Tell me your 'new horse started out bad turned out good' stories

i got my boy 26th jan 2012, he was in very poor condition hand't been handled since his last race which was aug 2011. i normally will go for a mare every time purely because i prefer the sharper animal but i saw his add and felt very bad for him, when he arrived he wasn't much he had no personality and he just seemed very depressed he literally could not be bothered to walk anywhere it wasn't that he was stubborn he was quite like eyore all sluggish, so obviously feed, back, teeth ect everything was checked, and when i finally rode him he suddenly turned into this nut case all excited and near impossible to work with, but after months of a very varied routine he is now a very level headed gentlemen that just missed working, he loves jumping the most, and at one point i thought it was time to stop but i didn't because clearly at some point in his life he stopped understanding what people were asking him, so now i have a wonderful little chap who is happy to see me and can't wait to be ridden, the best decision i have ever made was to call his dealer, the funny thing is i wasn't looking for a new horse nor would i ever get a horse from the other side of the country but i did and out of all of my 9 horses i have owned he is the one who never ceases to amaze me.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=5374&pictureid=20059

now he can happily do a lovely working canter in an open field, can't wait to start RoR on him!

Good Luck x
 
Bought Arthur aged 6. Very poor condition having had American pox. Two months later started napping. Got to the stage where I would carry a long whip in each hand; my mum would follow in a car and chase him with a bit of hosepipe. He would stand and rear on the Berkeley reams. Surprised we did not have visits from the RSPCA! Got to stage of going out on our own and would sometimes spend 3 hours trying to get past things. His other trick was to gallop at me in the field, skid to a stop and rear on me, then turn round and kick,out and vanish again. Would carry on for 40 minutes or so and then go into his box by himself. Could never warm him up as he would flip his lid in the collecting ring. Wouldn't follow so always went in front. Used to do pre novice and literally drag him out of the trailer and into the start box. Never stopped at a jump but would rear in between on occasions. Have been followed around a course by an ambulance! Lost him this summer after 23 years together. Loved him to bits and I don't think I will ever ride a better horse. We had an understanding in the end and I know in his grumpy way he adored me too. I then had an ex racehorse who was bought to be safe with the kids when they were small. Sold him last winter as he was lovely but a bit dull. Then bought a 4 year old with the view of my daughter moving on to him, she has a 14.2 who we can never bring ourselves to sell so will swap horses when she is ready to move on. At the stage now where the baby is 5 and throwing the odd rear. Also having to learn to jump again. Work and darkness means he is only ridden at weekends. Just making myself man up as I seriously don't fancy the rearing tricks again, was bad enough in my 20's! However, I remember what my instructor at the time said all those years ago "do you like him as a person?" Yes I do so I will persevere, if he is half the horse Arthur was I will be very happy. I hope I have this one for as long.
 
Got a 6yo TB in June, beautiful girly even though she threw me off when i viewed her. When my dad went to pick her up, she refused point blank to go into the trailer, though they tried for 4 hours. Then when she came, left her in for a few days, hated me, refused to do simple things like pick her feet up without trying to kick me. Put her in the field, went to get her the next day, reared on me and tried booting out then galloped away. Reared on everyone else, they all advised me to get rid. I didn't, decided to give her another chance. Got her in the school, very unbalanced, bolted loads. Awful in stable, pinned my friend up against the wall, we didn't understand each other didn't gel. Numerous injuries, more time off than on. 6 months later, settled in really well, headed in the right direct, started working correctly, trying so hard to please, 'nicer' in the stable :rolleyes: lovely to me still hates a lot of other people even though we stil have issues we are working through, i accept and understand her 10000% and could not ask for a more perfect horse for me, she is the horse of a lifetime for me. we teach each other so much. Keep going.
 
Thanks for all your stories and messages of encouragment everyone :)

I have woken up this morning with a new feeling of determination and the realisation that I need to take this day by day step by step. I didn't want a project horse but I've got one and so be it.

So today is my new day 1! I have the morning off work so I am going to take the pressure off by not riding (will wait until weekend when I am going to hire an arena at another yard down the road and take my instructor friend) and instead am going to concentrate on ground work. I knew buying a new horse at the start of the winter would be tough but figured that come Spring I would have got over the hardest part and would be able to start reaping the benefits. I didn't realise quite how much hard work goes into mucking out and running a stable (my old by was out 24/7/365) so I've been getting use to the routine of getting all the evening jobs done (they have to be in at night at the moment) and I haven't had the time to do the basic things to encourage bonding and respect.

