Advice please before I travel for 2 hours!

hannah9000

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
95
Location
Somerset
Visit site
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and just looking for some general advice -

I've been enquiring about a 9yr old 16hh TB ex-racehorse who is up for full loan. He sounds spot-on for what I want but there's one thing that I'm slightly apprehensive about. The owner said that he has his back checked every six months as his topline is weak and needs constant maintaining. I'd be able to school him once a week/fortnight and i'd be out with him everyday except Tuesdays!
Would a once a week schooling session be enough? I'm also willing to try supplements etc and do everything I can that could help.
I've seen videos of him jumping 3ft fences, the owner says that due to a fall last year she won't jump him over 2'6 now to be on the safe side, which is fine as i'm not looking to do SJ. I'd like to do hunter trials and XC, but would his back be ok for this?
 

AmyMay

Situation normal
Joined
1 July 2004
Messages
65,905
Location
South
Visit site
Hacking alone is perfect for building up a top line. I never school my horse, and he has a wonderful neck.
 

BBH

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2007
Messages
9,357
Visit site
Its ringing alarm bells to me if I'm honest, a horse with a bad back regularly needing treatment no longer able to jump a relatively small fence ???

The chances are all could be well but i'd be asking a lot more questions if it was me.
 

scrumpygus

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 March 2009
Messages
549
Visit site
Agree with LHS it doesnt ring true at all to me. But if you did take him on then hacking is excellent to build - you can school whilst out on a hack and i usually get better results than in the school! Ask him to work in an outline (working forward in an outline not pulled in) try some leg yields and shoulders in when your on a quiet track and use hills to trot up.
 

hannah9000

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
95
Location
Somerset
Visit site
Thanks all. Below, a few quotes from the owner...I was cautious at first but I feel she's genuine. Maybe naive of me? It's her daughters horse and she's off to Uni with a youngster horse she bought last year when this one was injured..

'The only problematic area with him is with his back, that's why we don't jump him regularly (when I say jump, my daughter used to do 3ft) - he needs to be worked properly to maintain his top line, you can see that he works lovely in an outline.
He could jump every week if you wanted to, but not at big heights, he is better at x-country, hunter trials than sj, he would probably be best keeping at 2ft 6, but he does do a lovely dressage test, always placed in ex-racehorse classes. His back is about £35 for a check up - his back was quite bad last October, he was jumping 3ft and he slipped quite badly. He was off work until February this year because he had a rsummer competing and my daughter bought a youngster. He is back in work now, but she has a youngster and only rides him about twice a week.'
 

BBH

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2007
Messages
9,357
Visit site
My advice - leave well alone.


There are plenty of horses out there without bad backs. As you want to XC etc there is no way you can guarantee him staying at 2'6" or under and if he puts in a flyer and tweaks himself does that mean he's out of action for ages ? No its too much hassle really i'm sure you just want to get on and ride.
 

hannah9000

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
95
Location
Somerset
Visit site
Thank you LHS, sometimes all I need is an honest frank opinion as I do get a tad carried away!! And I do agree he would perhaps be more trouble than I'm prepared to take on at this stage.
 

Toby_Zaphod

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2005
Messages
9,259
Location
Midlands
Visit site
Quote 'The only problematic area with him is with his back, that's why we don't jump him regularly'

This should not be dismissed lightly, if a horse has a bad back, & one would assume that they have given it treatment & it still has a weakness then you treally need to walk away. It is very easy to get carried away when looking for a horse & ignore varous things, but you shouldn't ignore this. As has been said, there are plenty of horses out there that don't have medical problems so my advice is to keep looking, you'll find the one for you eventually.
 

goldanas49

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 January 2009
Messages
54
Location
Maine et Loire, France
Visit site
I have an ex racer and however good they are they will all have the TB ideosyncracies, which is what makes them appealing , but each ride is an adventure! As such I would steer well clear of this one, as there are quite a lot to choose from.
 
Top