# dangerous hobbies,horses.



## Guest

The lady who rides one of my horses came today maizie was very quiet in the stable and was groomed and tacked up uneventfully how ever when she went to get on she reared up and went almost over backwards!the lady jumped off thankfully un hurt,maizie started to get up and her legs appeared to buckle and she went down again,all of this happening on rough concrete! she then did this almighty leap,i thought she was going to jump over me and my daughter,who was sitting on her horse watching,i put her back in her stable took off her tack,and pushed my hands along her back,initially she flinched halfway down,so i repeated it harder but got no response this time.I dont know what to make of it all,her tack is fine,i rode her a few days ago,she was fine,she is always a bit impatient to get on.


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## Sophia

Personally, I'd get a chiropractor or physiotherapist out to have a look - if they give her the all-clear then possibly get the vet to have a look as well. 

I know you said your tack is ok, but has your horse changed shape recently? As that will all affect the fit of the saddle, particularly after winter when both of mine are liable to drop a bit of weight and muscle. 

Personally, I'd also get the saddler out again also (a different one if neccessary) - my own TB's saddle was professionally fitted but he never seemed 100% happy in it to me. Although he is a fairly hot horse anyway (and so liable to chuck himself around at the smallest thing) after getting our fourth saddler out (all of whom said the fit was fine and that I was being silly) - it turned out that the saddle wasn't fitting as well as it could have been after all!

What's she like to tack up? Any changes in her personality or stance? How does she react to being bridled and girthed? 

Alternatively, she could be have been a bit more impatient than usual - was she spooked by something? Is the lady light and quick to mount? Do you mount from the ground or a mounting block or is she legged up? Is she held by an assistant to mount? I try to never get on from the ground if I can help it due to the excess strain. 

Either way, I'd get her looked at by a chiro/physio/vet- as it's more than possible that she has done some damage to herself after her antics and then take it from there  

ETA - before you next try to ride her, it might be worth doing it steps. I had a similiar experience with my afore mentioned TB and trying to get back on him straight away would have been too much of an ask. So I did it gradually, tacked him up and walked him in hand and then getting him to stand quietly, then getting someone else to hold him whilst I faffed around with stirrups and girth and leading him with stirrups down and then leaning over him and getting him to walk on before being able to get on him normally. That was over a week or so, although admittedly he is young and a nervous type.


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## Guest

Hi there she is fine to tack up apart from walking round the stable in circlesshe has lost a bit of weight and muscle,so will get saddle checked,the lady riding kind of lumped over her back when she went to get on,shes a bit heavier than me,she used a step,and had to move it several times because horse kept taking step back.I was a bit nervous about her before this,as ive lost my nerve and interest in riding a bit,now im petrified of her!im also trying to sell her,so its all gone wrong


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## Sophia

I totally sympathise, is there anyone quite lightweight and confident that would ride her a bit for you? 

I know before I got a 'proper' part-time job I used to ride all-sorts of horror ponies and horse's for other people for money, in fact I still do! It's how I ended up with my TB


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## Guest

Dont know anyone lighter than me who would.I used to be so brave,ive always had nutty horses,i had a nasty fall from my mare(the 7 year old tb in question)on the hunting field,my foot got trapped in the stirrup.Luckily she stood still while the rest of the field dissapeared over the ditch and away!it really scared me ,my daughter was with me,i just keep thinking about what would have happened if shed bolted with me hangingshe also is very hormonal and clingy to my friends geldings,and when i walk her past them she squeals and strikes out with her front leg,she caught me in the side the other day.Its all built up now to me being nervous,and considering giving up hot headed,hot blooded horses!shes just so silly,if the geldings next door go in she will run up and down the fence line until she gets taken in,even though she has a field mate.


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## Sophia

I know the feeling very well - my TB seems to be scare himself he breathes too loudly, god forid anything else happening! 

Can you turn her away for a bit? I know you are trying to sell her, but I don't know if the break would do you both any good? 

