A forward going first horse?

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sydney02

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I'm looking for my first horse and am going for a second viewing on an 13yr old cob mare.

She is forward and responsive - but I could get her to halt and slow down and she wasn't spooky or silly on the road, just trotted to get past a car but was fine straight after that. She wasn't as easy as some horses to stop, a little pull rather than a squeeze on the reins, but with some schooling I think I could get her to halt with less pressure.

I've also tried some novice ride/ plod type horses which are quite frustrating to ride because i'm constantly asking them to go forward, and its an effort to even stay in trot on some of them. Although again, with schooling I could try work to get them more responsive off the leg.

I've always assumed I would just get a quiet plod for a first horse, but I really liked this mare that was more forward and enjoyed her work. She's quite like the mare I ride in my lessons.

I don't want to over-horse myself, but I don't want to be constantly kicking a horse to get it to keep going. I want to have fun and jump and ride on the beach, and I'd like a horse that enjoys that too.

Any experience or advice from those who didn't have the typical plod first horse?
 
I have a forward going first horse. 7 years next month. She's upped her game as I've upped mine. She's absolutely perfect.
 
As you sound fairly confident and the mare sounds forward going and reasonably well educated, rather than the type that is often considered to be forward going that is just rude and strong, you should be fine, what do the sellers think of you as a combination?
If they know the mare well ask their opinion, if they are genuinely looking for a good home, not just trying to get rid, they will be able to offer an opinion on whether you are a good match, if they feel she may be too much then ask why, it never hurts to see what the sellers feel, I have told people the horse will not suit and while at the time they may feel a bit put out it is always for a good reason and in the interests of both the horse and potential new owner.
 
How much help will you be getting from experienced riders? If you will still be regularly having lessons then I would say go ahead.

I would be wary that once the horse is being regularly ridden by you, then bad habits would start to develop further as you would lack the experience to stop them. Hence why if you can still have experienced people to help then I reckon you'll be fine.
 
Depends how comfortable you are going at a faster pace/ if you feel safe riding the horse and confident that you have decent enough brakes/is not too strong.
But I am biased as I have a forward going pony which was not my first but feels like it, as my previous pony spent all its time doing rodeo with me so my current pony is the first I got to actually go out and have fun with, pc,compete, hunt etc and not spend all my time face down in the mud!
The first day I had her on trial she ran off with me across 3 fields and I had not galloped that fast/or far before, so I had no control and was'nt used to it. But I loved being able to fly along without being thrown off!
I got her from a kind of dealer who told me the previous owner had become nervous of her and made her hard-mouthed with too much pulling. With this in mind I have always tried to be gentle with my reins and use a 'squeezy' on/off/on/off kind of way to stop. If you just pull she speeds up lol
It did take me a while to get the knack of slowing/stopping her and to this day is still requires 'finesse' as I call it to do an emergency stop lol Pretty much every person who sees my pony dancing around and jogging everywhere (probably sideways lol) says something like 'that's a lively one!' or 'rather you than me!' but to be honest I would rather have her anyday than a slower one who throws in a sneaky bronc or something and tries to get out of work. All mine wants to do is go forward and I have never felt unsafe on her ever.
 
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If you enjoyed riding her i would get her. You can learn some really bad habits on a plod, but then you can also learn how to hot up a horse, which will not be good if you then get on a nice forward horse and it goes off on you cause you without knowing asked it to. Youll learn much better on a forward horse.
 
Plenty of forward-going horses are pleasant, safe, fun rides. If you feel confident, weren't out of control and like the horse then maybe go for a second viewing with your instructor along for a second opinion.

Sorry to jump on a particular phrase, but I'd be a bit wary of choosing a horse like the one you ride in your lessons. A horse that is suitable for a less experienced rider in a controlled environment under supervision might turn out to be too much for a novice owner to manage by herself/himself. There was a "novice riders" thread on here recently that really highlighted this difference.

Would you feel confident riding this horse by yourself? On a windy evening in winter when the school is full of shadows? Think of the various things you might want to do (compete, go for a blast in company, attend an xc clinic etc) and decide based on whether you think you'd be okay to do them, rather than whether you'd be okay riding the horse in a lesson.

That said, you might be happiest on a bold horse who wants to be up-and-doing. I don't mean to put you off, just offer an angle. Best of luck whatever you decide! :)
 
equi said:
If you enjoyed riding her i would get her. You can learn some really bad habits on a plod, but then you can also learn how to hot up a horse, which will not be good if you then get on a nice forward horse and it goes off on you cause you without knowing asked it to. Youll learn much better on a forward horse.
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Agree with this, there's nothing like a forward going ride to improve you're riding skills........If you are confident, go for it!
 
