BIG decisions for small brain :-\ [long :-/ ]

H

Horsehead

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2009
Messages
120
Visit site
Hello all,

haven't actually posted a whole thread before (I never really have much worth say haha) but I feel the need to share, and i'll try and make it as concise as possible...

I won't go into the whole loaning fiasco i've had over the past 4/5 months, but it has left me feeling quite demorilised and down (not to mention coinciding with assignment stress) it has not been a pretty time. So I have decided that towards the end of the summer (which is annoying as many people are selling some lovely horses now as 'summer projects') i'm going to make the commitment and buy my own. I say end of summer because that's when i'll have all the capital needed for not just horse but the many accessories etc...

Anyway, here in lies the dilemma. There is a horse at a riding school I started riding at during the summer, and he was the horse I was given on my first lesson, and it was love at first plonk my arse in the saddle. I rode him afew times and he is just such a sweetheart, then i toddled off to uni. After all the stress i thought i'd go back and ride him and see if he was as I had imagined, and it's worse, he's better, I jumped him today and he makes light of a metre (I will say my instructer there has done so well with him, and she wishes she could buy him!) but he is so brave and has scope to die for really, you wouldn't necessarily think to look at him. My friend bought her amazing horse from the same riding school, and we've been discussing me having this man, and I really want him... but I think they may want over what I would be able to spend, don't get me wrong, he is young and still a little green but as time goes by the price i reckon is going up.

The thing is really I don't know whether to try my luck, hope we can negotiate, he would be at the absolute top top end of my budget anyway, or hope I find something else I can get on with just aswell. There is so much out there, especially as really i'm looking for a TB (even though pony is a ISH) going for a song really so I know I would find something I loved, but I don't know if i'd get on with him/her as well as I already know I get on with Ponio.

sorry it's a long and pointless post but you know when you just wanna say something out loud!?

If you read you're a saint

xxxx
 
wow so i'm a saint! i really think that you should try negotiating if he means that much to you, i did an pretty much halved the price ( i knew the people so that was an advantage) but i wouldn't trade er for the world! see how low you can get the price, it will be worth it :) you may have no clothes and live on toast but when you wee your lovely horse you will know that it was the best decision. if you do manage to get hi you could get someone else to ride him 2-3 times a week to get a little money back?

sorry for rambling, i hope it helps! :)
 
you are indeed a saint :-) I think I will try negotiating, I think my friend is good friends with the YO so hopefully she may have some sway!!! haha I was thinking I would rather have nothing and have him! Especially when i hear stories like yours :-)

I even have a friend who I know would ride him well and could help me out... haha

xxxx
 
Firstly you are not being stupid - lets be serious the horse you are riding has ticked a few of the boxes that you would like in your own horse. The horse is a riding school horse and in my experiance ( and I can say this has have owned my own RS for 20yrs) will have a good level of continous education as these horses are picked for a very hard and demanding specfic job. I have known many horses once they have left this enviroment to suddenly become a different horse - mainly due to less exercise, schooling and generally more food than they actually need ! saying that this is also a business and every offer will have to be considered. They are willing to sell stock as your friend has purchased a horse from them. Go and talk to them - stick to your budget don't get over excited and spend more than you can afford. It mabe possible to part purchase and have the horse on a working livery so the horse can pay some off and you get to pay in installments ! ( it's worth asking they can only say no ) Have a deep think about spending all your capital on the purchase as everyone on here will say the same ... Buying the horse is the easy bit ... keeping it is the hard bit ... not only on ££££££ but time, if you cannot offer these things then carry on investing in your education via lessons and stable mangement sessions. money well spent ! If you feel you can, then go for it ... if you don't ask you will never know ! negotiate it is still very much a buyers market. Good luck ! x
 
He's not your typical riding school pony (many clients wont canter him because he does like a buck if he gets too excited and can get away with it... haha) He's only 6 and has been there for not even a year I think, and in my humble opinion he's too good for a riding school... (no offense as i obv learnt to ride at one)

I'm studying Equine at uni so that has it's advantages i.e using my own horse, so i'm quite lucky in that respect

it really helps hearing other peoples views though, because it's easy to see things with rose tinted glasses isn't it! haha

xxxx
 
I'm Glad that you are studying and hopefully learning all the time - good to hear ! just one thing that gets my goat, all the time and no offense to you personally but it does so annoy me when people quote - oh it's only a riding school pony or too good for a riding school - I'm sorry does a well schooled, balance and educated horse that has talent and character mean that teaching people to ride correctly and undertsand the importance of a good seat, balance, weight aids and working correctly as a team is not allowed or beneath them - riding school equines are NOT second class horses.

