Buying a horse for Novice other half…

[LadyLexicon]

Hi all.

Just after opinions as we’re really torn. We’re buying my other half a horse.

Problem is, he’s a novice. He has weekly lessons at a riding school and also hacks out when he can on some local hunt horses.

We’ve tried trying to find a part loan/ loan but it’s impossible for a heavy bloke who’s still learning and he wants to ride more than once a week, he wants to ride with me every day. I can’t actually believe my luck

Anyway, everyone is telling us their opinions on what we need. My OH is very confident (probably overconfident) but progressing quickly. But he’s not really good enough yet to be trialling anything that isn’t super forgiving.

In time, he wants to hunt/jump. We need a hunter type to carry him. He’s not fat before anyone tells me he needs to get on a diet. Plays rugby. Sure you know the type.

Options as I see it currently with our budget. Around 10k.

Buy something young and green. We can buy something quality. But mileage is low. I’m not a numpty, I know this comes with risk. Our trainer thinks it’s the right shout so long as he continues with lessons and we pay for him to be professionally schooled weekly. Trainer says he’ll outgrow an older horse quickly.

Most “middleaged” horses are out of our budget with the height and stamp we need.

We buy something older. But this scares me as although I know it’s better for him right now, what happens when he outgrows the oldie and the risk of lots of health problems etc. I don’t like the thought of “selling them on”. But perhaps we could full loan if sound…

He’s fallen in love with a 17yr old 17hh ID at his riding school, they’d sell it us but its clearly had a hard life. Urgh risk. It has absolutely no top line. It doesn’t have the jumping ability he’ll want in a year or so.

Anyway, just wondered what worked for others that may have been in similar positions? Any opinions on the above?

*not buying yet and continuing with lessons is a sensible shout but not an option, he’s too impatient and not progressing at the speed he wants. We are considering going away for 7 days riding somewhere as possibility

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would buy the RS horse. Nobody knows what will happen in the future, either to people or horses. I've lost young horses and kept older ones working into their 20s. The best advice is always to buy the horse you need now. He might not want the same things in a year or so's time but if he buys a horse that he isn't ready for now, he might not even want to ride in another year. Rugby playing men can lose confidence just like anyone else, if they are over-horsed.
I use to co-own a Clydesdale mare that we bought from a RS with my sister's then novice OH.

 

[Skib]

He’s fallen in love with a 17yr old 17hh ID at his riding school, they’d sell it us but its clearly had a hard life.

If you are scared to buy a new horse that is right for him just now, and he already loves the RS horse, I would buy that horse. There is nothing like deeply loving ones RS horse. I loved mine and sadly she died at 16. Your OH and you will both know when it is time to retire that horse.
But there is a contradiction here between him wanting to do more and wanting to buy the horse he already knows which might not be capable of that "more". It is a short term solution.
But I have found several times that it is me, the not very athletic or gifted rider, that needs to choose my horse. My current ride is not the horse I was allocated, but she is the one I got on with, felt safe on and almost by accident started to hack on my own. Which means you need to leave it to him to choose.

 

[Glitter's fun]

I agree with @Pearlsasinger and @Skib .
One person's "had a hard life" is another's "this one is a survivor".
If you bought a youngster there is no guarantee that it would give you more years' riding than the older one.

 

[Tiddlypom]

A 17yo RS ID should not have ‘no top line’ - that screams problems. Such a horse should be well muscled from regular work.

You say that your OH is ‘heavy’. What weight is he?

 

[tda]

A friend of mine was looking for a safe weight carrier for her novice but gung ho hunting husband, hed already had an ex school horse which could not keep up with him.
They got a 4yr old ID, way too much for him, numerous falls later moved on
They then dropped on a big , young coloured cob gelding, who has done the job so far, but I know they are hard to come by .

I think I'd also buy the school horse, he might do a season, he might do five, who knows

What about asking the hunt master/staff if they know of anything looking for a slightly quieter life but still capable of a few days out

 

[teapot]

OP - have you approached your local hunt to put feelers out? Might be a good way of finding something suitable.

The school horse may surprise you - could have another five+ years in him, and you say no jumping ability but that could be related to environment he’s currently in, ie not being schooled properly over fences. The top line will depend on his workload and level of it too - if he’s only being used for bigger novices it wouldn’t surprise me (hard to use 17hh plus horses in RSs unless you have the client base ime)

 

[Barton Bounty]

I know of a 19yo ex eventer 17hh for £2k its on my yard, he is just perfect for hacking out etc. He is a holsteiner.

 

[ihatework]

I would go older either buy or loan and be prepared to spend a little on maintenance.
An ex hunt horse might be found on loan, one not quite up to full hunting any more but not ready to retire.

 

[Carrottom]

How about an ex racehorse. Big chaser type.

 

[ester]

An overconfident OH who wants to hunt and jump surely not

Im not sure Id buy a 17yo 17hander that hasn't been worked in a way to maximise soundness, it would depend how much and having my head round what I was going to do with said horse once it inevitably breaks. But I think I might try to find an equivalent that does have topline/has had an easier life.

 

[Landcruiser]

I don't think I'd be buying a 17 yr old with no topline, I suspect it won't be enough for him for long, and will be hard to sell on.

 

[Gloi]

Don't buy the horse he'll need in a year or two. Buy what he needs now.