My teenagers first horse was a riding school schoolmistress, but was responsive, but quite downhill and needed encouraged to jump, but on a beach went like stick!!! When she needed to retire we got sasha, a younger model so to say, my son had to learn to "ride" properly....as retired horse was a plod in the school, if her rider felt unsteady, she would slow down ect.. Well Sasha tanked off with my son in his first lesson with her, cos he "kicked" like he did with penny, so he had to learn to squeeze with his legs, and we had little brakes for a few weeks till he got to grips with her way of going, we can never use a whip either!!! Or she is off... First visit to the beach and she galloped for miles, but he got her back and controled her well. All in all he had to learn to ride a proper horse, and we never looked back, she is brilliant for him, I never really notice his aids now, as they are so subtle. So if you think you can soon get to grips with a more forward horse go for it.. My son now loves a visit to the gallops at local racing place, they both have a blast, and he rode her all last year doing Polocrosse, and only once did he slightly loose control...
 
sydney02 said:
She wasn't as easy as some horses to stop, a little pull rather than a squeeze on the reins, but with some schooling I think I could get her to halt with less pressure.
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My first pony was a whizzy pocket rocket. I fell off her twice when I first tried her and went back for more! I was 12 at the time, she was far too much for me, but we bonded and ended up having a brilliant time until I lost her when she was 26. However your above bit that I've quoted would indicate you would benefit from lessons on her if you were to buy her, as you really should be riding independently from your hands - using your seat, back and legs to give commands and the hands should only be giving a contact. So it's not necessarily a bad thing to get a forward first horse at all but make sure you have plenty of support from a good, sympathetic trainer who knows what they're on about :) Good luck with her!
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A "kick-along" horse/pony is the most frustrating thing in the world to ride. As long as the forwardness is tempered with responsiveness, and "forward" doesn't escalate to "tanking" I'd much prefer to have a forward going horse than a plod.
 
'Forward going' is a good thing….as long as it doesn't get too fizzy or strong that it scares you.

It is a lot easier to learn on a forward going horse than a kick along plod, as rather than spending all your energy on keeping this type of horse going, you can concentrate on other things like your position etc.

My son learnt to ride on a forward going pony - it bought him on a lot quicker than a quieter pony and has made him a far more sensitive, and braver, rider.

Unless you think it will tank off with you I would go for it, just maybe invest in a good instructor to get you going.

Good luck with whatever you decide x
 
Have you tried this horse cantering in company in open spaces? Often horses are much more sedate in the school than they are out and about, and if you want to do things like ride on the beach, then I would suggest asking the vendors to allow you to take this potential horse out for a canter in some open fields to see what her brakes are like under those circumstances. If you are happy with her behaviour after that trial, then sound like she would be great for your first horse.
 
"forward going" is a bit of an open ender for me - to different people it means different things, a bit like "not a novice ride" (which seems to be an almost standard addition to adverts these days).

The horse you describe doesn't sound forward going, just not a sluggish cob. I would describe one of mine as forward going, responsive in that he is in trot a nanosecond after I have moved my little finger, thinking about his next move at least ten seconds before I am, and although he reacts to my aids he is all for being on the move 24/7. I suppose by today's standards he would be described as "not a novice ride" I just think he is forward.
 
The one other thing to consider is what she has done before and how this might affect her in the future. If she has been hunted/XC a lot because she is fun to ride and forward going she may have a fair amount of wear and tear by the age of 13. Yes, cobs are tough but their conformation can mean that they are susceptible to concussion, possibly leading to navicular, ringbone etc. If she has lots of miles on the clock and you do decide that you would like her, do get a five stage vetting and heed the vet's opinion.
As others have said, you MUST ride her in open country, preferably with other horses if this is something that you'd like to do with her. What is great fun in an arena or paddock might feel a bit more unnerving going downhill on a fun ride.
This sounds like I'm anti forward going horses - far from it. My OH would have given up riding very early on had he not discovered that the cob he was riding was considerably more fun on a hack than in the school!
 
sydney02 said:
I'm looking for my first horse and am going for a second viewing on an 13yr old cob mare.

She is forward and responsive - but I could get her to halt and slow down and she wasn't spooky or silly on the road, just trotted to get past a car but was fine straight after that She wasn't as easy as some horses to stop, a little pull rather than a squeeze on the reins, but with some schooling I think I could get her to halt with less pressure.
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So she's not great with cars? That would worry me FAR more for a novices first horse than being forward going! If she's scurrying past cars in a worry, god knows what she'll be like with a lorry!
 
Kallibear said:
So she's not great with cars? That would worry me FAR more for a novices first horse than being forward going! If she's scurrying past cars in a worry, god knows what she'll be like with a lorry!
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This, if road work is done they need to be safe, I now live in the back of beyond, don't need to go on roads at all, but I do and walk through the yard when the grain lorries and tractors are about, just to keep my lot ok in any traffic, my first horse is forward going, I can leave him for months in the field, then get on and ride, knowing he will be keen and stride out, but if I ask for a halt or rein back, I get it, but for all I feel safe on him, I only canter him uphill, as he squeals and gives a little excited buck and I don't bounce at my age, I can't wait for the grandkids to develop a light hand and lose the pony club kick so they can have a blast on him
 
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