Tried a new horse and he threw me off...Am I mad going back for more?

kc100

kc100

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 July 2012
Messages
1,051
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
If you have seen any of my other posts you will know that I currently have a lovely (but hard work!) horse on share, however his owner is looking to sell him so I've started the search again to find a new horse.

So at the weekend I went to see a horse I'd seen advertised on Preloved, the ad described him as a 6 year old 16hh horse with a lot of potential for the right person, and the owner has a trailer and is willing to transport horse + sharer to competitions, so I thought it all sounds good and I would go along to have a look.

I get there, and this isnt a 'yard' as such, just a couple of stables in a field with no school. Definitely not what I'm looking for! I didnt want to be rude so I still agreed to ride him, got on and he was slow as anything, pretty unresponsive to the leg. We went on a short hack, down a couple of roads (not at all bothered by traffic) and then into an open field where the owner usually rides him as the farmer is happy for the horses to use it. The pace of his walk picks up, I feel him getting a bit excited so try and sit quietly to keep him in a steady walk - he decides he's having none of this and rears up, starts spinning around and off I come!

I'm not hurt at all, I think the owner's pride was hurt more than anything. He is a lovely natured horse, but from asking lots of questions after the fall it seems there is another woman who shares the field with the owner, and despite the owner telling other woman not to, she has been feeding Scotty (horse I tried) Happy Hoof despite Scotty living out most of the year and having more than enough grass to keep him going. He has also not been ridden for a month due to his owner having surgery, and even when he is in work it is very light work (slow hacking). And then add a new rider into the mix with a horse full of beans, hey presto I go flying!

So after the shock wears off, and watching him being lunged (he does have nice paces!) I somehow agree to ride him next weekend, but in a school (she is going to take him to a friends yard with a proper school). Am I crazy?! Part of me thinks I should just walk away and leave this one alone, he needs a lot of work and he is still young and I havent had much experience with youngsters so perhaps I'm not the best person to ride him.

However I do like a challenge, I've always wanted to bring on a youngster so perhaps this is my chance? I was thinking that perhaps I could just ride him once a week for her (in a school) to start him off on the learning process. If that goes well, I think he needs to be sent away for a while on schooling livery (I wouldnt pay for that!) and then once he is back I'd consider sharing him if he was moved to a proper yard with decent facilities (I'd pay more for him than she is currently asking for if she moved him).

What do you all think? After Saturday comes and goes, should I just leave it alone? Or do I go with my plan of riding him once a week for her and see how that goes? Am I mad for even going on Saturday?!
 
Er, a little!! :o

Can't help but think there must be another horse out there (that DOESNT rear) with good facilities that you wouldnt need to move etc...

But good luck either way! :D
 
I do keep telling myself there will be a horse that comes along eventually, but there are very few horses (lots of ponies but no horses!) that come up for share in my area (Solihull/North Warwickshire/Coventry) and the ones that do come up for share around me tend to be a bit older in declining health - not many people put their 6 year olds up for share! Hence why I am tempted by him, and I love the fact his owner has a trailer and because she is a bit older she doesnt want to compete him but wants to see someone else compete him. I dont have horsey transport (cant fit a horse into my Fiat Punto unfortunately!) so that combination is perfect.

But I know this does all sound a bit mad, perhaps I should find some patience from somewhere and wait for that perfect horse to come along....
 
elderlycoupleindevon said:
A rearing horse is a non starter for me.
Click to expand...

The owner does claim that he's never behaved like that before and never reared before, I'm well aware she could be trying to pull the wool over my eyes but the owner is in her 50's and has had multiple knee surgeries so I cant imagine she would keep a horse that rears a lot. I'm more inclined to believe that it was a combination of me being a new rider on him with the fizziness from the uneccessary Happy Hoof (the field sharer has only been giving him this for around 1 -2 weeks) and lack of work from his month off.
 
Tbh I would not want to share this horse with you if I were the owner, you are putting too many conditions on (including sending away for expensive training)I do not think you, this horse and this owner are the right combination.
 
Happy Hoof isn't a heating food :confused:

I don't think you're mad, just silly. She has no facilities so unless you can ride during the day in winter where would you ride?

Also, you say you can only ride him once a week, that will be of no benefit to him unless he has someone else exercising him too.

If you really want to then go back and see him again, make sure he's lunged first or someone else gets on him first and then try him and see.

Not sure it's really what you're looking for though. You say you want to compete...on a horse you only ride once a week? The horse has to be fit and ideally you need to have some sort of school to be able to school in.
 
