Anyone else middle aged and been seduced by a fancy warmblood?

[R2D2]

I am old and experienced enough to know better, but last year I went and bought myself a very well bred, and flashy 5 year old warmblood. I love him to bits, but oh dear God there are times when I wonder what on earth I was thinking. Today was one of those moments when he misjudged a jump while schooling, knocked it flying, and completely lost his mind. Most of the time he manages to fool me into thinking he is quite sensible, then we have moments like that! Is there anyone else who is in the same boat, just so I know I am not alone in my foolishness?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I have an aged Warmblood now but at 47 I think maybe my next one (if I get one) should be more low key. However I know I’m automatically attracted to the tall dark handsome type. So whilst my head says one thing my heart says another so who knows

 

[Antw23uk]

Cant afford the vet bills and ive no space for that many rugs and wraps I prefer my horses with a leg in each corner who dont break quiet so easily! I do often think about having one if that counts?

 

[Shady]

Lol, not a warmblood but i fell for an Arabian and the first time he went into a flat out gallop i thought i was going to die and apparently the look on my face was similar to a constipated wide mouth frog

 

[pansymouse]

I was; it broke both my legs and it was doubtful if I would be able to walk properly at one point.

I sold it and it proceeded to brake the next owners hip (his own fault).

I reverted to native x TBs for spirit and brains and a survivable fall height.

 

[wingedhorse]

Dunno, I have recently bought an 11 year old, sound, leg at each corner, old fashioned style AES British warmblood. He lives out at night, works without boots. He’s got nice movement, but suitable for an amateur middle aged office worker to have a chance of sitting to.

But he is a cowardly custard.

I think horses come in all shapes, sizes and types and natures.

Not all warmbloods are delicate flowers. Or superhot.

Like anything, warmbloods are a spectrum.

I’ve a different 15.3hh small warmblood that vet thought was Welsh cross TB!

 

[Antw23uk]

Dunno, I have recently bought an 11 year old, sound, leg at each corner, old fashioned style AES British warmblood. He lives out at night, works without boots. He’s got nice movement, but suitable for an amateur middle aged office worker to have a chance of sitting to.

But he is a cowardly custard.

I think horses come in all shapes, sizes and types and natures.

Not all warmbloods are delicate flowers. Or superhot.

Like anything, warmbloods are a spectrum.

I’ve a different 15.3hh small warmblood that vet thought was Welsh cross TB!

Very true, I have a 16.1 cob cross (sire a big traditional cob and mum a IDxTB) and she has the brain and enthusiasm of a highly strung TB, lol!

 

[MDB]

My new warmblood cross filly who is two year old is gorgeous. She has a lovely face, moves beautifully with long graceful strides. I could watch her trot and canter around the paddock all day. She is very calm, doesn't spook at anything, and is very good to handle. Then I have moments like today when she grows an extra two hands and turns into a fire breathing dragon on the end of the lead rope. I have my work cut out.

 

[ycbm]

Yup. Bought a KWPN. It was a wobbler. Bought a second. It wouldn't jump. Bought a Hannoverian papered as a Westfalian. It had kissing spines. Given another KWPN, because it was lame. Sorted out the lameness to discover it was bonkers. All four by GP sires out of graded mares.

Never again!

I thought your title was much more fun than it turned out to be. On my screen the last two words were missing

 

[attheponies]

Oh dear, yes me. He was the prettiest horse I have ever seen but came with lots of issues. I have a lovely, sensible ISH now (far more suitable for my later years!). I absolutely love warmbloods but every one I have known has had temperament issues or health issues or both. Having said that, they usually have great paces and are obviously highly successful in almost every sphere!

 

[SpringArising]

Having spent the last 6 months in a yard of TBs, I will NEVER own one. Every single day, one of the 18 has come in with something or other wrong with it.

They are UTTER wimps!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Yep. Aged 51 on holiday in Germany bought a rising 4 Deutsche Reitpony having had a 25 year break. Papered Westfalian by an FEI dressage pony stallion out of a top graded pony mare. What the hell was I thinking!!!

DP is now 15hh and almost 8, he is the most loving pony I've ever known but my god he can be hard work. When things are going well in his world he is a joy to be around. When he is stressed he can be unmanageable but thankfully those episodes are getting fewer as he gets older. He loves his hacking, hates being in the school and goes lame if he is jumped so I bought a little Connie to have fun on.

 

[TGM]

Not all warmbloods are delicate flowers. Or superhot.

Like anything, warmbloods are a spectrum.

Agree totally! We bought a six year old warmblood (SF x KWPN) for our daughter's first horse after coming off ponies - he is now 15. He is out most nights (unless the ground conditions are exceptionally wet, as they are at the moment) and only wears boots for XC. He has been to numerous PC camps and rallies, done musical rides, hacks out safely alone or in company (even with me on board), is a great hunter who will go first or last, has field-mastered and whipped-in, will do gates and catch loose horses, plus has evented successfully to BE Novice with many placings in the top 5. So certainly not a delicate flower, and not particularly hot either, although being an athletic type, if he is feeling a bit sharp his acrobatics are a bit more athletic than some! Liked him so much we bought another one!

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I have to say I’ve had my Belgian Warmblood 13 years and yes he’s had issues and can be a cheeky, spooky beast but he’s my soulmate and I’ve had a blast with him. He’s a smaller more compact type though with good but not overly flashy movement.

