I feel like I’m in over my head and need to talk this through. I have a 10yo ottb gelding on trial. I’ve had him for 3 weeks and have to decide whether to keep him or take him back before Wednesday. 

This horse is cool. He’s 17.3 and friendly. A very gentle soul. He is easy to catch, is a beautiful mover, and is very quiet/not spooky...until you bring him inside. Whether he’s in the indoor arena, stall, or barn aisle he turns into a different horse inside. He gets anxiety poo and goes constantly. In a stall he paces and whinnies. The rescue told me he ties perfectly but that has not been the case. He paws, paces, and swings his but around incessantly. And don’t even think about putting him in cross ties! It doesn’t matter if there’s another horse there or not. He also was AWFUL for the farrier and occasionally for me trying to pick his feet. He will rear, try to kick his leg free so hard he almost falls over, and try to escape. The whole time visibly shaking with fear despite the fact that I have not harshly disciplined him in any way. He also freaked out in the trailer so bad we had to sedate him.

I love the horse he is outside and love the potential he has, but I really don’t know how to handle him when he has, for lack of a better term, a panic attack every freaking time we go inside. I’m just conflicted and would appreciate any words of wisdom. 

I'd pass on him.  If you can't look forward to spending time with them it isn't fun and becomes work.

OTTBs are not for the faint of heart. Most are representeds as one thing; which by track standards is not horrible but by our standards is just a brick or 2 shy of a sh*thouse full of Sh*t.

The normally do not cross tie, stand tied in an open space, know or understand being hosed(as they are usually sponged) , comprehend any dynamic of a slant load step up trailer, understand pasturing, etc, etc. 

If he is freaking out like this return him asap. 

It is for the best as neither of you understand the other and it is and can be a very long, hard road. 

I'd probably pass on him, given your situation and that it is on trial. That's the benefit of a trial--to see all sides of a horse. This particular side you explain could be fixable, but it may not be. And do you want to worry about fixing it? I'd pass. 

IF you decide to keep him, seriously look into positive reinforcement training. It s wasaay more than feeding treats. There are some really good books on it and there is a gal on Facebook, Instagram and she has an website with extensive training articles, plus she takes clients on that don’t live close to her. Her website is @thewillingequine.com. Adele is super willing to help anyone and she also has a lot of videos on YouTube. 

Send him back.

If you really like him, could you take him back to where he was and have them show you how well behaved he is inside their barn? Just an idea? 

No. Unless you plan on only riding in outdoor pens and keeping him outside, not hauling anywhere, and not having his feet done. Like its always said,  there are too many nice ones out there to have to deal with SO MANY issues on 1 horse. I'm willing to put up with very few quirks for a nice horse I like, but its very few! This poor horse sounds like a train wreck. Of course, this is just my opinion...not saying he cant be fixed but sounds like its going to be a long hard road, if you're willing to take a chance and risk injury and be blacklisted by farriers....and theres absolutely no guarantee he can be fixed. I didnt read how old he was? 

I am sure he's a sight to behold at 17.3 WHEN he is outside, not being tied up, loaded, having his feet picked out, lead toward a barn or indoor arena, etc. etc.  you see where I am going with this.  Send him back asap. You will not miss him.  There are so many doll horses out there that happily do what you ask. 

I highlighted what stuck out to me - You are in over your head - yes.   He is a cool horse - NO.  He is not.

sorry - I know we become attached to even the jerks sometimes but you can have so much more fun with something else.  Hugs.

I'd proaibly keep him, but I really like OT horses and get along with them really well, quirks, track crap and all that. I'm just getting a TB going for my daughters step up English horse acatualy! 

However if you feel over your head and do not have somebody to help you with some ground work that is experienced with track horses your setting him and yourself up to fail. It may be best to send him back and get something your more comftrotable with 100% of the time. Hes not going to be the only horse that's nice to ride outside. 

I'm with Della on this one. If you aren't comfortable with his quirks, and you feel you are over your head, very respectfully- you probably are. 17.3 is no puppy dog- he could hurt you badly and never actually mean to.

I'd pass on him. There is a lot of things you can work thru eventually, but there is a good chance it will never happen too. I have horse, he is a cool horse, tries his heart out for me. He does not want his right ear messed with or touched, was that way when I got him. Will pull back or freak out. I have worked with him on that the entire time I have had him (two years), to no avail. So I have headstalls, etc. setup that I can leave that ear alone. But he wasn't a prospect when I got him either, he was a broke, broke horse with a quirk that I can deal with and work around. But what you are talking about is a horse with potential that has serious anxiety issues that could get you hurt. If he was a 1D/rodeo machine with a proven record, it would be different, but there are too many nice horses out there without issues to take on one with that many issues. 

