Another person rode my horse...disaster...

[SarahC]

Hi there,

I was away for a few days recently, so one of the girls down the yard rode my horse for me to 'stretch his legs'. This is all that I asked for, just a bit of light exercise. She has been riding for quite a long time and having seen her ride plenty of times, I had no issues at all with the way she rides.

However, I have since found out that she absolutely thrashed him. Apparently, tanking round the school non stop, jumping full pelt and this was after he got completely lathered up in sweat. This went on for well over an hour apparently.

To make things worse, by the time she had finished he was completely drenched from head to foot in sweat, but she put him in the stable, put a rug on him and left him. No sponging down or anything!

Anyway, consequences are, when I got back from hols I rode him and he was in a terrible state. Pulling my arms out, tanking off, resisting any aids, totally not listening at all, spooking at everything in site, refusing to leave the gate, refusing to stand, jogging etc etc etc. All of which he has not done before.

Now I don't blame him for this at all however, I'm really concerned for him. Will he settle back down? Whats the best way to go about it? Rest him or carry on riding but gentle walks only for a while?

Obviously, the only people that will be riding him from now on are me and my teacher and I'm also taking steps to address the way she rode him/cared for him. But I'm so worried that all my hard work over the past 6 months will have gone down the drain. Particularly as I've worked very hard to overcome my nerves and I was starting to feel a lot more confident.

Anybody got any words of comfort/advice?

S

[Katie_85]

Yeah, and give her a good thrashing! :eek:

[Maria]

As it was only one occasion you should be able to get your horse to settle down again. And hopefully it won't take too long. My mare came from a riding school and initially I kept her on working livery. Even just riding a couple of times a week I was able to re-educate her re some longer term issues and I found that later on it only needed one or two schooling sessions to remedy any issues that occurred subsequently because lots of different people were riding her.

[Sophini]

That's awful - i completely agree with Katie!!

I don't think all your hard work will have been undone, but he is obviously upset after his bad experience. I would try and spend sometime doing quiet things and not asking for too much, maybe a quiet hack but ask for collection and flexion whilst your out?

Think you just need to reassure him that although this girl is a complete lunatic you are not and he is not going to be ridden into the ground by you, lots of soothing words and gentle neck stroking should help, noth when riding and just when your around him.

As for her, is there a water trough somewhere that she could be dropped in when it's suitably cold??!!!

[Yann]

I would imagine he'll settle down again fairly quickly, just take things easy (but insist on good behaviour) for a while. I suspect he found the experience a bit traumatic and is anticipating more of the same.

I'd certainly take issue with this girl and ask her to explain herself though, that's just not on. However in itself rugging a sweaty horse and leaving it isn't necessarily wrong, especially if the rug was a fleece.

[Lgd]

An example of the reason why my horses are only ridden by myself, my niece, my trainer and a friend (who trains with my trainer) :rolleyes:

Spend a couple of days on ground work and lunging to re-establish his trust and then just ride him in an unpressurised way and gradually build up to your normal work pattern. If he gets stressed at any stage just go back a step, get him relaxed and then pick things up again.

[SarahC]

Hi,

Thanks to you all for your replies. I certainly take on board what you said and will definitely be spending lots of 'on the ground' time with him. Was thinking of lunging him gently tonight and having a steady ride tomorrow.

Yann - interesting what you said about still insisting on good behaviour..when I first got to the stables after my hols, he had almost gone back to his old bolshy ways and I suspected something had happened...he knocking me flying a few times with a good shove with his head...I thought he'd got a mood on with me for going away for a few days! The rug by the way, was a medium weight stable rug and as you said, I would have been far happier if it had been a fleece!

I simply cannot believe that someone would ride another persons horse in this way, she certainly doesn't ride her own horse like that.

I feel so awful and guilty about this, my poor boy (who also suffers from arthritis) must have been really put through it. I'd seen her ride so many times and never for one minute thought she would behave that way.

Thanks again.

S

ps. katie & sophini...those thoughts have crossed my mind on several occassions!!

[SarahC]

Hi again,

Well spent some time riding last night and unfortunately, he was worse than ever. All we did was walk round on a relatively loose rein, just using my leg and seat to direct him onto the track, nice and calm talking to him all the way round. He still kept spinning round on his hind legs and pulling and yanking me over to the gate (in fact he practically climbed the gate at one point), jogging, spooking etc...(This is the horse that my 8 year old nephew used to plod around on quite happily).

