[Finallyownhorse]

I sent our mustang Sammy to a trainer after he threw me off this past Spring. I believed it was from an ill fitting saddle. I have since purchased a crates saddle from someone on here.

We sent him to a trainer in August for 30 days to be sure he was a safe horse. At the two week mark we went and see him. He was a completely different horse. Well mannered and respectful. The trainer worked with me also. I learned how to properly lunge and do ground work.

Sammy at trainers:


I had not gotten on the horse yet because of my injury last Spring had made me gun shy. I have in the last couple weeks built up the nerve to get on our old horses. All went well. My sister visited and worked with me on riding again. It made all the difference in the world.

Today we went to pick Sammy up from the trainer. She went through the paces and said she wants me to ride him before we leave. I was also going to get further riding lessons from her.

(trainer riding in pic)

Sammy was responding to voice commands, stood still while mounting, moved through the gates as smooth as butter when the trainer was riding.

Sammy is a big horse at 16 hh. Hubby helped me mount and all was going well at first. Soon Sammy tried to pull stuff to see if he could. The trainer was right there working with me to deal with his naughtiness (brushing me against the pen pannels, wanting to stop, etc). The longer I was on, the more stuborn he got.

He was to the point were he was refusing to move. So she gave me a whip. She said only tap him because she didn't want him to jolt forward. So I got him to go around the pen.

His next thing was to be afraid of a puddle. So she had me make him go through it over and over again. (he went through it fine when she was riding)

It looked like things were going well until he decided to jump the puddle. I do not ride well. It threw me off balance. I gave him the "Whoa" and pulled back. Instead of stopping he braced his head and took off.

I pulled back like she had showed me, but he was refusing to stop. So I side pulled to bring his head around to force him to stop. He ran with his head turned and started kicking up his back legs. So I had to release the rein pressure in order to hold on to the saddle better.

We went completely out of control. He was flying around the pen, refusing to listen to the trainer or me. I have never ridden faster than a canter in my life. We were going faster than a canter.

I don't know how many times we went around the large round pen, but it was a lot. I barely stayed on and it took the trainer taking a whip to his face to get him to stop.

He wouldn't respect her body language or her commands. The whip was a last ditch effort to get him to stop. (No I wasn't screaming my head off or anything else that would make him run out of fear. He was intentionally running and ignoring the trainer.)

I was shaken and very traumatized. I couldn't stop crying once I got off and was safe. The trainer was horrified. Sammy had never done anything remotely dangerous during his entire time there. He was lazy and a bit pushy, but nothing like he demonstrated at that moment.

She got on him afterwards and he did everything he was told. Completely different animal than the one that just took off with me.

She told me to get rid of him. During his stay there he was curious and friendly. She said she would have never guessed that he would run off with me, much less, refuse to listen to anything.

So we are selling Sammy. We priced him cheap, very cheap. I have $1,500 into his purchase price and another $450 in training. We are listing him for $750 O.B.O. and saying it needs to be an experienced rider.

If he doesn't sell in two weeks, the trainer is going to ride him in a local horse auction. I need to call the local auction house tomorrow to see if I can still get him into the catalog. It might be too late.

Chances are, we won't get $750 at an auction, but I don't care. I was terrified and I hurt all over my body. Once the addrenaline wore off, I could feel the strain and was starting to shake.

First we bought a crazy drugged horse, now this. I am done buying horses. I dread the day our old, trustworthy horses die and we need to buy another mount.

Well, that was my update on Mustang Sammy.

First day at our house:


This Spring with his winter coat gone:



Showing his curious side:


What he did to me this Spring (before surgery):

[riderofthehorse]

I'm so sorry about that. Horses in general do seem to respect their trainer a tad more than the owner, but for him to pull a stunt like that...
It's weird. Hope all goes well though and he finds a home better suited.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Life is too short to keep a horse that scares the c.rap out of us. I am so sorry this happened...

You are doing the right thing.

((HUGS))

[Jess!]

I am so sorry *hugs* That is completely uncalled for what he did, and it doesn't really sound normal. Horses do really listen to better riders, but for him to do that is just....odd.

I'm sorry

[GingerSnap]

(((Hugs)))....Like HJ said life is to short to to have horses that scare us. Especially ones that know that they can do it. He's got your number and thats all it took. Thats ok though it doesn't make you a bad rider, he is just NOT the horse for you.

I have bought about 20 horses trying to find the perfect one so don't give up it can and will happen. I finally have horses that are perfect for me, but it took a while.

I got spoiled as a child and had my very first horse that I have owned now for 26 yrs. there is a bond there that is unbreakable so it' hard to find another horse that can live up to the standard that Misty has set! lol..

I wish you luck when the time comes to find that new horse, and I wish you more luck getting Sammy sold in such a rotten market!

[Finallyownhorse]

It was beyond odd. He had never done anything like that before. And why the heck not stop? He is a lazy cuss.

What he did goes against all logic. At first when Sammy wasn't listening, she was going to wait him out to stop. But he got faster and faster and she was worried for me. He almost went over the top of her, that is when she grabbed the whip and nailed him.

He turned away from her when she got him and rammed into the pannel. That is what actually stopped him. He didn't voluntarily stop.

[Dancers Mom]

Wow, quite a story. I would agree that horse are better for thier trainers then thier owners, mine usually is and you can see it in her face when my trainer gets on her but she has never tried to do anything to harm me ever. I am sorry you have to get rid of him, he certainly is pretty but you need a horse that you feel safe with. You will be able to find one at some point it will just take time. My guess is he knows you are leary and plays on that. I would take him if I could, I always wanted a mustang.

Glad that you are safe.

[cowgirl21]

omg. That is really awful!! I know it takes alot of nerve to get back on something that has hurt you already and for him to do it again, especially in a what a person would think.. a controlled enviroment..yikes. I was in a bad wreck last fall, I sold the mare shortly after as a brood mare only but I still dont have alot of confidence and I was training horses for people and giving lessons...its not a nice feeling to fear your safety on a 1200 pound animal. So sorry to hear about this, I am feeling your pain.

[FincaPerlitas]

I'm sorry for your bad experience and understand how you feel. I've been through an almost identical experience. It was traumatic and costly, but selling the horse is the right decision. Don't give up on getting another horse though. This is a very unusual happening.

[Anti-Silence]

I'm sorry it worked out this way, I was hoping he would come back better behaved. It's a good thing the trainer had you ride there before leaving with him. Things could have been a lot worse. Being run off with definately does shake you up and can leave you uncertain. Best of luck finding him a home, and I hope this doesn't deter you from riding your oldies. ((HUGS))