What would you do?

[shadesofbay3]

update - and hopefully i don’t get eaten alive for this

i have decided (at this point) to keep him… my reasoning is as follows:

-i set him up for failure… he hadnt been ridden in several days and was in the night prior… horses were acting wild, so i should have been expecting some reaction
-out of nearly half a year of owning him, this is the only time he hasn’t been able to keep it together. there have been multiple occasions where he could have been an ass, but wasn’t
-it is winter and the freshness should be expected to a degree, especially with a young horse and a green one
-last but not least, i do love him

i didn’t have the energy in the midst of everything to come in and correct everyone with the comments towards my trainers, but both of them are absolutely great and i do genuinely feel have my best interests at heart. maybe i wasn’t clear, but they are willing to work with my horse and ride him since he has come back from his 30 days of training; i dont think they really wanted to get on him initially after the rear and i can’t say i blame them. as of now, they plan to ride him 2-3 times a week and there is also a very good college student who plans to go pro who rides at my barn who is going to ride him (under trainer supervision)

come the spring, if i’m still not feeling it and/or if he does it again, i’ll sell him. i’m not going to push myself to do anything i’m not comfortable with, and in the meantime i’m still going to ride some schoolmasters. but i can’t get 100% on board with selling him at this time and don’t want to.

i do appreciate all of the advice from everyone

[RedHorses]

Good for you! At one point I was really struggling with my young horse and I had a long term clinician advise me to do just that - set a time limit with specific criteria to determine if it was time to sell the horse. I had dealt with so many, seemingly never ending issues that I was tired. After the discussion I thought about it and realized there was only one major issue left at that point, used my time period to address it, and ended up keeping the horse.

Good luck!

[OverandOnward]

Thank you for the update. It is much appreciated that you are taking the trouble to share it.

It is right to make the decision that is right for you. If your heart is telling you something, it’s good to listen.

What concerns me going forward is your judgment, as reflected less in your choice of horse, and more in the way that you seem to be making decisions about your riding on a day-to-day basis. What matters most is not explaing what the horse did. It’s explaining what you did. How you made the decision to do x, y or z, that led to a risky outcome.

Basically – if you think that your immediate plan to do something, with or on a horse, has a fair chance of putting you in a risky situation, even landing you in the hospital – don’t do it. Take another path for that day. Enjoy a different, safer experience.

I wonder if you don’t have some inner urges to do things that you think you should be able to do, that aren’t well calibrated to your actual safety.

There is no reason to push yourself. In fact, indulging in pushing yourself (more than the horse) might be the thing that, over the next few months, leads to a need to sell this horse.

Whereas going in a slower, safer, more relaxed manner might lead to a good outcome with him. Fewer challenges might mean that you and he will be going successfully in a few months, which would be a great outcome for both of you. Hope you will give that some consideration.

Take good care of yourself and all the best with your horse! Looking forward to an encouraging new update in a few months!

[Warmblood1]

I would support you if you chose to sell the horse but I wouldn’t have sold him either. I think your plan is super solid. This is your journey and it doesn’t matter what someone else thinks or would do. Enjoy it!

[endlessclimb]

Sounds like a solid plan! And you riding schoolmasters in the meantime is a great idea to keep your sea legs.

[fivestrideline]

Best of luck! Hoping for success and good updates to come!

[shadesofbay3]

well here’s an update and it’s not a good one

the rearing is definitely not a one time thing.

he’s been doing it more on the ground and today he did it again under saddle with a acquaintance of mine, who was doing a trial ride on him… if all went well she was going to ride him weekly for me to help my confidence on him

im done. he needs to go. this isn’t fun.

the problem is though, who the hell is going to buy a horse with a rearing problem? and i’m not here to debate the semantics over whether he has a “problem” or not… but who would buy that? not only that, i’m obviously going to take a huge loss

i bought him in the low 5s, starting with a 3… obviously not going to get anywhere close back to that. i’m so lost right now i just want to cry

[dmveventer]

I’m sorry it didn’t work out better for you. I think your best bet is to send him off for training and consignment with a competent professional who can assess the situation with fresh eyes. I think you can honestly tell the new program that you and the horse are not a good fit and you aren’t sure if he actually has a rearing problem or if it’s just bad chemistry between the two of you that’s gotten out of hand. At his age it’s very possible that the behavior would go away in a different situation, he’s not necessarily a lost cause. Not every pro will be willing to take that on but you should be able to find one that will. From there if they feel confident he’d be fine with a different rider that’ll give you more options for a sale, and if not at least you’ll know you tried.

[endlessclimb]

Agreed 100%. He needs a fresh set of eyes and hands.

[luvmyhackney]

I’m so sorry to read its not working out. And agree, if it’s not fun, move him along.

