If all the stars align perfectly, she might be able to place him. Absolutely not as a school horse.
Someone like Carli.
But there aren’t so many people like that around and its very likely that the horse will become unsound and/or seriously hurt someone.
I have to wonder what is going on with a horse that takes 10 min to bridle. The horse is being incredible defensive due to pain and/or has some very dangerous learned behavior.
[QUOTE=DancingArabian;7523394]
The attitude is either pain related or training related, IMO. No reason why it can’t be fixed if either are the case.
No I wouldn’t take a horse like that in.[/QUOTE]
I contacted his first owner, who had bought him when he was two, and she said that he already had his behavioral problems back then. She said that natural horsemanship training helped a little, but not much.
[QUOTE=exploding pony;7523471]
If all the stars align perfectly, she might be able to place him. Absolutely not as a school horse.
Someone like Carli.
But there aren’t so many people like that around and its very likely that the horse will become unsound and/or seriously hurt someone.
I have to wonder what is going on with a horse that takes 10 min to bridle. The horse is being incredible defensive due to pain and/or has some very dangerous learned behavior.[/QUOTE]
Since I’ve had nearly every part of him checked out by a vet, I’m almost certain that his behavior isn’t pain related. I think that it is all learned behavior that was encouraged by everyone around him being so scared. But I do still think that I may try the bute trial. The thing is, when I was the only person to consistently work with him, his behavior got better (less biting, almost no kicking) towards me, but remained the same towards everyone else. When I bridled him, I used an apple flavored happy-mouth bit and apple bit wipes, which made the process a bit easier. I just had a vet check his teeth and float them, so there’s definitely no problem there.
Thank you everyone for all your help!
[QUOTE=Countrywood;7522687]
Usually a horse that nobody took the time to care enough about to teach manners to. Poor horse.[/QUOTE]
yep
LOL. You mean she wiggled an orange rope at a rank horse and nothing happened? Whoda thunk it.
Has anyone ever bothered to have a serious C TJ meeting with this poor animal? Here he is many years later nearly unhomeable. What a shame.
not me but maybe if I had a farm and did not board
Know someone who took on such a horse. And just like OP, horse became well behaved with new owner, and after a year or two with others as well. New owner was a professional and very consistent with work and not accepting bad behavior. Sadly, horse did eventually had to be put down because of ligament issues.
The only thing I could see would be a young professional looking for a horse and willing to take the risk of it breaking down.
i would take him and turn him out for a good long time and then bring him back in and start all over. and i’d probably fail too, so there you go.
My friend had a horse that she owned from the time he fell out of his mama. She did every bit of his training herself, and from the first day I laid eyes on the horse (still at his dam’s side) he was a buster. My friend didn’t take any crap off this horse, but he retained his unpredictable temperament and attacked several people over the years including my friend. He mauled her (seriously) in the stall at a show and I shudder to think what could’ve happened if we hadn’t been there to intervene. She sold him with full disclosure about his temperament, and he attacked his new owner while someone else was riding him! The owner was fixing a keeper on his bridle and he snapped at her. She instinctively popped him to correct him and he flipped out and took her down to the ground with the girl on his back fighting to pull him off the woman via the reins. They said if it wasn’t for the girl on him, he would’ve definitely kept attacking the woman while she was down.
That horse came over his Dutch door at my friend’s barn and bit a small child’s head as the kid was walking by. He also ripped a farrier’s shirt half off.
All that said, I do think there were conditions that might’ve contributed. One, my friend was hardly abusive, but she nit-picked that horse to death from day one. She’s a perfectionist, and she was quick to correct but offered rare praise/release.
Two, from the time the horse was weaned, he was pastured alone and never learned to socialize and about pecking orders, etc. He was top dog in his mind, and he never met a human that convinced him otherwise. All my friend did was basically piss him off regularly and then punish him for getting pissed, but you could tell he didn’t have respect (can’t really blame him).
Third, he did have some minor soundness issues that came about later with his stifles. He was always stiff, resistant, and pissy under saddle.
I’m not sure what ever became of that horse, but I always felt like MAYBE he could be turned around with the right approach. Were I ever to get him (and only because I know his entire history very well), I’d do a couple of things. First, he’d get turned out with my geldings to learn to be a horse. They’re a good group who will be kind and accepting when appropriate but also lay down the law when needed to. I’d also be ready for him should he ever indicate he’s going to come after me. I’ve seen him draw blood on people in vicious attacks, and as far as I’m concerned I need to at least make him think I can kill him. I’ve seen how horses get each other’s respect, and it’s not always pretty. I love my critters, but they all know I will open up a can of whoop ass in a heartbeat if they forget who’s boss (which is why they never forget! Lol!)
So would I take a horse like this? Maybe. I hate to see a horse like that because a nasty horse is usually an unhappy horse. I’d at least try to fix his brain. I might fail, but it’s worth a shot.
(not saying I want him! I’ve got enough to feed! Lol!)
I would, and I did. Ground manners can be fixed. Grumpy behavior is often due to not enough turnout and underlying ulcers. Also fixable. The real question is the injury, and what the prognosis is.
I was given a horse like this. He was injured and he was an asshole, pardon the French The barn workers refused to deal with him anymore. I was pregnant, not riding, and took him on as a project. He came sound with some rehab, learned quickly who was boss and what was acceptable, and in return I never ever shut him in a stall. He is a different boy.
He is still a handful but is going on lease to a pony clubber this summer. I am very thankful to have found him!
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