Advice please Can a 5year old horse be suitable for a novice?

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Tomandlaura

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Hi
I've seen Andalusian horses on dealers websites at 5 year old advertised as suitable for novices . What are people's options on this please? Thank you in advance for your help
 
A lot of horses go through a rebellious phase around 5/6 years old I've found. So i'd be wary purely for that reason.
Will the novice be getting regular lessons from a professional?

Also, in general (though by no means is it a rule) Andalusians tend to be quite on their toes and VERY clever, making them an unwise choice for a novice.
 
Young horse can be ok for a novice with good support from instructors etc. However as above.....if I were a novice I would be looking for an older more 'been there done that' horse that can help you improve your riding. And I agree, although you cannot generalise, andalusians tend to be quite hot and intelligent horses and I would say an unwise choice for a novice.

I would seek help from an experienced horsey friend or instructor to help you find a horse. If you are going down the dealers route then go for a reputable one, and google is useful to find out which ones to avoid. If this dealer is advertising young andalusians as an ideal horse for novices then I would walk away from that one I am afraid.
 
An Andalusian isn't the first breed which springs to mind when I ask myself what sort of horse would be ideal for a novice. If they're dealers just be sure to take everything they say with a pinch of salt.
 
Depends on your circumstances, if you have a parent with loads of experience or are on full livery with someone else (who has experience) setting the groundwork boundries on a daily basis and available to ride when things get tough - it could be OK , but expensive as you'll need lots of help.

6y/o is teenager hood, they go through the 'Kevin' phase and test every boundry possible - not fun. A few horses skip the phase, just as a few teenagers are lovely - but most follow the stereotype.
Agree with above too the breed wouldn't be my first choice.
I'd look for 12/14 y/o mixed breed and have some fun before you start the serious stuff
 
My horse will be in full livery at the yard that I ride at. My instructor described me as a nervous capable rider. I lack confidence which is something that im working on at the moment. thank you for the advice so far, think i'd be better with an older horse by the looks of it.
 
If you lack confidence/are likely to lose it easily - an older been there done that type would do wonders. You can have fun then without worrying about the rebellious teenage phase of a youngster and gain confidence from knowing that the horse has done things before :)
 
You see a lot of 4, rising 5 yrs olds, that are advertised as saints and to 'not be put off their age', and very often 4yr olds can be very genuine.

However the same horse at 5/6 can be more of a handful as it is at that age they may start challenging you. I bought a very sensible 4 rising 5 yr old, but 6 mnths in he went into teenager mode and I had a very tough few mnths with him. However, now at just turned 6yr he is back to the sensible chap I originally tried.

I am in no way a novice rider, but do sometimes have confidence issues, and very nearly chucked in the towel with my youngster, but with the help of friends and a good instructor have now come out the other side.

So in general, I would not say a 5yr old would be good for a novice, and would be looking at a horse 10 yrs + that is already established and therefore more forgiving of a novice rider.
 
What's the famous saying-"green on green leads to black and blue!" Novice or nervous riders and young horses don't tend to lead to happiness. You could have a lot more fun with an experienced and forgiving horse.
 
Personally even if you were a very confident novice I'd advise against taking on a rising 6 year old unless you had amazing back up and lots of money to spend on professional help. We've had 5/6 year olds, all with good temperaments and who have been started well by a professional but they have reared, bucked, napped, planted and generally tested the boundaries. It's not been a problem for us as my daughter was confident, experienced and prepared to get help when it was needed and all of them have become safe sensible rides with good manners but in inexperienced hands they could have become nightmares! I'm an experienced rider but not overly confident and I always choose older horses because to a large extent WYSIWYG!
Tomandlaura said:
My horse will be in full livery at the yard that I ride at. My instructor described me as a nervous capable rider. I lack confidence which is something that im working on at the moment. thank you for the advice so far, think i'd be better with an older horse by the looks of it.
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Thank you for all your advise. I find it kind of worrying that apt his horse could of been bought by me and t could of ended in tears. Plus it really makes you question some of these dealers...
 
Tomandlaura said:
Thank you for all your advise. I find it kind of worrying that apt his horse could of been bought by me and t could of ended in tears. Plus it really makes you question some of these dealers...
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It depends entirely on the person/situation though.
A confident novice with LOTS of help (and probably bottomless pockets..) may be able to deal with a 5 year old.

At the same time, some undesirable dealers (much like undesirable private sellers!) like to stretch the truth a bit.
 