[fivestrideline]

@dmveventer

I’m sorry it didn’t work out better for you. I think your best bet is to send him off for training and consignment with a competent professional who can assess the situation with fresh eyes. I think you can honestly tell the new program that you and the horse are not a good fit and you aren’t sure if he actually has a rearing problem or if it’s just bad chemistry between the two of you that’s gotten out of hand. At his age it’s very possible that the behavior would go away in a different situation, he’s not necessarily a lost cause. Not every pro will be willing to take that on but you should be able to find one that will. From there if they feel confident he’d be fine with a different rider that’ll give you more options for a sale, and if not at least you’ll know you tried.

This. I’m sorry this didn’t work out as you (and I!) had hoped.

I see no issue sending him to a reputable consignment barn with FULL disclosure. Let them evaluate whether he’s a pro ride, needs a different routine, or perhaps he IS a rearer. The base truth is that you, OP, aren’t a good fit for this horse, and you don’t have the program at home to work this out. Time to let someone with a different toolbox evaluate him.

I’m really hoping he just needs a change and this isn’t a physical/mental issue. I’ve handled some OTTBs with histories of dramatics, and most of them were easily handled by the right people. And often grew out of it.

Good luck OP. I’m sure retiring him yourself isn’t ideal, but for his sake I hope you’ll keep that option open if this isn’t a thing a pro can address. I don’t think you’re to that point yet though.

[endlessclimb]

I would not retire a horse who has a propensity for rearing in hand. If even groundwork is dangerous, they are euthed.

[fivestrideline]

Agree. But I figured OP isn’t quite there yet - nor is the horse.

[NaturallyHappy]

@endlessclimb

I would not retire a horse who has a propensity for rearing in hand. If even groundwork is dangerous, they are euthed.

Many, many years ago, a friend imported a very expensive dressage horse who reared and broke her back. It was supposedly a “on off” and probably the fault of the dressage trainer…too much pressure and no where to go.

No professional wanted to be responsible for the sale of this horse due to liability.

OP, is there any chance you could donate him to a university program for research?? That is what my friend did. It was a tax deduction for her. I’m really sorry this is happening to you.

[chocolate_chip_in]

This is very wise advice. He needs a new situation ASAP with someone who doesn’t have baggage, and can interrupt this pattern before it gets any worse (if it is in fact behavioral).

OP, I’m so sorry this is happening to you.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

OP, I think you’re making a very wise decision, and while your regrets about the money and the horse are so understandable, the tiny bright side is that you are stepping away before you got hurt, and you’re making the decision now he’s young enough to hopefully get reschooled–maybe for a young, very brave rider looking for a fancy horse at a budget price.

[Alterration]

@shadesofbay3

the problem is though, who the hell is going to buy a horse with a rearing problem? and i’m not here to debate the semantics over whether he has a “problem” or not… but who would buy that? not only that, i’m obviously going to take a huge loss

You may find someone willing to take him on. The fact that he has some physical issues does point to something perhaps causing the rearing physically.

At the same time, he’s at the age where they start to really feel themselves and express strong opinions about how they’d like to be ridden. It takes a tactful ride to ride horses at that age, and some of them have stronger opinions than others.

I think you’re doing the right thing by both of you by moving him on, but take heart, there may be a different management style (perhaps more turnout, perhaps less mental pressure, perhaps a different trainer) that will help him. Not every horse and rider combo is "right’. And sometimes those combos can be surprising.

When I read your first post, I did want to say - even my steady eddies would have been up for some malarkey under that scenario. The golden rule with horses in general is always set them up for success but it’s UBER key for troubled and young horses. You almost have to be too conservative. The only reason I’m saying that is that if you do sell him on successfully and get something else, I want you to realize that it’s OK to over-prepare a horse in the interests of safety. I had a really hard time with that after I became an older adult - I wanted to just “jump on and be able to do all the things I used to be able to do”. But my balance has changed, my physical capabilities have changed, and my bravery has changed. Now I know how to work within my limits and it’s OK.

Good luck I hope he finds his perfect person and that you find something that suits you well!

[Scaramouch]

OP there is absolutely no shame in concluding that this horse is not working for you at this time and moving him on!

That said I have to wonder about the timeline here. From what I can tell horse went out for 30 days somewhere in the November/December range.
So was the result of his 30 days’ training? Did he exhibit the rearing behavior there or not? When you brought him home did you have an understanding of what causes the rearing and how to stop going down that path with him in a given situation before he does it? Or did they just say “he’s fine, have fun with him?”

What has he been doing, who has been riding him, for the last six weeks? Tbh this doesn’t sound like a horse who is going to do best with a bunch of different riders (pro/owner/“acquaintance”) with a varying understanding of his issues. So again I don’t disagree that he isn’t the horse for the OP but with the information we have it’s hard to condemn him as an unsellable problem horse either.

OP where generally are you located? Someone on this forum could probably recommend a sales program that would suit him……

[luvmyhackney]

I don’t know where you are located but if you are sending him off to be sold, I would look at somewhere like Martin and Joe at The Frame Sporthorses in Middleburg. They are great with young, naughty horses.

[Pico_Banana]

@Scaramouch

OP where generally are you located? Someone on this forum could probably recommend a sales program that would suit him……

Yes, please let us know and see if we can help. I could recommend a great person in New England.