I think I'm putting down my difficult horse

[whattodowheretogo]

I've posted about my horse on here before but I'd just like some last minute opinions.

I bought him a year ago from a TB breeder and trainer as she felt that she was too old for a horse like him and she couldn't sit his spooks.

No ground manners, didn't know where to put his feet, didn't respond to pressure.

I wanted a project and he was one in every sense of the word. I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him.

When I tried him out he was good, but at the end, he took off with me across the field and didn't stop until he physically couldn't go any further. I wasn't concerned about that, I just figured he was green and overwhelmed and these things would come with time.

When we got him home he needed a chifney to be taken anywhere or he would just set his neck and try to canter off (my ex was looking after him for a lot of the time - he's a racehorse trainer and rehab yard owner so he knows what he's doing!) and even he would struggle with him.

Through the months his ground manners improved but to this day he can suddenly try to drag you somewhere and canter off.

His biggest issues are ridden. I've had many rides on him when he's simply decided to take off and nothing can stop him until he's done himself in. One lesson I had we were cantering for so long with him screeching round the corners and bucking that I was getting lightheaded. My trainer couldn't do anything but stand and watch.

He will do things like take off, then screech to a halt in front of the fence, then shoot off again.

I've taken everything right back to basics, over the winter I worked solely on the ground with him, teaching him the saddle and bridle is a positive thing, we learnt to stand stock still at the mountain block, yield to pressure etc.

But he is so unpredictable - he'll do a nasty spook at "nothing", just completely drop his shoulder.

I've spent months just walking and trotting in the school to make it a nice calm experience for him. I've honestly tried everything.

He's just messed up his only saving grace - to hack he is brilliant and super calm. But this weekend he took one look at something on the floor, bolted for home and ran into the main road. I came off, got concussion and fractured my foot.

I've been riding for 17 years, I'll ride literally anything. I ride friend's difficult horses for them if they've come off and had accidents and have a great time. But there's just something about this horse that I just think.. what is it going to take?

I'm so thankful that this wasn't a worse injury for either me or him.

I'm pretty certain that I'm going to put him down. It's something I've discussed with my vet before after he remarked what a difficult git he was.

I feel like it would be unfair on him to pass him on, I'd worry about how he'd be treated given all his quirks, whether he'd be passed on again etc but also I'd worry that he may seriously injure himself or someone else.

Thoughts/suggestions?

There is a difference, though, between being able to rehab horses when you've got your own land and set up and can control everything and trying to do it on a livery yard. When OP took the horse on, it sounds like she had a better set up with her ex, and now she's got him on a livery yard, when to some extent he has to fit in with what the yard owner wants.

Also, is everyone missing that OP currently has a fractured foot? I am guessing this means that she can't do the horse herself right now- and this has possibly forced the issue.

Is it safe to let another person handle him right now? If not, the PTS is probably the only answer for the immediate situation.

I do hope those calling for OP to never own another animal refrain from taking on their own. Even animals taken on from young can & do develop unmanageable issues, sometimes through no fault of the person who owns them. There will be even more unwanted animals either languishing in isolation or passed from pillar to post because we as owners refuse to make the safest, kindest decision.

@OverTheHedgeHammy please get him scoped for ulcers again and even if clear, consider trialling him in medication for two months. I have seen this twice and both horses came sound with treatment - one scoped clear

Also, my last horse was very similar to what you describe. She would run through me in the field, cart me across the yard when being led and she broke two of my ribs by crushing me in the stable. Also had multiple broken toes and my nose was broken by her twice
She would hack out fine until the point where she'd had enough and would then rear vertical then buck and drop her shoulder , very often on busy roads. She'd also blind bolt and jump everything in her way.

This was 700KG of draft horse 😮

Anyway, after restarting her, having every test done under the sun, multiple experienced riders and trainers tell me to pts and my friends begging me to put her to sleep for my own safety - I fixed her.

We went back to complete basics using natural horsemanship methods such as join up. I actually felt the moment that our relationship changed
I had her for another 12 years and that horse would have ridden through fire for me, she looked after me like no other horse I've ever had. Our bond was unbreakable - I trusted her with my life and she trusted me.

