Ollie the new man in my life

[lucindakay]

hello all here is Ollie, hes 6 years, ISHxWelsh, 16hh, he was put on livery at my house before xmas but sadly he became a bit too much for his owner so he was put on loan to a man who works at our local hunt, he came back a month ago because he will not let anyone on him, hes not nappy nor does he have a nasty bone in his body he truly has such a lovely personality, owner feels she can not ride him nor sell him as he is the sort of horse to fall in the wrong hands so this is where i come in, she has given me his back end(50% ownership) i personally feel he won't let anyone on him because he is just not strong enough, his back end has no muscle and he is very unfit, but someone rode him 2 weeks ago and after 30mins of trying to get on she did and he was fine, i tried to ride him and he just was not happy that i said enough was enough and he either has terrible manners or somethings wrong, as i said i think that he has not been produced properly and he is just tender on his back, my question is what would you do? (he has had saddle checked, vet out recently, back checked ect all over the last 3 months)
currently my plan is a slow build up of lunging with raised poles and using lots of hills and slowly introduce my equi-ami. has anyone else experienced this? what did you do?
here is him today, as you can see he is in very poor condition after getting back from this 'hunting' yard (i do believe they had a bad saddle on him and just jumped on him until he wouldn't take anymore this is when he was sent back, but i can't confirm that) also he has no trapezium muscle either which i also think is a consequence of a bad saddle

 

[Tash88]

If possible I think I'd just let him have a couple of weeks out on good quality grass if possible, just to let him chill out and enjoy being a horse; it sounds like he's had a bit of a tough time. Put him in a field with a slope if possible so he can work a bit as he's moving around. Then I'd probably do some in-hand walks out if the roads around you are safe, again on hills if possible, then start lunging him - I think your plan there sounds good. Personally I'd then get the saddler out again as he should have developed some muscle by then.

He's a gorgeous boy and I think he's lucky to have come home to you! Good luck with him.

 

[lucindakay]

yes i think that sounds like a good plan, the spring field will be ready in a week so he will have some neighbors(he can't share fields as hes a bit too playful) well lunging work won't start till july as i leave school but in-hand work will starting when his 'front end' owner comes back in two weeks, the issue is when he is left for too long he can get playful and he doesn't know his own strength.
Thank you very much, i will defiently slow down his work plan actually now looking from an outside perspective, i always forget hes not my other horse