You could always advertise her as a 'project' horse, that way you wouldn't neccessarily need to do too much with her in the meantime whilst you look for a sympahthetic home for her. (I'm not suggesting you aren't sympathetic as I'm sure you are brilliant with her, but at least if you advertise her as project you are less likely to get novice people view her .. hopefully!)

Although I know that it of course has financial implications ... 

Big hugs for you honey, it's never nice is it.


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## Guest

I considered the brood mare idea,i paid £2500 for her,with no tack,she was bred to race but didnt get big enough quickly,shes by danzig connection,out of mysterious maid(usa)im sure in the right hands she could go far,ive advertised her for £1800 and had mums ringing up for there teenage kids,shes not a kids horse!the money is not really an issue,finding the right home is.Im worried that she could end up somewhere nasty,as horses like her can be misunderstood,probably a loan would be better,but then you run the risk of the person doing the dirty on you!ive had her 2 and a half years and i took on more than i could manage with heri should have stuck to my origional plan of a safe sturdy cob.


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## silent_dreamer85

I wouldnt recomend a loan, they often turn out to be more hassel then they are worth and if the new people have problems it can turn nasty.
In your advert state she is not a novice ride, if you have had her back and everythin checked out and there is not a problem i would suggest working her on the lung for a while before you or if you have anyone else to ride her, have you tried and herbal calmers?
Sometimes this work well with mares, i only ever had 2 mares and they was both pains compared to our geldings! lol
Is she gettin much work? Sometimes the longer you leave them the harder it is, If i was you id get her working on lung for a few weeks until she is working well then give her another try in a school with someone there to help you.


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## Sophia

clare7577 said:


> I considered the brood mare idea,i paid £2500 for her,with no tack,she was bred to race but didnt get big enough quickly,shes by danzig connection,out of mysterious maid(usa)im sure in the right hands she could go far,ive advertised her for £1800 and had mums ringing up for there teenage kids,shes not a kids horse!the money is not really an issue,finding the right home is.Im worried that she could end up somewhere nasty,as horses like her can be misunderstood,probably a loan would be better,but then you run the risk of the person doing the dirty on you!ive had her 2 and a half years and i took on more than i could manage with heri should have stuck to my origional plan of a safe sturdy cob.


No of course, the right home is definately the most important thing. I hope I didn't offend with the money comment and if I did, I apologise as it was certainly wasn't meant to.

I know what you mean about horses being sold on and misunderstood - I don't think any of my three would be 'easy' to sell on ... somehow I've ended up with the rejects and I'd be very wary about selling them on.

I wouldn't rule out loaning - perhaps with a view to sell? That way you can vet the potential owners and they can assess the mare also. There are good loaners out there, it's just unfortunately the good are tarred with the same brush as the bad.

Also, I took my boy on when I was a teenager (in fact, I still am) - again, don't neccessarily rule them out. Of course, if they are fresh out of a RS looking for a sedate hack then they won't be suitable ... but are talented and symathetic teenage riders out there. Plus, with youth on our side we bounce back easily!


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## Guest

Thanks for all your advice,no offence was taken to any commentshe has her good points,i do feel that she looked after me that day on the hunting field,also i have not ridden her for 3/4 weeks at a time and hacked her out and she was a quiet as a mouse!!shes a funny girl,when i first got her i couldnt find a farrier that would touch her,she would rear and kick,thanfully i found a good one who has worked with her,she is now very good and doesnt need sedating or lunging for 45 mins first!i will get her checked out,try a calmer and see what happens.


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## Sophia

That sounds like a sound plan - please keep me updated, I'd love to know how you both get on


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## Guest

will do,thanks again nice to talk to someone with headcase horses also


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## silent_dreamer85

If you can find out what works with her you may not even want to sell!
Our last mare was a proper pain, in stable and under saddle, in the stable she'd bite, threathen, turn her bum on you! Once she took a chunk out of my arm, She chucked me on the main road and i hurt all my back, she was a proper b*tch
We put her on stroppy mare and worked her hard she was a completely different horse, still bit crabby in stable but nothin compared. She enjoyed being out and doing new things.
I was very worried when we sold her as she could be funny and i didnt want anyone gettin hurt or her ending up dumped in a field.
We had lots of people come to see her and eventually we found her a lovely home with an older lady, she was informed of all her quirks and they are getting on fantastic doing some show jumping and xc.
You just have to try different things, it will all come right in the end, there are always people who will help you


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## Guest

Thanks i will try her on stroppy mare,shes a nightmare when shes in season.


