Personality change of new horse

Question
Hi Shelley,

I desperately need your help!!
I have returned to riding after 10 years and set out to buy a steady older horse that I could hack out for pleasure and general riding. - no eventing etc etc
I found a horse that was 13 yrs old and advertised as good all rounder, novice ride, great manners etc.
I went to try the horse out and the owner rode him round first of all and he was fine, I got on him and he was fine and I felt comfortable that I could manage him.
He was delivered on the Tuesday and I gave him a couple of days to settle in before I rode him.  I then mounted him fine and rode him round our field for 15 minutes and he was ok. A couple of days later I tried to get on him and he wouldnt stand still so I had to lunge him first and he cantered round and bucked a bit.  Eventually I managed to get on him and he was fine.  The next day I again brought him out the field groomed him and he was not standing still and be a real pain.  I could see he was getting worked up as I could see his heart thumping.  I tacked him up to ride him and again he would not stand still and span round.  I lunged him like last time and then attempted to get on him but he was spinning and wouldnt stand.  I got someone to hold him for me and as I got on he did a cat leap into the air which I managed to seat the first time and then did it again and I fell with the horse crushing my foot onto concrete and have really hurt myself.  I am now scared to do anything with this horse other than groom him.  I called the person who sold me him and she came to see him saying it was not his nature.  She got on and again he span but didnt buck her off and she rode him round. My partner tried to get on and he span again and was attempting to buck but the previous owner had his head.  She will not take him back as she said she cannot afford to.  He has all the same tack etc and being fed the same so I cannot understand his behaviour.
Please help!! He is a 16.1 TB 13 yrs old, raced until the age of 9.
I want to sell him but who will buy a horse that does that.  Any advise.

Kind regards
Kelly

Answer
Dear Kelly:
I sympathize with your situation yet I doubt you have much legal recourse unless you could prove that the seller had misrepresented the horse. This may or may not be the case- regardless- you would probably find that it would be an expensive and lengthy experience. I do not know what your terms or conditions of sale were- again- if you have a condition that the horse be quiet and managable- you may have recourse. This aside- let's assume that you are stuck with the animal.
Of course- there are lessons to be learned here- (about stopping by to see the animal at an unspecified time of day, having blood work done to ensure the horse isn't being medicated, getting a trial period with the horse, talking to people who are in the same barn who know the horse etc.) but I won't press the point. The question is "what now?"
There is the possibility that the horse is simply stressing about his new environment and may eventually settle down. During this time- you might want to hire a trainer to work with him. You don't mention if you had the horse vetted out in a pre-purchase exam- but you might also want to rule out anything physiological. A TB who has had a long racing career is usually a very unlikely candidate for a quiet riding horse. Should he fail to settle- you might consider marketing him to an experienced eventing home. You are quite correct that you don't want to create a second victim by passing him along to an unsuspecting purchaser- but there are many skilled riders out there who won't mind a re-school if the horse has some athletic potential and is sound.
I wish I had a magic answer that could be of more help.
Sincerely,
S. Evans