, I find she weaves!! Grrr. Not going to help the horse recover if it turns out to be a persistant habit..
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Mmm - that puts a slightly different slant on things.

I replied above that my pony used to weave and that it wasn't an issue as he settled.

HOWEVER - I also have a horse who is currently recovering from a fracture. I don't know how bad your horse's fracture is, but 2 months does not sound a long time to heal - and weaving will most definately not be helping this injury. My horse did 5 months box rest and is now on 4 weeks turnout in a teeny pen before we can even think about turning him out in a slightly bigger one. Although he is now allowed to walk around gently etc, I would not want him weaving as the sideways movement in his joints would be an issue.
 
I bought an ex eventer who turned out to weave when I got him home. I ended up moving yards to one where he could live out more and that really chilled him out (he also seemed to weave in American barn style stable but was much better in a quieter location. He just came in when we had persistant rain or bad weather and was much happier that way.

But, he did chill out after the first couple of weeks, so persist it is most likely stress.
 
I bought a confirmed weaver a few years ago, not really knowing much about it. I read up a bit, installed an acrylic mirror in her stable and brought her home. She has terrible separation anxiety that her owner had warned me about, so she walked a deep trench in her field wanting to get in with others while in quarantine. Now that she's settled in her field with two other mates, she doesn't fence walk. But we manage her so that she's not left out alone in the field. I've never seen her weave in her stable, but she has her mirror friend for company. She stands quietly and VERY attentively when I'm making up her dinners right outside her stable, this was apparently one of her triggers for extreme weaving.

So, try a mirror!

How long will she be separated from her new mates? Hopefully only a week or two, then you should hopefully see a changed horse.
 
If it is a deal breaker for you-ring new owners now and state you are unhappy with this-if you like the horse say you will give it a few days to see if she settles. Have to say I wouldn't want a weaver either,so many straightforward horses out there.
 
As already posted I agree it could be stress related and may stop as soon as she's settled but the important thing is how long have you got if you want to return her?

It's ok saying give her time to settle and then return her if she's a permanent weaver but you will need to come to an agreement with the vendor about this surely?
 
Sorry to hear you are having problems with your new horse, it's not a nice position to be in!

Setting aside the weaving question, are you sure you are able to handle a horse in recovery from what sounds like a major injury? You sound a bit stressed and my worry is that a horse coming back into work is likely to cause anyone the most stress any horse can ever cause. Being turned out for the first time is usually stressful for everyone involved, they almost always play up when they start being ridden again, it's usually a struggle to keep them calm enough through all the fittening walk work, it's a total nightmare when they regress and have to go back a step in the recovery process, etc. All of this requires a lot of patience and a very laid back attitude from the owner (as a fellow stress-head I wouldn't want to go through all that again), are you sure you are happy to deal with it all?

The reason I am asking is that you seem quite upset about a minor issue (irritation by flies is so easily solved by a rug, I just would not give it a second thought), that it does raise the question of whether this is the right horse for you regardless of the weaving issue.

As others have suggested I would seek legal advice to clarify where you stand as a buyer with respect to the undisclosed weaving just in case you wish to return her. As far as I know the weaving should have been declared at the vetting, but not necessarily otherwise. If the horse had never weaved before this puts both you and the previous owner in a very difficult position.
 
Sorry to hear your dilema - It's such a hard decision to make , but as others have already said , you need to think long term about this horse , and wether you can acheive a happy medium . The weaving may get better the more settled she becomes , but if it doesn't and she is affecting her own healing time for the fracture , it could be a horrible viscous circle. I noticed on your wish list that you just want to hack but didn't want something too old etc , and i totally understand this but there are loads of older horses ( i don't mean ancient and passed it ) that have maybe had good careers but have been replaced for a younger model that would just love a home with you where they can wind down with some gentle hacking , are totally sound and just as pretty. I would be concerned about a horse bought as a happy hacker will plant it's feet and stop dead if something frightens them , don't forget this horse you've bought is injured and CAN ONLY be used for hacking , it's not nesseccarily a ' happy hacker ' so think very carefully , you don't want to end up with someone elses field ornament

P.s The sanctuaries i.e blue cross , ILPH etc have loads of possibilities.