It's hard work teaching a young horse how to be a useful ridden horse, even for an experienced rider. For a novice it, learning how to be a useful rider, it could lead to miscommunication and confidence being knocked on both sides :(
 
"andalusians" are very focussed on people, on trying to fulfill your commands, almost to the point of anticipating them. They're so smart they learn very very quickly.
Unfortunately if you're slightly inexperienced this can make them very worried that they're missing the cue, or misbehave because your aide wasn't sufficiently precise if that makes sense. Additionally a calm horse with that drive to learn could quickly come unstuck with inappropriate riding. It's not fair on the horse.
I started out on a range of ugly old hunters as first real horses. They taught me a great deal. You would also find more appropriate help/ instruction with non-iberians. They are not like other horses in terms of sensitivity. You can always work towards one at a later date.
 
I bought a 4 yr who was described as suitable for beginners, I am an experienced confident rider/handler and can definitely say that if he had gone to a beginner he would have been put up for sale again quickly.

He is a gorgeous horse but is a baby and very sensitive and looks to me for reassurance. He will try and take off in the arena/buck if he's spooked etc and can be very difficult on the ground if upset. All this is improving but I feel he would have terrified a novice.
 
'Novice rider' is open to many interpretations. I've known novice riders with balls of steel & equally, experienced riders who panic if a horse so much as farts. If you have the back up regarding management & ridden instruction & the horse is of a generous nature, then try him.
 
Tomandlaura said:
Hi
I've seen Andalusian horses on dealers websites at 5 year old advertised as suitable for novices . What are people's options on this please? Thank you in advance for your help
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If the horse is of a laid back temperament (I know nothing of this particular breed), has been correctly broken in with the basic training in place and will be regularly schooled by an experienced rider, with the novice rider having lessons on the horse too, then yes a 5yr old could be suitable. Otherwise generally its not a good idea, often leading to a naughty horse in need to reschooling and a rider who has lost their confidence.
 
I would class a 5 year old Andalusian as not suitable for a nervous novice. They can be hot, sharp and clever. They respond to even the tiniest of body movements and weight changes and they especially like to take their confidence from their rider. I wouldn't even really recommend an older PRE for a nervous novice.

If it was a laid back 5 year old cold blood breed might be different but TBH I think most first time owners should go for an older horse, the things they teach you are invaluable!

I always remember the phrase green on green equals black and blue!
 
I am of the totally opposite opinion when it comes to buying older horses I only ever buy anything under 20 months old, too many older horses have issues and have learned all the tricks of the trade so I would go for a young professionally started horse with a wonderful temperament over the baggage older ones carry but then I would also agree that a hot blooded horse is not suitable for a novice what ever its age. The biggest number of horses sent for rehab are very large warmbloods owned by tiny riders and welsh cobs (section d) who have not been raised and started well as they are large, attractive and hotter than most of the other natives
 
I had my first pony when I was thirteen (many moons ago LOL)....... my lovely little dapple grey pony was five.

I didn't have any horsey parents or anyone to mentor me; pony was grass-kept and I just had to get on with it.

Everyone prophesied it would "end in disaster".

It didn't. He, bless his little heart, knew his job and looked after me. He'd stand rock solid in the middle of a field when everyone else was hooning around him and hounds were running under his belly!

But I know that he was an exceptional pony; a pony in a million-zillion and I was so damn lucky to have had him.

So there are exceptions to every rule.
 
My friends 5 year old gelding is better behaved than my 12 year old mare.

Yesterday we were hacking, trotting along the grass verge, my mare decides to tank off, had to take her into the stubble field to circle her to stop her. He just stopped and watched looking a bit confused.

Having said that mines usually as good as gold.

Having said that Spanish and Portuguese horses are usually quite highly strung, and I wouldn't usually associate them with being suitable for a nervous novice, but there's exceptions to every breed.
 
But it wasn't a 5 year old Andulusian and I think you are the exception that proves the rule!
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I had my first pony when I was thirteen (many moons ago LOL)....... my lovely little dapple grey pony was five.

I didn't have any horsey parents or anyone to mentor me; pony was grass-kept and I just had to get on with it.

Everyone prophesied it would "end in disaster".

It didn't. He, bless his little heart, knew his job and looked after me. He'd stand rock solid in the middle of a field when everyone else was hooning around him and hounds were running under his belly!

But I know that he was an exceptional pony; a pony in a million-zillion and I was so damn lucky to have had him.

