Buying a horse/pony from a riding school?

[GinaB]

Has anyone had any experience of this? Any stories to tell?

(Don't get too excited Caroline I'm not about to rush out and buy you know who!!

)

 

[AmyMay]

Mine came from a riding school. Wouldn't necessarily repeat the exercise again, and would definately want it on trial if I did.

 

[jemima]

Friend bought an ex-riding school New Forest for her son. He was seen as a bit of an old plod but really blossomed when being ridden by only one person. He'd been privately owned before the riding school had him and his kick on, been-there-done-that attitude were just perfect for a rather nervous lad. He proved to be a great buy, taking the lad through his first dressage tests with great success and eventually winning their first ODE!

 

[eahotson]

I bought mine from a riding school. Mixed feelings. I like school work and he was school sick. He had bad back, poorly fitting saddle (BHS school!) etc. I did gain some confidence with him as over all he was very quiet, albeit a bit pushy on the ground as he had been handled by so many people of differing abilities.In the end sold him to a lovely home where he is used mainly as a hack for an older novice rider and they like him very much. He deserved his break.

 

[Dogbetty141]

My friend bought an Ex riding school pony and she did really well with it. She did a lot of coloured classes and won a lot of them. Was seen also as a plod of the riding school.

 

[ladylisa]

I got my mare that i have now from a riding school, she was for sale as she had suddenly become nervous to mount, but couldn't find a reason!

So they sold her at a very low price. It took a few months for her to get used to me mounting her but weve got there, she lets me on first time now, as long as i am the only person who rides, as she know me. She must have had a bad experience with someone on her back.
She's great to school and jump and great in traffic.
so i think i got myself a bargain.... well we'll see as i have the back man coming out today just to be sure! fingers crossed.

 

[vicm2509]

I got my old horse from a riding school. They sold him as they thought he was wasted there. He was a 6yo TBx and I got him when I was 14. He was the best confidence giver ever, I could take him round 4.5ft course of jumps, hack him out anywhere, always had breaks and generally he was a really good fun horse who would look after anyone who rode him. I always got placed in local shows and got first in every single jumping class we ever entered!

Unfortuntaly he was also an ex racer, and that combined with an ex riding school did him no favours. He was quite a dainty horse and was forever lame and had back problems (riding school never used a mounting block and his saddle didnt fit him correctly). I had to stable him in a busy part of the yard as he was used to so much going on around him (I put him in a corner stable once and he started box walking, stopped as soon as I moved him though) In the 18months I had him I had the best time of my life, unfortunaly we lost him to colic

 

[dieseldog]

Just be careful as the horse at the riding school will be getting a lot more work than a private home will ever give them so a lot of them get a lot more forward going when the workload drops

 

[Tempi]

my blossy came from a riding school (well she was a working livery at a riding school) and shes got some serious attitude!! it took me 6months to get her to leave my yard when i first had her! i do partly put it down to her being mareish tho! she still has the odd mare fit out hacking (napping and generally being a cowbag) but i know how to deal with it now.

But all the money in the world wouldnt make me sell her now, shes the best horsey ever and i couldnt ask for anymore from her. her temperment is fab (apart from shes not too keen on other horses!) and shes brilliant to ride. Its taken me a good 3years to get her re-schooled to a highiesh level (shes working medium at home and is nearly out of elementary points), but its all been worth it

 

[4whitesocks]

Would never do it again - my first mare was bought by riding school as 2 yo, backed by them & brought on....fell in love with her, leased her for three months (no-one else riding her) then bought her & moved her down the country to a livery yard....turns out she was never asked to lead on a hack (so was absolutely terrified on the road by herself) she started to rear & in the end became so dangerous I couldn't in all consciousness as anyone else to ride her (she was on schooling livery)....

Sold her on to a girl who knew all about her issues but loved her for her jumping capabilities (she was great to jump)

Not all riding schools are the same - I would insist on a trial period away from current environment & make sure horse/pony was used to roadwork, could lead & follow etc. to be fair she was a chestnut mare and the worst example of her kind!

 

[Happytohack]

I bought a mare just over two months ago from a riding school. Although it was not your average riding school, more of a proper equestrian centre. They only keep their school horses for a couple of years max. I can honestly say that she is one of the best horses I have ever had and perfect for me. I am only a happy hacker and she happily goes out on her own, with others, first or last, in any traffic. If I knew someone who was looking I would definitely suggest they contact the same place.

 

[JaneMBE]

I suppose it depends on how long they have worked in a riding school. Poppy, for instance, my dun (aged 20ish) was at the school long before me, she went there from the NF at 4 and I retired her soon as I got her at 18. She would be no use to anyone as she has spent all her life (nearly) there. (She is on loan to my neice and sister as companion and light hack).

