Behavioural issues in horse we can’t handle

[MillsMollsMands]

I have a 14.2 mare with what the vet has described as behavioural issues (having had her for a full work up of x rays etc - she was lame in one hind when ridden but the vet considered that the behaviour was not solely caused by the pain). Hoping that with a steroid injection that will have cleared up - waiting for vet to come back next week.

she is actually not difficult in ridden work except plants/refuses to go. Never bucks or rears with a rider. She can be aggressive on the lunge (bucking, rearing, turning rear to handler) and being brought in from the field (spinning, barging, presenting rear) - can’t identify a consistent reason for this as sometimes will come in good as gold. She can be grumpy in the stable, not a mare who likes a fuss, but can be tacked up, groomed, shod & clipped…

she is our first horse and we bought her as a happy hacker a year ago and things have gradually unravelled. This is not what she is and neither me nor my teens have the experience to work with her. It turns out her previous owners saw the same behaviours but didn’t disclose to us. She is 13.

I feel very stuck - how do I find a home for her? I don’t care about making any money back, but how do I move on a horse with a vet history & behavioural issues? Will anyone take her?! I feel bad for giving up but what we can give her isn’t what she needs…

If you're not bothered about the money then. I would consider loaning her out. A pony that is well behaved to ride at the size will be in high demand and you can be really picky that she goes to the right home.

I am not bothered about the money but this isn’t what she is - so that’s my concern. Although to be fair she isn’t dangerous to ride, she just is totally uncooperative!

If she’s been seen by Steve then I would try contacting him again. They are usually pretty good at replying but reading between the lines of their content have had a bit of a time of it lately so I would try again. He would be able to give you a good idea of what the issue is and how fixable it is.
I would also be getting another vet assessment done. Ideally by an equine specialist. Have her scooped again. I’d also really recommend getting her on something like this
https://shop.equinexceed.com/products/equine-exceed-gastro-step-1?srsltid=AfmBOop176joPdQLUtQKnHriLStQHm5n4v5WQl9eQ1rEsncq7rsmJcfj

which is highly regarded for horses with gastric issues. Is there an option to turn her out 24hrs a day? 6hrs out is not sufficient turnout.
If it were me I would put her on the above and turn her out for the rest of the winter. During that time spend time - low pressure and low demand. Then in the spring reassess. Then either sell her or work with her. If she is good to ride then I wouldn’t give up on her quickly. I completely understand your feeling like this isn’t what you wanted to get into - but sometimes that’s horses. And if you give her a break and a chance she will most likely teach you all a lot. Experience is hard earned when it comes to horses.
However if she really is unmanageable then PTS would be a better option than selling her on unless you are absolutely confident that she is in good safe hands.

Selling privately, you can disclose her history fully and hope they are genuine buyers. You could give all this information to a dealer and 99% of them won’t pass that on when selling her on. It’s tricky but you have no say after she’s gone. You’ve done your best, she’s lucky she found you.

Have you seen Sophie Seymour content on Facebook/Instagram? She sometimes takes on 'donated' problem horses and works with them then sells them on to suitable homes if she can sort them out. I haven't used her but she seems to be quite transparent and good reviews.

Have you seen any improvement from the steroid injection?

She’s not back in ridden work yet but she’s handling just the same as usual.

Does anyone find it strange that the Steve Young connection wasn’t disclosed before sale ? He tends to work with last chance horses who owners think a lot of. It’s odd that the horse was sorted out then sold on (appreciate circumstances must dictate). But then to be sold on again at least one more time is stranger still.

Treat as if ulcers are present while you get SY back.

We got given an unrideable mare. She had an ovarian tumour. They release testosterone and manifest in stallion like behaviour. Most are eventually diagnosed due to behavioural problems. We got the ovary with the tumor removed and rode her for a bit but by then her behaviours were so ingrained that she was no fun at all to ride. It was a shame as she was the best moving horse I have ever seen. She floated. So we retired her to my field for 10 years. Sadly she eventually had another tumor in her other ovary and I had her PTS at home. You could maybe get her overies scanned if this sounds like your mare.

Might sound stupid but are you sure she's getting enough calories? I'm absolutely not saying stuff her full of hard feed but dengie happy tummy, and blue chip calming balancer (plus hay, I'm assuming?) might not quite be meeting her calorie need so she's lacking energy.

I'll say again - test for pssm. she has a lot more videos about that mare and iirc tried a massive range of things before she was diagnosed with pssm.

I forgot to say maybe contact a good nutritionist and ask them their advice on diet just to cover all your bases,

I don’t know… we moved her on to
this feed in case her behaviour (which is more wired than lethargic) was due to too much food! But that was just on advice from someone from the yard.

I will ask about PSSM.

@Moaning5 I think they could have given us more information when they sold her to us.

I feel very depressed about it all this morning!

https://thehorse.com/13947/ovarian-tumors-3/

This was the problem my mare had. They are more common than you think.

It’s extremely rare for anyone to be honest when selling a horse. It’s a minefield buying, as any issues are minimised or not disclosed at all. I’d honestly call it a day, sounds like you’re throwing good money after bad, you need to draw a line under it.

I think you should put her to sleep rather than passing the issue along. Shes got a very miserable rest of her life in front of her being passed from pillar to post.

But she’s good-ish under saddle except for planting? I think there are a few medical/feed/training/saddle fit options to try before pts?

have you tried a horse chiropractor?

I think speaking to a good nutritionist might be worth it to cover all your bases.

Steve Young can't talk to you without the previous owner's permission. He was providing a paid service to them. It sounds as if you've been very unfairly misled, but on the other hand, they may have thought she was 'fixed' and she's reverted. You need some help, because even if you want to sell her it would be difficult now. Maybe given a rough location we can recommend someone? For example, this lady is absolutely brilliant. Kind to horses and owners. Finding a responsible trainer could even help you to find a new home through them. https://www.responsiveequine.com/

@MillsMollsMands where are you based? I have 2 contacts that can help