who has had a new horse that hasn't worked out ?

zandp said:
I agree, I don't think horses truly settle in months - not weeks. If you bought a horse and trialled him/her out you've had a great insight into what they're like when settled. Why then would you sell them on after a few weeks or a month or two ? Surely you'd give them more time.

And yes I have been through it and been seriously injured too whilst working through everything. It took over a year for my mare to truly trust me and that's when she relaxed - I think we, as humans, underestimate the effect of moving horses around.
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i do agree with that, i think too it can take months for a horse to settle. There are some things though that i think go over the line (for me, anyway) in terms of 'settling in behaviour',and make a horse far removed from the type you set out to buy. I think that's what defines whether the horse is fundamentally right for you in the long term, or not.
 
I had one on a 30 day LWVTB. Decided after 3 weeks that she wasn't right after a near miss with a lorry. She refused to stand tied up and I couldn't get near her back end safely to groom her unless my OH was holding her (she loved him, just hated me). She would have probably been fine with time but with 2 young kids I wasn't taking the chance that we would have ended up under the next lorry. I want a horse for fun not to end up in a wheelchair or worse.

I'm just grateful she was on LWVTB rather than a straightforward sale.
 
NeverSayNever said:
i do agree with that, i think too it can take months for a horse to settle. There are some things though that i think go over the line (for me, anyway) in terms of 'settling in behaviour',and make a horse far removed from the type you set out to buy. I think that's what defines whether the horse is fundamentally right for you in the long term, or not.
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My things over the line were bolting, tanking off/no brakes, spinning and dropping the shoulder as I hate(d) falling off and had given up riding for years after a nasty bolting incident.

I trialled my eldest mare for a week, trying everything. She was quite switched off and got strong jumping but I thought I could handle her.

Within 3 months she'd started tanking off and spinning/dropping her shoulder and napping. I only persisted because I knew that she hadn't been like that when I'd trialled her. She cracked my ribs and started bolting regularly. Again I persisted because I knew she hadn't been like that when I'd trialled her.

She carried on with the no brakes/tanking off but then started refusing to stand when mounting and bronced me off twice while I was mounting.

I'd had regular saddler visits from the company that sold me a saddle after the first one was stolen. They'd kept saying it was fine but it turned out it wasn't at all when I moved counties and got another saddler out. As soon as we'd sorted that and I began to trust her again she relaxed.

She's an absolute star now, she still has her moments but she trusts me totally and it's taken years. Some horses are more sensitive aren't they, especially if they're younger (I've got a sensitive youngster now too) and little changes can really upset them for longer than we think.
 
I have but he didn't work out in the opposit way. He was to well behaved! I had just sold a nightmare pony who I had had for 2 years and finally grown out of. I think everyone around me was pleased to see the back of her. My YO/RI said he had found me a new horse. I almost cried when I saw him! He was a big fat cob! He said break him in and have some fun, then sell him on for a proffit. I give you 6 months max. 3 months later the perfect horse came along (5yo TB nutcase who hadn't been ridden for 6 months)
I sold the cob and bought the TB and had cash to spare.
He went to a lovely home with a family that loved him and even the 3yo could ride him. There wasn't anything wrong with him, but he was never going to be the right horse for me. He was what I needed at the time and even through breaking him it was like a holiday from all the stress.
 
I have had a few...

A coloured 148cm jumping pony, who came from Ireland and jumped anything you asked him to at home. He was evil in the stable and wouldn't jump a pole on the ground at a show. He was the most stunning pony to look at and had a lovely jump. After a year of working with him, having chunks taken out of me when I tried to tack him up and fighting a losing battle in the ring he went up for sale. The day we sold him he ran backwards in the field and double barreled my little brother. This horse was lucky he didn't get shot. He was evil, he saw my brother and went for him. Not one of our other horses would have ever done something like this. I was sad to see him go, I love all horses and he was lovely to ride when he wasn't acting like a pig!

The other one which just wasn't right was a lovely 3 year old that just used to sit down. He was a nightmare to break and we didn't have the time to make him right so was sold to someone who did.
 
I have to say if i hadnt got on with my new horse she would have been sold and that would have been that.

I have had a few horses who i avent got on with one mare just was a nightmare her name was mhari and undersallde she was great but on the ground she was terrible, would kick, bite, barge you name it but as soon as a saddle went on her back she was ace.

She went back to her owner as on LWVTB.

Nikki xxx
 
My first mare lasted 3 months.................sooo not a compatable match.....
I then had a 16.1 TB ex racer on trial......he had to go back aftr 3 weeks.......

