Success stories from sending problem horses to be schooled please?

[Ahrena]

Well on Wednesday the love of my life went to a Monty-Roberts based farm to be schooled..they came highly recomended by someone who has given me a couple of groundwork lessons and I know that method works.
I'll be going up a few times a week to work with her too.

Her initial response to anything she doesn't like is to rear, vertically. She's very nappy, especially at shows, but was getting worse out hacking too, and her way to show it is to rear vertically up down up down up down up down.

We've tried literially everything, and sending her away is our last chance - if this doesn't work we will probably retire her as even out hacking she can be extremely dangerous. She has more talent than any other horse I've sat on, and she's definately my horse of a lifetime - she is just like me as a horse.

So I'm desprately, desprately hoping this will work, but over the years we've tried so many things without any lasting affects I don't really hold out much hope.

So please, does anyone have any stories of horses like her who were cured for good by something like this?

 

[Flame_]

Decent problem horse fixers will tell you that a horse is never really "cured". Its always in them and its a question of training the rider how to prevent or manage the behavior.

A good trainer with difficult horses taught me to cope with my problem horse, but it turned out under-lying foot pain was part of her problem all along, so in my case it wasn't worth it as the horse isn't truly sound, which is often the case with difficult horses.

 

[tink101]

Well not entirely the same but they do come good. I got my mare on permenant loan back in April, u picked up a contact and she reared, put yr leg on and she p***ed off with you, hacking was a nightmare rearing spinning napping. Its taken six months of hard work (and a broken hand and split nose!) but she's lovely now. Works beautifully on the flat, currently at sj bootcamp with another forum user and she says her paces are as good as her advanced mares. we recently did our first h/t and are looking forward to a winter of bd, bsja and h/t's before eventing her.
Its been hard work but like u I feel that she could be my horse of a life time, and the rewards I get are amazing when I look back at vid's when I first got her, even ookin at out ht photo makes me well up as no-one can imagine how proud it makes me feel

Sorry for the essay

 

[DuckToller]

I had a similar problem - talented but nappy horse. He started going up vertically any time he didn't like something, and although I tried to limit problems and confrontations, I couldn't cope at shows and sent him away to some very experienced people to see if they could sort him out.

The upshot was they saw he was talented, realised they could probably deal with it better than me so they made me an offer, I took it and he is now Grade A. Not gutted at all (much!)

So I sold my horse of a lifetime for the cost of his saddle.

Although they weren't natural horsemanship people so it's not quite the same, they were a sj family and were lovely people, they had help, backup and far more experience, so it can be done. When I went to shows I was usually on my own or with a non-horsey OH. They went as a family, and just dealt with it more calmly and sensibly than I ever could.

But it takes a lot of perseverance so I do hope it works for you. As people have said, the tendency to rear can always re-emerge, but as long as you have been taught the skills you need to deal with it, then it may well work out. I assume that they will get you to visit too, so they can explain things that will work and not work with your horse once they have worked with her?

Part of me wishes I had gone elsewhere perhaps to somewhere like you have found, and been helped so I still had him. But then again he was never easy so at least he is happy and I am in one piece. It''s sometimes just finding the key to that particular horse.

I read about someone famous who had a talented but nappy horse and the jockey rode it up the lane with someone following in a land rover, brandishing a lunge whip at the horse and flicking it every time it threatened to go up. I just could never picture my OH perched on the bonnet of his landrover knowing just when to flick and when to back off! Lesser mortals have to put our trust in others and hope they find the key. Not much help to you but food for thought I hope.

 

[canteron]

I had a horse who was learning to rear if he didn't want to do something - which was fairly effective as far as I was concerned!! Sent him away, they had a really amazing jockey who just rode through it and the horse has never ever done that again.

Admittedly, it wasn;t going right up, but I guess it was just trying out the move and it might have progressed to that.

They also taught me lots of other small but effective techniques to keep horse in its place in the pecking order and we have never looked back.

The only thing I would say, if it they believe they can deal with it, just make sure that they have time to sort the problem (4 weeks in our case). For us, the last week was the one I really learnt the most as the horse was pretty sorted by then.
Good luck!!

 

[trojanpony]

I have to disagree with Flame, my very dangerous horse was 'cured' by an amazing trainer - he's now a sweety, safe in traffic etc etc.
This was partially to do with her very good work with the horse but also a big part I had to admit my own part in his problems and change my ways! PM me if you want more info.

My horse was unrecognisable.

