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Current group: rec.equestrian
and the second, third, fourth and fifth candidates...
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| | From: | cindi | | Subject: | and the second, third, fourth and fifth candidates... | | Date: | 21 Jan 2005 01:25:56 -0800 |
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 | My search continues. Today we saw a dead broke bombproof anybody can
ride experienced lesson horse, age 10. He was xrayed just for the heck
of it and navicular changes were noted. I don't worry too much aboug
that if he's sound, and I was assured he's sound, except maybe after an
hour of bigtime schooling over jumps. However, he was slightly off at
the trot today. He's wearing big ol' honkin egg bar shoes with wedge
pads - a mere $125 every 8 weeks. for my daughter, he did an
almost-crow hop at the canter and slung his head all around and got all
out of balance - probably no big deal in general, didn't do it for his
owner, but he was advertised as a beginner's horse and that anybody
could ride him, and if he needs help, then not anybody can ride him,
only certain people can ride him. And his trot - I have never seen my
daughter bounce around that much. His owers said his trot is very
bouncy. They want $3000. He's a no.
Pony mare, age 15, 14.1 hh. Ugly as sin, ugly enough to be cute.
Anybody can ride. Was stargazing quite a bit until the trainer
realized she didn't like her twisted wire bit. Doh. Switched her to a
smooth snaffle with a standing martingale... (why, oh why) Trainer
might have had a heart attack if I'd have said we'd ride her in a
halter... I don't mind the high head at all, and she was pretty
bombproof and OK being slow and pokey but also perfectly happy to speed
up into her little sewing machine trot or her amazingly smooth lope.
Couldn't get the right lead without a lot of help... Doesn't bother me
much at her price and for her intended use. Legs clean, good range of
motion, nice feet, hasn't needed to be shod in the year she's been at
the current riding school where she lives. A bit hard mouthed but not
given a chance to be otherwise, for the most part, until my daughter
rode her. Was OK on a loopy rein. I'd like the opportunity to get her
to work more off seat, leg and voice. If she were priced any higher
I'd be more wary but for the price I think she'd be useful to me and I
could re-sell her if needed. So, she's a maybe. They want $1000.
Horse number three: probably a nice horse. 17 year old 15'3 hh
appendix gelding, a big mover, apparently totally sound, gentle, goes
on contact or on the buckle easily. Saw the trainer w/t/c and he
looked OK - he has a big ol' canter and shouldered out a bit on his
circles but was sweet, gentle, not dangerous... My daughter didn't get
to do more than walk him because it got dark and the trainer was
worried it was too dark for trotting. Was declared to be a bit nervous
when things are handed to his rider - they said since they know he
doesn't like that, they just don't do it. ?!? We didn't see any
evidence of nervousness, though. Not overpriced, from what I was able
to see. Need more data to decide for sure, and they are such a haul
away, so I'm not sure if we'll go back. But that's also where the pony
lives, so, maybe. For this boy they want $2500.
Horse number 4: 15 year old appy gelding, 15'2 hh, previously used as a
lesson horse, current owner trail rides him, does parades, is in the
calvalry and carries a flag on him, ropes off him. She's selling
because she put down some money on a 4 year old roping prospect. She
says he's totally sound and always has been. We arrive at our
appointment and it's dark, and we can't find his owner anywhere. There
was a huge wreck up on the main street with ambulances and fire trucks
and lights and sirens... Eventually we see the owner riding him, and
she says she took a ride out to go see what the wreck was all about -
she rode him right past all the commotion. Says he's totally
bombproof. Their arena shares a fence with a freeway. My daughter
loves him, he goes great for her. Goes over obstacles. Doesn't know
much about lateral work. Owner is amazed when, after about 4 minutes
of pressure and proper release, my daughter finally gets him to take a
step to the right with his haunches. "Wow, I didn't know he could do
that", she says. heh heh.
I am liking him, but I find myself concerned because he has a big hard
lump in his jaw - the same place where the teeth form. It's big, maybe
golf ball sized or slightly bigger. Owner says it's been there for the
year that she's had him and previous owner said it had been there
forever. I have a horse with four lumps that the vet said some horses
just get from their teeth growing... But four symmetrical tiny lumps
are a bit different than one giant one. Plus, it might be my
imagination but he seems a tad off at the trot. He was just shod
yesterday - owner says farrier says he has a bruise.
Then I find out he had strangles when she bought him a year ago. Don't
some horses who've had it become "carriers" and are capable of
infecting other horses? He is at a big boarding barn and none of the
other horses ever came down with it, so, I dunno. Plus he's on the
calvalry and is around other horses a lot and the owners all know his
history and their horses aren't getting sick from him and they aren't
running away from him in horror.
I'm thinking this one might be worth a vet check. I have two more
possibilities to check on first. Anyway, after his ride, he gets all
untacked and gets clipped and whatnot and he's fine with all that.
Fine with anything you can do to him, it seems. So I ask if I can
throw my son up on him, age 3. Sure, owner says. Here I come with my
son, and the horse gets pissed, pins his ears at me. I tell him to
quit and he does. Owner jumps up on him and rides him around bareback
for me, and he's extremely pleasant with her, no nasty faces at all.
So, I'm not the boss of him yet, I take it. I don't know what
significance to put in that behavior. He had already been ridden, he
had skipped his dinner, he had gotten untacked and thought he was going
to be put away... I dunno.
I'd like to find one like him but 10 instead of 15 and with no lumps or
bruises. I think he's overpriced - she wants $3500. For that money I
want to see some sidepassing, pivots, and no bruises. She did say
she'd come down off the price if the vet check found anything...
'Course, depending on what it finds, I might not be buying. I might
not be vetting either, we'll see. But he was definitely bombproof and
very easy to ride. And I think he's big enough for all my students.
He's been for sale since late spring but she says only one person has
come to look at him. Maybe everybody agrees with me that he's
overpriced.
Well, that's the update. More later as it develops!
take care,
cindi
http://www.allisonacres.com
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| | From: | Jim Casey | | Subject: | Re: and the second, third, fourth and fifth candidates... | | Date: | Fri, 21 Jan 2005 07:26:13 -0600 |
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| cindi wrote:
> ... Was declared to be a bit nervous
> when things are handed to his rider - they said since they know he
> doesn't like that, they just don't do it. ?!?
I've seen that with school horses. If the rider has trouble, the
teacher will hand the rider a crop. Pretty soon, the horse is leery of
anyone on the ground approaching the rider.
> Then I find out he had strangles when she bought him a year ago. Don't
> some horses who've had it become "carriers" and are capable of
> infecting other horses?
That's rare. I imagine you can get a culture as part of the vet check.
- Jim
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