I have had my current lad going on 3yrs now
 
I have had a few horses that have been problems I have always give them time to settle and knew they were young boisterous horses and they turned out fab :). I did buy one boy luckily off a dealer who I had used a few times before. I got the boy to the yard he was 16.3 ID X and as I had TBS for years he seemed like a chunk to me :D He wouldnt move just stood in the middle of the school, when we finally got him moving we managed a snails pace :eek:. I though this is ok, there are plenty of things out there to give him added spark.
I tried loose schooling him, just in case he was so stale with work he charged at you. I then thought Ill turn him out no work for a short period as my hunch was he was stale, My friend was getting her pony in and my boy jumped over the gate with no regard for my friend and pony other side of it :eek:
He again on a couple of occasions jumped out and tried running through the gate:( He also was one nasty get in stable, my daughter was quite young and after 2 months I called the dealer ( I was in contact with him regular anyway as they bought my pony from me for showing and he knew the issues with the horse) I asked if they would take him back, they collected him the next day I went and found a lovely mare who was a lot more than the boy and he let me have her at a discount due to the hassle the boy had caused :D
 
I think my current one might be my mistake :(
I've had him 18 months and we have done everything right for him, but when I take him out in the trailer to visit a new venue, or a show he goes mental and is too much for me. My dressage trainer has told me she isn't prepared to get bronked off him, and wont ride him anymore, and she says he is a b******d of a horse.
He is fine at home, but we have now persevered for a long time trying to get him to stay calm (and ... well, just not bronk and rear would be good) at shows. He is not in pain, I have had all sorts out to check and double check this is not the cause, and in any case he's an angel and works beautifully at home. He hacks out alone nicely, but he could never be classed as a novice ride.
To be honest I think he is unsellable, and because he's such a sensitive horse and he is very high maintenance and expensive to keep, I would just worry about his welfare if someone did offer to buy him.

Oh, well. It seems all my ambitions of competing have gone out of the window, and I have the best looking, most well schooled and expensive hack you'll ever meet :o
 
If the horse is not right it is not right-life is far too short to battle on with any relationship that makes you sad-esp one that costs as much money and time as horses!

Most of the problems are people expecting their new horse to be perfect from day one(unfair,nieve but human enough when they ar excited and full of hope) but some will just never get along.
First job (about 50 horses on site) I adored 3,strongly liked a few,most were nice enough but not "special" to me and there was one I would gladly have handed over to tin dog food company of you choice any time of day!

As owners,we are (mostly) all after that special bond,but it takes luck and time to get it.
 
I wouldn't say no to giving a horse back/selling on. I should have done that with my second horse, but seeing as I was young I didn't have much choice and just coped with a dangerous horse.

Now I have 3 little darlings, none are perfect but I have grown a bond with each and everyone of them and would never sell any. But then I enjoy bringing horses on and dealing with their issues however long it takes.

But horses are expensive to keep so I do not disagree with your decision at all. Sometimes I wish I was tougher with the horses and feelings, but I am such a push over with animals...

Glad everything is still going good
 
cinammontoast said:
Little bit sad to see this thread. :(
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Why?
If you only want to ride,you could probably get on with any horse.But if you want to have a bond with your horse,then you have to accept that not every horse you buy will work out.
It's a relationship,noone owuld expect every guy/girl they meet who seems right to be the perfect partner ould they?
 
anima said:
Why?
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Because it's not something that should be brought onto a public forum for reasons I'm not going to go into on here. (Not about the title of the thread, just the personal things behind it).

It's made me a little sad to see it all aired in public and there are repercussions elsewhere. :(
 
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I think its right to admit your not getting along, call it a day and sell whether you are experienced or a novice. Its only fair to give the horse and rider a second chance and if its not working then better for both just to move on.

I don't think its right (or clever/smart/whatever you want to call it) to only give it a couple of weeks before packing it in (unless something was really wrong and it was getting dangerous etc) or to keep going for months and months with a horse that you don't click with.

although i suppose i might have a slightly different view on this if i'd owned a horse;)
 
cinammontoast said:
Because it's not something that should be brought onto a public forum for reasons I'm not going to go into on here. (Not about the title of the thread, just the personal things behind it).

It's made me a little sad to see it all aired in public and there are repercussions elsewhere. :(
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I have not read all the replies, but have to add the post i put the dealer took the horse back as soon as asked and gave me a large discount on my new horse. They are great dealers who do care about there reputation and the horses :D I was also aware that they dont have the horses in long enough to know to much about them as most dealers do but that was my choice and thank myself lucky they are such fab dealers.
 
