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?

Look Readytotalk, I am sorry but I'm entitled to my point of view.

If you buy a project horse, you know that things can turn out badly. If you want a perfectly ridable horse, plenty of them out there. A bit unfair to suggest me taking over the horse. I've always taken care of every horse I've bought. Quite a few of them aren't ridable; in fact almost half of them aren't suited for riding. Mostly because of age, they've served me well before and I'm not binning them off now. Happily retired glorified lawnmowers. I don't approve of frivolous buying of horses (or another animal).

Please ignore peng

Their ignorance and aggression is staggering, and their opinion is therefore worthless

It sounds like you've done everything humanly possible for this horse, and it just isn't meant to be

If you do decide to PTS, you should do so with a clean conscience

It is far kinder to give him a good end than risk any further damage to him, other horses or other people, or worse, him be PTS in horrible circumstances

As so many other posters have pointed out, we don't encourage people to keep aggressive dogs, or criticise people for PTS when they don't perform their job of a pet

@peng No you clearly know nothing about the subject. Your initial question wasn't unreasonable, but it is unreasonable to completely ignore and wilfully disregard the answers of significantly more knowledgeable posters, whilst belligerently insisting that YOU are right, and all OP needs to do is stop riding the horse. FGS!

This forum appears to be one for people who think a horse needs to learn to be ridden or needs to be PTS.

What part of the OP's posts brought you to that conclusion? Because it is absolutely not what the OP said.

Peng I've spent a lot of time explaining things to you in a very civil manner when you have been nothing but rude to me.

Your ignorance shines through in your latest post when you ask why I won't stop trying to get him to yield to pressure.

Horses NEED to know to move away from pressure. Otherwise you will have a situation like the one I had, where my horse was simply in the stable with my ex, where WE WERE NOT ASKING HIM TO DO ANYTHING, and he suddenly panicked and pinned him against the wall.

Horses need basic manners. Fact.

Horses need to learn to yield to pressure. Fact.

Horses who cannot be led or handled safely are a ticking time bomb. Fact.

The vast majority of horses in the world are expected to have a job. There isn't a thing wrong with the op wanting a horse she can ride (and not spending her nights thinking 'is tomorrow the day he kills me?') Fact.

I haven’t RTFT, but from what you’ve said I think PTS is a responsible choice to make. I’ve got an old retired pony living life as a lawnmower, but that’s a totally different prospect to a young horse that isn’t safe to handle.

I think what people maybe don’t realise is that you can’t just chuck them in a field and leave them. They need feet doing regularly, worming and rugging and many horses won’t cope with living out all winter. If this can’t be done safely and easily then PTS is a realistic option and is far more responsible than passing him on.

PTS, you don't have to martyr yourself over a horse....

I wanted a project and he was one in every sense of the word

What an eye-opener this thread is, such a horrible expedient attitude towards these animals that you supposedly love so much. I think it is morally wrong to have a healthy animal killed.

You wanted a 'project'? You've still got one and you need to find a humane solution

People baffle me. If OPs horse bolted & caused an accident - whilst in hand even - people would be up in arms.

I shall put this plainly for you peng

If the OP doesn't ever ride the horse again, IT.IS.STILL.DANGEROUS.BECUASE.IT.DRAGS.PEOPLE.ABOUT.

If you can not safely control a horse from the ground, then it is only a matter of time before a serious accident accures.

You can not stop half a ton of horse from bolting. you can only get dragged, kicked, pulled into walls,fences, hedges, roads. Or you let go of the lead rope/lunge line and watch in horror at the devastation/injury/death that follows in it's wake.

Even if the OP never rides again, she still has to handle the horse from the ground.

PTS is a humane solution. Selling on is inhumane. She can only afford one horse. Should she just pay for this one for the rest of his life and just hope nobody gets injured and never ride again?

I also wonder if the people who are so horrified have the same opinion about aggressive dogs being put down? An unpredictable horse has the potential to cause far more damage than all but the most extreme dangerous dogs.

I am not a horse owner. I used to ride as a child. I love horses- which I why I don't have one: no way could I afford to keep one properly!

100% pts is the correct decision for this animal.

He may be stressed or aggressive - does it matter which? He's unhappy and cannot continue as he is now. Someone has already been seriously injured. It will only be a matter of time before someone else is again.

Good luck OP - I'm sure it will be difficult to go through with, but you're doing this FOR your horse, not TO your horse.

Ruffian a project horse isn't a negative term. It's usually used when someone is actually giving a difficult horse a second chance. This horse's original owner couldn't cope with him, so the op took him on. She went back to basics, - did everything right by the sounds of it - but sadly it hasn't worked. She went into it knowing he was difficult and thinking she could retrain him. It a great thing to do if you a good enough rider. Sadly, it seems this horse is just still dangerous.

So @Ruffian you are a vegetarian I presume but I assume you are aware that the majority of people don't have a problem with euthanising healthy animals for food even though we don't have to to survive?

OP as someone else suggested, if you want to hear from others with experience of horses then Horse and Hound forum is a bit more useful. I know you would assume that posting in the Tack Room would gain comments from those with knowledge of / interest in horses but clearly that has not been the case!

OP seems to have wanted a project that is clearly beyond her capabilities. She should never have taken the horse on in the first place and seriously needs to reassess what she thinks she can do. The horse may have been much better off with someone who really knows what they are doing. As it won't have that chance, if it is killed OP should never have a horse again. The fault lies with her.

As for the spurious bickering over whether a dangerous dog should be put down - yes it should, but here too the owner should not be allowed another dog. They would have been shown to be a bad, irresponsible owner and should never get the chance to betray another animal.

Ruffian -

1. It's called Humane Euthanasia. There is nothing cruel about sending an animal to sleep when it knows no different. I'm assuming you are vegan given your views?

2. You should be thankful that there are people out there who take on problem horses and try to rehabilitate them or train them to go on to have a useful and safe life. What do you think the alternatives are for these horses? Hint: stuck in a field not given a shit about, being shot, or passed from pillar to post.

There are some laughable comments on here. OP, I would have no hesitation to PTS in this situation. Best wishes.

Not RTFT, so sorry for that or for missing anything.

I'd pts. We have one. A retired showjumper. Retired early as she's as batty as a box of frogs and was getting worse under saddle (full investigations revealed boball). When in pain she'd take her tricky to handle stage to a new level, including having me over in a field. We got to the stage where the vet was there ready to do it. That day she turned around and has been a comparative doddle to handle since. However, if she reverts, if we or others aren't safe, then the vet will be back.

The horse isn't healthy. It sounds vastly unhappy and scared and like lots of vet investigations, sensitive training and time off hasn't helped.

(Oh and it might be worth posting on a more specialist forum where people have the knowledge of this situation. The guilt trip here could end up in someone getting seriously hurt or killed if that advice was followed)

OP, I really feel for you. But he is not safe to handle on the ground (I presume he rears if he needs a Chifney) and hes dangerous to ride. Sadly, PTS is the responsible decision.