Absolutely not. Trust your gut. You said you are in over your head, believe youself and let someone else deal with him. One or two quirks are one thing, the list you just laid out here is something totally different. Move on and be glad they let you do a trial so you were able to get to know him. 

This does not sound like a typical ottb. Most are completely comfortable in indoor barns/stalls, being hosed daily, farrier ever 3/4 weeks. Those are the things most tbs are desensitized to more than a horse not off the track. He ended up at a rescue facility for a reason, bad handling, abuse, inexperienced owners, etc. It already sounds like you have sort of made your mind up to me hun! If you don't totally enjoy this horse after only 3 weeks, I would pass on him. If you were looking for a project horse and are wanting to spend time and money fixing him, that would be the only reason I would consider it? Sounds like he is going to be some work though! Just kind of depends on what you're looking for in a horse right now! Hugs to you =]

He sounds like a typical young horse that hasn't had many experiences.  It's just a choice of whether you want to deal with desensitizing him to all his monsters, or want a more steady Eddie.  Good luck. 

Since hes a rescue, hes going to have some mental issues, theres no telling what hes been threw, poor fella, horses like this I would just take and turn them out, I'm sure his life was hell at one time. since you were saying you are in over you head with this one, Im sure you are..How old is he? Wish I could just take this poor guy and turn him out with my retired group, I bet he dserves its.

poor boy and bless your heart.  is there anyway you can just keep him and turn him out to enjoy life...

pasture ornament....

I'm with everyone else - PASS.   You may be able to fix the issue or you may always have this problem.  If you are asking yourself this question listen to your gut and send him back.  

What are your intentions with him?

you said you were in over your head.........................thats not fun!  You need a horse to have fun in all..............

PASS

Those issues with a 10 year old would make me pass.

The rescue I got him from is basically just a local ottb rehoming program (similar to canter and others). I contacted them yesterday and said I want to take him back. I was trying to take him to the vet yesterday and couldn’t even get him in the trailer. That was the final straw. They said they would get back to me, so they better honor their 30 trial policy. If not I guess I’m stuck with him for the time being. I have a great trainer, but she teaches dressage. She is not someone who works with problem horses. If I could get him past the trailering and farrier issues, the other stuff would be maneagable. But I have no idea how to deal with those issues, especially since I don’t own a trailer so can’t practice loading. 

Im especially irked because I have a very small horse budget and could afford something really young or an ottb. I went with him because I was under the impression, both from the rescue and the fact that he’s 10 and spent a number of years at the track, that he would be comfortable with normal aspects of horse life like tying, shoeing, and trailering and that I wouldn’t have to teach him like you would a young horse. Boy was that wrong!

Hopefully theyll do the right thing and take him back. Maybe they have something else that's more suitable to what you're looking for? You're on a budget,  I get it, but I'm betting you can find something similar to him but with way less issues. Something you can still rescue, and turn around into a decent mount for you. Good luck, keep us posted!

If they won’t take him back, please consider positive reinforcement training. Look up thewillingequine.com or on YouTube or look up Shauna Karrash or Alexandra Kurland. There is so much science to back this training up. B.F. Skinner is one or Susan Friedman. I may have misspelled some of the names. I understand completely why you want to return him but if they won’t take him back, this training will help him the  most, I believe. 

I second this!! My abused Amish pony did a 180 after just a week of clicker training.

IDK if you even want advice, but every off the track horse I get I just treat for ulcers, I dont even bother checking them anymore, they have them and that's that lol. 

After that and a let down period if they are fresh off the track I do a lot of ground work and lunging for respect. I find a few espicaly big horses from the track get really upset in small spaces, like loading. The one I'm working for my daughter is like this, I think it comes from not really fitting that great in the starting gate and banging them selves when they take off (just my hairbrainded theroy) 

Once I get them soft and lunging well I send them through me and a fence and work closer, then get them to stop in between me and the fence, only once they are comftrotable here will I start to teach them to load. It gives them skills, tools and confidence to move forward  and you can do that without a trailer. 

I hope the rescue does the right thing though. 

Did this horse run on the track? Kinda sounds like this horse really didnt do much since he wont stand tied, load and is a nervous wreck inside, wont stand for a farrier, dont like being in a stall.. Did you see his record?