Screw loose!!!

[MissDeMeena]

Horse at work with a screw loose!!
I've managed to stay on it 3 times now, where both times i should have come off, but it's starting to worry me!
See, it's not like your average silly TB, in that you never know what it's going to do!!
I'm perfectly happy on naughty horses, as long as i vaguely know what they might do, racehorses are usually predictable, ie they whip round/buck/spook etc...
But this horse is different!!!
For a start, he has smashed his head up twice in a short time, hard enough to fracture bones in his face! Now whatever way you look at it, that surely isn't right?!?!?! (first time was in his stable, the second was out in the field on his own, no one knows exactly how he did it).
He's been back in work a while, and is just about to start galloping.. my face is starting to look like this

The last time he tried to kill me, he stuck his head between his knees and rodeo'd for England, i've pulled muscles trying to get his head back up, but i managed it, and all was well.. the time before that, he stood bolt upright for what seemed like 5min, while he waved to his friends.. and the time before that he stoped and spun round quicker than you could think what your own name was!
Staying on isn't the problem, it's me nerves that are.

Any tips for coping with a freak??

 

[miamibear]

Is it possible this horse has somehting wrong with its brain. Im not saying this in jest but if its that crazy it would damage its own head it must have some sort of mental issue.

I for one would refuse to ride it. You only get one life hun!!

xx

 

[Vicki1986]

[ QUOTE ]
Any tips for coping with a freak??

[/ QUOTE ]

retire it!

has all medical / physical avenues been checked? sorry but if it was that bad i wouldnt get on it...i need to work to afford my neds therefore broken leg/arm/back/neck is not a good look for me therefore anything remotely dangerous would not be graced with my fat bum on its it back and certainly not something which as described sounds like its one short

 

[ClareMc]

I was going to say the same thing, has he been checked by a vet. There is a chance he could have some head injury that is making his behaviour unpredicatable and weird.

 

[icestationzebra]

Wouldn't be happy riding that - a horse that doesn't have some sense of self preservation is dangerous.... having broken bones and suffered loss of earnings through a fall I am very careful now - just can't afford to take the chance

 

[Mellymoo1]

I have a tip.. Don't get on it!! No horse is worth your life!

 

[BBs]

And they think this horse has what it takes to race?

Yikes! now okay, the odd misbehaving you can accept when its a hot blooded TB in training. However, risking your neck on something so unpredictable......
For you to be a little nervous rings alarm bells to me!
The head bashing is serious in itself and totally NOT normal! horses do have a good sense of preservation, however, this one doesnt sound quite right.
Perhaps speak to the boss?

 

[MissDeMeena]

It's a 4yr old that hasn't run yet!
It's not like this everyday!! i've been riding it about 3 weeks now, and it has had 'moments' 3 times within those 3 weeks.. It's just a horse i don't like!! there's another horse that i get on very well with, proper nappy lil sh1t, that can run as fast backwards as it can forwards, but i feel safe enough on it, and am more than happy to ride it.. this horse as i've said above even if it does nothing wrong, i still have bad feelings about

See, the thing is, this is a racing yard, and you're bound to get 'funny' horses, which i'm more than happy and able to ride, i've also been given rather alot more money than the others to work in this yard

I'm therefore feeling unsure about going round saying i don't want to ride said horse! (esp. as it's not like this everyday)

It has been looked at by vet, the first time it smashed its head, i believe it had an x-ray (hence knowing about the fracture) but i don't think anything else came up on the x-ray.

 

[ihatework]

It's not worth your breaking your neck for this horse. Sounds like it has real issues.
If it has no self preservation for its own head then its not likely to have any preservation for you.

 

[vicijp]

Sounds like a bullet job to me.

 

[MissDeMeena]

hmm, that's what the farrier said as i went out on it today.. that a piece of lead placed between it's eyes might do the trick!
But then as it's not our horse, it's not really our place to shoot it.

Would you be happy saying to someone that you're not happy riding a horse (having always gotten on anything).

edited to say, i guess i'm happy enough to ride it out, but i'm not to keen on galloping it!

 

[vicijp]

Maybe (whilst chucking the reins at them) -
'If you wont shoot it you can ride it your f#cking self.'
Ive known horses like this, luckily in the minority. Ive never worried about getting on them, but looking back its lucky im not dead. Without the head bashing id be saying give it a ride, but its obviously off the scale. Unless they want to shell out for a full body scan, not a lot that can be done.

 

[cosmo_sam]

I've only known one horse that sounded like this one, it ended up dying in my horse's stable after it had impaled itself onto a square post

It was fine for a few days then POP and it would have NO regard for it's or anyone else's safety.

After she died we thought that perhaps she had a brain tumour or the likes but we'll never know.

I agree with the others and don't feel it's worth the risk. I'll work with any horse that seems scared of confused but if it is beyond our reasoning, stay away.

 

[rach1984horse]

Used to be a pony on our yard that used to keep going if you put it into canter. Just took off and went faster and faster. Was a plod in the school. Bomb proof hacking. Just cantering it outside was scary as it just didn't stop for anything.

One of the girls at the yard was hacking it out in a group, and they went for a wee canter. It took off and wouldn't stop. She managed to turn it, then running out of ideas on how to stop it pointed it straight at a wall. She had to bail out as it went straight into the wall (was about 8 feet tall so pony couldn't ahve attempted to jump it). It galloped straight at it for a good 30second though so must have known it was coming.

