Rescue horses and Dressage

[Countrywood]

[QUOTE=bafegles;7672577]
Has anyone adopted a rescue horse and successfully trained/showed Dressage? I know I’m in “I’m dreaming” mode right now but I’ve been perusing the local rescues and looking at the horses they have on their sites.

One place I went to today was Habitat for Horses and I saw this guy:

Black Sabbath

I haven’t a clue what it is but the instant I saw him I wanted him. Maybe it’s the challenge; maybe it’s something else; maybe I’m just nuts!

The pictures and descriptions are the only thing I have to go by at this point but I’d love your opinions on him as a project/prospect.[/QUOTE]

Great prospect if you want to check out your local ER.

Mustangs can make nice riding horses but are not for the faint of heart ( in my limited experience)

I did the rescue wild mustang thing ( sort of), with a half mustang who had lived his entire life in a field, never ridden 12 years old. What possessed me to do that, I think was a mental unbalance, in retrospect. Lucky for me, he is sweet as sugar and loves people, because I found out I am no horse whisper. Though very nice 95 % of the time, he can turn scary and unpredictable not out of meanness but out of fear. Goes from a gentle love bug to snorting, crazed looking wants to flee and cant’ be reached mentally , till he calms down which can be…awhile. Both under saddle and on the ground.

Progress with these horses can be very, very slow, as the person who was so wonderful (thank you, that was a wonderful thing she did ) to rescue a poor horse in a stall all his life. These animals come with psyches that are not the same as regular horses.

The progress can be so slow you never get around to much dressage. It took me a YEAR to get him to stand at the mounting block to mount, for example. Quite an achievement but guess what there are no horse shows or medals or awards for that. While other people are moving up the levels in dressage, all the time goes into getting these horses to do the most simple, ordinary things without freaking out.

It can be rewarding and bonding and educational and all that, but I would never, ever, do it again.

If it’s a mustang you want, get the gentlest, most trained one you can, forget the romantic back story or the challenge/ego trip of taking a wild creature and making it tame. Msutangs can have nice gaits and movements for dressage. We are finally getting to do some after 3 years of baby steps to rideablity.

[ladyj79]

I may be alone in this, but I don’t consider mustangs, chincoteagues, etc to be “rescue” horses. They have very different requirements and temperaments than traditional domesticated horses that have fallen on hard times, even been unhandled. Being an experienced trainer or rider of domesticated horses, even difficult ones, is not necessarily going to provide you with the skill set necessary for success with these animals.

[Countrywood]

agree. ladyj79. Fascinating horses but very different from domestic, even after they have had training imo.

[DaniW]

[QUOTE=bafegles;7672612]
I did read that part and am taking it into account. I’d have to see him to get a real feeling for compatibility but I’ve always been the one to gain the trust and get along with horses that most others couldn’t handle. I have no idea why but the idea of working with that doesn’t frighten me. I do know, of course, that it would take a lot of patience, caution, and persistence to work through it. Even then it may not happen but something deep inside me wants to try.

His age and length of time as a stallion also have a lot to add to that. I won’t be stupid or rose-colored-glasses either. :)[/QUOTE]

I used to love a challenge too. I still do but I hopefully know my limits after one particularly bad fall. I measure my riding life to be before and after that fall.
I knew that horse had put someone in the hospital, but no I thought I could be the one to “save” it. And I wasn’t the owner, I was just a volunteer trainer for the owner.

It would be great if the current young could learn from the previous generations’ young and stupid moments.

There are plenty of rescue horses that can do dressage and deserve to be rescued and aren’t dangerous to their person.

There is no glory in being the one person that the horse will accept - that means that horse is still dangerous to everyone else handling it or nearby and you by extension are responsible for those people.

[PeteyPie]

[QUOTE=DaniW;7673162]

There is no glory in being the one person that the horse will accept - that means that horse is still dangerous to everyone else handling it or nearby and you by extension are responsible for those people.[/QUOTE]

Wow, that’s quote worthy. Sometimes people phrase things so well, so succinctly that I wish I kept a file of wise observations. Thanks, DaniW.

Like.