Now what I'm worried about is he hasn't eaten his tea for the last two days...he is usually a horse that will eat absolutely anything put in front of him and totally loves his food.

He has got a wobbly tooth, which the dentist is treating. However, I'm wondering he had his mouth really pulled on when the other person rode him and maybe I should get the dentist out again. (The other person knows all about his tooth by the way).

Do you think this would be a sensible way forward?

S

[jessie123]

Oh God, that's dreadful!!! Having the dentist check the teeth is a good idea and then send the bill to the girl who thrashed your horse.
I had a similar thing happen to me with someone who was loaning my mare, this woman took a whip to her and fortunately people at my yard saw it happen and contacted me, suffice to say that she never rode my mare again!:mad:
It took my mare about 2 weeks to get back her usual gentle nature but i noticed that when a friend of mine took her in the school(this is where it happened) she napped really badly obviously she remembered what happened when she was last in there but my friend persevered very gently with her and now she enters the school with no hesitation.:D

[Nickie]

hi Sarah

I havent posted on here for a while but your post made me angry - your poor horse - that horrible girl! Dump her in a water trough - send her the bill for the dentist - I'm sure that pulling on his mouth would disturb any teeth problems.

Maybe also - just try not riding for a few days - try lunging or even just see if he will walk around with you on the ground. Maybe your riding - whilst gentle - is still upsetting his teeth?

If she has really thrashed him - and he has arthritus - is it possible he could have overstretched some muscles - or if she has jumped him beyond his usual level maybe he has hurt his back and his way of telling you "I want out of here!" is him running back to the gate - he doesn't sound like the sort of horse that would throw you off - if an 8 year old could ride him - so maybe his other way of saying "it hurts" is by saying can we go back to the stable please mum! If you are not confident to ride him for a while (you mentioned only recently getting confidence back) don't.

I'm sure your boy will come right again soon.

Maybe have a vet out to see him if he still isn't right in a week or ask your trainer to come and see him and see what her assesment is.

But whatever - I'd certainly take this girl to task over the way she "Cared" or didn't - for your horse!

Nicola

[Laetitia]

Gracious dreadful girl. Didn't the yard owners do anything about this?
Have you checked his temp? He may have got a chill being rugged sopping wet and left standing. I should certainly have the vet out if he doesn't pick up. Tell this girl what you're doing as a direct result of her lack of care to your horse. Did you pay her ? You might be on a stronger footing - don't know the legal aspect, just a thought. Do hope he's O.K. - I'd be terribly upset if this happened to my mare. L

[jinglejoys]

The more I see of people the more I love my Mule! ;)
This is the reason NO ONE rides Sarah-lee but me.I remember being horrified as a kid when I was doing a two week holiday coarse at Pennwood and the instructor an ex army type decided to ride my young pony.For some reason I don't know why he decided to change the bit.I have never seen such a horrible thing before or thankfully since.It was straight mettle about 1 1/2" wide and fairly thin.I don't know to this day what it was supposed to do,my boy hadn't been any problem really but I was too much in awa of the instructer to querie it.My boy wasn't--he ditched him in two seconds flat!
The trouble is this girl may have thought you were too wimpish with your lad and was dying to get hold of him to have a go at "really riding him" I'd bury her in the muck heap if I were you no one here will give you away.

[SarahC]

Thank you so much for all your kind replies...I feel so guilty about this.

As of last night, he still isn't eating his tea, I've contacted the dentist who is coming out to check him, she said its possible she has bruised the bars in his mouth. If his teeth are ok and he doesn't pick up over the weekend, I'm going to get the vet out like you have all suggested. I will also check his temperature as Laetitia suggested.

Nickie - I agree, I'm not riding him again for a while but am going to take him for a walk round the school today on a lunge line and if he's ok, I might lunge him gently at walk for a while too.

Jessie123 - so sorry to hear about what happened to your mare, glad that she is ok now though...gives me hope.

My trainer has suggested that he gets on him next week to assess him, and as he is an absolutely brilliant and sympathetic rider, I think this is a good idea. My boy absolutely loves him too.

As for the girl that rode him, I didn't pay her as she was doing it as a favour while I was away!. On talking to her, she has absolutely no idea of what she has done, she just doesn't understand at all. Can't kick up too much of a stink due to yard 'politics' but suffice to say I have said my bit. jinglejoys..love your suggestion about the much heap!!!!

