Should I sell my horse?

[Lilz29]

Hi all

As the title suggests. I recently acquired a gorgeous 5 year old Connie cross from Ireland as a first horse. I’m a novice rider so initially didn’t plan to get such a young horse as I thought it might be a bad combination...I however was persuaded otherwise as I was assured he had a great temperament and was very chilled so wouldn’t be a problem. I also thought he could have schooling and I could have lessons so it could work. I’ve only owned him for 2 months, he was initially fine with me to ride and he’s great on the ground, but then recently he bolted and bucked me off twice within a few weeks. I’m thinking about loaning / part loaning him out to a more experienced rider to help him develop and then take lessons with him later in the hope that he will be more mature and easier to handle. It’s either that or I sell him and get one which in theory should be more suited to me (smaller, older and more experienced). I am curious to see if anyone else has been in this situation and if so what did you do? I’m presuming he’ll need a lot longer than just a few months to develop which is why I’m thinking maybe it’s best just to sell him?.. any advice is much appreciated, thanks! G

 

[windand rain]

You wont find him easy to sell or share until you find out why he is behaving in this way. True bolters are the worst and probably the most dangerous of all horses. If he is just full of himself and giving a buck and pissing off that is different but you still need to find out why.

 

[Michen]

I assume by bolt you really mean "took off" in the school rather than a true flat out bolt.

My connie from Ireland went through a horrendous stage, he was absolutely awful to deal with in every way and I ended up getting professional help. He was worked hard, given a job to do and taken eventing and is now an absolutely amazing animal- totally genuine and fiery as anything but great fun.

It cost me a lot though... depends how much you want to persevere!

 

[Lilz29]

Hello thanks for your response! Well it seemed like he got scared, the first time I couldn’t say by what as it all happened so quickly but the next time it was definitely a bird flying out of a tree, he was completely calm before then

 

[Lilz29]

I assume by bolt you really mean "took off" in the school rather than a true flat out bolt.

My connie from Ireland went through a horrendous stage, he was absolutely awful to deal with in every way and I ended up getting professional help. He was worked hard, given a job to do and taken eventing and is now an absolutely amazing animal- totally genuine and fiery as anything but great fun.

It cost me a lot though... depends how much you want to persevere!

Hi Michel thanks for your reply, yes took off in the school exactly that. Yes I mean he’s definitely got lots of potential and he is kind natured generally, I’ve invested quite a bit in schooling him already which is why I thought maybe loaning him out would be more cost effective but I guess it’s still a gamble and will take time.

 

[windand rain]

Is he getting
a) enough exercise
b) the correct food
c) enough turnout
d) had all the vet and tack checks
e) has he truly settled into your routine

 

[Lilz29]

Hi Michel thanks for your reply, yes took off in the school exactly that. Yes I mean he’s definitely got lots of potential and he is kind natured generally, I’ve invested quite a bit in schooling him already which is why I thought maybe loaning him out would be more cost effective but I guess it’s still a gamble and will take time.

(apologies I meant Michen not Michel I have dreadful automatic typing on my phone)

 

[Orangehorse]

Green horses take a lot of work. There could be various reasons why he misbehaved, but if it has made you nervous then it isn't a good start.
If you want to sell him then a school livery where he could be ridden by an experienced rider and shown off to his true potential might be best. There are several around, you need personal recommendations and a sympathetic person who will put effort into finding out why he misbehaved. Is it just that he is fresh and bored with less work than he was used to, too much feed for the work he is doing, or is there a physical reason, has he changed shape, put on weight perhaps which makes the saddle uncomfortable or are his teeth erupting and painful? There are more reasons than that but it might simply be the first. Connemaras are strong, intelligent ponies and need a job to do, I have had both saints and sinners of the breed!

 

[Lilz29]

Is he getting
a) enough exercise
b) the correct food
c) enough turnout
d) had all the vet and tack checks
e) has he truly settled into your routine

So a) he gets exercised 3-4 times a week
b) I believe he has the correct food
c) he gets turned out in the mornings but it’s different to what he was used to in Ireland where he lived out all the time
d) he’s in good health has been checked by the vet. The tack is something which I’m unsure about but he is going to be checked for this next week
e) he’s on full livery at the moment and is in a set routine, he may not be used to it yet though as he hasn’t been here for that long and it’s different to what he was used to in Ireland.