I hope you don't think i'm sounding harsh , and if you do decide to keep the mare I'm sure as she learns to trust you she'll settle loads and hopefully be fine , but keeping them is so expensive and if you leave things too long - returning her may not be an option..
 
Sorry to be a bit confused, but why did you buy a horse that has failed a vetting? I hope you didn't pay too much for it?

I really would be contacting the owner about the weaving. I thought by law you had to disclose that type of thing to a potential owner? As someone else said - there are hundreds of sound, vice-free horses out there why are you pursueing this one?

Sorry if I sound harsh - just trying to put a bit of sense into this...:)
 
I think from what I've read the horse ticked a lot of boxes for the OP, and although she had failed a vetting she was sold as a happy hacker which is what the OP wanted.

We all have our own views on buying a horse with a fracture and having to give it time to heal but I think the original post was regarding the weaving which has now come to light.

The OP obviously wants to keep the horse, quite understandably as she has just bought it knowing about the fracture, but she is wanting to know if the weaving will disappear after the stress levels are reduced. Who knows?? Only time will tell that, but it could be then be too late and the OP will be left with a horse that has not only failed a vetting but has a vice or unsoundness (however you want to word it) that will prevent her from selling it on.

I personally wouldn't buy a horse with a fracture no matter how many boxes it ticked, but to now find out it weaves is a nail in the coffin IMO. I would return it immediately (and if you read previous posts on here I've been in this situation & done just that ) and prevent any further heartache. However we aren't all the same so I just hope it all works out ok if the horse is kept.
 
I don't think you should worry unduly about this. It sounds more like the weaving is stress-related than anything else. Plus, if the person you got her from has only had her since dec, she's not really going to know that much about her habits anyway.

My horse has always weaved since he was 4 - he only does it if he's excited, stressing or wanting his tea! Most of the year though he lives out 24/7 it's only in winter he'll come in at night. He has not suffered any ill effects and he is 20 now and still does it. He ONLY does it in the stable and when he basically wants out, thinks he's missing something or is getting impatient for his food. If you're not intending on returning he anyway I don't see much point in getting confirmation from the previous owner whether she has always done it anyway. You seem to have decided you're keeping her no matter what.

Do you know if she still weaves when you've left the yard - or indeed when all people have gone and all activity has stopped? Mine does, he sometimes does it after dinner and before we've left but I know once I have driven up the end of the track and once he has realised nothing else is goinhg in, he goes back to eating his hay!
 
There has already been alot of sensible and supportive advice given so not adding to that, but the OP sounds very grounded and sensible to me, has clearly thought things through very carefully before purchase, has weighed up all the pros and cons and clearly apart from the weaving issue the horse ticks all the right boxes based on professional advise too.

I have a horse who when he came 2 years ago weaved constantly. It was clearly stress related as he had alot of issues that needed dealing with, the biggest one being he didn't trust anyone due to less than nice treatment previously in his life.

Now, the only time he does it is at feeding time or if things get him excited and he is in his box, but it is so low key compared with how intensely he did it orginally, and it doesn't affect him in any way, nor has it compacted any indirect damage to his front legs. And being patient has rewarded me tenfold as he now sees me as his friend and is clearly happy to have me around him, and to be honest I hardly notice him doing it, and comparing with how stressed I used to get watching him, time has worked for both of us, and everything else about him far outweighs this one little imperfection.

So if it were me, I would be prepared to work with it, as I am convinced given time, and once the horse has settled it will abate considerably.
Good luck
 
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Hiya, quick update. Got to yard this morning and to my pleasant surprise, found one happy horse, who instantly came over to me for a cuddle and then pottered round the field after me, chatting away! ladyt25, I think you're right, I was probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all and I think I overreacted a bit. This mare also has a personality ;) and she didn't show any signs this morning, not even when I brought her hay through.

I know not all of you will understand my decision - no I didn't pay anything for her really, just a token payment. It wasn't about buying a cheap horse, I have the funds to spend a bit more, it was about whether we fit together long term. Like I said, I don't know what it was about this particular horse, I know I could have chosen a different one or gone for a rescue if I was inclined.

