New Horses

skully

skully

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Hi everyone,

So over the last week I’ve somehow found myself acquiring another three horses – the parents are not too pleased, to say the least! In addition to my stallion and Connemara gelding, I now have another Connemara, a welsh section A and a new forest. I will admit right off that all three were free, have issues and need to be brought back into work. The only reason my parents let me have them was because I've got all summer off after doing my exams. I'm pretty confident with the two bigger ones but the welsh will definitely be a challenge I think. I’ve got loads of questions but my yard owner isn’t ever much help so I decided to see if anyone on here had any advice. Even if you could just answer a couple it would mean a lot to have fresh eyes on the subject and some tips or experiences :)

I’ve been to see all three this week and ridden the bigger ones. The Connemara and welsh are from my old riding school which has just closed down. I couldn’t resist the connie as he was one of my favourite ponies as a little kid, and they wanted to euthanize the welsh due to him being hard to handle and mistrustful of people. Slightly stupidly, I decided to take him on without actually seeing how bad he was. The new forest is coming from a friend who can’t afford to keep all of her horses so is having to sell some. However I keep finding problems with all of them which is really worrying me. I don’t know if I’ll feel better when they arrive or worse. The more I think about it, the more issues I think of. So I’m going to write a little paragraph on each and I really hope people can help.

The Connemara is ridden in a full cheek Waterford snaffle – quite a severe bit for a riding school pony. However I find even with that, he’s very hard to ride. He misses all the corners and constantly drifts towards the centre of the school. To get him to turn you literally have to yank on the reins and pull his head around. I don’t feel comfortable doing this with such a strong bit so should I reschool him completely to yield to the pressure better, or put him in a less severe bit and try to get him listening more? I was thinking about a loose ring French link snaffle but is there anything more suitable to 'downgrade' as it were? He’s very hard-mouthed but I’d hate to think I was hurting him. I want to have my training strategy ready and consistent for when he arrives so as not to confuse him. Other than that he’s very sweet and eager to please so I think he’ll settle in well.

The little welsh has been badly abused in the past and you really can tell. He’s almost impossible to get near in the field – most days they can’t catch him – and even when you do he hangs on the end of the lead rope trying to get away from you. If you try to touch him he pins his ears and occasionally will bite. He’s terrified of men which doesn’t help as my vet/dentist/farrier are all men! He’ll never be ridden again as he’s quite old so will probably just be a companion pony, but I still need to be able to get him in from the field and for him to stand quietly on the yard without being scared of everything. Does anyone have any experience with gaining the trust of a nervy or abused horse? It breaks my heart to see him so distressed but I don’t want him to be put down if I can help it.

The new forest comes from a loving family home so is utterly spoilt and has been all his life. This is quite irritating as he seems to think it acceptable to rub against people all the time. He almost knocks people over and will do it on the yard, in the field and when being led. I don’t want to tell him off as he’s very sensitive but it’s really annoying. How could I discourage him from doing this? Also he’s very unmotivated to work and my riding instructor actually struggled to get him into a trot, even with a whip. He just totally ignores you! He’s become a happy hacker over the past couple of years and is a little unfit, but surely he should still be able to manage more than four strides of trot?! I've entered him into a fun show in a months time for motivation but if I can't even get him into trot, how on earth are we going to jump a course?

Sorry for my rambling everyone and sorry if any parts don’t make much sense! I’ve got so much going round my head at the moment so if you’re still reading at this point, thanks very much ;)

Any comments or tips would be greatly appreciated. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment and hope I’ll feel better when they’re all settled in on Monday morning. I want to be really prepared because I was inconsistent when I got my first horse and it created a load of problems that I then had to deal with. I've made them sound like an awful bunch here but they're very genuine and friendly, especially the bigger ones, and if I can gain the trust of the welsh I think he'll make a wonderful companion as he's great with other horses. Please no harsh comments as I've already heard them all. I'm serious about taking on these guys and it would mean a lot to me to get some help and advice. I have the time and resources to do it, just need some ideas on how.

Thanks,
Skully
 
Boy! What a busy summer you are going to have! I take it you are planing to do up and sell, which wouldn't be a bad thingwith the two better horses. In my opinion you seem to have a clear plan in your head, to me the connie has been used as aschool horse for so long it will be a slow process to get him to listen to the rider but if you take your time he should come round a bit. Maybe he could be hacked out, you can do loads of school on a hack without boring the poor pony to death. I would slim down the nf and gett him fitter, he needs manners, telling him off fairly but firmly will do him good, even if it does upset his feelings. A spoilt horse is not a good thing as you can get hurt if they do not get their own way. Lots of ground work and handling with him. As he learns respect on the ground he should get it under saddle. Look to his diet to check he is getting enough vavavvoom. To perk my cob up i used a touch of corn oil in his food.
As for the other horse.....well he sounds very scared and it sounds like a long trem project....it could take years, I would think very hard about that one, there are worst things for a horse then being pts, sorry if I sound mean

sorry for any typos having problems with tablet this morning
 
I think I would try and handle them all firmly and consistently and look for an instructor who will work with you and give you homework
 
Two things jumped out at me

Firstly the Waterford. I'm no bit expert but I thought the main use of a Waterford was to prevent a horse from getting hold of the bit. I would definitely try him in something else especially for any schooling. Are you able to ask anyone from the riding school why they put him in it?

The second thought I had was that if the NF is rubbing all over people, is there s rwaon? Does he rub on fences etc too? Maybe he's just itchy?
 