So I would definitely consider treating for ulcers which are so common in TB's, even if he scopes clear. And then consider Natural horsemanship. You have nothing to lose at this point

You have nothing to lose at this point

Really???

From the op:
But this weekend he took one look at something on the floor, bolted for home and ran into the main road. I came off, got concussion and fractured my foot.

Next time, it could be a life threatening injury, to the op, or to someone else who happens to be in the way. Is that what you call 'nothing to lose'?

Amazing.

15 pages.

And yet the Tack Room posts rarely get more than a few replies

could it be...could it..that lots of people posting here don't or have never owned horses? They certainly don't seem to be around to give advice for other horse related issues.

What @QuinquiremeOfNineveh said.

Also, if OP can't currently handle the horse herself due to a broken foot, she has to think about how safe it would be to ask others to handle him. This may be why she feels she has to make a decision now.

There is NO shame in putting down a healthy yet dangerous horse, I wish more people would do it, rather than give them away as companions.

I understand why you would make the decision. I personally couldn't do it. I would think 'I've made a mistake, this animal is now my responsibility, I have to find him a graze only home (even if it takes YEARS) or keep him'.

It's a lifelong responsibility, although in this case I think it would be equally responsible to look at a better home for him. I certainly wouldn't think, 'I can't afford two horses'. More 'I wanted a horse, I've got one, it isn't what I expected but that's life'.

I know you say no rescues will take him but I think if you plaster him all over facebook, something will come up eventually.

"I know you say no rescues will take him but I think if you plaster him all over facebook, something will come up eventually."

Yes, I can imagine a name regularly featured on the dodgy dealers page, the ones who take on cheap or free broken horses and magically cure them in 48 hours to be sold on for a couple of grand profit, only for the poor horse to injure someone and end up at the sale, ready for the cycle to continue...

OP, put him down. I also take on rescue horses, I know they are a gamble. We lost with one mare - she has a knee injury that never healed properly after being beaten with an iron bar and it gives out from time to time when ridden, causing her to bolt. She is simply not safe to ride and it cost me £1000 on professional training just to get her to trust people. She lives on my own land as a companion and is a sweet, lovely girl to handle.If she posed a threat on the ground, I would put her to sleep. If there ever comes a day where I cannot afford to keep her, she will be put to sleep. I would never pass on a dangerous animal, whatever the reason. She was also drugged up and sold to a novice owner who ended up terrified of her, that is how we got her. To anyone saying re-home, there are more horses and ponies out there than there are good homes. One of our ponies came from the RSPCA and they had SEVEN HUNDRED equines waiting to take her place, all welfare cases, not equines that already had homes. The only way to the OP could get a rescue to take him on would be to let him starve almost to death so that they seize him. Who the fuck would do that? If he can be dangerous to handle, he will only get worse if left in a field. I have two little welsh ponies that my children have outgrown but do not want to sell who are going feral and need to be trained for driving if they stay here. Even my crippled little mare does agility with me as she likes feeling she has a job to do and she thrives on the interaction. If you feel like you have exhausted every option (and it certainly seems like you have), I would PTS with his head in bucketful of apples and the sun on his back.

Wyldducks - yup, unfortunately quite a few like that, dope the horse , flashy advert , sell onto an undpecting soul who thinks it’s s great bargain....and then it all unravels.

Sorry if this has already been pointed out, but if he is dangerous to handle as well as ride, good luck getting a vet, farrier or dentist to treat him, which means he won't get the care he needs.

RantyMare I agree, someone might potentially take him- but often the sort of people who would take him are not the sort of people with the knowledge to deal with this kind of horse. They may stick him in a field as a companion, but what if he does not cope? What if they have to get him in e.g. to see a farrier or for the vet and he pulls away and injures someone?

Personally, I would never pass on a horse that wasn't safe to be ridden- there will always, always be that one person who thinks they know better and gives it a try, often with devastating consequences.

It would leave you with a clear conscience, because you had not put the animal to sleep- but anything might happen to the horse, and anything might happen to his new owners.