I have 25 horses / ponies on my yard all compete at Novice dressage or above with three now competeing at elementary and one at Adv. Med, two BE registered and competeing at BE100 and level 4 Pony Club eventing, Four BSJA reg and jumping foxhunter, one who has represented Riding Club at Olympia at side saddle, two have qualified for Coloured classes at HOYS and all do Pony Club camp and all but the one dressage horse, ALL without exception hunt at least once a week during the season. Are these too good for people to ride in a riding school ?

My horses and ponies are 110% gold bars and I love every little hairy one of them they do a sterling job coping with a vast variety of levels of riders and are so patient in trying to undertand what the rider acutally means when aids are not correct and help them out when unbalanced and unsure. I don't think I can ask anymore of them and in return they get a loving, and exciting home with all their needs pampered to ! Sorry just had to get that out as It does so ****annoy me !
 
Go for it, negotiate! If you don't you will never know and forever wonder if you missed your golden opportunity

abina makes some good points worth considering.

Good luck :)
 
I don't say anything against the riding school horses, I learnt to ride on them and they taught me everything I know. Let me re-phrase myself, if he's in the riding school, because of how big it is aswell, he gets used alot so the time/work constraints of him being able to do much else away from there are less... and selfishly, it's just cos i want him!

He's only still learning too, think he came from a dealer so he's def no schoolmaster. In the same breath though i've been to riding schools where the horses are switched off.

Though your place sounds amazing and I wish i could've ridden there... :-) didn't mean to ruffle feathers :-( sorry of i upset

xxxx
 
He sounds lovely but just a note of warning. I know of many riding school horses that customers have fallen in love with and bought, only to find that without the work levels and "basic" feed/care (no offense intended at all) that riding school horses get, the horse turns into a completely different animal and it's tears before bedtime. Take care. Also, some riding school horses are worth a lot more to the riding school than people would expect because of their experience at the job. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I was in a similar position to you. The RS I went to had a Sunday loan scheme & I was in that. When the RS changed hands I didn't know if/how long that would continue so I decided that after Christmas I would start to look for my own. I was quite specific about what I wanted - gelding, cobby/native type but not too much feather, about 14h so I could share with son. Much as I loved the pony I had on loan he was in his early 20's & only 13.2.and I was determined to be sensible.
When new owner came she had 3 new horses delivered by a dealer the next day. 1 was meant to be a stop gap. She was really looking for a 16h but with nothing suitable came away with a poor 14.3 cob mare as she felt sorry for her & she had a gentle eye. I'm sure you can guess what happened - I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her. There were only 2 in my sons lesson that week, so grooms rode her & a new pony to see if they behaved in a lesson. Eveyone else was saying how nice the pony was but I couldn't take my eyes off Pickle. I asked if I could try riding her when I had my lesson & afterwards heard a little voice, that I vaguely recognised as mine, asking if they were prepared to sell her! The only box she ticked was cob! Never regretted buying her - it was meant to be.
What happened to Bobby the pony I had on loan? After a summer of accompanying son on foot hacking out on hot days I decided he needed his own pony & now he's retired & living the life of riley at my expense!
 
Horsehead ! You didn't offend but I do get exsperated at people who rate riding school horses / ponies as second rate citizens ! just something to bounce about on, heave and pull around, and then go on to get 'their own' horses who they class as 'a proper horse and so much better'.

If this horse is your dream horse then go and talk to the right people. Consider carefully all angles - it may not be so it's better to know then always think -- what if ! If your ever in the west midlands look us up and come and ride my little RS ponies - I'll change your mind BIG TIME !!!! LOL xxxx
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
He sounds lovely but just a note of warning. I know of many riding school horses that customers have fallen in love with and bought, only to find that without the work levels and "basic" feed/care (no offense intended at all) that riding school horses get, the horse turns into a completely different animal and it's tears before bedtime. Take care. Also, some riding school horses are worth a lot more to the riding school than people would expect because of their experience at the job. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Click to expand...

Thank-you box of frogs - couldn't agree with you more ! have seen this many times myself !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top