Please help!!!

[Siany]

Some advice needed please ... we took on an unbroken 4 year old new forest pony in feb with a view to be broken in and ridden by my daughter. After purchasing him we found out that not only was he not even halter broken, he has a long history of abuse and neglect and hence is uncontrollable at times. I sent him away for 12 weeks to be broken in professionally but due to his lack of confidence and ability to (regulalry) throw all his riders off he has now gone to a livery yard to continue his schooling with a very special small adult rider. We dont believe that he will ever make a childs pony. I just dont know what to do for the best now .... he has some really good days where he tries hard to be good and attempt everything that is asked of him then he has days where he is nothing but dangerous and has already had his rider in hospital with a suspected broken neck!! He is explosive and takes flight mode to the extreme!! Money is becoming an issue now as I have spent almost £2k on training by various people on him and he is far too much for me to handle. I am terrified of selling him in case the new owner beats him again for being "naughty" but just dont know what we could do with him long term if we dont trust him with our children. We have also found out now that he has a locking stifle so am not convinced that anyone would want him in this day n age when you can pick up quiet and broken horses for next to nothing!! What can I do??? Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

 

[nixxyz]

oh dear it does sound like your in a bit of a pickle. you're right when you say you prob wont be able to sell, then the options really are either loan him out to a very very experienced home but even then they're hard to come by for a wee pony or pts.
I persoanlly would try and loan him out, perhaps advertise him on project horses, but i think you will have to stop thinking about how much you've spent and cut your losses. Im al for giving horses/ponies a last chance but as you've said your running out of money you may have to pts if he is really that dangerous and you cant find an experienced enough home

 

[Siany]

Thank you ... its not the money that bothers me ... its the fact that so much been spent and he still no safer ... he has such a lovely temperment 90% of the time but the other 10% is frightening and for saying he is such a small one, he is so strong! He is not aggressive but his reactions end up with people being dragged, run over, bronched off etc. I am so frightened of him hurting someone and think it is only a matter of time. I wouldnt even say he is properly broken in yet ... we tried natural horsemanship methods and more conventional methods and all seems well for a few days then he lets his fear take over again. I just dont want to keep spending what little money we do have on him if some horses/ponies are "too far gone" psychologically x

 

[rossiroo]

I feel sorry for your situation the only help I can sugest is that time and patience may the answer. Would it be an option to turn him away for the winter, keep handeling him but give his head a chance to settle before riding him again in the spring? good luck

 

[Fii]

How long has he been at the livery?
If it did'nt work with the first person to try to break him and then he went on somewhere else, do you think he just hasnt settled?
With his background and age, i would bring him home and turn him away for say 4 to 6 months. Settle him in and just let him be a pony for a while, carry on bringing him in, brushing him and leading him around, but dont try to ride him , let him learn that he can relax, and chill out!

 

[leah_x]

If it all gets too much, explain everything to Redwings Horse Sanctuary, they will take the pony. I work there and have many that sound just like yours.

 

[Siany]

He has been at his new yard for 2 weeks (with same rider from last trainer) so is still settling in ... he was at the last trainers for 12 weeks and was doing brilliantly up until apporx week 8 when he spooked at ???nothing we could tell and after bolting threw his rider straight over the top of him where she landed on her face before somersaulting to a stop! We were hoping once he'd moved closer to her and was seeing her everyday they could build a bond but he is going the opposite way if anything. He is so distrusting its so sad.

I did think about contacting some rescue places to see if they could help .... it seems like abandoning him tho and no one has ever given him a chance and this is how he has ended up. Its so hard knowing what to do .. I know we are not the right owners for him but I dont want him to have a life of being moved on every 6 months because people cannot handle him. He is not naughty but his fear makes him unpredictable and dangerous.

 

[Fii]

I would definatly try him with some time off with no presure, just some TLC, and let him chill.
Some ponies take longer to mature anyway and four is still young some just cant cope at that age, especialy those with a history of abuse!

 

[touchstone]

I feel sorry for your situation the only help I can sugest is that time and patience may the answer. Would it be an option to turn him away for the winter, keep handeling him but give his head a chance to settle before riding him again in the spring? good luck

^^^^ This.

If he has come completely unhandled and not even halter broken then I think there have been a lot of changes in a relatively short period of time, I expect that he is overwhelmed with everything and unable to cope.

Personally I'd turn away and just focus on getting him used to being brushed over, fed, feet done and generally handled etc and get his trust and confidence before you think about getting on his back.

I think he needs starting very slowly and patiently, perhaps he'd be a good candidate for an Intelligent Horsemanship RA to come out to.

 

[mcrobbiena]

When I first read your post i thought, too much too soon. If it were me I would let him have time off from being ridden and slow things down. Build a bond from the ground. He wont foget everything about being ridden, just make him a bit of a pet if you can, don't feed him anything too high energy and let him be a happy pony for a while. If he has been abused he has missed out on being a baby and maturing at his own pace. He needs to learn that you are there to look after him. Then you will BOTH start trusting each other. Try taking him for walks by hand. I take my yearling pony out like she is a big dog I hope this will make her an easy to hack childs pony as she has seen plenty already. I know you are starting with an older pony but he is still young in the head and it is not his fault. Lots of horses or ponies end up being a much more mature and different animal later on in life.

 

[AmyMay]

I have spent almost £2k on training by various people

Sorry, haven't read the other posts - but I suspect this is the route of the problem.

Abused animals need to be able to build up trust and a bond in their own time, and with one person.

I suspect he doesn't know whether he's comming or going - feels rushed, which panics him, and doesn't have a person that he can trust.

Get him home, handle him yourself quietly daily. Don't attempt to ride him, and progress slowly with him after Christams with a someone on hand to help and advise, but not do the work.

 

[misterjinglejay]

Echo those that say turn him away for the winter - just let him be a horse. Handle him daily, and just get him used to being touched and groomed, feet picked out etc, but with no pressure. Taking it all very very slowly and quietly seems to help alot of 'problem' horses.
Don't ask anything of him, other than to be himself.

 

[lochpearl]

I think you are expecting far too much, far too soon. If the pony hasn't even been halter broken and then comes to you and pretty much gets put straight into work, no wonder he is petrified.

Sounds like he needs some chill out time and basic handling over the winter, bringing in for food, grooming, fuss, then re evaluate Spring next year when you have a bond with him. Poor little mite, if you know he has been mistreated, he is unhandled and scared, why put so much pressure on him?