If you're not in the position to keep him as a field ornament, then there are far worse scenarios for him than PTS. He can't be passed on, rescues are full to bursting and having a tb as a companion isn't usually the most viable option.
Sounds like you've explored all avenues, so don't feel guilty if this is the option you take xx

To those who suggest trying to rehome him as a companion:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-36521124

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/authors/the-judge/horse-dealer-left-customers-hundreds-11141144

On the subject of unridable horses becoming field ornaments - there are some horses (I've got three at home who are like this), who can't cope with being out in a field all the time. They will pace and stress when the weather is windy or stormy and have to be stabled at night. A horse dangerous to handle is bloody dangerous to lead to and from a field to stable in bad weather.

All of those people recommending posting on a horse forum, you do realism that you're posting in 'the tackroom' bit of MN where horse people generally talk about all things horse, you know, a bit like a horse forum?

Have just read the whole thread and the "i know fuck all about horses but...yabu/cruel/ dont know about how to care for cute fluffy cuddly animals" brigade are out in force!

Seriously i would love to see their reaction at being pinned to a stable wall by a ton of solid horse! How on earth are you supposed to care for a horse if you cannot trust it being handled? I see nobody has answered that. I suppose its to be left in a field for 20 years with no human contact at all then?

Ignore them all op you couldnt have done more for your horse. There is no other solution. No charity will take on a dangerous horse that multiple professionals cannot cure. Its such a shame after all your relentless hard work but it will never be trustworthy and has has a good year of being treated like a king.

Ignore the ignorant posts.(especially the one who turns up regularly on threads just to lay into the op for shits and giggles with their important 'opinions')
Sorry you are being faced with this but you know its in the horses best interests.

Who in thier right mind would put a dangerous to handle horse up on facebook for anyone to come and take?
What if it went on to injure someone?
Wtaf? I must have read that wrong.

I know willow

Some of the replies on here beggar belief

@DiplomaticDecorum because at least there, the chances are that not so many unknowledgeable people will wade in with their ridiculous suggestions. In fact, there are a lot of people from HHO on here and we all seem to be saying the same thing so the advice won't change. But there wouldn't be any suggestions to put him all over facebook for example!

All of those people recommending posting on a horse forum, you do realism that you're posting in 'the tackroom' bit of MN where horse people generally talk about all things horse, you know, a bit like a horse forum?

Yes. I think the advice though was meant for the OP to avoid the "I know nothing about horses but..." responses. Tbf, some of these have been very understanding. Others have veered between goady and downright nasty. There are some very knowledgeable horsey people on MN but this thread has attracted some who have no understanding of the issues.

Of course, there are others who understand the issues and disagree, which is fair enough. But I do think to comment fully, someone needs to understand the implications of keeping a 9 year old TB who is dangerous to handle even as a non-ridden equine.

Oh dear God please dont "plaster him all over facebook" as a previous poster suggested. That would be extremely unethical and neglectful. He will be passed from pillar to post, from idiot to idiot and could end up in a terrible situation.....

Been sitting on my hands but apparently can’t keep away from this discussion.

At no point has the OP said the horse is dangerous in the stable or on the yard. There’s a lot of vets, farriers and yard owners being kicked or squashed to death in these imaginary situations!

The horse has an issue with riding and leading, and as I said before, the easiest way to resolve this is not to ride and lead, and see if the problems continue.

There are many places that offer retirement livery, yes they may be at a distance from the OP, but they are living out as herds with daily checks, they don’t need to be visited everyday. Some of them even have hot blooded horses on them.

Horses can be trained, like us, they can alter their behaviour and there’s nothing to say in a different situation the horse may behave completely differently. Brain tumours are incredibly rare in horses (although everyone apparently knows a horse who had one ), and geldings don’t tend to be affected by hormonal issues. Also, pain is very difficult to diagnose, so there may still be unresolved pain causing the initial spook.

I can only say what I would do, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting an otherwise healthy horse to sleep without trying a couple more things, like a behaviourist, a bute trial, and a change of environment.

Not a fluffy horse cuddler, just a scientist, equine professional, and experienced owner of two unrideable horses.

wiggler I am gobsmacked that you could read everything that the OP has written and still find time for trying to insinuate that she hasn't done enough.