Anyway, thanks again..hope you all don't mind if I keep updating on here...its my only way to express my sadness about this at the moment.

S

[LittleD]

Spend lots of time with your horse, grooming, talking, take him out for some grass on the lead rope generally be his friend again!
I don't know as much as others here being a novice horse owner myself, but I know that when my horse was scared by an instructor throwing a hoof pick at us to make us trot faster and threatening my horse with a lunge whip actually making contact with the thing that it put the fear of God into me and my horse (yes an instructor did this) I thought we would never trust each other again, but we are good friends again after lots of TLC on both parts.

[SarahC]

Thanks for that LittleD....thats terrible...are there really instructors like that?!? I'd have stuck the hoof pick and lunge whip where the sun doesn't shine!

Anyway, I'm trying to spend loads of time on the ground with him (and trying not to cry!). He still looks to me for comfort and fuss, but he has got his 'barginess' back a little (when I first got him, he had no ideas about manners at all and would quite happily stamp all over you if he needed to move position).

Anyway, thanks again.

S

[cazrider]

Just read this. Poor you Sarah. I agree with what everyone else says, just take it slowly and i'm sure he will come back to you again. he's just had a big shock!

Similar thing happened to me with my first horse. He'd not long had an operation on one back leg. I went away just like you and an "experienced" girl on the yard was to ride him gently for me. I was told when I got back that sh'ed galloped him right round the farm with the other mad kids she hung around with.:mad: You just never know do you.

[SarahC]

Thanks for that cazrider..and your right...you certainly don't know even if you think you do!
My poor boy is now eating his tea, but only if I stand and hold the bucket for him!

I lunged him over the weekend and whereas he is usually brill to lunge, he just kept turning in and coming over to stand by me. Its heart breaking.

Anyway, thanks again for all your support and kind words.

S

[carrimclaren]

Sorry to hear your lads upset over this. I would go ballistic i think if anyone did that to my neddy when all i'd asked for was a stretching of the legs. :mad: It's just downright bad manners and i have to say jinglejoys could have a point. There's plenty of people out there that want to prove how well they can ride other people's horses. A girl did that down our yard, she got ditched while trying to jump it ;) Normally i'd be worried when someone falls off but i thought it was a well deserved kick up her butt when she slipped out the side door. Funny enough since then she's learnt how to eat humble pie and stopped going on about how much hunting/eventing etc. she's done and been quite a nice lass really.

All i can say is back to basics for a wee while to get him trusting you and good luck. If you've done it once before and made him a sound horse you will be able to do it again :)

[Kanuma]

yet anouther reason why i dont let anyone ride my lot unless im there to supervise!
i realy would take him back to absolute basics, he should pick it up quicker then last time, but im sorry to say this girl might have undone alot of your work. get the vet and dentist out, send the bill to her, give him a week off or so, so that he can sort out any muscles that are acheing, then bring him back slowly and gently.
we had a similar problem with harvey, my 23year old 12.2hh show pony, he went out on loan in show condition, perfect schooling and rideable by kids that had just come off the leadrein, he came back underweight, appaling feet, his neck upsidedown, and so scared of the bit that i couldnt ride him, he constantly napped, reared and generally had hysterics every time i got on him, and this pony had been to HOYS, took me 6mths before i could safely put him back in the showring.
however your boy should pick it up quite quickly as harvey did (once he figured i wasnt going to slam him in the mouth with a double). we still have a few problems, but as she had him for nearly a year and your was only once then the problems shouldnt be so ingraned
this is him now
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/kanuma/Copyofharvey.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/kanuma/ncpachamps013.jpg
and this is him at the first show after i got him back (6mths of re schooling and weight gain.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/kanuma/juu.jpg

[SarahC]

Thank you for that. He's now had a weeks rest (bar a little lunging) and there was certainly some success last night in as much as he lasted for about 20 mins before starting to pull off towards the gate, spin round etc.

We ended on a very good note tho as as soon as the gate to the school was opened he tried to charge through it, but I stopped him and turned him back into the school, walked gently round and then stopped him in front of the gate and only when he was quiet, asked him to move through it. All of which he did with no fuss or bother. He got big pats for that! He also ate all of his tea which has made me feel so much better!

carrimclaren - someone actually said that if they had been my horse, they would have ditched the girl in the nearest hedge. Just proves what a lovely boy I have, to have put up with it!

Thanks again.

S