Another thing I should have mentioned, he has had schooling with an experienced rider a couple of times now, he bucked once with her but she told him off then it never happened again. Also he’s never bolted with her, which makes me think he gets scared more easily with me as I’m guessing he senses I’m less experienced, so he needs a confident rider.

 

[Lilz29]

Green horses take a lot of work. There could be various reasons why he misbehaved, but if it has made you nervous then it isn't a good start.
If you want to sell him then a school livery where he could be ridden by an experienced rider and shown off to his true potential might be best. There are several around, you need personal recommendations and a sympathetic person who will put effort into finding out why he misbehaved. Is it just that he is fresh and bored with less work than he was used to, too much feed for the work he is doing, or is there a physical reason, has he changed shape, put on weight perhaps which makes the saddle uncomfortable or are his teeth erupting and painful? There are more reasons than that but it might simply be the first. Connemaras are strong, intelligent ponies and need a job to do, I have had both saints and sinners of the breed!

Thank you for your response. I thought after the first time it happened that it was ‘simply’ a lack of exercise as he hadn’t been ridden in a few days and did seem fresh when I saw him, so I invested in schooling until I recovered when the plan would be that I have lessons until I get used to him again, he had his schooling was great during that i saw videos and he seemed to be doing really well, I then had a lesson after feeling recovered from the previous injury, lunged him first then rode, all went fine. The next day had another lesson, lunged him then rode, mostly went fine until the last 10 mins of my lesson when a bird flew out of a tree and he ran away from it then bucked me off. So I wasn’t nervous after the first time it happened as I thought I knew what the issue was but now as it’s happened again I have become nervous. My gut tells me he’s too green, I could work at it with more schooling /loaning out for his development but he still may be too much for me at the end (unless I wait a while). As you say, they take a lot of work.

 

[PeterNatt]

I think you have answered your own question which is that he requires a more experienced rider to take him forward.
I would sell him and buy yourself a genuine laid back bombproof/spookproof horse which has been round the block and is no less than 8 years old.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, I think you should sell your horse. If you are a novice then any 5 year old will be too green for you really, and expecting a "loaner" to school him for you (and presumably pay for the privilege of doing so) is unrealistic at best. In the meantime I would suggest that you cut out all hard feed, make sure the horse has plenty of turnout and pay someone professional to school him for you.

 

[Summit]

I thi
I would sell him and buy yourself a genuine laid back bombproof/spookproof horse which has been round the block and is no less than 8 years old.

i agree. No shame in admitting he’s not for you. better he goes to someone with more experience and you have a horse more suited to your abilities

 

[windand rain]

So a) he gets exercised 3-4 times a week
b) I believe he has the correct food
c) he gets turned out in the mornings but it’s different to what he was used to in Ireland where he lived out all the time
d) he’s in good health has been checked by the vet. The tack is something which I’m unsure about but he is going to be checked for this next week
e) he’s on full livery at the moment and is in a set routine, he may not be used to it yet though as he hasn’t been here for that long and it’s different to what he was used to in Ireland.

Another thing I should have mentioned, he has had schooling with an experienced rider a couple of times now, he bucked once with her but she told him off then it never happened again. Also he’s never bolted with her, which makes me think he gets scared more easily with me as I’m guessing he senses I’m less experienced, so he needs a confident rider.

In that case he possibly will never be quite the right fit for you so selling him may be an option but perhaps if you do it might be wise to change your wording for his running off he is not a true bolter he is just running from something because he can and lacks confidence. If he is/was a true bolter then you could never sell him as it would be immoral not to disclose that. True bolters run with no concept of self preservation and will often kill or seriously injure themselves and riders in the process

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Firstly I think you need to eliminate any pain issues before you go any further; as a 5yo he may well be changing shape and so I would deffo get a saddle-fitter in to do a check, also get a suitably qualified professional to check his back and teeth as all or any of these things could be causing the behaviour you describe.

