Not how I envisaged horse ownership - please be kind

[bandito]

I guess I'd just like to share and get some unbiased views and advice. I've had DHorse since last May, he was sold to me as riding club type, 9 yrs old native, easy to do etc.etc. I had 5 stage vetting, teeth, saddle etc. done. He is very easy and polite to handle, look after etc. and this has not changed.

However, he has a tendency to spook sideways sharply when ridden and sometimes then runs if the rider becomes unbalanced. This has gradually got worse over the last 6 months. If the rider is good enough to catch the spook with the leg and keeps balance, he can be gathered up and carries on as before. His previous owner is in touch, although not local, and said he never did it with her ever, in fact they used to take him out as a nanny for young horses. He doesn't do anything else, buck, rear, kick, bite, spin, nap etc.

I have fallen off him many times ( I know that this won't have helped his confidence), and currently I am in plaster having broken my arm and fracturing a bone in my spine coming off him a fortnight ago. There is hopefully no long-term damage. I feel a bit sick when anyone gets on him at the moment as i am afraid he will have them on the ground. He did it yesterday with a new rider but she was able to sit to him - I had to leave as I couldn't watch.

I am having him professionally schooled 3 times a week currently and have been once a week since September when it started to bother me. My instructor is extremely competent and can sit to him. She says that the spooks are sharp, but as a whole, she's ridden far worse and she thinks he has a lot of potential to be a nice horse with work.

To be honest, I can't imagine getting back on him (or anything else) right now - I could end up in a wheelchair, or worse next time. My DS 13 was supposed to be sharing him with me but there's no way I'd let him get on again.

I've got another 4 weeks in plaster and my instructor advises not to make any decisions until then. I am paying someone to ride him and someone to care for him and I'm having to get a taxi to the yard as I can't drive due to arm so feel like I am bleeding cash right now. If I did want to ride him again, I'd have to have lessons at a riding school horse before getting back on him as well as paying for him to be schooled.

It all feels a bit hopeless - has anyone else been through similar and did you persevere or try to rehome? I bought him with the intention of having him forever - apart from this, he is lovely.

His sight was checked last spring but I am booking the vet to have another look.

I suspect then that he is right royally taking the piss. Looking for things as an excuse to not work. If someone riding him can block the spook it's not a real spook as a real omgwhatthefuckwasthat moment wouldn't usually be contained with a leg.

Native ponies are clever. As clever as dogs sometimes.

If you were to keep trying with him I would suggest dropping ALL hardfeed except a decent balancer. I think topspec do a calming one for hot rides. I would restrict his access to spring grass as that can be like rocket fuel. I would give him a couple of weeks off, have an mot on him and assuming all is well start him back in work.

To build my relationship with him I would lunge him for a couple of weeks. Really make him work hard. When he wants to stop push him on. I would also longrein him and if he dicks about in the school let him twat his gob on the end of the lines. Then I would have some lessons on him and really push him hard. The sooner he realises that what you say goes the sooner the silly spooks will dwindle down.

I would also look at what bit he is in. And probably stick a martingale on too if he doesn't already have one. Purely because if his head comes up when he spooks you get the instant correction.

I would give him loads to think about in the school too. Lots of leg yeilds, rein changes, transitions up and down, pole work. Make him too busy to start thinking about evading work.

But if you don't want to keep him sell him. As long as you are honest it's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

I sold our horse last year as she just wasn't right for my DD who was fast losing confidence. We now have a lovely Cob mare who is absolutely lovely and perfect for us at the stage we are at. I think the trust has gone between you and you'd be best to cut your losses and move him on before someone gets hurt. As long as you are honest about his quirks and make sure he goes to a rider who is experienced enough to stop his monkeying about. Absolutely nothing wrong in finding a partnership is not working and leaving it.

Absolutely agree about natives being clever and knowing how to cut short a ride to avoid work. Get a good sales ad out. Connies are always sought after, it's the perfect time to sell with spring coming. No shame in selling.

He's a Connie by the way, frouby, and lives on thin air. He's not a fizzy ride at all, the spooks just come from nowhere, are random but usually at walk and trot rather than canter and far more frequent in the school than out hacking

Connies can be awkward little buggers. My horse does genuine shies e.g. for pheasants and this morning because a dog was hiding in the hedge. They're sittable though as he's very kind and experienced enough to keep me on board. Plus he wants me up there to help with the monsters. However, at the start of a lesson (rather than a schooling session) suddenly everything around the outside of the school becomes scary.

With my horse it's just evasion. He knows he will have to work hard and shying might mean he can get away with less work. In my case I just kick him up to the bridle and make him work.

