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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
   
Location: Texas | We have a 6 yr old gelding that we raised. Actually, we raised him, his dam, grand dam and great grand sire. His momma was the sweetest, easiest to handle horse that we have ever had. He was always a kicker. If you startled him or really just anything, he wanted to kick. We have had several people ride him, but if anything happens he will buck. About a year ago, we let them buck him with a flank, hoping that he would just give it up. He didn't buck hard enough for that job so they started riding him again. Even tried roping off of him, but you can never tell when he is going to crank it up. He shys from anything. The culvert. Bushes. Birds. You name it. He would shy at the culvert every day. You would think that eventually he would get over it. I mentioned to my son about sending him to someone to do ranch work, but he said most of those guys want something they can depend on not bucking at any time. He thinks his mind might be too fragile. I don't want to send him down the road to be mistreated and I don't want anyone to get hurt. The thought of loading him on the kill truck does not appeal to me either, but do I have any other options? I cannot keep pouring more money into him. Cut my loses and bury him here on our place by his grandsire? |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I wouldn't put him down......I'd find someone with experience in horses like him. Maybe a feedlot, or maybe he just needs to be ridden daily and taught a lesson each ride.
I had a gelding who was like that once, many many years ago. I sent him to my buddy, he had the gelding for 3 months....came back solid broke with no buck. He did a complete 180 with solid/everyday riding. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | i wouldn't put him down either....my mare is 15 yrs old (i got her at 10) and everytime you get on you better have your right foot in the stirrup and fast and not be digging for it or you will find out how hard the ground really is...lol
m
p.s.i love her crazy broncy ass.... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| Have you had a vet or chiro go over him thoroughly? I know not all horses are in pain, but I would be curious as to whether or not he has something else going on. If I was in your situation and I found no health problems, I'd put him down. You are in a very difficulty situation and I'll pray for your decision.
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | I have a "home made" 7 year old mare that was dangerous to ride. Multiple vet checks never found anything.... I gave up on her a couple of months ago and decided to make her a pasture ornament.
Last week I took one horse with confirmed kissing spine to see the vet and decided to take the other one too for back x-rays. Low and behold - she has kissing spine too. I finally have the explanation I have been looking for all these years. While this is bad news at least I know why she acted the way she did...
Also, have you tested him for epm?
I own 4 horses - one is retired, two have kissing spine and will probably be pasture pets from now on. I only have 10 acres of rocks.... I know how you feel. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Vet check Chiro check... Send him to someone for a while... Maybe lease him to someone to ride... Patience patience patience. Mine is almost 9 and still acts likes he's 3... Some take longer to mature... Don't put him down. |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| It sounds like you have put the time into him. If I couldn't find a treatable pain related problem, I would put him down. No animal is worth getting someone hurt or killed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2161
Location: NW. Florida | What Whiteboy said. |
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 Popped
Posts: 20421
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | if i was in your shoes i would probably do the same. I sent one thru a sale and never knew her fate.... i cant do it ever again.
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | How much TIME have you put into him? You didn't really say.
Sounds to me like he needs daily riding for months, to see if he snaps out of it. Some horses need lots of miles, work, and wet saddle blankets to figure it out. He's only 6. He's young.
Granted, he is your horse and you can do what you please with him. It would certainly be your choice and your right to put him down, if that was the best decision for you.
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 Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | JMO, but I just had a mare that would buck randomly. I brought her to several vets and she checked out fine. I was at my wits end and decided to treat her for ulcers. She was only 8 and not your typical ulcer looking horse. She had not been hauled alot and has been sitting on pasture all summer. Low and behold after 5 days of ulcer treatment, she was a different horse. 2 weeks out she was to die for. No bucking or even humping up, her personality was better and she wasn't scared of everything. Try it, you never know. I started treating her with ranididtine.  |
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 Always Off Topic
Posts: 6382
Location: ND | put him down...move on.... |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | Have you looked into EPM, PSSM, Lymes, etc?