 

[Caski]

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom, but is your hunt likely to continue with the impending demise of trail?

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I'd look into buying the old riding school horse, subject to vetting.

 

[Ceifer]

Also depending on how much the school horses works currently, it might have a new lease of life doing less work.

I worked at a RS where every horses worked 2-3 hours a day 6 days a week.
Every horse was for sale for a price (yep it was that kind of yard). You wouldn’t believe the amount of calls we had from people who had purchased old safe and faithful only to ride it 3-4 times a week on a lot of hard feed and find it was now less of a plod .

That being said, I would hope the horse was priced accordingly but I suspect in these times it’ll be pricey.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

RS horses that are suitable for beginners are rarely ridden well enough to have a decent top line.

 

[Ceifer]

RS horses that are suitable for beginners are rarely ridden well enough to have a decent top line.

Yep. This too.

Back in the good old days when I first started out in the industry, the first riding school I was a working pupil at was staffed by an army of working pupils and everything was schooled and looked half decent.
Unfortunately as time has gone on this practice pretty much died due to financial cuts. The only time in the RS mentioned above we schooled horses was if there was a ‘problem’ to be ironed out.

 

[Equi]

I’d tell hubby that horses require patience. Get him to do more lessons, get jumping under his belt and then look at steady hire hunt horses to see if he actually does have the zest for it. Then you can look at horses for the job.

 

[Goldenstar]

RS horses that are suitable for beginners are rarely ridden well enough to have a decent top line.

This is true and with a lighter work load he may thrive.
There’s never any guarantee that a horse will be sound it seems to me that it’s a bit of chance buying any horse some of my most sensible carefully researched well vetted purchases have been money pits with the vet .
Get the horse vetted if you decide to go forward ,Firstly
ask to see his medical records and take it from there.
Does this horse hack well not all riding school horses do.
If you have not seen him hacking you must check that out.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

This is true and with a lighter work load he may thrive.
There’s never any guarantee that a horse will be sound it seems to me that it’s a bit of chance buying any horse some of my most sensible carefully researched well vetted purchases have been money pits with the vet .
Get the horse vetted if you decide to go forward ,Firstly
ask to see his medical records and take it from there.
Does this horse hack well not all riding school horses do.
If you have not seen him hacking you must check that out.

I have had 4 ex RS horses, all were great hackers, only one was better in company but she was a fabulous nanny for the less confident, so worth her weight in gold, nevertheless.

 

[Jenko109]

I wouldn't buy the RS horse, but I wouldnt buy a youngster either. I certainly wouldnt buy an ex race horse!

I would insist he keeps doing lessons for another year. Save up in the interim so you have a bigger budget next year.

 

[ihatework]

A bit over budget but HQ350695 looks/sounds a cracker!

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I'd hazard that it will be a while before the novice OH is ready to hack out alone anyhow.

 

[Gloi]

I'd hazard that it will be a while before the novice OH is ready to hack out alone anyhow.

Though he may think otherwise, well until something happens anyway.

 

[Wishfilly]

I would probably buy the horse he knows and likes- as others have said, away from a riding school, it may well improve, and have a good couple of years in it yet!

With a large youngster being ridden by a heavy novice most of the time, being brutal there's no guarantee of soundness. With a youngster of a similar size to the one you're considering, I'd want to take things very slow- so there's every chance your OH may get frustrated and bored there too! I know it can work out, but I think there could be lots of problems here.

I'd buy the horse you need now, rather than the one you think you'll need in a year's time! Obviously your OH isn't a child, but I have unfortunately seen this a lot with children- parents buy them the horse they think they need in 2-3 years time, and end up scaring the child off instead.

The other option is, with winter coming up, perhaps you could persuade him to wait until spring- he could continue lessons and perhaps have a go at hunting on a hireling? Point out how much work an additional horse is over winter, and that it's not really the best time to get into horse ownership. With another 6 months of lessons and a bit of experience with hunting, he may be closer to being ready for something that will last him longer?

 

[Nari]

I wouldn't even consider a youngster for him, and getting someone else to school it is going to cost money (potentially a lot) with still no guarantee it will be suitable.

The RS horse is a possibility if you can have it vetted first. The lack of topline could be a problem, or it could be that someone above was right when they said it's not getting riders who workit correctly. Will he be able to though, or would you to build it up a bit? That said less work and better feeding may work wonders.

Another option is to wait until he's more capable. Keep saving the money you'd send on keeping a horse and paying sommeone to school one and fairly soon you'll have a budget that will buy something younger (not young) that's suitable. For this winter is there anyone near you that does hirelings so he could try hunting and decide if it's what he really wants to do?

 

[Melody Grey]

Going against the grain here and said in jest, pick the horse you want OP because if your experience pans out anything like mine in buying a horse for your other half, give it a year and you’ll end up with it anyway! (not complaining, I like having a second horse)

 

[Jambarissa]

I highly recommend going on an instruction type riding holiday with the hubbie. Once mine had established walk trot and canter we went to a place where we had 2 lessons a day for 5 days and it's amazing the progress that can be made.

 

[LEC]

I think you can get it all and get the next step up from the RS horse but in an older model of about 14/15. You are coming into the right time of year and maybe just need to wait a little longer for crap weather!