Whilst I wouldn't rule out pain in the case of your horse from what you're saying I suspect it's just "if I shy, I don't have to work as hard".

Get rid. And I say that as someone who has never done that until buying my dd a Welsh x. Talk about taking the piss. Drop dead gorgeous, loved him to bits but he reduced her to tears nearly every day.

It is meant to be enjoyable.

For what it's worth this screams medical problem to me. Get an experienced vet you can trust to look at him with an open mind. Full lameness work up (walk, trot in a straight line on the hard, walk trot canter on lunge on surface, flexion tests and lunge on the hard if necessary) plus check back and neck.

Have you tried a bute trial?

Ulcers? My friend knew her horses ulcers had come back as she started 'misbehaving' while ridden

I skimmed everyone else's responses so sorry if this is a repeat, but ensure he has no eyesight issues. One eye may be weaker or losing sight which will cause this kind of acceleration in spooking behaviour. Just a thought

Going to get the vet out ASAP - it would be great if it was a fixable medical problem. Apart from this one thing, my nan could look after and ride him!

Full mot and maybe even push for blood tests/scope for ulcers. If that comes back clear what he needs is so good hard work with a rider who isn't going to take any of his silliness. Wet saddle blankets, but vary it so he doesn't get stale. Gridwork can be fab for a horse like this- they have to pay attention so they don't muck about.

Sounds like he has discovered a new trick and is taking the piss. TBH once they start doing this, it is doubtful they will ever really become a novice ride again. It certainly doesn't mean that they are bad horses, just in the wrong home. We have a hunter that throws the wickedest spooks ever but he is very good at his job! He would be dangerous in a novices home though.
Check health wise and I would send him to a reputable professional to sell for you.

My first thought would definitely be to get his eyes checked. I've known two horses who suddenly started doing this because of the development of a cataract in one eye. Both were young horses, one a Spanish and one a connie. I came off my own welsh cob a few weeks back however due to a similar stunt. She dropped her left shoulder and did a 180 spin and I ended up lying on the ground admiring the clouds while she tried to (unsuccessfully because I refused to let go of the reins, not something I'd recommend by the way) canter off. I slapped her backside and got straight back on because I was on the farm track luckily so no harm done. I've owned the pony for 18 years and it's not normal for her. The difference was that she has been ridden in the past year by a friend who is a little nervous. My mare sounds very similar to your horse in that she is normally very easy to handle, ride etc.. but she is a typical native and will take the mickey if she thinks she can get away with it. She has had my friend on the floor a couple of times doing the same trick and it is entirely down to the mare doing an "I'm not going that way" protest and rather than getting a swift pony club kick and a growl she was being told "ok we'll go a different way then" and being allowed to turn for home. This has resulted in the drop and spin manoeuvre if not allowed to get her own way. I have ridden her several times since and am absolutely certain she won't try it with me again after last time but also in no doubt that she would still do it with my friend if given the opportunity!

Years ago my friend bought a "super all round safe cob" he was also 9, she tried him three times before she purchased him hacked him out etc had him vetted etc and he seemed perfect, after a month he started barging etc when you went in the stable and spooking, two months into owning him she had a fall and was found by a driver unconscious on the side of the road he was munching someones rose bushes! A very experienced equine vet came out to check him over he took bloods examined him from head to toe and finally said there was nothing wrong with him, he'd was basically a bit of a character, a very decent sort something you could clearly have lots of fun on but was being spoilt rotten and was taking the piss big time, in the stable and out of it, he was being fed slightly too well and being exercised insufficiently. He advised my friend to be much firmer in and out of the stable, make him step back from the door when you go in the stable, always tie him up, make him wait and stand still before removing his head collar when turning out etc, stop feeding him any hard feed, ideally turn him out as much as possible, and not just plonk him round the block for 3/4 of an hour 3-4 times a week she rarely went out of trot, lunge the bugger before she got, not just a few circles in trot make him sweat. She never did by then she's totally lost her nerve and sold him a month later.
She was middle aged had previously owned an exceedingly old decrepit horse and most importantly his previous owner had been a teenager who done loads of pony club stuff X country hunting etc he was used to a busy life. He went to another teenager (for significantly less than my friend paid for him) and within 6 months he was in all the local teams he never spooked with his new owner. She never bought a horse again.

I'm usually the first person to say get rid in situations like these!

However, it's interesting that he is more spooky in the school and for this reason there could be an underlying medical problem.

I'm a qualified instructor and have worked in various riding schools and over the years there are two horses that stick out in my mind as they could both be utter sods in the school but were much better out hacking. I think out hacking, going in a straight line they could cope with but in the school, moving around corners and riding circles really did cause them a lot of discomfort. One had issues with his hocks and the other had kissing spines.