Who sold you this pony?? He sounds a typical youngster, and really whoever sold a pony like this to someone like yourself who admits they are a "novice", frankly needs to be shot!! Was it a dealer?? If so, then would you be able to ask them to sort the problem out and perhaps swap for something more suitable?

If the answer to the above question is "no", then the only thing I would suggest is to get a professional to have a look at the situation, who will be able to stand back and see what is happening, and perhaps suggest some solutions. They may know of a rider that could take this pony on for a bit to bring on, and/or might know of someone who might take him on permanently.

Realistically of course, this is the time of year when no-one really wants to take on horses; tho' you might find that someone would be prepared to just take him (if the price was right) and turn him away till next Spring (this is what I'd do), and see how he comes back next year.

Of course, you could always enter him in your local horse auctions with a low reserve and without a warranty: but you'd have to be prepared that this might basically "label" him for the meat man...........

So sorry you are in this position; but I would strongly suggest you eliminate any pain issues before you make any huge decisions; then perhaps consider working with a professional, and failing all that, then yes, sell - riding is meant to be fun after all!

 

[meleeka]

I did the same as you. It took around 6 months for me to trust my pony, after which time I learnt to be better very quickly. She was my horse of a lifetime but I almost sold her within a couple of months. Give yourself a time limit, get the vet to check for pain, check what you are feeding isn’t causing issues, get an instructor and then decide what to do.

 

[Red-1]

It sounds like you are, in reality, looking for confirmation of your decision to sell. If you are not enjoying your horse and don't have a burning need to keep him, then it is a good decision.

It is a poor time of year to sell, you probably won't get all your money back.

I mis-bought a horse at this time of year a few years ago. She was the type of horse I would have enjoyed a few years back, before having such a weak back and bad hip, but with 6 days I realised she and I were not a match. She was also a 5 year old and a bit green. I was convinced that she would make a fantastic, athletic, beautiful horse, but was at the gangly stage but with big feet and head.

I sent her to a proper schooling yard for schooling and sale. I reckoned she would have more chance of a great owner if she were showcased. They only had her for 5 weeks but she was worked, schooled, clipped, trimmed, went to 3 BS shows and did BN, and was booked in to go and hunt the week after, but she sold. We had videos at home, at shows, on grass and were going to film her hunting.

I did some adverts and updated them every week as it builds confidence in potential buyers when they see the horse going out and about every week. The yard had fabulous riders and facilities to show the horse off to the best of her ability. I got the purchase price back, having spent around £1,000 on schooling.

The horse is now doing BD, BS, BE and is in a fabulous home. As I predicted, she has grown into her feet and head and is now in proportion, athletic and absolutely beautiful. If I had simply sold her off, I suspect she would have ended up in an unsuitable home and not had such a good life. With big feet and head she looked as if she should be very sensible for a novice, but in reality she is a competition type psyche (with talent to match) and needed a job to do.

In fact, by deciding to spend the money on getting her the best home, I also minimised the loss of £££ to myself as she sold well and relatively quickly.

 

[CMcC]

My gut tells me he’s too green, I could work at it with more schooling /loaning out for his development but he still may be too much for me at the end (unless I wait a while). As you say, they take a lot of work.

Trust your gut. Horse ownership is supposed to be fun. It costs a lot of money so should be rewarding not miserable.
When you have more experience and are more confident on a more suitable horse you may look back and think you should have/could have kept him and persevered. It is a catch-22, you can’t get there from where you are now, without a lot of time, money and heartache and it still might not work out. There is no shame or failure in making a mistake and back tracking a bit.
Been there, got the t-shirt!

 

[Ambers Echo]

I think selling is a good option. He may be good natured but he's young and green and therefore not suitable for a novice. You could work through it but it would probably be better for both of you to accept this is not the right partnership. Spooking at a bird is not a bolt. Your reaction to the spook may well have exacerbated his reaction too if you lost balance, hung onto his mouth, gripped with your legs etc. I would not worry that the odd buck and spook on a young horse makes him hard to sell nor do I think you need to stat down the vet route at this point. It sounds like he is just reacting to a trigger the way any young pony would.