 

[SazzyB]

My horse used to be very nappy and used to rear alot. If he didnt like something he would just rear (whilst backing into a fence or something). He was 5/6 yrs old then. I had a lot of help but rode through it and yep, we did the "following with a lunge whip" exercise!!! Not from a car I hasten to add!! My YO followed me round the tracks, her with the lunge whip. My horse almost ignored the whip anyway, so no big reaction, but having someone there on the ground telling you to kick on helps. My horse spent about 10 minutes rearing, spinning and backing into a fence at a show once, and also has bucked and reared down the length of the menage. Most people thought he was nuts. Now, he is great 99.9% of the time!! Any relapses are quickly sorted (and very rare - now I just laugh and kick and he gives in!). I do Novice eventing, Newcomers BSJA and Novice dressage with him.

I would say if you are not confident to continue his training after the pro has sorted him then its best to sell.

 

[kitkat86]

I'd also like to chip in and say that in a few cases it's not just the horse that needs retraining, it's the rider too. I'm not saying it's to do with bad riding as much as a psychological thing. The professionals you send your horses to have a very strong mental attitude, they have the experience and skill to predict behaviour and ride through it, while also having the will power and confidence to get the horse to understand what its job is and to get on with it. It's very easy to get stressed, angry and frustrated as well as frightened if your horse rears. My first pony reared and it took me as long as I had him to learn how to deal with it, he did it to frighten me and get out of things he didn't want to do so I had to remain calm but firm and make it very clear that his behaviour was not acceptable. You really have to find out why they do it and adapt what you do to deal with it, and that's why professional help is so important. It's really good that Ahrena is going along to see how her horse is being trained. I hope everything works out.

 

[countrybumpkin727]

Just found this thread (I know it is a few years ago now!) and just wondered if there was an update?

 

[Michen]

If you go on her profile and look at her threads you'll find one but I'm sure she won't mind me saying in short in case she doesn't notice this thread that the pony never really came completely right and was still capable of rearing vertically (in fact I used to share her and is how I met Ahrena!). She was retired and eventually PTS when Ahrena's circumstances changed. Pony was difficult even in retirement and would never have made a suitable, low maintenance companion so it was the most responsible and best decision she could make.

Just found this thread (I know it is a few years ago now!) and just wondered if there was an update?

 

[NCIS]

My horse of a lifetime was an absolute nightmare when I got him. It took me 6 months to get him to leave the yard by himself, he used to rear, go backwards, anything he could do to avoid going by himself. I didn't end up sending him away, but it was next on the list. Once I got him to leave the yard by himself, he was fine after that. He was perfect in company, but was ex riding school so didn't like to do anything by himself. So sadly, he was pts because of pedal bone issues, but I had the best 2 years ever with him. Hope your mare comes bacck 'transformed'. xx

 

[jhoward]

I had a similar problem - talented but nappy horse. He started going up vertically any time he didn't like something, and although I tried to limit problems and confrontations, I couldn't cope at shows and sent him away to some very experienced people to see if they could sort him out.

The upshot was they saw he was talented, realised they could probably deal with it better than me so they made me an offer, I took it and he is now Grade A. Not gutted at all (much!)

So I sold my horse of a lifetime for the cost of his saddle.

Although they weren't natural horsemanship people so it's not quite the same, they were a sj family and were lovely people, they had help, backup and far more experience, so it can be done. When I went to shows I was usually on my own or with a non-horsey OH. They went as a family, and just dealt with it more calmly and sensibly than I ever could.

But it takes a lot of perseverance so I do hope it works for you. As people have said, the tendency to rear can always re-emerge, but as long as you have been taught the skills you need to deal with it, then it may well work out. I assume that they will get you to visit too, so they can explain things that will work and not work with your horse once they have worked with her?

Part of me wishes I had gone elsewhere perhaps to somewhere like you have found, and been helped so I still had him. But then again he was never easy so at least he is happy and I am in one piece. It''s sometimes just finding the key to that particular horse.

I read about someone famous who had a talented but nappy horse and the jockey rode it up the lane with someone following in a land rover, brandishing a lunge whip at the horse and flicking it every time it threatened to go up. I just could never picture my OH perched on the bonnet of his landrover knowing just when to flick and when to back off! Lesser mortals have to put our trust in others and hope they find the key. Not much help to you but food for thought I hope.

i had a napper that went up, she could reah leap buck and sping in one move.. i had my oh follow me with a water pistol everytime the mare stopped shot of cold water up her jacksie got her going forward..

ive used said method since, you have to be ready to go with the horse and let it haves it head, other wise you just sock it in the gob and it stops, my method was as said mare shot forward i rode forward ... some say im wrong, but it worked.