So there are exceptions to every rule.
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My 5 year old regularly acts as the sensible option to the older ones she is bombproof in almost every way and is afraid of nothing so is used to make her 20 year old silly mother behave and has fulfilled that role in hand since she was a yearling
 
There are exceptions to every rule but generally these partnerships fail... The reason they don't appear on here is that the riders often quit due to negative experiences... Can it work - yes but is it wise to take the risk... No.
 
Babies are often awfully well behaved then hit the teenage stage when they get fitter and more able to try you out so I would say don't touch with a barge pole myself.
 
blitznbobs said:
There are exceptions to every rule but generally these partnerships fail... The reason they don't appear on here is that the riders often quit due to negative experiences... Can it work - yes but is it wise to take the risk... No.
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This!
I know first hand of a fair few people who have bought "lovely quiet" 5 year olds and ended up with a massive handful on their hands, because they didn't have the experience to create the necessary boundaries when the horse tried to challenge them. Only one person who i'd call a "novice" ever really succeeded with their 5 year old, but she had her instructor ride him regularly and spent a loooot of money on additional help.

So yes, it isn't impossible, but why try the path which causes so many problems when you could enjoy a nice been there done that type..makes no sense!
 
Riding a five year old isn't the problem (although any 'hot' breed could be difficult) a novice owner with a five year old is a much more difficult prospect. Youngsters need firm consistant handling and the unexpected can always happen. Our then three year old had a cut sole of her foot, which led to treatment and then an abcsess which also required treatment under sedation. It has taken me many months to get her ok with having her feet handled again and the farrier trimming is still an issue. Not something I would expect a novice to deal with.
 
I once took on a older mare as a loan horse she was supposed to be a novice ride and quiet as a lamb no issues or hangups the first time I tried to hack her out she stood bolt uprights and nothing was going to make her go anywhere she didnt want to I sent her straight back the owners were surprised until one commented that she was a lovely hack as she always chose which direction to go in and knew just where to go. The issue was I wanted her to go in a different direction and she had already decided to go another the fight that ensued was a sight to behold as I am not a novice rider but had wanted something to accompany my kids and their ponies out on hacks. I bought a four year old newly backed by a pro and it was perfect no learned habits not vices what more could you want. There seems to be a lot of older horses with dreadful issues a friend went to try a pony that was supposed to be suitable for her kids and grandkids it broke her back and neck she was buying for novices pony was supposed to be a novice ride was 11 years old so should have been perfect she bought a 5 year old he was perfect calm and never learned to be a pain. So it does work both ways with the right support then youngsters are blank sheets of paper you get out what you put in older horses you get someone else's mess up. Not saying or implying that all older horses have issues some are lovely and suitable for any rider but they also usually come with a very hefty price tag or are bought more by good luck than good management on the part of both the seller and the buyer
 
Def won't be going down the path of a young horse. Thank you for all your replies. My gut instinct told me that a young horse would not be a good idea for me and I think I was right. This has also made me question the dealer I was talking with as I was upfront with what my riding ability was and think her main interest is selling the horse not selling me the correct horse for me
 
windand rain said:
I once took on a older mare as a loan horse she was supposed to be a novice ride and quiet as a lamb no issues or hangups the first time I tried to hack her out she stood bolt uprights and nothing was going to make her go anywhere she didnt want to I sent her straight back the owners were surprised until one commented that she was a lovely hack as she always chose which direction to go in and knew just where to go. The issue was I wanted her to go in a different direction and she had already decided to go another the fight that ensued was a sight to behold as I am not a novice rider but had wanted something to accompany my kids and their ponies out on hacks. I bought a four year old newly backed by a pro and it was perfect no learned habits not vices what more could you want. There seems to be a lot of older horses with dreadful issues a friend went to try a pony that was supposed to be suitable for her kids and grandkids it broke her back and neck she was buying for novices pony was supposed to be a novice ride was 11 years old so should have been perfect she bought a 5 year old he was perfect calm and never learned to be a pain. So it does work both ways with the right support then youngsters are blank sheets of paper you get out what you put in older horses you get someone else's mess up. Not saying or implying that all older horses have issues some are lovely and suitable for any rider but they also usually come with a very hefty price tag or are bought more by good luck than good management on the part of both the seller and the buyer
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You're not a novice though. When a youngster starts to test boundaries ( you might not even notice them doing it), you know how to set those boundaries and ensure the horse understands, whereas a novice may be unable to do this and the problem would just escalate.
 
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