This post is quite poignant for me. I am lucky enough to own my own land and stables and enjoy ponies,and breeding and looking after. My youngest son is only 2,so made the decision not to get anything to ride till he goes to school due to time commitments.

I hastily bought a very good mare at a stud dispersal auction last week....fantastic breeding,only 6 and 14.2hh,I am only light and she is a full bodied mare so I thought she will be my perfect (for life) horse,and breeding mare.

She is SHARP!!!! Obviously very early days yet,but honestly she really is sharp!! I have ahd moments of tears and sleeplessness this last week on what the hell I have done....

But,do you know what? There is something about her...that something special..

I have employed 2 girls to help me (far cheaper than sending away for schooling,and anyhow,that would be unsettling!)...basically we are asking nothing of her just yet....just basic handling,leading etc...

I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!!

I have in the past...given up and sold youngesters,but they didn't have that something....this one does!!
 
Cazza525 said:
I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!!

I have in the past...given up and sold youngesters,but they didn't have that something....this one does!!
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I have one like this! Sometimes they are a pain but theres something there...very true



Not quite sure whats wrong with the thread. OP is asking who has had a horse that hasn't worked out!

Its good to learn about theses things and see if people send horses back, re-sell, what makes a good horse for someone IMO
 
I'm lucky in that I still have the two I bought to keep, and the ones in as projects have all been lovely :). However - OH has tried two on loan that didn't work out at all (one was too quiet for him, and the other had a weird canter that he couldn't sit to and was too old to change). His pony is far from easy, but he loves her and won't have anything else.

I would say though that I've always bought 4yo or younger, and all have either been unbacked, been backed and turned away, or at walk-trot-canter in straight lines. 5yo is the teenage tantrum stage, and something I'd avoid like the plague in a horse I didn't already have a relationship with. I love babies, and enjoy moulding them into a safe young horse who will go anywhere/do anything.
 
heidirusso said:
I brought my mare who was/is too much for me really. She is my first horse, got back into riding a few years ago (after riding as a teenager, though am only 27!) Anyway, got a newly backed WC x WB and she was a nightmare... My lack of skill really showed and i have fallen off more times then anyone in the world i think.. lol Literally couldn't do much with her, she took the piss and all the rest of it. ( I was a fool)

She is so odd sometimes when you ride her it's like she has never been ridden before and is so on edge like she has never stepped foot in the school before, when reality is, she was ridden the day before in the same school... lol

Spooking is her thing, though she has reared with me many times, bucked me off many times, napped constantly and everything else which has landed me on the floor.. But now I have a bit of a bond with her.. She is so smart but we are getting on very well at the moment...
My riding/confidence and ability has improved so much it's unreal. She has taught me so much I cannot thank her enough for that, she has done every evasion, every trick she is outsmarted me a thousand times over! But now we can hack out solo, she doesn't nap, can lead a ride or go at the back, box out perfectly to new places, will go out alone to new hired schools...We did out first fun ride the other day (OK, I did fall off) but she is becoming so well behaved... All the prep work for me wanting to do BD (one day!) is finally coming along - i have cried so much over her but like in my siggy .. We will get there in the end!!!

x
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This sounds like my daughter and her mare, if I knew then what I know now I would never ever ever ever in 2 and half million years bought a skinny 3 yo ex racer 2 months out of racing off of a dealer as my daughter's first horse after ponies but I did, and I have to say she has stuck with her through all kinds of skanky behaviour and over time they've developed a pretty strong bond.

When they're having a hard time Ii will say to her, "won't you want to be selling her now, get something easier you can have fun with..." she says she rides a lot of different horses and says none can touch her mare when she's in the right frame of mind, and she is determined that one day they'll get there.

But of course that doesn't mean it's right for everyone to do this and I wouldn't want to judge anyone who made a different decision.
 
Well, I bought a horse recently from Ireland. Problem is, she left the yard in ireland at 3pm yesterday (according to seller, transport company never botherd to ontact me to tell me what day she was coming). Tis not far off 36hrs later - no sign of horse and cannot get a reply from transporters... am quite confused as to whats happening. To the best of my knowledge the other horses on the lorry are heading south east so we should be first stop. Oh, and since they havent contacted me, they do not know the exact locaton of the livery yard - just the town name!!