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## silent_dreamer85

see how it goes and keep us updated  I definatly try to stick to geldings lol they just seem much more together, You have enough to worry about without your horse having mood swings lol


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## Guest

weve recently got a gelding for my daughter a 14.2 16 year old school master,he can be a git!!he bites and kicks out at his field mate,and sometimes when leading him in hand he runs off!!tried special halters but hes so strong you end up having to let go!!he is a angel to ride though,just thought behaviour might be a bit better than the girls!!


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## Lynsey

The joy of horses. I had a TB / ID a few years ago that scared the hell out of me. I did everything I was meant to when buying him but he turned out to be a psycho. Reared over backwards with me, put me in hospital and all sorts.

I gave him to a friend who rides at PSG dressage and is into natural horsemanship. Knew I was too scared of him and my friend loved a difficult horse. Unfortunately after 1.5 years he had to put him down as he was just too dangerous, would attack you when you went into the stable also. It was down to someone being just too harsh when they broke him.

Got a gorgeous Finnish horse who gave me the confidence to buy a warmblood with a fab nature. Love my boys!

If you feel she ain't right for you then find a good home for her, riding should be fun not scary


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## debzigzag

clare7577 said:


> I considered the brood mare idea,i paid £2500 for her,with no tack,she was bred to race but didnt get big enough quickly,shes by danzig connection,out of mysterious maid(usa)im sure in the right hands she could go far,ive advertised her for £1800 and had mums ringing up for there teenage kids,shes not a kids horse!the money is not really an issue,finding the right home is.Im worried that she could end up somewhere nasty,as horses like her can be misunderstood,probably a loan would be better,but then you run the risk of the person doing the dirty on you!ive had her 2 and a half years and i took on more than i could manage with heri should have stuck to my origional plan of a safe sturdy cob.


even so called sturdy cobs that u think are safe and reliable ar'nt always my little wonderful safe reliable irish cob mare suffers with mud fever and when she's in for the winter she becomes dangerouse to ride hence me ending up with a broken hand 3 yrs ago. but she has such a nice nature and it.s not her fault that she's in for alot of the year so i won't sell her i'm just in the process of getting ready to move her to a new quieter yard with fields that don't get muddy not even in winter, i'm absolutely convinced that i will get my wonderful pony back to the way she was when i bought her 5 yrs ago. 
as for yours u could always send her away for a break and then bring her back to be sent for reschooling. it just depends how much time and money your able to put in to her and if u think she's worth it,


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## Guest

We had a big problem with mud fever last year,my poor old mare had it really bad and as soon as it cleared and i put her back out it came back!The vet said it was in the soil,we had only been at this place for 8 months,and prior to that she hasnt had mud fever for 12 years!!as soon as i moved her she started to heal.Ive got my mare on oestress a hormone imbalance supplement she`s been on it a week now,will be interesting to see if it has any effect,


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## steff79

Sophia said:


> I know the feeling very well - my TB seems to be scare himself he breathes too loudly, god forid anything else happening!
> 
> LOL I have a TB like that!! I took him out hacking today and there was a log in the middle of the path thats not normally there took me 5mins of spinning and snorting before I perswaded him to tiptoe round it!! Harry was convinced it wasn't your average bog standard log and deffinatly of the horse eating variety!!


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## Guest

Unfortunatly its come to a head with maizieits got to the point now where im scared stiff of her.she is permenantly tense,eyes bulging,veins popping looking for anything to freakout about.she even played up for the farrier,which she hasnt done for ages.her seperation anxiety is very bad,i got her and another horse in and she ran round and round the stable screaming and pushing on the door.when i plucked up the courage to try to get on her she threw herself over,again,and went careeing up the road back to the fields.ive pushed along her back,with no response,so i dont think its that.shes due the dentist,ive had her shoes removed and turned her out,i dont even want to get her out the field now.I need someone to take her on,who knows what they are doing as ive bitten off more than i can chew with this onei dont think any kind of calmer will dull this oneshes just to wired.