So today I'm going to lead him around the whole grounds of the yard armed with bridle and beating stick (he can be a bit bargy and has a very big stong head and neck!) as I don't want him getting into the routine of just being led from stable to field. Our arena is flooded at the moment so I can't use that. But will practice getting him to move back and over with hindquarters. Also might put out some poles and scary objects to lead him in and around to gain trust. Finally need to desensitize him to the hosepipe as he turns into twinkle toes when I try and wash his legs off! Quite looking forward to getting on top of all the little problems one by one. Think I'm going to set myself 1little 10 day projects to get on top of all the little niggly things (such as progressing onto loading practice, clipper noises etc.
 
I had a TB mare that when I tried out put in a bronc she was only 4 but there was something about her. For the first 18 months of having her she would go lovely then for no reason start broncing to the standard a rodeo would be proud off :eek: she continued to bronc once you fell off and stood on me a number of times.
We had pro riders on she done the same vets tests galore nothing pure behaviour. I got to the point were I was scared to get on although did. We were nearly at the point of PTS when one day she bronced me off I was on the floor I couldn't breathe and thought she had seriously injured me. Luckily I was just winded when I caught my breath I seen red and lost my temper with her giving her a number of cracks with the whip ( something I will always regret). But she never ever done it to me again and turned out to be an amazing mare. She did however continue to do it to other riders, but this mare looked after me like no other horse has.
I was gutted when we lost her to colic but she gave me both the worst and best years of my horsey life and I still miss her now, must be about 12-13 years ago we lost her
 
Lucy's story starts here
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=373541
and ends here
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=383841

She realy was my everything. I miss her so very very much. She started out as the worst pony I have ever met and turned into the most amazing pony that has ever lived :D

Herbies story. Posted this video before but it fits this thread :)
[youtube]MfFtecxiKp0[/youtube]

So glad you are feeling more positive. :) I hope your horse turns out ok in the end. It will be a long hard road and it will often feel like one step forwards, two steps back but you will get there in the end and it will be so worth it. I don't regret a single second of my time with Lucy. Even the year when I fell off her atleast once every day. :eek: We had an increadable bond and she was my best friend in the whole world who helped me through some increadably tough times. She saved my life on more than one occation.
I'll be happy if Herbie turns out to be even just 1/4 of the pony Lucy was. I've only had him 3 years but he's come such a long way. He's turned from the agressive unridable pony everyone told me to send to the meat man into a pony who the other weekend got 59% in his first ever prelim dressage and over the summer got a 3rd and 2nd showjumping with me (a rider who is terrified of jumping) All the battles, tears and bruses have already been worth it.
Good luck with your horse don't forget to keep us updated on how you are getting on :D
 
My horse of a lifetime and I started time together not getting on very well at all ;)

Floyd was an arab, says it all really! Thought he was sweet, but didn't like taking a a bridle. you had to literally build it up about his face, and pray he would eventually take the bit.

After a few weeks he turned into a monster, would NEVER bridle, would rear up, wouldn't hack... ANYTHING. Tried to kill me many a time. I cried so many times to my mum asking 'why couldn't I just have a horse that I could just RIDE' (because we couldn't afford it- Floyd was given to me to ride as he was such a git)

Eventually we moved him to a quieter yard, some of the nice people there helped me with the bridle issue, and he changed. That horse would take me out hacking from dawn till dusk, noone ever worried about me when I was out with him. He called for me the minute he knew I arrived at the yard. If another horse or even a person came near me he'd put himself between us. Another horse at the yard kicked me and broke my jaw and the day after my surgery I discharged myself (at 14!) and begged to go straight to see him. Floyd was up the field and screamed and came down that field at a rate of knots to see me. We spent many a day lying up the field on the grass while I recovered.

One of the older ladies on the yard used to say 'That horse will jump the school fence for his ego, but he'd jump the moon for you.'

RIP- My Best Friend, My Dark Side of the Moon.

Forever in my Thoughts, Forever in my Dreams, Forever in my Heart x
 
[youtube]NrU248LHQa8[/youtube]


We've both improved a lot! I can see how terrible my riding was and how badly behaved he was. Neither of us are perfect yet, but we're getting there :)

Good luck with your ponio, I'm sure you'll get there :)
 
Llewelyn said:
Just one word for all this - RESPECT :)


Well done, hugely impressed at your determination.
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Thank you. My next goal is competing on the RC showjumping team in February. I was so pleased to be asked to be on the team so we are now working hard towards that.

