[kling10]

Try a new trainer. Every trainer is different & the mare may need just a different training method.

[Fire]

As with a lot of things, having horses (especially adopting them) is an investment. Sometimes that investment pays off or you can turn it around and "get rid of it" by selling if it doesn't work out for you. However, there is a problem when the person doesn't want the horse anymore. It's a fact that the majority of horse owners want a horse they can use. Ride, drive, or breed. Unfortunately there is too much of the latter going on and there are more horses than we know what to do with.

In my personal opinion, if you can't afford the horse and you can't find anyone who will take it (assuming you have exhausted ALL resources in finding a home), it is humane to put the horse down via humane euthanasia. It's sad but it's a fact. I don't know why this person took this horse when they couldn't afford to keep her forever, but I'm not in any place to judge. No one really is. At least she gave the horse a shot that it didn't have before. At least it's not living in its own filth or being abused. She gave the horse a chance.

If the owner can't make a productive partner out of this horse and get a return on her investment, it would be in everyone's best interest to euthanize the horse.

However I would recommend taking the horse to a small show or something and maybe showing in halter or just having her there and offering her for sale. It's worth a shot. To me, though, it would not be worth the risk sending this horse to another bad home. Horses with behavioral problems are more likely to be abused. This horse definitely has behavioral problems and an attitude that will not likely be "fixed." Her problems are probably what got her abused in the first place. I think it would be a dignified end to her life if she were humanely euthanized in the hands of loving and caring people.

[kirsty62]

Thanks Fire for your post. The show idea is a good idea. We are planning to attend a parelli demonstration this Sunday so will ask around there if anyone could take her and work on her. I'm going to email everyone I know in Natural horsemanship as well to see if they can help her. Sarah took Bonnie in the hope she could ride her. With her old horse gradually breaking down (he is just a quiet hack now)she wanted a younger one she could work on and jump etc but unfortunately she was misled in Bonnie's problems. Bonnie has been extremely well looked after and loved since Sarah has had her - it is not an easy option.

[amira_rox]

Look, if worst comes to worst, you may have to shoot her. If you ask me its better than being neglected, half starved in a paddock, and in that situation, all your friend can do is give her the best week of her life, let her be a horse, lots of love, carrots, food, and send her off in style. Its sad, yes, but your friend will just have to think she has saved this horse from a life in a tiny, filthy paddock, and she has had a good half year.
The owner of the property my horse is kept on does the same thing. I frequently see a skinny, wounded and sickly horse, one that is simply beyond saving, show up on the property. This man does what he can for any injures, worms them out, gets their feet done, and they spend the next week living happily, being fed treats and hay by the many people riding out there (we know all to well what is going to happen to the horse) before he puts them down, rather than them dieing in an awful, inhumane slaughter house with their last memories being horrible.

[Pmack]

Has anyone checked this horses hocks? If she is 10 years old, and "used to be" a good horse, it's very possible that her hocks are fusing. This can be a very painful process for some horses. It can cause even the best horses to go crazy when asked to ride. Been there...had it happen to us. We have a big teddy bear horse, too lazy to buck ever in his life, become a "wild thing" He's getting treatment now, and is back to his normal personality.
It would be worth check out. Good luck.

[StarfireArizona]

If she does opt to begin again with another trainer, it would definitely be in her best interest to be a part of that training. Her being there & seeing what this trainer does to progress this horse is paramount. I am really not understanding why some choose to send their horses out for several months to a trainer, and then take them back expecting the same results. I am of the concrete mindset that I will be standing there watching what the trainer does, and then I want him/her to let me attempt the same. Show me how & step out of the way.

I hope things work out for this horse. 10 is still so young with so many more years to give.....

[shaiarabs]

havent read the whole post but on the information you have given I think you should move trainers and find another one that will take more time and care to know and work the horse out, she just sounds like she needs taking right back to the start and restarted again

[tbtrainer]

I agee with finging another trainer... the current trainer sounds like he moved really fast with her... if a horse has not been ridden recently (years), and the previous training is unkown, then your best bet is to start at the begining. Lots of ground driving, some lunging, desensitizing, etc. Usually this takes 2 or 3 weeks of consistant ground work before even a short ride depending on the horse.

It sounds as if he had her for a few days and hopped on her.

[lvmypnt]

I dont even know where to start. This type of thing just makes me incredibly angry. The old saying that "The road to h*ll is paved with good intentions" is in my head.

First off your friend knew this horse had a bucking problem and she wanted something she could "work with." Now that she has bitten off more than she can chew, the horse will be the one to suffer. This happens constantley. I wish people would realize their knoweldge, experience and limitations prior to making the commitment of rescuing a problem horse.

With the above being said. I personally would switch trainers. If a trainer ever said to me after 5 days that "the horse just doesnt want to be ridden" I would kick them to the curb promptly.

I think the owner needs to go back to the beginning with this horse and treat the horse as if it has never been mounted.

Clinton Anderson has a wonderful Colt Starting Series and then follow up with Gaining Respect and Control from the Ground or Lunging for respect . I think in this case it would really help both horse and owner.

The owner made this commitment of her own free will, now she needs to step up and follow through with the decision she has made. Instead of trying to take the easy way out at the expense of the horse.

[Berlunz]

Okay so most everyone has covered the dont take in a horse you cant afford. While I realize your friend had good intentions you have to realize that a lot of the horses who end up neglected and starved started out as the owner taking on more horses than they could handle then thinking the would turn them around and couldn't.

What I realize no one else has said is please please please do not make this mare a broodmare. Your logic was this horse is not in pain she just has a bad temper so lets breed her. BAD IDEA. Then not only is this mare out there with problems but then you breed her and possibly pass it on too how many foals and duplicate the problem.

In the end though it may not be this mares temperment. First off your saddle fits but your trainers may not. Secondly it sounds like he just jumped right up on a mare with no real riding experience for years and she did what I would have guessed she would do. She exploded. We got a 7 year old mare from the auction, owners claimed she was a retired OTTB who became a "trail mare". My step dad got on her to ride her and that mare exploded. Broke 2 sets of reins before she settled. We found out later that what they meant by trail mare was, that after she had been out on the track they rode her on the trail a few times then put her away in a pasture until they brought her to the auction...

I am not really one who likes the jump on the bucking horse and work through the issues while they throw a tantrum, mostly because I dont have a death wish. But lots of people do it this way, my stepdad one, it took over a week for that mare to settle and stop going into major rodeo mode at the drop of a pin. I know of a guy at the auction who was able to ride out pretty much anything (everyone paid him to ride their horses in the ring if they didnt want to ride themselves). Only ever once saw that man come off when he was partially drunk and someone gave him a 4 year old who had never even been sat on before (without oh so conveniently telling him..). He buys horses like that all the time and after 3 months worth of work he will resell them and its never simple easy one time bucking fit and then their cured. If your going to do it the get on and work through it that way method, your going to have to be willing to put up with a lot and realize its going to take just about as long as starting from the ground working up.