I know the Happy Hoof isnt the main culprit, my current share horse has it and he's absolutely fine. I think it is just the combination of uneccessary feed (a horse in very light/no work living out in a nice grassy field doesnt need extra feed!), new rider plus no work.

And as for the conditions - in no way am I saying that is the right answer for the horse, it is just what my initial thoughts were after spending a few hours with them on Saturday. The owner is unhappy with the woman she shares the field with and is wasting money trying to build/improve the stables/field when she could simply move him to a decent yard with the facilities she wants already there. And both the owner and her husband said they have thought about sending him away on schooling livery as they are both aware this horse needs work. I've not mentioned any of my thoughts to her yet so I've not put any conditions on anything, I was just hoping to hear opinions on the horse, whethe my ideas (not conditions!) are good ones or not, and whether this horse is worth the challenge or not.
 
I agree walk away before you get hurt. Iv learnt the hard way and live with pain everyday because of it. Never done that before.... How many times have I heard that.
 
elderlycoupleindevon said:
A rearing horse is a non starter for me.
Click to expand...

Agreed, not for me, either.

But plenty of people are happy to work through issues, and the OP says that she likes a challenge. No one but her eknows if she has hte ability to fix the issue.

He's reared, she's come off - she knows what she's getting into.
 
SummerxStarsx said:
Happy Hoof isn't a heating food :confused:

I don't think you're mad, just silly. She has no facilities so unless you can ride during the day in winter where would you ride?

Also, you say you can only ride him once a week, that will be of no benefit to him unless he has someone else exercising him too.

If you really want to then go back and see him again, make sure he's lunged first or someone else gets on him first and then try him and see.

Not sure it's really what you're looking for though. You say you want to compete...on a horse you only ride once a week? The horse has to be fit and ideally you need to have some sort of school to be able to school in.
Click to expand...

Sorry I wasnt very clear - I am looking for a share horse where I ride 3-4 times a week (maybe more if the owner needed), however with this particular horse because he is so green and I'm not sure about him yet, I thought it might be a good idea to offer to ride him for the owner once a week (she is desperate for someone to ride him while she is not fully fit), see how I get on with the horse before I commit to the share (where I would have him 3-4 days per week). I dont want to commit to a horse like this when he might be beyond my abilities (hence why I need to ride him more to find out!).

As for the facilites - I totally agree, and that is putting me off massively. Hence why I think she probably needs to move him to a different yard if she wants him to be the horse she wants. She wants him to be competing! He cant reach his full potential where he currently is, and she isnt happy either with the facilities or the other woman she shares the field with, so perhaps she would consider moving him? She is only asking for £60 pcm which is nothing, I'd happily pay double if he moved to a different yard with the facilities he needs. But again that would all depend on how me and him get on, and whether the riding element improves.
 
I know the Happy Hoof isnt the main culprit, my current share horse has it and he's absolutely fine. I think it is just the combination of uneccessary feed (a horse in very light/no work living out in a nice grassy field doesnt need extra feed!), new rider plus no work.


It isn't unnecessary feed - it isn't feed at all really, just a filler to keep a tummy from rumbling and a few vitamins thrown in for good measure.

You say she wouldn't be keeping him because of her knees - she isn't keeping him, she's getting rid! Why did she take on a youngish animal in the first place when she knew she had dodgy knees? They don't happen overnight. I'm willing to bet she saw him as something to make some money on and the sharing line is just bait. Once you've got used to him I'm willing to bet she will offer him to you to buy.
 
Any person who puts a new rider on a horse that hasn't been ridden for a month is negligent at best and a complete idiot at worst. And to blame it on happy hoof. Please. Walk away and find someone with half a brain and a nice horse.
 
fatpiggy said:
I know the Happy Hoof isnt the main culprit, my current share horse has it and he's absolutely fine. I think it is just the combination of uneccessary feed (a horse in very light/no work living out in a nice grassy field doesnt need extra feed!), new rider plus no work.


It isn't unnecessary feed - it isn't feed at all really, just a filler to keep a tummy from rumbling and a few vitamins thrown in for good measure.

You say she wouldn't be keeping him because of her knees - she isn't keeping him, she's getting rid! Why did she take on a youngish animal in the first place when she knew she had dodgy knees? They don't happen overnight. I'm willing to bet she saw him as something to make some money on and the sharing line is just bait. Once you've got used to him I'm willing to bet she will offer him to you to buy.
Click to expand...