Later on in the afternoon pony had a fit. Vet was called out. Turns out pony had had a brain tumor. Crashing into the wall was the final straw and had caused something to burst and pony was pts.

Vet thinks that this is what had been causing such strange behaviour in the pony.

 

[Skhosu]

TBH, I wouldn't be saying a screw loose. Now, I KNOW I am not that experienced but this is my take, please don't shoot me down!
Head bashing, in the stable may have got cast? Out in the field, no idea but odd things do happen.
The bucking...well, if he's a highly strung tb, surely that's not that uncommon?
The rearing, perhaps he is one of those ones who is a 'non starter'?
Stopping and spinning, again, might suggest non starter?
I can't see how it would be needing a bullet? Obv. it is healthy enough to train. Does it misbehave at any other time? (Am assuming this is all on gallops)

 

[alligator]

You're bad feeling about it is basis enough for me!! Dont ride it - dont make mistake I did and lie in hospital wishing you'd paid a bit more attention to your gut instinct!!!!

Plenty enough naughty horses out there for you to ride without riding the headbangers!!

 

[vicijp]

i think its the fact that it only happens occasionally that is the major point here.
Horses usually fall into either the 'bucker' or 'rearer' category. You get on them knowing exactly what to expect and generally when to expect it. There is nothing strange about that, but one or the other unpredictably signifies something is not quite right. If it was a semi normal pain issue it would also generally be one or the other.
Whats a 'non starter'?

 

[Skhosu]

well, maybe a term I made up!(thought I'd heard it!) Are there not racehorses who refuse to race?

 

[MissDeMeena]

See, that's what bothers me, being unpredictable.
the time he stood up, was at the end of a ride that he'd behaved very well all the way round, and was about 500yrds from home, he did a little tiny rear, just lifting his front feet off the ground, the second they hit the ground again, it was like a spring board to stand bolt upright.
The bucking was because he'd just spooked at something, but not badly, so i patted him on the neck, now alot of horses will have a play if you pat them on the neck, but this stuck its head between its knees, and had a proper go!!!

As you said vicki, i find racehorses very predictible, yes they can be sharp/naughty/playfull etc. but you usually know what you're going to get from them.. this one is different.

 

[MissDeMeena]

[ QUOTE ]
well, maybe a term I made up!(thought I'd heard it!) Are there not racehorses who refuse to race?

[/ QUOTE ]

This horses hasn't run yet/hasn't even been near the gallops! therefore doesn't even know it's a racehorse yet!

 

[Skhosu]

ok. presumeably had all the physical checks done?
I would not be riding, but on the other hand maybe it will gallop well?
But on the other other hand (following?) is it worth risking life and limb?

 

[Bossanova]

I wouldnt ride it- sounds like irrational behaviour and I wouldnt be suprised if they shot it and PMd it, they'd find a tumour....

 

[MissDeMeena]

well, that was kinda what this post was about!

A) stop being such a wimp and get on with it.

or

B) you want to live to see xmas don't you, so don't ride it.

If everyone went for option b) which they seem to have.. how do you go about saying you don't want to ride a horse (i'm payed good money to ride out at this yard).
having usually been someone to get on anything.

 

[Weezy]

I dont know the horse but already warning signs are appearing before me - unpredictibility is the key here and something that would instantly make me think that indeed there IS a screw loose

I know how you feel about having to say "no" to your employers and I have not ever had to do that (although I have wanted to!!!) Personally I would question why the employers want a horse that self injures under their care anyway!

 

[vicijp]

If they think highly enough of you to pay well then they should respect your opinion. If your opinion is that it is unsafe, they should take note of that and explore other avenues.

 

[Blizzard]

No horses life is worth your own and it is just a job, your life is the most important thing, they cant sack you for not wanting to ride such a loopy horse, and no amount of money or wages will bring you back from the dead.

If its pride stopping you, please dont let it.

 

[siennamiller]

I rode a horse like this (3 yr old colt) when I was riding out at my local racing yard. He was very unpredictable, used to stand up completely straight and was not balanced doing it, also doing broncy/spinny leapy thing halfway up gallops out of nowhere.
I got put on it every day and was quite nervous of it, in the end I told the head lad that it was worrying me. A couple of days later it came over backwards on someone and broke his arm. The head lad said he hadn't realised how bad it was!!

He was completely untalented and got sold to dubai or somewhere like that!
So-can the head lad help?
If not I would refuse to ride it, I would have done if it had gone on much longer-no amount of money is worth your neck?
good luck x

 

[rach1984horse]

If you don't want to flatly refuse to ride it, could yu maybe have a word with trainer/head lad, and say you feel something is not quite right with the horse. Tell them you think it's seriously not right in the head and that you don't want it to become a danger to staff riding it. Maybe see if they can keep a closer eye on it and it's behaviour.

 

[wizzi901]

sounds like tumor or similar imho, wouldnt risk my neck for riding someone elses horse, even if it was my job. Trust your gut!!!

 

[regalrendezvous]

It sounds like a tumor in the head to me. My friends horse used to bash his head in the stable or paddock and whilst galloping / cantering he would go mad like the pony and crash into walls and trees. No one could stop him and people has to dive off. He often had bucking fits. Eventually he was shot and a PM was done on him and sure enugh he had a brain tumor.

When he cantering or galloping the bloodflow to the brain would increase and feed the tumor. I would swell and blind him.

He may not be an evil horse...just a very sick one.