Just to add, Im not really bothered - they are a reputable company, Im sure she'll turn up, but would be nice to be kept informed!!
 
glenruby said:
Well, I bought a horse recently from Ireland. Problem is, she left the yard in ireland at 3pm yesterday (according to seller, transport company never botherd to ontact me to tell me what day she was coming). Tis not far off 36hrs later - no sign of horse and cannot get a reply from transporters... am quite confused as to whats happening. To the best of my knowledge the other horses on the lorry are heading south east so we should be first stop. Oh, and since they havent contacted me, they do not know the exact locaton of the livery yard - just the town name!!

Just to add, Im not really bothered - they are a reputable company, Im sure she'll turn up, but would be nice to be kept informed!!
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OMG!!! I#d be a nervous wreck!
 
Thats what everyone else is saying! Fortunately Ive had a tough day at work (and am on call all wkend) so havent had the time to think bout it too much. Am bothered by them not letting me know though!
 
cinammontoast said:
Little bit sad to see this thread. :(
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cinammontoast said:
Because it's not something that should be brought onto a public forum for reasons I'm not going to go into on here. (Not about the title of the thread, just the personal things behind it).

It's made me a little sad to see it all aired in public and there are repercussions elsewhere. :(
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I personally don't see any problems with this thread :confused:

NSN, yes I have gone through this before, twice. My horses lasted longer than yours did with me, however in that period I'd pretty much quit riding due to poor health (bl00dy things kept decking me and injuring me some more!) The first horse had no self preservation, no idea why, he's no longer around due to his worsening behaviour. The second horse I bought off someone else, and he had less self preservation than the first. Or should I say I lost my self preservation with him - everytime I went remotely close to him I risked my life! He was an ar$e on the ground, and should you manage to get on his back, well, you weren't there for long! I was thrown underneath a car, into a wooden fence, into a holly bush, at a riding instructor - you name it, you can guarantee I was catapulted into it by that horse! (He was an Irish Cob - sadistic horse!)
 
Yep, this has happened with my daughters pony... but 2 years down the line we still have her. We were sold her as a schoolmaster, an absolute confidence giver but she's not. She's more like a second ride. She's wonderful with my daughter, but is extremely headshy (not anything we've done) and doesn't like being tethered (strangley enough now I think about it, she was always standing loose when we visited her). I feel she's robbed my 6 year old of her confidence.
The problem is, my daughter absolutely loves her and flatly refuses to let us sell her. My instincts have been to sell her for the last two years, but how do I get round that love factor?
 
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Thankfully this hasnt ever happened to me, it must of been tough to admit defeat especially with all the emotions horse's tend to stir up. But life's too short to ignore your instinct's and as you said you made the effort to find a good home for him. Put it this way I'm sure you will never get youself in the same position again.

Best of luck with your new horse.

By the way dont see whats wrong with this post it's obviously something that happens a good bit so no harm in talking about it. Probably comforting for people to see that it happens to others as well.
 
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Im just going through this now. My new horse that i had had for 4.5 months went to his loan home yesterday :-(
I got him in march, and he was just to be a laid out happy hacker/something to do a bit of schooling with and jumping at home and the odd local show for fun.
Sold as a happy hacker etc.
I tried him out and he hacked around the block beautifully (although in hindsight i can now see why. The girl who was selling him walked/ran with us as it was feb and it was snowing and as it got dark so quick etc incase i got lost).
He was good in the school and stable.
He came home was ok for the first week, then merry hell broke out.
I took him for a hack, he demonstrated his napp. A beautifull spin rear mahussive buck combination, which i have to admit i wasnt expecting. He got me off 3 times that ride.
So....rode out with another horse for a few weeks to get him used to local area.
Did lots in the school with him. He is a brilliant jumping pony so had lots of fun jumping. In the school he would sometimes do the spin rear buck combination so i soon got used to it and could sit to it.
I then started doing groundwork leading him out around all of the rides everyday on his own. Got him going a bit better. Could hack him out alone. He would stil protest but he had changed tactic from the spin rear buck to rearing and running backwards.
This was better it was easier to sit to.
He is very jecky and hyde, one day he is lovely on the ground and to ride, others he is bargy and fidgety on the ground and just evil to ride and napps, bucks, rears, broncs, rein snatches etc.
So i was hacking him out alone and with others. In the school he was starting to misnehave a bit. If there was a cow in sight that was all he would focus on and he would just spend the whole time leaping about etc.
Then we did a fun ride which was 4 hours from hell. He spent 4 hours leaping (not just a little jump about) massive leaps and plunges and rein snatches and broncing etc. After 2 hours of these, and having sat to approx 50 (no joke) of these i came off as he twigged that if you do 2 of these back to back when im exhausted.....i come flying off. So i came off 3 times resulting in concussion, cuts,, bruising, was trampled in the process.
After the fun ride he became nearly unrideable. He would do this around the school, on the road etc.
I tried everything to get him back on track, I went back to leading him out, i went back to having my OH accompany us on his bike etc.
I have had everything checked, literally everything. New saddle, back looked at several times, vet check ups, teeth, etc etc.
I traced back through his owners, and apparently he has done this all of his life.
I decided enough was enought, i was meant to be doing this for fun, and working 6 long days a week i just want to be able to go to the yard, go for a nice fun ride (i dont mind fast or joggy or spooky) but a un complicated ride to relax after a long day.
So an old owner of his who was the only person who has had success with him wanted him back. She sold him to get a bigger horse to event with. But really regretted selling him. She is at uni at the mo (next to where she lives) so couldnt afford to buy him so i put him out on loan to her yesterday.
I was heartbroken to see him go as despite all of his antics, i love him to pieces. But its the best thing i could do. She knows and can handle his quirks and she will take him out to events and he will have lots of fun. She wants to buy him when she finishes uni in 2 years.
I didnt want to sell him to anyone as i didnt want him getting in the wrong hands and so i think what i have done is for the best.
Its bloomin heartbreaking though and really upsetting when things dont work out, but i had to do what was best for him.
I have to admit though, there were floods of tears when i saw his gorgeous face through the window of the trailer as it pulled away.
 