I fear you may be right on this one, I thought the exact same when I saw how old this woman was. However she's had him for about 1 and half years now so I think if she was trying to make money from him she would have sold him by now. I think she is a bit of a strange character, she clearly loves horses and loves Scotty, she spends as much time as she can every day with him. But she did admit she wants a happy hacker, so I bet when she bought Scotty she had a nasty surprise! I reckon she has tried all she can with him, failed and has now decided to get someone to share him, possibly with the view to sharer buying him one day. And I wouldnt be totally adverse to that idea as long as she is willing to wait a couple of years before I do think about buying him (it will be 2 years minimum before I can afford my own horse).

But she did say she wants to see him competing, and wants to be the one driving him to and from shows in her trailer - she offered to drive me here there and everywhere with him when I went to see him at the weekend! She is even paying for a lesson on Saturday for me and him at her friend's yard (she insisted), so I'm still on the fence about her real intentions with this horse and her 'sharer' idea.

Thanks for all the input so far everyone!
 
Getting older isn't necessarily a reason not to want to compete, but strongly suspecting your horse might rear in an exciting atmostphere of a competition would definately be a reason to try & get someone else to do it for you. This is not a competition horse, it is a green horse who may have no ability or the right mental attitude to cope with competition. No matter what you want him to become, he may not just be able to cope. If he rears going into a field (on his own, not even in an exciting group), what makes you think he'll cope with going out?

If my horse 'who never reared before' did so with a potential loanee, I would say there is something about the rider the horse didn't like & they are not a good match. As such, I would not be keen to have them come back again lest they start a new habit. Sounds more to me like she knows he is a rearer (even if only in exciting situations) & is desperate for someone else to ride.

As a loaner, you are not in a position to dictate terms with her horse. It isn't your place to decide he needs schooling livery. No matter what you think, you are not the owner. If someone came to me with terms like this I'm afraid I'd say no thanks to loaning to them.

Sounds like your desperate (fair enough, understand that), but don't mould him to fit your ideal, he isn't. It's worth waiting longer to find a more suitable horse that is less likely to hurt you. You don't have the youngster experience (by your own admission) to cope with baby problems. Working once a week is not enough (I have youngsters & have to cope with FT work & no school, it is not easy).
 
I read your post about your share horse being sold, and this one doesn't sound very much like what I thought you were looking for.

If you've already agreed to go back, I think you should go as it will make you come to a decision one way or the other.

Have to say I agree with the others about Happy Hoof - I fed my mare (who lived out all year round, so also had access to plenty of grass) on it for years, and it certainly isn't the type of food to make any difference to their way of going or their mental state.

What happens if she doesn't want to move? Plenty of people think about moving, but don't always do it. With no facilities you are going to find this hard to keep up, especially as we are approaching winter. You need to think long and hard after you've ridden this horse again - if he's the first one you've seen maybe you should go to see others before deciding.
 
I have offered a similar set up for a sharer (without the rearing mad horse!) because I want my pony competing so she is ready for my daughter in the future. So I will pay for a lot of things to get the right rider who will of course benefit too.

But this is a dangerous horse and it's not worth it. Really.

What area are you in? Maybe someone on here can help.
 
I think personally for me it would depend on the 'rear' - whether I could honestly justify it to myself that it was excitement/lack of work/new rider.

I don't worry over the odd rear as long as its not falling over backwards, had a mare on loan who would rear at the drop of a hat - it was her coping mechanism whenever she felt anxious and if I remained calm and quiet she would work through it.
Another mare I rode for a friend reared out of naughtiness - she had learnt that if she wanted to nap then putting a rear in would make her owner turn for home! With her it was a case of an almighty smack with a short crop and send her forward.
Went to watch xc training at the weekend, friend of a friend was there with her 17.2 tb gelding (who had never been anywhere like it before) and kept getting off whenever he looked like he may have a little jog. Friend asked me to get on and walk him around a bit, he did quite a bit of backing up and when I put more pressure on for forward movement he went up instead. Simply kept him going in small circles instead and he did settle. Owner says he is prone to going up but I think it is more of a learned reaction to her nerves than anything malicious

Good luck with whatever you decide :)

Kim
 
pip6 said:
Getting older isn't necessarily a reason not to want to compete, but strongly suspecting your horse might rear in an exciting atmostphere of a competition would definately be a reason to try & get someone else to do it for you. This is not a competition horse, it is a green horse who may have no ability or the right mental attitude to cope with competition. No matter what you want him to become, he may not just be able to cope. If he rears going into a field (on his own, not even in an exciting group), what makes you think he'll cope with going out?

