5 year old for nervous rider

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wellie

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hi any advice welcome. I am a fairly nervous rider but think that I can improve with the right horse I have been looking for an older horse but have seen a lovely 5 year old cob who seems to be perfect....just wondering what your views are. A more experienced and far better rider than me has said dont buy a youngster.
 
mmm green horse, green rider, is an old saying that they dont go together, but saying that one of my clients (very nervous) bought a 7 yr old and he turned out to be 5, she still has him 6 years on. you really need back up, a good instructor and someone to get on and help his education. i know where there is a 15 yr coulered cob, very quiet, a real happy hacker. but he is in the north of scotland!!
 
Im afraid I agree with your friend, a lot of young horses are ruined because of novice people and also it wouldn't boost your confidence niether. I dont meen to sound rude.
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Have you had lessons?
Look for a safe sane cob 8yrs +
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Have fun finding one
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Dont buy the 1st one you see
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If you have a good support system then why not. I know a girl who bought a coloured, she was 3 and a half and the girl was quite a nervous novicey rider (hadn't even cantered yet!). They have grown together and they now make a great pair.
 
It compleatly depends on the horse. My 20 year old pony would not be sutable for a nervous or novice rider but i am bringing on a 4 yr old sec a to sell on. I broke him in may and he is already hunting with a 6 yr old child! He's a real poppet.
You know your capability and what you are happy to do. Cobs tend to be more sensable anyway whatever age they are if you where looking at a 5 yr old tb that would be a different matter. I would go and look at the horse and see what he is like.
 
Well although I am an experienced rider I did have a fall 18 months ago that completly shattered my confidence. In a moment of madness I bought a cool headed 3.5 year old (just because he was the coolest horse I had looked at and I thought that getting my hands on him at that age I could ensure that I was not getting something that had issues).

Now I will freely admit that I still need to dose up on Rescue Remedy but my nearly 5 year old is a total dream, braver than all the other horses on the yard and we have slowly started to trust each other.

Don't write him off because he is young but take a good long look, try once, try twice and take someone totally experienced with you, and make sure you have experienced back up and support. I had my accident on an untrustworthy 10 year old and to be honest i already have far more faith in my Baby horse than I ever had in him.
 
I think it depends on the horse, but i would go for it if you are not very confident having a five year old would make you more confident in a way. remember 5 is just a number they could be a 12 yr old gentlmen inside!
 
Gosh it really depends and no one really can predict which way it will go, there are just as many go wrong as go right

however do remember that while he may be quiet and good now that doesn't mean he will stay that way as without an experienced rider to keep him in check and pick up on the little signs a less experienced rider would not see.
I know older horses can sometimes do this but its more likely to happen with a younger horse.

If you decide to go ahead make sure you get regular lessons and always be looking for tiny things he didn't do when you first had him, it may be a very slight hesitation to leave the yard, or a slight lean towards the gate in the school, brakes not as perfect, taking a little more leg than before all these little things if not dealt with immediately will become major problems
 
As has already been said think it depends on horse.I bought a 17 hh 4 yr old and was best buy ever,was also not the most confident rider..I go very much on how I 'feel' on them.I sat on her and didn't want to get off and she could do no wrong (in my eyes anyway).Never felt unsafe on her she did do little youngster things but didn't bother me -it probably would have had another horse did it.I think as long as you are willing to get and take advice when needed it is do-able
Go see and try ,as said take someone you know and trust to give you an honest opinion,get it vetted & bloods taken.If it in your area ask about - its amazing how a friend knows a friend who knows a friend sort of thing can help.
 
I bought a 5 year old pony (and very green at that) for my 11 year old daughter. There was just something about him. I just looked at his soppy face and thought he'd be kind and look after my little girl... 4 years on they still absolutely adore each other. A lot depends on the character of the horse you have in mind of course. If the temperament is right and you are planning on regular frequent lessons and lots of back up, then I don't see why not... Oh, and he was the first one I went to see too.
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I should add that buoyed on by our success with this one, I bought my younger daughter a 5 year old and that one was a disaster
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depends on the horse...

i had a horse who i bought and broke at 3 and when she was a 5yro she taught my mum to ride, took her out hacking safely and was generally a lovely confidence giver.

and she was a 17.1hh ISH!
 
She said nervous not novice!

Just because someone is a nervous rider doesn't mean that they are also inexperienced, incapable or novice.

Though lots of people seem to think so, my husband is a nervous rider but he's a super rider, I wouldn't hesitate to let him ride a five year old.

Often nervous types improve with a one to one relationship with a horse as so much of it is about trust. My husband doesn't jump, he is just too nervous to do it, except on a little coloured cob at the RS that he has a great relationship with. The thing is that horse is as far from a jumping school master as is humanly possible. He has the dirtiest stop and a body swerve beyond belief, so much so that they have given up using him for jumping lessons. They just trust each other and when the mood takes them both will whizz round a 2'6" course in fine style.

I'm confident that when we get our own he will be able to build that sort of relationship with whatever we buy. We will also have back up from a good instructor, and I will be riding it too (and probably performing the crash test dummy fuction...).

Good Luck OP
 
Agree with others. It depends on the horses temperament and character rather than its age. Five year ago I bought my nervous 13 yo a 4 year old 14.1hh, he was the the safest pony we had ever had, I had people fighting over him when we sold him as he was so steady and reliable. I currently have a 5 year old coloured Irish pony I am selling, I would put a nervous rider on him before anything else on the yard that is much older and experienced. Don't discount age.
Good luck.
 
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