[NoDQhere]

Descriptions like this make my blood run cold. In my opinion the “Rescue” is being very irresponsible in offering this horse for adoption, knowing he can be “unpredictable”. Most people have no idea just how fast a horse can attack and maim or kill a human. And even if he injures a person “accidentally” you are still just as hurt or just as dead!

Please, just don’t. There are so many nice horses out there…

[HenryisBlaisin]

A rescue horse can be anything, depending on age, conformation, training, and temperament. I have a rescue who was one an upper-level dressage horse before she got injured and fell on hard times. I have another, a Western pleasure trained Appaloosa of all things, who I ended up riding at a dressage clinic due to a last minute student emergency, so student rode my usual horse, and I rode the mare…and the clinician loved her 20-something, mostly blind, quirky spotted tank of a self. She kept saying what a nice mover the mare is and how she has potential. If she was younger, who knows. She’s currently very happy as a lesson and trail horse, but could easily learn lower level stuff.

This horse you’re looking at, though, is more than a simple rescue. We have a mare like that on our farm-she was feral until she was 5 and then mishandled to the point where she was terrified of humans. She is beautiful…stunningly, strikingly beautiful. And she’s better now, as in she can be led and handled by an experienced horseman and she will come to people for treats at the fence. But she has never been ridden and will probably never be–because she learned somewhere along the way that self-defense is number one and she will do anything to get out of a pressure situation, and will never be predictable. She is beautiful and sweet in her own way, but after years invested in her, she has come a very long way, but will never be what she might have been if her life had started differently.

Are you prepared to take on a horse that may never be ready to be ridden by anyone, or whose scars run so deep that he will never be trustworthy? Whoever takes this horse has a long road ahead. It could be very rewarding, but it could very well also be very disappointing.

[quietann]

Yes he’s nice-looking… but a reputable rescue would either keep him forever, or put him down… rather than making him someone else’s problem.

Take a look at some of the BLM horses posted here… still Mustangs, but ones without his history, and who by all appearances like people.

[DaniW]

[QUOTE=PeteyPie;7673303]
Wow, that’s quote worthy. Sometimes people phrase things so well, so succinctly that I wish I kept a file of wise observations. Thanks, DaniW.

Like.[/QUOTE]

Aw, thanks.

[RhythmNCruise]

The word “unpredictable” in a horse’s description is an automatic deal-breaker to me. They’re horses, animals, so a little unpredictability goes without saying. The fact that it is being pointed out means thus particular horse has done something above and beyond the normal level of unpredictability that one assumes a horse may exhibit. He’s probably come close to hurting some folks, if he hadn’t already. You can almost bet on it.

Want to rescue a horse? That’s awesome. There are thousands of them out there with good hearts that will not pose a serious risk to your health.

[kpony]

I think he has a beautiful sturdy build and could easily fall in love with the presence he shows in that picture. But training any horse for dressage is a challenge - agree with others. It sounds like people experienced with mustangs have already tried and failed. So maybe a mustang, but not this handsome fellow.

[Countrywood]

He’s a good looking horse but even without the description his head is kind of bull like esp in expression…though I may be prejudiced from the description. I agree with whoever said this rescue is not being responsible putting him up for adoption to the general public. Even though they did give a warning.

You’d need special set up to even deal with a horse like that. High walled round pen extra high fencing paddocks, etc. Imo the rescue is in a tough spot what to do with him.

[Tnavas]

Any horse should be able to be schooled to Level 3 dressage. Whether they can do it well or good enough to win ribbons depends on several factors, including riders ability and temperament of the horse.

Looking at this add I’d say leave well alone. It’s still feral, skittish and untrained. However we aren’t told how old it is or how long it’s been in captivity.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=bafegles;7672612]
I did read that part and am taking it into account. I’d have to see him to get a real feeling for compatibility but I’ve always been the one to gain the trust and get along with horses that most others couldn’t handle. I have no idea why but the idea of working with that doesn’t frighten me. I do know, of course, that it would take a lot of patience, caution, and persistence to work through it. Even then it may not happen but something deep inside me wants to try.

