Hi, I have been waiting to update those of you who gave me lots of help and support regarding a mare bought from a dealer (who I thought had a good reputation but she turned out not to be very safe to ride). I was hoping for some form of good news for you, but I have waited long enough so I'll write a story so far update if that's ok it will be long, I hope I?m allowed to write it all!
Brandy, for anyone who doesn't know had 4 1/2 weeks (not 6-7) off ridden work when she came to me. She was bought for my friend who was very clear that she was nervous when riding, still learning and could be unbalanced here and there.
After the 4 1/2 weeks off work due to medical reasons, (she was lame for a few days which I wanted my vet to check over and also had a sarcoid near her girth line -either grew very suddenly or was 'missed' at her vetting) so these were dealt with before she was ridden. whatever anyone's opinion on whether she should have been lunged after this period of time off (she had been lunged and well looked after and had had ground work done during that period of time, she was not left in a field not left in a stable, however she was not lunged directly before being tacked up to ride that day). on being mounted she bronked. It wasn't 'slightly raised her back and bucked' as I have heard said about the incident it was full on bronking that made me think she had a back issue! There was no warning, she was not nervous or excited or bubbly when being tacked up. Any leaning over precaution would have shown her to be calm how do I know this? Well what I have learnt whilst having her re-schooled has showed me that this incident would have happened anyway.
she also windsucks and has since she arrived, but she does it after treats or feed, and with short grass (she doesn't crib).
so after this incident and the dealer refusing to refund for her (the offer was made for her to be re-sold on our behalf at a weekly charge for schooling and a £600 fee, this offer was made to me verbally and wasn't accepted)
that was the story initially;
Brandy has had until April having a break, she has been handled, cared for etc etc (turn out in the day, stabled at night) and has had basic manners training (she no longer walks through me at a gate or the stable door etc etc) her sarcoid was lasered off and she had a full once over.
She then had 2-3 weeks being lunged/long reined in tack etc, the plan was then to follow this by having her professionally re-schooled for at least a month. I had decided to give it a year, bringing her on as I thought the bucking and raised back etc meant she was very green and needed re-breaking. After that time I would have sold her on to a good home (she would never be suitable for a nervous novice rider so I wouldn?t be able to keep her).
For the first 3 weeks of training she went really well, raised her back a couple of times but nothing else and was going really well. Then after 3 weeks of good work, with no warning, no change to her behaviour beforehand and no raised back or warning that it was going to happen she stuck her head between her knees and bronked, she bronked her trainer off and put her in A&E with cracked ribs (they also initially thought she had a broken collar bone and a punctured lung but it turned out to be sever soft tissue injury). She needed 2-3 weeks off (and a few days not moving at all). She was willing to continue but said because it isn?t an initial issue that is being worked through she couldn?t say to me that it would stop. She could be good with me for months but then do it out of the blue at any time; after further advice from experts in dealing with horses with issues they have said the same, it would take a good 3 months with and then she could only go to an experienced home if she?s to be ridden.
So in terms of doing the best for her I am now trying to find her either an experienced home or a broodmare home. I had someone come to see her who breeds his own cobs (only once every few years) to bring them on and use for his RDA school. He said she was lovely and her temperament was good (he banged buckets around her, made me jump a few times and she was fine!) but looking at her he thinks she is a cob (probably Shire) crossed with a blood horse (his words) TB type as she is lean (I?ve put 50kilos on her and she looks great but she doesn?t put on weight by just looking at grass like many cobs do. He didn?t want to have any of that breeding in his foal so chose not to take her on. So any help on where to advertise her or look for a home. She?s turned into a lovely horse on the ground, when I use the 4x4 or UTV to go in the fields she follows me around or stands in front of it, not concerned at all. She does hate the vet and jabs and after some work with our farrier is now fine for a trim and would be ok for shoes if handled properly (wouldn?t need twitching).
Even with court proceedings I would not send her back to the dealer, with her issues she would be sent straight to a sale. I have had her properly valued by someone who has valued horses for court cases before so I can claim for the difference and have lots of evidence including video evidence of the dealer saying she would be suitable for a nervous rider and email evidence of the dealer agreeing to continue her training to be sure she would be as finished as she could be (which was paid extra for) so all the arguments around a horse not being a machine (yes I was aware of that thanks to all her followers who know only ½ the story) and how she was sold as not finished her training (we were very clear on suitability and extra training to be sure) and lots of other rubbish. I?m not asking anyone to get back into it all. More of an update, she?s well and has put on weight and anyone who has any ideas on how to find her a home are more than welcome.
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update on mare bought as suitable for nervous novice - long!
40 replies
Lovesswimming · 18/06/2013 19:14
OP posts:
Kormachameleon ·
18/06/2013 19:51
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Kormachameleon ·
18/06/2013 20:03
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