For the Welsh and the Connie... You might find that once out of a RS environment and having one person riding them, they may be completely different. Some horses just don't suit being a riding school pony.

As for the NF... my boy was a spoilt brat when I got him, no concept of personal space, constantly biffing me over the head and walking through me.. Firm handling and I'm afraid a few sharp slaps, he now knows the boundaries and would never dream of getting in my face!

Patience is key :)
 
Thanks very much everyone for your comments! :)
They’re arriving tomorrow morning and I’m so excited already!

Sukistokes2 – yep the plan is to do the majority of the work this summer then try to sell them before xmas but knowing me I’ll probably get too attached to be able to let go of them! I’ll try to keep the connie out of the school as much as possible. He’s an excellent jumper, just his flatwork is awful. Would you recommend anything like parelli/natural horsemanship for the new forest? Or just being firm but fair? I will try the corn oil when he’s settled in; he’s never had supplements so it may just work. Regarding the welsh, I don’t think he’ll ever be leaving our field as he’d be pretty much impossible to sell so I’ve got time to work with him. However it’s just whether it’s worth it in the long run to keep him if he’s always going to be unhappy. Will ask the vet next week but I don’t know how helpful he’ll be.
Maryann – thanks, I’ll start looking for an instructor tomorrow. We have some around our yard but they are typical RS instructors, possibly a bit too tough and businesslike for the quiet little welsh!
JulesRules – they said they put him in a Waterford when he first arrived because he used to tank off with little kids while hacking and while in open areas such as show jumping arenas or cross country tracks. They only made the mistake of putting a beginner on him once! However he’s fine in enclosed spaces such as a school. They think the problem is that he just loves to go fast so whenever he gets into a field he launches off and leaves the poor rider on the floor behind him! What would be your thoughts on a gentler bit for schooling? As for the new forest, no he’s never been itchy he’s just very pushy and likes to boss people and other horses about. I don’t want to have to 'dominate' him but he needs to have some respect too which is where his last owners failed.
muckypony – I’m hoping that they’ll be much happier in a private home than in the riding school but you never know until they get here I suppose. The connie seems generally very eager to please, just grumpy so maybe he’ll lighten up a bit when he realises he doesn’t just have to go in the school every day. Haha your boy sounds just like him! How long did it take for him to start to respect your space a little more? It’s a very irritating habit and I want to get him to stop as soon as possible as he keeps knocking the YO’s young kids over :L guaranteed way to get kicked off the yard! That quote it just perfect by the way :)
 
We have a welsh section a that sounds like yours when he first came hated men practically impossible to catch, etc. now he is fantastic and very friendly he loves it when the neighbours kids come to visit as they give him treats. We think his eyesight isn't great in one eye, so he still doesn't like you leading him from that side but he is a totally different pony from when he first came. We have had him for two years.
 
I would be tempted to turn the connie away for a few weeks for a holiday first if he has worked hard in a riding school. Good luck with your projects :)
 
Okay if it was me..

Connie would get about 2 months off but with regular handling.

The NF would get ground work and a smack on the nose when he rubs ignore him getting upset as he will soon learn. And possibly a few weeks to a month of just being a horse.

Welsh - groundwork is key and just sitting and spending time with him. Maybe feed him and sit nearby so he can get used to you but ignore him.
 
I'd be inclined to turn the Connie away for a few weeks as LadyR says, then I'd see if you can ride him in a hackamore and concentrate on bending and getting him off your leg before reintroducing a bit.

The NF, get the weight off him, be firm but fair.

The Welshy, the time you won't be spending on the Connie for the next few weeks, try bringing him in every day, use a longer lead rope so he can get further away from you and just quietly chatter friendly rubbish to him the whole time. Make sure you're smiling whilst you do it - it changes the tone of your voice. Put him in a stable, give him a small feed or some apples or carrots and leave him to himself. Then go and sit in his stable and read out loud some of your reading list for next year. Don't try and interact with him, he's just learning that actually you're a calm quiet person who means him no harm. Have some titbits ready for if he chooses to come over but let him come to you. Just a word of warning though, we've had our nervy abused Welsh for over ten years now. He's been a fab pony for us but I still couldn't go up to him in the field and guarantee to catch him. I can't even guarantee to catch him in a 10 x 12 stable. With yours also think about moving about roughly half the speed you normally would, as though everything is in slow motion.
 
FoxyO - aw that's great to hear! He'll definitely be a long term project so I'm hoping he'll settle in as well as yours has.
LadyRascasse - that's a good idea, he's a little underweight so it'll probably be a good thing for him to have a month or so of rest. Thank you!
Tern - okay I'll do loads of groundwork with the new forest but may only turn him away for a couple of weeks as he's already very round! Summer grass hasn't done him any favours. He'll definitely be getting a few more smacks on the nose but seems to be getting the message very quickly!
jemima*askin - I'll try the hackamore when he comes back into work as I hadn't thought about going bitless. As for the welsh, thanks for the ideas! Everyone at the yard has been saying to handle him firmly, not put up with nonsense etc but I don't think they understand that he's actually scared and not just being naughty. I'll definitely try to bring him in every day and talk to him.

Well they're all here and settled in their fields now. Seem happy enough for the moment. Apart from the fact welshy didn't want to come off the trailer, everything went pretty smoothly. Old connie doesn't really like his new brother but then again he doesn't really like anything these days! Welshy and new forest have hit it off in their field which is quite sweet. Thanks all for your posts :)
 
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