 

[exracehorse]

Yes 50 this year. And at 48 bought a young green 17 hand warmblood by Sempers spirit. I seriously thought I was going to end up in a wheelchair for the first 6 months and didn’t hack him for a year as he was horrible. Thank god for my dressage instructor. He’s still quirky and not a novice ride but there’s a trust now and he’s my special boy

 

[EventingMum]

Friends sent me their daughter's Novice eventer to sell, I fell in love and he ended up staying! He got me back to riding regularly but sadly the last couple of years he has done both check ligaments and had some foot problems so has been out of work most of the time. 99% of the time he is a real gent when ridden but that 1% of the time his dumbblood brain kicks in and he can be a total panic merchant and have a meltdown. On the ground his manners are impeccable and given that I walk with crutches that is a godsend.

 

[milliepops]

I think horses come in all shapes, sizes and types and natures.

Not all warmbloods are delicate flowers. Or superhot.

Like anything, warmbloods are a spectrum.

Yup and not all natives are easy sensible types
Mine certainly isn't!

Though by comparison the new WB is a bit "vague". I am waiting for her to switch her brain on

 

[OldFogie]

These tales all sound like the hugely potentialed eventer bought in questionable circumstances in "16 Hands Between Your Legs" - ( sorry,forgotten the author )hilarious read. This chap was supposedly advertised as "lightly hunted" perfectly true as the narration explains because he only ever went once having bolted off overtaking everything including the fox and was subsequently banned for life. His sire was "Old Sod" - he didn't get that for nothing! Haha.
But even my superdupa solid leg on each corner Irish Draught wonder mare good lob in the odd surprise - as they all can. In fact, a lot of the things she could do surprised me because I originally bought her as a surprise for my wife ("what do you want that old plodder for?)but the mare surprised her even more than me! Think Lippanzana airing above the ground and you won't be far off - I emptied quite a few shops in our local High Str one time when she threw one when spooked by the crinkly plastic out of a orange box monster - though I must admit admiring myself sitting to it all in the shopwindows!
My daughter's second horse bought from an eventer to do even more proved to me that she could canter backwards up the banking in our lane - for many years after (because they're protected from rain) a full set of hoof prints could be seen 7ft up from the road. I've actually done an engine off emergency landing in a small helicopter that was less exciting and all this happened after my fortieth birthday.

 

[brighteyes]

Ha, middle-aged? You are all babies! I have a KWPN in my care (not chosen, but taken on) and it has been a learning curve for us both. 8 years on and all is good but I wasn't seduced by any stretch. More a needs must, but it has been fun.

 

[Doublethyme]

Haha yes me. My aged warmblood mare was quite old fashioned type, steadier, stockier, sane and extremely intelligent. I had her from my early 30s as a 4 year old. She was retired early, so I decided I wanted another warmblood. Cue buying a 17 month old hanoverian. Due to mature 16hh ish. Fine i thought. 7 years later at 46 years old with dodgy hip/knee, I have a very big 16.3hh sharp forward mare!! Has it tested me to the outer edges of my ability and confidence....oh yes and I've had some bruises, but I do so adore her and dont regret my madness in buying her and will be very sad when she eventually retires or departs as by then my warmblood days will be over and it will be a sensible native or Irish.

Although when I'm trying to stretch my dodgy hip up 16.3hh even with a mounting block, I do sometimes wonder why 🤔😆

 

[Louby]

Not a WB but bought a beautiful 3 yr old halter broken ISH with a high percentage of TB. Im middle aged, should have known better gulp!! Shes going to be backed in 6 weeks and Im starting to think OMG what the hell have I done lol. After todays walk out when she did a lovely piaffe with 'I think Im an Arab' attitude, I said to the hubby, why didnt I buy a steady cob! Im going to have to buy a pair of brave knickers!!

 

[SEL]

Grew up in Germany riding nutty warmbloods and had one in my late 20s who retired due to arthritis in the end. Loved him to bits, but I was braver and bounced in those days. So I got myself a 'sensible' draft x in my early 40s who has proved more of a nightmare than any of the warmbloods i rode when i was younger (or maybe thats my memory failing....)

 

[Goldenstar]

Yup just bought a 6 yo son of Contendo out of a Cruising mare just the thing for a 57 year old with a checkered orthapedic history .
Thankfully so far he’s been as good as gold .
I

 

[PapaverFollis]

When does middle age start? I'm a week off being 35 and yet to look at a warmblood and think "That looks like a good idea"... I'm worried I have it coming. Hopefully I've bypassed it and will remain in sensible (mostly) cob phase.

We did do an exracer for my husband's mid life horse crisis. We survived, despite several suicide attempts by the seriously accident prone exracer, but it thrust us firmly into the current cob phase.

 

[Junebug44]

Love this thread. How do I give it stars??

Edited - just figured that out.

 

[Mule]

I'm not far off middle age and I have started to notice that warm-bloods tend to have such pretty heads. I think it's the slightly dished faces.
I should just get an Arab instead! At least it would be a more appropriate height.

 

[crabbymare]

If my body let me I would have another. There are nutters in anything from small natives through to TB and heavy horses. You can get warmbloods that live out unrugged, and rarely have a problem and you can get rugged up cobs that turn to mush if they see rain. You need to pick the bloodlines and also judge what is in front of you, it also helps if you buy from a breeder or rider that does not have them under saddle ready to do the 3yr old classes as I am sure that has a lot to do with so many of the problems they can come with. It means paying a bit more but well worth it

 

[eggs]

I am now nearer 60 than 50 and haven't ridden a anything other than a warmblood for over 15 years. Most of them have been homebred or bought as foals and in general haven't had more health issues than the non warmblood horses I have owned. The spookiest horse I have owned was a TB who was a walking vet's bill.

 

[exracehorse]

Mines un rugged. Lives out. No hard feed. My previous ex racer tb was a walking insurance claim. Spent more time in the stable than being ridden due to accidents or
Illness.

 

[hellybelly6]

I’m 45 and have had a 10 year old, 17.2, ISH for 10 days. He’s like a big puppy, but nervy racehorse on hacks