Did he pass a 5 stage vetting when you got him? If so just immediately move him to a good sales livery yard. If not, get him checked first by your own vet as there is nothing more frustrating than spending XXX on sales livery only to fail the vet later on!

A good natured, capable young Connie can be worth quite a lot. And you could also part Ex. I would not try and sell him yourself - he'll probably do well to have a few weeks working 6 times a week getting great pics and video and then sold to a trusted, respected sales livery person. Whereabouts are you? Word of mouth is best.

 

[Green Bean]

i have been where you are, just not a complete novice. It all depends on how much you like the horse and whether it has potential to be something special. Two months is too soon to make a call and not fair on the horse. I was once told that it takes a year to build a partnership and found it to be very true. Just put the work in and progress at your pace. Paying for someone good to school once or twice a week will take the pressure off you and will give your horse a good start. As others have said re health checks and have a good look at the makeup of your feed to check it is correct for the amount of work you are doing. Most important is to have your saddle checked by a saddle fitter so you can rule this out as a reason for being tossed.

 

[Trouper]

I think Red-1 has the answer for a happy horse and happy you - if a little poorer. Even in an established home and routine and with experienced owners, 5-yr olds can push the boundaries a bit. They are growing into their bodies but their minds are still catching up!!
There is absolutely no shame in admitting he is not the horse for you and taking a responsible course of action for both of you.

 

[be positive]

Two months is not too soon when the OP is a first time owner and the horse is a green 5 year old that was unlikely to be suitable for the job in the first place, far better to make the decision now before they lose confidence completely than invest time, money and still find it is not suitable, which it may well not be, then have an even more difficult choice to make in 6 months.

I would agree with those suggesting sending to a good sales livery and being prepared to lose money getting him into a more suitable home, then take time to find another ensuring you are not pushed into buying another that is not already proven to be doing the job you want it to do.
A lot of horses have 'a great temperament and are very chilled' words many a dealer will use to do a hard sell to a less experienced buyer, the reality is they are as described but are very green to ride and however nice they are an unschooled 5 year old, or of any age, will rarely suit a novice rider, the dealers rely on inexperience to allow them to sell enough to keep their profits up without needing to put much effort into educating the horses they sell.

 

[Lilz29]

Thanks very much everyone for your replies! This is all very helpful. He’s a lovely horse generally and I would be sad to see him go, but at the end of the day it feels like we’re not the right match, I’d like to do what’s right for him and for me. My partner and my mum think it’s better to keep and loan him out for some time until he has learnt more (I have this option as someone at the yard kindly offered) but they’re not horsey (my partner and my mum not the lady who offered to loan him) I’m not saying their opinion doesn’t count, just thought it’d be good to hear from people who as Cmcc says been there got the t shirt! It’s an annoying / unfortunate situation to be in but I guess it’s all a learning process albeit a painful and expensive one.

 

[southerncomfort]

The problem is that a loaner may make the situation worse, his behaviour could worsen and you could end up having to sell him for peanuts.

Probably better to sell him now, through sales livery if you can afford it, as it doesn't sound like their is anything much wrong with him, he's just young and green.

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you but I admire you for admitting that he isn't the pony for you.

 

[be positive]

Loaning could work but it is a long term view, can be risky in numerous ways, however good the person loaning is they will be making him the horse they want which may not be the horse you need, and while they are doing this you will either be without one of your own or you will be investing in another until he is ready, neither is a good option really when you can sell and move on to something that is suited to you.

 

[Asha]

Lilz29, if you wanted to keep him, then in my opinion you need a professional on his back . Send him off for a few weeks schooling, where you can go up and ride him from the pros yard. Im not the best/brave rider, but i got myself a just off the lunge 4yo ID mare. The difference being I had pros coming to my yard 4/5 times a week. They would get on first, and I would get on after. It started as they would do 20 mins,and me 5, an gradually changed to 5 mins them, and 20 mins me. they also did all the 1sts with me on foot.
Getting a loaner is a risky business, they could make him worse which is unfair on him and you.
Or the other option is sell on and as others have said get yourself a been there done that schoolmaster.