His age and length of time as a stallion also have a lot to add to that. I won’t be stupid or rose-colored-glasses either. :)[/QUOTE]

With all due respect, OP, rose colored glasses are exactly what you are viewing this horse through… That you and this horse will have a majikal, special connection straight out of a Walter Farley book.

The few sentences of description given on the web site are enough to send the vast majority of “very experienced, calm trainers” running in the opposite direction, because most people who have trained a lot of horses aren’t willing to risk their necks trying to tame a rogue.

If you really want to rescue a horse, find a kind equine soul that has fallen on hard times, or if you really want a mustang, there are plenty out there that are receptive to human contact. You are still rescuing and training a horse, and it’s no less of an accomplishment just because the horse wasn’t a total @!&$?$ nut job to begin with.

[shadowkat]

About three years back, I adopted a rescue horse. 6 years old, recently gelded, minimal handling except for the odd bashing, and kept in a small yard his whole life.
It took a year of groundwork before I started him, and now two ridden years on he’s still pretty green.
I love him to pieces, and I’d never part with him. But I won’t let anyone except a real, trusted professional handle him - because he is a dangerous horse. He is dominant, and sometimes aggressive. He’ll bite and kick if he can get away with it. He can’t extend his trust and respect for one person (me) to anyone else, without them proving themselves.
I am lucky to have come this far with him. I am an experienced horse person, but I’d never dealt with a feral before. I have learned more from this horse than in all the years I’ve been around horses before. Honestly, I probably wasn’t experienced enough for a horse like him, and it really is luck more than skill that has kept me from being hurt dealing with him. Now I do have the skill - and getting it has taught me caution.
Get a rescue if you want, a shy, timid one who needs a friend. But not a real wild soul. For your sake, for your happiness and your safety.
I won the Black Stallion lottery, at a million to one odds. But I wouldn’t recommend buying a ticket.

[Countrywood]

Shadowkat, my experience is similar, as I wrote…though my horse will not bite or kick, he is timid in that way. But he has deep seated fear issues from years of living with no outside stimulus and when he goes into panic mode it’s very intense.

A feral or little handled horse can soak up years getting simple rideablity or ground manners/stall life etc. Majority of time will be spent getting them to cross tie, stand for mounting, pick up feet. none of which has anything to do with dressage. it can be very rewarding and a great learning experience but will set you back on dressage timeline if it;s the only horse you are able to own.

[Countrywood]

A regular horse with at least some training who has fallen on hard times and needs rescuing will need much less time to get to riding stage ready for dressage.

It depends what you want and what appeals to you, just know what is realistic in terms of time before you go in ( mine was an impulse decision lol)

[exploding_pony]

My old guy was a handful. Difficult/dramatic/naughty/spooky. I loved him to death. But it was always very difficult. I had him 22 years and it never changed. Part of the reason that I had him his whole life was that I could never even consider selling him, even when I outgrew him.

It was an amazing journey and I would not trade it. But I would never in a million years take it on again.

And he wasn’t a feral, unhandled mustang. He was just a handful of a horse.

There are so many nice horses out there that need to be brought along and developed. It’s hard enough when you have a super easy horse.

If you feel strongly that you want to help this horse, pay for a trainer to work with the horse for six months at the rescue and see how that goes. It would be great to prove us all wrong. But don’t take it on yourself without doing that first.

If you can’t afford six months of full training, don’t even consider taking on the horse. Because a horse like this will probably need like a decade of full training and even then you might not ever be able to safely handle it.

[Dressagelvr]

It would be unfair to this horse to have any riding goals whatsoever for it.

That you asked the question shows that you would be a poor match for this horse.

Rescuing a horse is an admirable pursuit. Find a domesticated horse that can meet your needs. In this day and age, there are many of all breeds and ages.

[gypsymare]

Run the other way. Life is too short to deal with unpredictable and dangerous horses. It gets really really old when the 300th time you’ve saddled and worked with the beast you still can’t manage a lap around the ring without fearing for your life because a pigeon or the door opening or the 300th time he’s heard velcro it sounds funny and he flies into a bucking, spinning, striking rage. I had to give up on a rogue horse. Even with very experienced professional help. It’s not worth it.