I sold a pony (my daughters first pony) as he was very wasted with us, he was bored, he was a show jumping pony. He is doing very well enjoying life as a jumping show pony now.
I have also sold a TB who was totally unsuitable for us, to the point that I didn't put clients on him. He is excelling as a dressage/eventer now, glad to be away from us!
Mind you, we do try and do different things with the horses to keep them fresh, be that turning away for a few months or hunting or similar. I don't think ours are push button horses (most are comeplete idiots lol lol).
I guess with any horse purchase you re educate them to your needs, and school ponies are so used to the busy environment they would maybe shift a gear (up or down)when sold, liking the group of horses to hack with etc.
Ours would probably love school work, all we do is lessons and hacking (no school, except during summer/very dry months) with a bit of jumping when poss.

I suppose if you are looking for a pony to show/event etc then school ones wont fit the mark, they are more likely to be happy hackers.

edited to say, I sometimes write complete nonsense and this makes no sense! apart from a tale from the other side I suppose...

 

[teapot]

Depends entirely on the RS - if I was to buy one from my current RS - I wouldn't have a problem at all with doing it.

However other RS in the area - I wouldn't touch.

I know people who had had their first horse from my current RS and this included a medium dressage horse - owner wanted something she could learn on and compete - ideal.

A fantastic first horse - a friend got from the same yard, you couldn't have asked for anything more.

Best thing would be is do your research, word of mouth regarding the RS in question as not all of them are bad

 

[Irishcobs]

I bought Hattie from a riding school. She was very bored at the school and hated doing lessons so this is why she was for sale. When I tried her she was underwieght, under-muscled and generally bored, but I liked her and I bought her. And I'm really glad I did, once away from a school she really put weight on and muscle and became lively, interested in life and loved being hacked, shown and best of all hunter trials!

 

[sugarnspice]

Mine came from a riding school after being there since he was a young un. Much different now, hes altogether happier and alot mote forward going than when he was at the riding school. There are a few horses from the same school (t closed down) that I've heard haven't got on so well. It just depends on the horse I suppose.

 

[morgan4eva]

I bought a first pony for my 2 girls from a big riding school in Hildenborough near Tonbridge. We have had her three and a half years and she is fantastic! When we went to see her we were actually advised by the owners of the stables against buying her as she was not considered a "first" pony and my girls were very novice. I have ridden her regularly,more in the beginning than now as my girls are pretty good little riders (thanks to her). I think all ponies need an adult or competent rider to remind them sometimes! She has taken my children from just starting to ride to competing for their PC at area and I really think she feels "special" now. She loves the individual attention she receives and shows her appreceiation by trying her heart out!

 

[emma69]

I've been on both sides of it I guess - we used to sell horses from the school, but we were very picky about who we sold them do, made sure the clients rode them in the lessons for several weeks, tried hacking out on them etc. Most then stayed on the livery yard and continued to have lessons on them. The biggest problem that happens is that people don't realise quite how fit riding school horses are - ours used to hunt and XC regulaly, and to go from that to one or two rides a week isn't fair on horse or rider. Most of the people who bought horses continued to have lessons, would ride out on pub rides, and compete, so this tended to be less of a problem, but I know a couple of owners who did have problems. We bought a lot of horses from warrented sales, and made a lot ourselves, but we also had a few bargin basement horses, so I would recommend a full vetting before buying from a riding school. We had a lovely mare, absolute school mistress that several people wanted to buy over the years - we always said no, as she wouldn't pass a vetting, she had a serious hock injury while in our care, and whilst perfectly sound, we felt any new owner would inherit future problems such as arthritis in that joint in later years. The positives are that if it is a good school with good clients and instructors, the horses will have learnt a lot and in some cases been out hunting, competing etc so has some good experience.

 

[hairycob]

Bought Pickle from RS that I went to, but she had only been there 1 week when I asked if they would be prepared to sell her! I also bought Bobby from the same RS BUT I had had Bobby on Sunday loan for 2 years before I bought Pickle so I new him really well. I started loaninh him as soon as he arrived at the school so I new what he was like before he got fed up of RS work. Also we are not big flat wwoek fans so the fact that he got bored stiff with it didn't matter to us.
In the years I was going to RS I noticed that decent cobs from 13.2h to 15h didn't stay long as clients soon wanted to buy them (hence why I asked about Pickle so quickly)

 

[LifeofRiley]

We bought an ex-riding school for my mum - complete plod and is quite a sweetie really. Very bolshy on the ground to handle at times but sweet as you like to ride - completely unflappable! He certainly has not lost his spirit though which is nice!

Had to work on his condition when we got him though - feet were awful and farrier has worked hard to get them looking ok!