If my horse 'who never reared before' did so with a potential loanee, I would say there is something about the rider the horse didn't like & they are not a good match. As such, I would not be keen to have them come back again lest they start a new habit. Sounds more to me like she knows he is a rearer (even if only in exciting situations) & is desperate for someone else to ride.

As a loaner, you are not in a position to dictate terms with her horse. It isn't your place to decide he needs schooling livery. No matter what you think, you are not the owner. If someone came to me with terms like this I'm afraid I'd say no thanks to loaning to them.

Sounds like your desperate (fair enough, understand that), but don't mould him to fit your ideal, he isn't. It's worth waiting longer to find a more suitable horse that is less likely to hurt you. You don't have the youngster experience (by your own admission) to cope with baby problems. Working once a week is not enough (I have youngsters & have to cope with FT work & no school, it is not easy).
Click to expand...

I agree with much of what you are saying - this is indeed a green horse that needs a lot of work and wouldnt be competing for a very long time (if at all depending on the way his schooling went) so I am well aware this isnt a competition horse and he might never be that. The reason why I am interested is because it would be a challenge, he might never be what I hope but I would enjoy the process none the less. I'd never push a horse to become something he cant, the important part to me would be building a bond with him and even if all he can be is a happy hacker, I'd be proud that I had brough him on so much that he is an enjoyable horse to ride. Fair enough I might not even achieve that, but the part of me that loves a challenge would like to try!

I appreciate there may be something about me the horse didnt like when I was riding him, I have thought back to see if there was anything I did once we got off the roads and into the field but I cant pin point anything - I ride with a gentle hand, reins not too long but not too short either, we were just walking, I didnt have any leg on, no crop....it would be difficult in walk on a hack to do something that upset him! Plus once we got back to the stables, after he had been lunged, he was lovely - nuzzling his head into me, licking my hand (apparently his favourite thing to do), overall he was very affectionate and stood close by me like this for over 15 minutes so I didnt get the impression he doesnt like me! I think I'd be the first to know if he wasnt happy with me being around him! Although I do realise horses can be totally different on the ground to when they are ridden.

I'd never dictate terms to the owner, after all this is her horse and she makes the decisions. All these ideas would be are simply that - ideas. They would be suggestions to her to help her and her horse, and these are things she already mentioned to me on Saturday so not totally new to her either.

I wouldnt call myself desperate, I coped perfectly well before I had my current share horse, I guess I have just got the bug now and while I still cant afford my own horse, I want to get something sorted to replace my lovely boy who I share at the moment. I'd much rather be horse-less for a while though than get a horse who is wrong for me, hence why I'm here asking for advice. The reason why I'm still considering him is because he would be a challenge, I can see the potential in him and I think with a lot of work he'd be a lovely horse - I know its naieve when I've already fallen off him but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment!

And as I've said before, I'm looking to share 3-4 days per week, so he would be getting lots of riding time - the once a week idea was only as a 'trial' sort of thing to see how we get one before I committed to the share permanently.
 
A horse getting excited in an open field may excuseably buck you off, fly leap, throw its head around and/or canter sideways. Rearing and spinning are not acceptable signs of overexcitement! You are quite bonkers, especially as you said the set up isn't what you wanted anyway. Still, it is your body and your call.
 
Hmmm well I am also a sharer. Firstly from bitter experience I know there is nothing worse than being over horsed so I am brutally honest and picky about what I will/won't share. I recently had a chance at riding/competing a lovely youngster however as soon as my bum hit the saddle I knew in my guts he was too much for me, so I regretfully said no as I would have done neither of us any favours in the long term. Its temping to be blindsided with sharing as you aren't taking on the same risks as buying the horse but I'd still ask yourself if you were buying would you choose a youngster straight out the field that chucked you off on the first viewing?? Probably not!

I'm also really not keen on paying to reschool someone's horse but thats your choice. I'd just mentally prepare youself that if you did get a horse like this up and running I'd suspect the owner would be looking to sell it.

Personally if you go back on Saturday I would lunge him and get the instructor to sit on him first! I would also be frank that probably the best thing would be if it went on schooling livery for a few weeks to get it started again but really that would go all to waste if you then only came and rode once a week, youngsters need full time work so you would have to be clear what level of comittment you could realistically offer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top