I'm not sure what about this thread is upsetting people (and has repercussions elsewhere?), like a lot of horse issues it is a very personal thing to handle this kind of situation, and without having been in this position it is hard to understand it.
I have been really lucky, my mare was a nightmare when I got her, lots of problems with basic handling etc because she was so nervous and highly strung. But as others have said, she had that 'special something' about her that made me persevere, and I am now (several years later) one of those smug people who just shrugs and says 'oh, you know, blood sweat and tears', when people say they are jealous of my well behaved, but fun pony!
However, had I not just really liked her on a fundamental level, I would have sold her on. I work every hour god sends to fund my horses, and if I didn't have a great bond with my horse and enjoy her company, it would be really hard to go up to the yard after long shifts at work. It's my therapy, and therefore has to be mostly enjoyable.
A girl on my yard has had her new ISH mare for a couple of months, and has just not bonded with her. The mare is safe to handle, great to ride (a little green schooling, but a safe fun hack), but her owner said she just doesn't really like her. I don't think it's related to her not settling, the mare settled in really quickly, plus it's not a behavioural issue of any kind. They got off to a bad start, as when the mare went in the field for the first night, my youngster was found with a broken leg and had to be put down. I think maybe that has stopped her forming such a bond with this horse, as we are a small, close knit yard, and it knocked us all for six.
Ironically, I very much enjoy riding the ISH mare, she is just what I would look for was I in the market for a new horse, and would do everything I want to do quite happily. But I then think it is entirely reasonable for her owner to sell her on - she is a nice mare capable of making someone really happy, but the girl who has her now is not.
I don't really agree that horses are like dogs, ie for life. They are a hell of a lot more expensive and much more dangerous, plus they usually have a 'job' to do and need to be capable of doing it. Also, you have to spend so much time with them that if you have a genuine personality clash, it makes it a bit of an ordeal. I try not to spend several hours a day with people I don't like, so why force it with a horse you don't like. It might sound a bit harsh, but really, the ISH should be in a home where she is appreciated for the nice mare she is, and her owner could have a horse that she enjoys looking after. What's the problem, everyone is a winner!
 
I also do not see what is sad about this thread??

It is wonderful when we want to and are able to keep our horses to the end of their days but to think this is the case when everyone buys a horse is naive.
At the end of the day if there was no-one selling horses there wouldn't be any for us to buy! Dealers buy horses on purpose to sell on quickly for a profit.. People have this massive problem with sending a horse to a dealer but many of us are very happy buying from them!
There's nothing to say selling a horse is wrong and as proved by this forum 90% of people who buy a horse would try to do their best by it, they might not look after it the same way you would but it's highly unlikely it would be beaten and starved.
I really don't think hanging on to the wrong horse does either party any good. If my horses owner had got on with him, I wouldn't have him now. He wasn't for her and so she gave him to me and to me he is perfect. So passing a horse on you don't like however slowly or quickly can make someone else (and the horse) happy.
Yes horses may fall into the wrong hands once they have been sold on but they could just if not more likely be better off. Life is unfortunatly unfair sometimes to humans and horses but I don't think that's a reason to keep a horse that makes you miserable, could injure you or who is not fit for the job you want to do. Not to mention the time and money involved.
 
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