What do I do with a horse I can't ride?

Well I went out last night so checked this morning to find this.

OP I always thought you seemed like a nice poster but I am horrified at the tone of all your posts here. I am not sure if you think it is funny but you have put yourself across as an uncaring, unpleasant person. You were given very sound advice by some people but because you did not like it got even nastier.

As for working in litigation - well I for one would not want you working on my behalf with such ill considered statements as you have made on here.

I hope you and your mare find a good working arrangement. If not I hope she has a loving end.
 
I think the other forum users will be interested to see this earlier post by OP...... .......and BERKLEY, I think we know what the problem is. After having a look through your other posts I found this. The fact that you would CONSIDER having an animal put to its death because you cannot ride properly is utterly beyond words, no decent vet would agree to do this...and YES it DOES cost money to learn to ride!!!!! cheapskate.....please dont ever have another horse...stick to your kitty cats!!!!




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post for those who can ride


Ok bottom line I don't know how to ride. At all. I can sit and not fall off but nothing else. I have been successfully doing this *touch wood) for 4 years.

I have never been (on horseback) to a show, or an event or x-country, or dressage or veteran show - nothing. The main issues are:

i) I have ever been taught how to canter so its just a case of me and my mare having an understanding that when I shorten the reins she goes. Then we spend the following minute negotiating about her speed - she usually wins.

ii) She doesn't trott. At all. Its walk or canter with her just wanting to go faster. We can't hack out with people because when they trott she just pulls and pulls and tries to overtake, or swing her bum right out so its impossible for me to control her. If you kick her back in she thinks "ahha! that means go!" This leads to me almost standing in the saddle bracing myself. I can't hold her back for too long as my muscles are not that strong so I have to shout to ask people to stop.

iii) I have only jumped twice in my life. And I am seriously rubbish.

iv) I am a nervous wreck when I am out. It takes me a good 30 mins to calm down.

I keep thinking about having lessons but my mare is 21, she gets ridden once a week and rushes ALL THE TIME. The lessons I have been in consist of me spending most of the lesson pulling her back and trying to slow her down. She just won't learn.

Has anyone been in this positon? i.e. too late to learn on an old ex-racer menatlist?! I know I could ride other horses but I have to pay for that. Is there any hope?!





A
 
................. just for the record when you kick a horse on it does mean 'go' and when you want to slow down you sit down in your saddle........God help you, sounds like you jumped into owning a horse WAAAAY too soon and the poor horse may have to pay with its life. This horse does not sound like a nutter, do you not realise that they can feel your nerves and they feed off them? There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are not confident etc but why should your horse pay the price??
 
flamehead said:
Wow, elsazzo thats truly quite low, digging up someone's old posts. Amazing. Really am going to bed now. x
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yes almost as low as considering putting a healthy horse down because you dont have the skill to ride it. I noticed someone else had said that they had had a flick over previous posts and noticed that the horse was happy and healthy so i thought id look for myself
 
For what its worth if you fly through my old posts you'll see "I cant ride", "i'm a useless horse owner", "I'm going to ruin my pony" and numerous other stupid questions. However, I love my horse more than life itself - and I'm actually a very good rider! People lose confidence and need reassurance often. xxxx
 
elsazzo said:
yes almost as low as considering putting a healthy horse down because you dont have the skill to ride it. I noticed someone else had said that they had had a flick over previous posts and noticed that the horse was happy and healthy so i thought id look for myself
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For what is is worth I agree with you. The tone of the OP shocked quite a few of us yesterday :(
 
elsazzo said:
There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are not confident etc but why should your horse pay the price??
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Grrrr. I don't know why you have felt the need to drag this and the past post back up but anyway, to answer the question... Because this horse is not suitable for the current owner and is not saleable. Can you see any experienced competent horse people thinking, "I'm going to buy a twenty-one year old ex-race horse that has spent the last 4 years being confused by a novice rider who is scared of her?' What would the advert say? Who would think this horse is worth putting money, time and effort into when they can just go and buy a nice, young, unspoiled tb for not a great deal of £££s? The only people this horse would appeal to are dodgy dealers who would quickly knock a few years off her age and sell her down the road passportless to the next well meaning but naive buyer.
 
flamehead said:
For what its worth if you fly through my old posts you'll see "I cant ride", "i'm a useless horse owner", "I'm going to ruin my pony" and numerous other stupid questions. However, I love my horse more than life itself - and I'm actually a very good rider! People lose confidence and need reassurance often. xxxx
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yes we all have moments like that, i dont know about most people but i generally do not cnsider getting my horse PTS because of it! the OP cleary says she has never been taught to ride properly and doesnt want to spend money learning to ride. She also doesnt want to spend money keeping a horse she doesnt have the ability to ride...i know where i would spend my money!
 
If Puz was mine (shes not, shes a charity's horse so would always go back to them, but hypothetically), then yes I probably have had moments when I would have sold her on because I thought that I was ruining her or whatever. For example, the day she trampled me when I c*cked up teaching her that hoses aren't scary I even looked in to how much notice I had to give WHW to give her back! However, shes a gorgeous, young, fit and healthy horse. If she was an older, not fit horse with multiple problems, if I thought I couldnt give her the best I'd probably have her put down rather than sell her on to someone who I couldnt guarantee would look after her properly.

Clearly this is all hypothetical but I think you're being unrealistic assuming that it is always the best thing NOT to put down.

Have another thought but will start new post on it.
 
Haven't read all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating but I think your main options would be:

Get her back, teeth and saddle checked she could be in pain!!
Move to grass/ DIY livery so its cheaper and retire her
Once you know shes not in pain get someone experinced to ride her
PTS
 
Wow this threads gotten long!! Havent read all replys as that would take a while lol ... Why not put her on DIY livery or grass livery instead of Full? It would save money anyway. Someone posted that shes only rode once a week? Tbh i think most horses would be overexuberent if only rode once a week, why not get someone at your yard to ride her the days you cannot or lunge her or take her on part loan/share. I know my ex racer had to be rode atleast 4 times a week to stay sane. I would give anything to have my horse back even if it ment retirement. Your mare looks so well and im sure you will do what is best for her :)
 
Berkeley said:
Any pay £350 p/m for something I can't use? Pah!
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That's a bit harsh. Did you buy her knowing that she hadn't been re-schooled? I own a 19 year old TB mare who has to have time off due to injuries caused by past loaners and I no longer ride, but find the thought of having her PTS impossible to even contemplate. I think if you've bought the horse, then it's your responsibility to make sure they have a place to go until their quality of life dictates being PTS. Be it a loan home, or out to grass. I put my mare on full loan when she was capable of full work and now she is to be used as a light hack and due to people not lookig after her properly, no fault of hers or mine, I'm now having lots of trouble trying to find her a new, perfect 'forever' home.

I'm struggling at the moment having to pay £200 a month to keep her on grass livery unti I can find the perfect new home for her, but at the end of the day, it's your responsibility to find the home for your horse, rideable or not!

That's just my opinion anyway...
 
Re my above post, I've only read the first couple of pages of this thread, so apologies for any duplicates or missing out on half of the story!
 
Oh ffs STOP DRAGGING THIS UP! Grrrrrrrrr! Appreciate this isnt your fault Sian230 but I hate this new forum that it always reappears =[
 
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