 

[Starzaan]

In that case he possibly will never be quite the right fit for you so selling him may be an option but perhaps if you do it might be wise to change your wording for his running off he is not a true bolter he is just running from something because he can and lacks confidence. If he is/was a true bolter then you could never sell him as it would be immoral not to disclose that. True bolters run with no concept of self preservation and will often kill or seriously injure themselves and riders in the process

This. Please change your wording! I have ridden all my life, am a riding instructor, have ridden breakers and re-schooled ‘tricky’ horses, and I have sat on two bolters. The first one ran into the side of a building and snapped his neck with me on board, the second tried to run through stock fencing and snapped two legs. A horse that bolts is dangerous and must NEVER be sold.

Almost every horse will shoot off if spooked, especially when they’re only 5.

I think you should sell him (but only if you STOP telling people he bolts, because it sounds like he is just being a normal green 5 year old and shooting off when something spooks him) and look for a true first horse. Something older, say 12 upwards, who is bombproof and has been there and done it all.

You also need to know this new horse will cope with the routine your current horse is in. My horse is a superstar when in proper work and getting proper turnout for at least 8 hours a day, but if I only rode him 4 times a week he would be lethal.

Well done for thinking along these lines. Much better to sell now and enjoy the right horse for you than risk losing your confidence and giving up horses altogether.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

The tack is something which I’m unsure about but he is going to be checked for this next week

Haven't red every reply but before deciding to sell said horse.. ^ This is a huge part in my opinion.. an ill fitting saddle could be exactly why he has been bucking and running off with her. By the sound of it he didn't truly 'bolt', just ran off which could be pain related.

Lilz29, If he were mine... I'd get the saddle checked before you decide anything, if it fits.. great and then you know it isn't the issue and re-consider selling if you decide thats the right thing. If it doesn't fit, that could be why hes been acting this way. Maybe hes changed shape or maybe the saddle is just a poor fit. My usual perfect behaved gelding started bucking. Turned out his saddle gullet was several sizes to narrow as he'd changed shape so much in 6 months. As soon as the saddle was adjusted, a week off and he was back to his super behaved self. This happened when he was a 5yr old.. so same age as yours and they do grow a lot in that period.

He could be a genuine chap thats painful in his back.. he sounds genuine in other ways. Don't mean to disagree with any members, but just a idea.

 

[Leandy]

I think you know you have made a mistake. This is exactly why a young green pony was never going to be right for you, because you lack the experience and confidence to bring it on through the inevitable ups and downs that go with bringing on a young horse. You need to either (a) get a sympathetic experienced professional to sell him for you or (b) invest in such a professional (not a loaner/sharer FGS) to bring him on for you initially and get him back on the straight and narrow and then to work with you together to keep you there. The latter option is going to take at least a year (depending on your abilities and confidence) if you are to come out the other end with a reasonably established, reliably well behaved and educated all round pony and even then you will need to be careful to keep maintaining that with regular lessons. You will learn loads from that experience so I think it should be doable with the correct support but it will not be cheap and, with all due respect, is not for someone on the nervous side.

Please don't be convinced by those telling you that spooking and shooting off can be cured simply by getting a correctly fitted saddle. Of course you must have a correctly fitted saddle but every young horse spooks and shoots off at times, this is what they do (some more than others depending on their disposition) and is perfectly natural. Whether it becomes a problem habit or just a baby phase depends on how you deal with it and school them to overcome those natural reactions.

 

[Jumoro]

Have you asked your instructor or the person who has schooled you for him what they think? Obviously it's your decision but they may be able to help you to decide whether these are just "teething" difficulties or whether he is not a good match for you.

I was in a similar situation a few years when I bought my first horse, who turned out to be too big a step up from my previous loaner. I persevered for a few months - sent him away for schooling and had lots of lessons. However, I realised he was just too much for me and rather than making progress I was losing confidence (and neither of us was having any fun). I sold him and (with the help of my instructor) found an older, quieter mare who turned out to be just what I needed. We had so much fun together and I learnt lots - there were still plenty of challenges but that was because we were out doing all the things I wanted to do and more! Unfortunately, my lovely mare needed to be retired but the experience I gained with her meant that this time around I was able to buy and actually enjoy a horse rather like the first horse i bought.