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## crofty

Hiya

What are you feeding her?


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## Lynsey

Claire, if you don't feel you can handle her it is time to find someone that can. Horses are meant to be fun, not scary. Having been through this myself I know where you are coming from. While you know that you can't deal with this anymore you also feel guilty for feeling like this. There was no way I could sell Otto to some poor unsuspecting soul, he would have killed them and nearly did me. I was lucky, I had a really experienced friend that I gave Otto to who was really good with the natural horse techniques and had the patient of a saint. Even he could not help him and Otto became so dangerous we put him down, but at least he had a chance.

It might be worth speaking to the ILPH or some of the other horse charities that can be really good in situations like this.


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## Guest

Im feeding unmolassed sugar beet,honey chop,and quiet mix,but not a lot as there is loads of grass and zero work.I just give them a bit as my old mare has daily meds,and they would all go potty if i fed just one!i have advertized her as a project mare,i will be 200% honest about all her behaviour,as her welfare is the priority.


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## crofty

If i was you i would just give her bran or denji and some carrots, if shes not being worked and being fed plus having good grass it probably is blowing her mind abit. A lady my dad shoes for was going to sell her welsh mare for the same reasons, when she told me what she was feeding her i couldnt believe it (hard feed!!) and told her to cut it out completely and give her some denji and carrot and good hay, she is a different mare now. I would feed her differently to your older mares, before anyone gets on her lunge her to take the edge off her, its always difficult to get a horse going again after no work and if your nervous she will pick up on it. Sounds like you need a confident rider to take her out a few times and sort her out. Her going up with you is not funny, definetely get her back and saddle checked out.


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## Guest

Hi,
Just because you pushed along maisie's back with no reaction from her, that doesn't mean she doesn't have back pain. You could just be pushing the wrong place, or it could be just a small pain until the rider gets on then its a big pain. Maisie is not behaving like a naughty horse, she is behaving like a worried/frightened horse who is also possibly in pain somewhere. 

Maisie walks round the stable when you try to tack up and moves away from the mounting step when the lady tries to get on. Then she goes mental when the rider is on. Maisie is clearly saying "no" to having this (maybe any) person ride her. Your first step should be to call the vet to see if they can find anything, they will refer you to a phisiotherapist or chiropractor etc if necessary. If you are scared of her that won't help so try to find someone else to handle her until you get to the bottom of this. Maybe she could go on full livery if the stable staff are experienced and willing to deal with her?


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## KellyB

Hi 

Sorry to hear about your problems, I sypathize. I am currently studying Intelligent Horsemanship and Parelli techniques to try and understand horse behaviour - the gentle way. I have found that as I have grown older I have become less confident! Like you, when I was younger I had nerves of steel, in fact with the problem horses I used to ride for people, I am suprised I survived my early years! 

I then had a scare on a motorway bridge a few years ago, and shortly before that got kicked by a young filly on the knee and was out of action for a while. I think when you have a bad experience its very difficult to get your confidence back up.

I recently went to try a horse to buy from a dealer in Stoke on Trent, as I had him vetted he threw me off as soon as I asked him to go forward. He also flinched when I touched a certain part of his back. I decided not to take the horse on as recommeded by the vet (who I flew past as I was hurled from the saddle  ) but if I had the time and the facilities he would have been a good project - but as it turns out I don't.

Why don't you try advertising your horse on: 
Intelligent Horsemanship - Marketplace - Overview
The majority of people who use this site are into intelligent horsemanship and often look for projects to take on, but without using force or violence against the horse.

I do agree with previous comments about getting her fully checked out but I also understand that once your confidence has gone with an animal, it is very difficult to get that back.

Good luck with whatever you decide.


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## momentofmadness

Was your girth pinching her/ Does she need a back person out.. how is she now?


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