As for rehabilitating a fracture, I've got a great support network in place, and I'm not concerned about a pedal bone fracture. The x-ray shows it is on the edge and it is not near the joint. there are no arthritic changes and we can only assume it's either not that painfiul for her, going by the extent of the lameness, or it's an old one. I've had horses from the age of 8 til 21, seen many injuries and illnesses. As said before, she's not a competition horse, more an expensive pet that I can go and have some peace and quiet with to keep me sane :D

I've now spoken to the previous owner who was very shocked by it and instantly offered to have her back if I am unhappy, so for the time being, I'm going to put it down to stress. She was a different animal this morning. When I see her later, I'll take some pics and post them... Maybe you'll see what I do!! :D she is lovely I was just haing a bit of a panic attack I think!! Thanks everybody xxx
 
So glad she was happier this morning. I think many of us can identify with the post-purchase-OMG-what-have-I-bought syndrome. Only start worrying when you're still thinking that after 10 years.:D
She's obviously a special mare because you chose her over any others you could have had. I do hope you both have a lovely partnership together.
 
angelish said:
yes don't be such a baby :p weaving isn't the end of the world
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I dont know about that - the only horse I knew of that weaved ended up being put to sleep because it ruined its front legs with the twisting action...

OP, hopefully she'll settle and stop doing it. Make sure she's got lots of hay etc. in the field to amuse her and take her mind off being stressed?
 
I'm glad you're both feeling happier today. It does sound as though she was very stressed and that is what caused the weaving.
Settling a new horse in is always stressful, we keep ours at home and it's still a nightmare -just working out the logistics of who goes where, who comes in when, in what order can get you chewing your fingernails.
Just to cheer you up, we viewed a lovely, well-mannered, easy-to-ride mare many years ago, brought her home and could do nothing at all with her. Honestly if we could have sold her within the first 6 weeks we probably would have done, but there was no chance of showing her to any-one - she wouldn't even walk in a straight line! Fortunately she was very affectionate and always easy to catch. We do think that at least some of her problem was stress.
She stayed with us for the next 23 yrs until she was pts. She never became an easy ride, although she did get better and her stable manners improved beyond recognition.
 
Excellent news - if possible get her in a field with some other horses take her mind totally off her stresses.
 
horserider said:
So glad she was happier this morning. I think many of us can identify with the post-purchase-OMG-what-have-I-bought syndrome.
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Yes I can identify :) I bought a supposedly super-duper young mare and had her imported from over 1,000 miles away. I was very happy with my purchase and then the mare arrived. Two minutes off the transporter and out in a paddock the mare promptly started weaving. I had a moment of "oops!" then I thought oh well she could have had something worse and assumed that the long journey and new home may be the reason for her being unsettled. Turns out it was and the weaving stopped by the following day. I've had her for 2 years now and she's turned out to be a damn fine mare.

I'm really pleased you are happy with her today OP :) I personally don't see weaving as the big deal that some others on this thread do but that's the nice thing about horses, what bothers some people may not bother others. I hope you both have a long and happy life together and she turns out to be everything you wanted.
 
Glad to hear she's happier today. I think there are differences in weaving - those that do it when they're just a bit stressed or excited and others who do it very badly and it is a deeply ingrained habit like pacing is for caged animals. I would imagine. that is harder to 'cure' but not impossible.

I would say the majority do it just in stresseful situations - mine is a typically nosey individual who wants to knoe what's going on and does not like being ignored so I think partially it's attention seeking as well. I know he isn't stressed as such as he has no other symptons and is a generally happy horse out with his herd and is very confident and great to ride and do anything with. It is just his personality i think, he likes to be doing stuff!
 
Great news! I'll see you in the PG ;0)

There's a mare at my yard that weaves only when she's in season - the owner thinks it's frustration at not being able to get near any of the lads! Can't say I blame her either - there's one hot black stallion from Darco lines just a few boxes away. I'd fancy him if I had four legs... lol!
 
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pleased for both of you !!!! :D

Stress can do very funny things to us all - take it from someone who knows;)

sm xxxxxx
 
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