Some very bad news, I'm afraid.
Woody had another bad episode today, which has forced me to completely rethink his future. When I went out to fetch them, a local farmer was moving sheep on the hillside opposite. He did the same last October and November when Woody was already here. Like many farmers, he drives around on a quad bike to herd them. This is absolutely normal and no horse that I have had has been more than mildly interested in it.
Woody came in with the others, who were calm, but he was shaking from head to foot, massive tremors too big to call a shiver. He was also flapping his mouth in a manic foal gesture. When I shut the door he proceeded to run up and down his stable, banging into the door on each return to it, threatening to take it off its hinges.
He did not calm down, so I let him out and he dashed up and down the field and into and out of the yard and into and out of his stable. I caught him in his stable again and shut the door so that he did not upset the other two and cause mayhem. I tacked up Radar and took him out for a lovely hack. He was so happy to be back in work.
When I got back, Woody was back to normal and you would never have known that he had been like it. I am both glad and sorry that my timing this morning was so precise as to catch him like it.
Because now I know the full truth. He has a panic button second to none that I have ever seen. He does not react as often as Jazz, but when he does he is far more violent in his reaction than Jazz ever was. A lorry reinforced to hold Jazz was torn to shreds. I must also connect that with the fact that twice so far, he has jumped five foot fences that are not there. The first time, out on a hack, there was nothing in the way and I laughed it off. The second time, out hunting, he strung himself up in a wire fence and I would have been badly bruised at the very least if I had not been wearing an air jacket, and it is not exaggerating to say that he might have killed me.
What would have happened if they had started to work on those sheep while I was out on a ride? What will happen if I am out on a ride and he sees a horse in front of him he decides he desperately needs to be with? What will happen if we put him in the lorry to go somewhere and he is too manic to put him in the lorry to come home?
The fact is, he is perfectly safe most of the time, though never a ride for anyone but the most confident of riders. But there are occasions where he is downright dangerous and you do not know when those occasions will arrive. I am not prepared to ride him again myself and I will not rehome him under those circumstances. I don't believe in ten year old, 16.3 paddock ornaments. It leaves me little choice, and a horrible task to undertake at some stage unless his previous owner will take back the responsibility for him.
What an unexpected outcome from what was a fantastic physical rehabilitation.
C.
What a shame, but I know where you are coming from. I knew a pony that was similar, but not as bad as this. The pony seemed to be always looking out for trouble, and for things that would frighten him, you never felt you could relax with him because he would bolt, although not very far. I would ride him around the lanes, but never on the main road in case he happened to see something that he thought was frightening, and whip round into a 40 tonne lorry or line of traffic. He was OK with company and obviously took his lead from other horses, but was Nervous Neddy on his own. He twice took off and bolted when being lunged. He was a nice "type" but the more I had to do with him, the more I disliked him as he never seemed able to LEARN and was just as stupid about things the 4th time as the 1st.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathy. Lucky Woody is not a mare.
I'd do the same if he was Judith, I don't believe in breeding from suspect temperaments.
DeleteC
Oh :(
ReplyDeleteOh **** is more where I am Tracey
DeleteC
been there, done that...it's not a "nice" decision but an unsafe horse is an unsafe horse...such a shame, have a hug...
ReplyDeleteThanks Claire.
DeleteC
What a shame indeed. If he simply panicked and ran off or something, that might be tolerable. But the trouble here is that he is dangerous both to himself and to whomever is handling him. That's scary.
ReplyDeleteDid his former owner ever suggest such behavior? If his soundness was the only real reason she gave him up, perhaps she would take him back....but I am wondering if there was more to it all.
She says he's never done anything like it before Jean. I have always wondered, though, why the person who stole him chose the lie that she had him put to sleep because he was dangerous. Wouldn't a more sensible and believable lie be that he had broken his leg in the field on being introduced to new horses???
DeleteGift horses, and all that ......................
ReplyDeleteWish uit was his mouth, Judith, I could fix that :-(
DeleteC