It has been such a worthwhile and fantastic journey. And so enjoyable - most of the time;)
 
showpony said:
Don't know if anyone agrees with me BUT I think SOME ( not all ) of " new horse started out bad turned out good " problems aren't really about the horse being bad... It think it takes time for a horse to settle into a new environment * routine as well as horse * rider getting time to know * trust each other.
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I agree with this. I think if a horse has ever been a "problem/project" horse, then the chances are it will revert at times. I give you two examples:

Horse 1 - Henry. Unsure of history, but was believed to have been a masters/whips horse, but probably not bold enough for jumping hedges in Leicestershire. Big, quiet, exceptionally handsome horse. Again, only guessing, but think he was sold to some numpty that wanted to "play" ponies. Being a TB, he was clever. He was also lazy, and put the two together, and you get a horse that can be nappy, stop at jumps, and run out. << This is what he was like when I first got him. Admittedly, I was no great rider, but over the years he got better and better at home. However, take him out to a competition, and he could be perfect, or absolultly awful - dependant on what mood he was in. If he didn't want to do it, he wouldn't. However, take him out hunting, and he was an angle - you wouldn't believe it was the same horse.

Horse 2 - Fred. Been with pro riders all his life, then sold to private homes. He was a bit of grumpy old man, and didnt like fuss, and just wanted to work. When he arrived he was awful. Would lunge at you walking past the stable, and would turn his back end on you in the stables. He was a very angry horse, because previous owner had pussy-footed around him. Show him who was boss, and turned into an excellent horse, who was perfectly well behaved at shows.

So my point is - as Henry's basic education when he was younger that he could "get away" with things, to some extent or another he was always going to be like it (apart from hunting). Fred had been in a better set up for the majority of his adult ridden life, and had only deviated later on in life, therefore the good behaviour was far easier to get back, as it was far more ingrained than Henry.

If the horse has had a decent education at some point like Fred, or is a totally blank canvas, it may play up to start with, but chances are it will behave sooner or later. If you end up with a horse like Henry, you could be struggling for years for it to "come good".
 
Nah said:
[youtube]NrU248LHQa8[/youtube]


We've both improved a lot! I can see how terrible my riding was and how badly behaved he was. Neither of us are perfect yet, but we're getting there :)

Good luck with your ponio, I'm sure you'll get there :)
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Loved this video! Thanks for sharing.

Also - LauraWheeler you are an amazing lady :) Balled my eyes out at Lucy's story and laughed at Herbie ;)
 
My story is a little different because I took on one of mine knowing how bad he was. In fact I was told if I couldn't take him he was being put down.
His tricks were:
- couldn't be turned out for long or he raced up & down (& a couple of times through) fencing
- when you went to catch him he reared up & boxed at you
- leading in he would suddenly whip round & gallop off.
- also leading in he would rear up if not in a chifney
- very aggressive with food
- crap to shoe ( only 1 farrier left who would shoe him)
- had had a very attempt at reschooling him done which left him terrified of his mouth. Any contact caused him to almost bolt.
- wouldn't hack out. Alone he would nap & rear. In company he acted like he was going back to the gallops & would throw himself around.

TBH everyone & I mean everyone told me to stay away from him that he needed a bullet.....apart from a friend of mine who's an international eventer. She thought he had a lot of potential.

I recognised that a lot of his problems came down to management. He had never seen a dentist since coming out of racing (3 years!!).
He likes to be warm but his old owner didn't realise this & kept him poorly rugged & he didnt get enough hay/haylage. Hence the charging about.
As he lost weight she gave him huge buckets of starchy conditioning mix.... Which is what caused the bad behaviour to handle & food aggression. Add into the mix that she was clearly terrified of him & never reprimanded him when he played up, which is why farriers would no longer deal with him.

Some dentist work. A complete overhaul on his feed & care management. Some sympathetic schooling & a tiny bit of tough love when it came to the rearing/boxing/napping and he's (mostly :D) a delight to own :)

He is also insanely talented. So my friend was very right :)
 
First session of in-hand training was a success in that it started out badly and ended up ok! Thought the focus would be on getting him moving away from me..backing up etc but turned out he had a real issue of being led around the yard near the gate area as is so use to going straight from stable to field. He literally could not understand why we weren't going straight out to play and eat and ended up trying to drag me around (he is effing strong) at one point he actually fell over! I mean who does that?! Lol anyway, in the end the YO helped me and eventually she had him doing laps around the muck heap and walking past the entrance to the fields without any interest..head lowered and started chewing. I think this horse has literally had a couple of years of not being asked to do much so it's time and repitition that is needed.
 
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