I also agree that he is still young. Some horses don't mentally or physically mature until they are 8yrs old. If you don't trust him then send him off to someone else that wants to cowboy him. I wouldn't put him down. Just be honest about what he is like and find someone willing to work with him. |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Whiteboy - 2014-10-16 1:08 PM
It sounds like you have put the time into him. If I couldn't find a treatable pain related problem, I would put him down. No animal is worth getting someone hurt or killed.
I agree with this too. I live in WY where there are plenty of ranch jobs and feedlots. They don't want those kind of horses either. They have a job to do and I about guarantee they don't have health insurance, getting bucked off and hurt means the end of their income. I have a really hard time just finding someone to start my horses or ride one for another 30 that doesn't have a bit of an issue. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| That kicking thing is a deal breaker for me. Where I live if you send them to the local auction they end up in Mexico. I would put him down. No horse deserves to go to Mexico. |
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 The Calm before the Storm
Posts: 3822
Location: Missouri | Whiteboy - 2014-10-16 2:08 PM It sounds like you have put the time into him. If I couldn't find a treatable pain related problem, I would put him down. No animal is worth getting someone hurt or killed.
agree |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | I am assuming you have had this horses checked out head to tail, lameness, soreness, ulcers etc.
There are a TON of really nice horses in the world that makes it really hard to deal with one that is an idiot! With that being said, horses that are "tough" will generally improve with a licken. One thing I will not tolerate is kicking, I had one double barrel me in the chest last fall, he was a new to us horse and would not leave the barn, I hit him with the lead rope and he got me- and though I'm not proud of it, that horse was beat within an inch of his life that day-however, there is never an offer to kick no matter how much you get after him. And before any of you get uptight about the butt whipping, I'm glad the horse kicked me and not my 8 year old son-I shudder at the thought of what would have happened if it would have been him! If this horse would have ever so much as thought about kicking again he probably would be coyote bait.
My point is, if there isn't even a slight amount of attitude improvement after a licken, get rid of them. I do know stories of some cowboys that take horses like him and whatever they do to them, is unknown, the horses normally come back, angels :) Maybe try to lay him down or always hobble him so he can't kick. I don't know...it's so hard to do, I wish you good wishes in your decision. |
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No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | When he was first started, we sent him for 30 days with someone who rides a lot of young horses for people. The day we went to pick him up, he bucked. (sigh) We hauled him and his 3/4 sister 250 miles to another guy who had a good reputation for starting horses. My nephew took him for several months. I went out to catch him a pasture and he was standing by another horse. As I walked up to him and put my hand on his neck he wheeled, kicked and ran off. He almost nailed me in the head. My son cannot afford to get hurt on him either. He has always had the kicking problem and has never been mistreated. This behavior has been going on for so long. We are too old to mess him and are frankly scared of him. It breaks my heart, but we can't keep spending money on him.
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | RocketPilot - 2014-10-16 3:58 PM When he was first started, we sent him for 30 days with someone who rides a lot of young horses for people. The day we went to pick him up, he bucked. (sigh) We hauled him and his 3/4 sister 250 miles to another guy who had a good reputation for starting horses. My nephew took him for several months. I went out to catch him a pasture and he was standing by another horse. As I walked up to him and put my hand on his neck he wheeled, kicked and ran off. He almost nailed me in the head. My son cannot afford to get hurt on him either. He has always had the kicking problem and has never been mistreated. This behavior has been going on for so long. We are too old to mess him and are frankly scared of him. It breaks my heart, but we can't keep spending money on him.
 it sounds like you know what needs to be done. One thing I've learned, is that no matter how nice a horses relatives are, sometimes there is a bad apple. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | First of all consider the fact that they are animals...and are just as predisposed to mental illness as any other living thing.
Sometimes letting them go on to greener pastures is the kindest thing that you can do for them and yourself. Once he leaves your hands you won't know how he's being handled...and often times someone that will take one on like that is looking for a cheap project and they aren't the kind of people that you would want handling a horse you ever cared about.
I have one that has been in the pasture for two years that will not see the winter. He's too dangerous to compete on and too expensive to maintain for just a riding horse... Tough, tough decision, but I felt better once I said it outloud and know that he won't ever be mistreated for something that he just can't help. |
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