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?