What Blackbird said has also been my experience. Horses with ligament injuries may find surface work painful but are OK on hard ground, horses with back problems may be in more pain turning on circles or trying to work in an outline, stifle and hock issues may be more painful when trained than when ambling along on a hack. Hope your vet can find something OP as then at least you'll have an answer and, hopefully, a treatment.

OP I'm so glad you've decided to get the vet out, and hopefully they'll be able to shed some light on his behaviour. A vetting is merely a snapshot in time, so passing a 5 stage vetting is absolutely no indication of their future health.

I would also get the saddler out again to check the saddle fit, and with your vet's blessing I'd get a reputable physio out to check his back. Native types tend to be good doers, which in turn leads to fluctuations in weight. I know when I had a connie we had to have the saddler out with every change of season just to make sure the saddle still fit correctly so if he's only seen a saddler twice since you've had him there's a good chance he's overdue a check.

Connies can be rather stubborn, particularly when it comes to doing things they don't want to do. Mine was a pro at evasion tactics, and whilst he was no trouble for me, with a more novice rider he'd have run rings around them as when he was in a spooky mood he really did need a firm hand holding...any sign of weakness just led to him taking the pee even more! I do wonder whether the fact he's spookier in the school is because he knows that this gets him out of having to work properly. Have you tried putting some trot poles/cavaletti out or even a x pole just to get him thinking a bit more and to make the school a bit more fun? Of course it could also be a pain response, as as others have mentioned KS or hock/ligament issues often present themselves more when in a school where the ground is generally softer and the work asked of them is often more than that of a hack. Hopefully your vet will be able to rule these out during the visit though.

Please don't be too hard on yourself. Horse buying is not an exact science. I had a similar experience to you minus the physical injuries. I persevered too long. My horse was lovely but very sharp and we weren't compatible. I was a good rider but not assertive enough and boy did he know it. He got sold to a fearless teenage boy for Pony Club and was much better in his new home.

My advice would be to cut your losses and move this horse on to an assertive, very confident rider. Your nerves will only get worse if you try and persevere.

Good luck and feel better soon

Any update OP?

I had similar with a younger horse, lucky I was not badly injured. The vets (not horse vets although they think they are told me I was too stupid to deal with him). I was very lucky I managed to get a specialist from an equine hospital vet to assess him. He was found to have a neck problem that caused him pain, he has had treatment and with careful management is now going to start competing at BD Advanced Medium. I always consider myself so lucky I managed to get him looked at by such a good vet.

Horses can be naughty but much of that is caused by pain in my opinion. You need to get him checked by an experienced horse vet, preferably at one at your nearest hospital. It could be kissing spines, sacroiliac, neck, as others said ulcers - a whole raft of things.

Well, we have decided to put him up for sale. He got a completely clean bill of health from the vet and my instructor reckons it's about a lack of confidence as he is far better in open spaces and on grass than in the sandschool. Unfortunately I'm not getting on anything this side of Xmas due to my back. I'm not the right person to coach him through this so hopefully we can find him a good home.

Absolutely the right call. How are you feeling?

It is meant to be enjoyable.

• This made me nearly snort tea out my nose

There's no shame in that decision OP. Sounds like he will make a fantastic horse for the right person and there will be a character out there for you that will bring your confidence back. It's not funny coming back after an injury and of course they feel any worry in you straight away.
And yes, I think the point about what is a quiet horse for one is not the same for another is hugely important! Mine is an absolute gent but I still wouldn't say he's a beginners or bomb proof as he has little habits that are fine if you're ready for them but potential to go wrong if not. And he can be a git on very occasional moments

Well done for recognising it was the wrong fit - too many good horses ruined or wasted and too many unhappy owners because they can't bring themselves to face that truth

I have been watching this thread with interest, nothing else of any great significance to add other than to say well done for recognising that you and horsey are not the right match together. As others have said I've seen far too often people with the wrong type of horse for their ability. The last livery yard I was at there were five (yes really) women with dressage type horses that never ever left the yard. One woman in particular had a very competent dressage horse which never got out of walk/trot in the school. So sad for her and the horse. Because of fear of the outside world and a fairly big powerful horse her confidence was shot to pieces and despite her best efforts was never able to overcome those nerves. She ideally would have been suited to a smaller, easier bombproof pony. And the horse could have gone quite far in the dressage world with the right rider. I'm not suggesting you are lacking in ability, but yes, you need to find the right fit to regain your confidence when your back is better and I do hope you eventually find the right horse for you and can enjoy riding again in the future. Good luck