I'm at my wits end- need help with a super-reactive horse

[Amberley]

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[Mcl1]

Along with or after giving the ulcer meds time to work - do you feel comfortable riding her or is there someone around who might be willing to? Obviously only you know your comfort level and her thresholds, but given that she was good under saddle when you tried her it might be worth a shot. My guy is 10000 times worse on the ground than under saddle when he is fresh and if I gave him time off and then waited for him to settle on the ground before riding him again…well I would never ride again. Even if they were only riding her 2-3 times a week it may have been enough to keep her focused.

[SusanO]

She may not be a bad horse but she may be a bad horse for you. It sounds like she is going to require a lot of time and strict handling to slowly make her a good citizen. If you do not have the time or effort she requires - you are not a bad person. You just did not realize that she was going to be such a big job. Better to realize that before you get in too deep.

Now she may have ulcers and she may take a while to adjust to her new lifestyle including a pig. So she might start to chill out somewhat or not. If she has spent most of her life in a pasture with her buds and not so much human interaction, this new lifestyle is a real shock. If it doesn’t work for her - you are not a failure. You two just needed something different.

[ParadoxFarm]

@BeeHoney

IMO it’s unrealistic to expect to get a decent trail/pleasure horse prospect from a rescue, and I think it is a far better value to spend some up front money (even saving up if you have to) to get a horse with a better chance of success.

I do think, though, that often what people refer to as “rescues” in the OTTB world are erroneously identified as rescues. A better term would be adoption facility. Or better yet, a retraining and placement facility. (Adoption sets up its own set of laws – many of which are not followed by adoption facilities). So maybe this horse was not from a “rescue” in the true sense of the word.

[Spudsmyguy]

My horses must have been the exception. When my neighbor bought a couple of pigs, my horses expressed mild interest then ignored them completely.

[ParadoxFarm]

@Mcl1

My guy is 10000 times worse on the ground than under saddle when he is fresh and if I gave him time off and then waited for him to settle on the ground before riding him again

My last OTTB was the same. He was anxious and quirky on the ground. Actually difficult to handle and tack up at times. As soon as you put a bit in his mouth, though, he settled down and was ready for business. He was perfect for mounting and riding. A joy to ride.

[trubandloki]

@ParadoxFarm

I do think, though, that often what people refer to as “rescues” in the OTTB world are erroneously identified as rescues. A better term would be adoption facility. Or better yet, a retraining and placement facility. (Adoption sets up its own set of laws – many of which are not followed by adoption facilities). So maybe this horse was not from a “rescue” in the true sense of the word.

Very well said!
Liking it once was not enough for me. It needs to be repeated.