Buying horse after loosing confidence young or old ?

[Shetlandmad445]

Hello

Just wondered if I could ask peoples opinions in respect of buying a horse. I had an accident a few years ago and completely lost my nerve prior to this I’d been riding for 20+ years. I’m therefore not a total beginner but I’m nervous. I have my lovely retired boys but miss going for rides and hacks. I therefore have been looking for a horse to do hacking and I’d like to occasionally have flat lessons and maybe even do a walk and trot test or a prelim !

I found two horses personality wise they are near enough exactly the same both are ID x cobs, both seem very relaxed hacking can pop a small jump. They’ve not been schooled massively but can walk trot canter do circles etc !

the difficulty I have is 1 is 13 and the other is 5. I’ve had lots of different opinions from friends. Some say 13 is too old he will have joint problems abs issues being older. The only issue the seller said is when he is galloped or worked hard he can roar and this will show on my vetting but seller does not believe it will impact on what I want to do with him.

the 5 year old doesn’t have any issues (not had him vetted though !) but I’m not sure if a 5 year old would be the best fit for a nervous rider although they have said he would be and would be a happy hacker.

I’ve got to make a decision asap and I am not sure what to do ! I just want a safe sound horse who I can enjoy and give their forever home.

 

[Lady Jane]

I would be talking to your vet about roaring. It depends how bad it is. Have you seen the horse and how did he sound cantering in the school? How fit is he? For what you plan to do it may not be a problem. The 5yr old may be fine but is more of a risk. Good luck

 

[Shetlandmad445]

I would be talking to your vet about roaring. It depends how bad it is. Have you seen the horse and how did he sound cantering in the school? How fit is he? For what you plan to do it may not be a problem. The 5yr old may be fine but is more of a risk. Good luck

Thank you for replying. I didn’t hear any noise when I cantered him or at all while trying him although I didn’t push him but I don’t intend to be going out galloping maybe the occasional canter on a pleasure ride and the seller said it may not be roaring but she heard it once and wanted to be transparent. He’s really unfit bless him but that works for me as so I am so we can hack and he fitter together !

 

[pistolpete]

My friend bought a 13 year old cob 12 years ago and is still hacking him out. He is creaky now but he’s been loads of fun for her. Not a novice ride however! It’s very individual. Cons are not necessarily a good choice for nervous riders. My warmblood was quieter than him!

 

[sbloom]

Having seen so many riders go through this, and they end up with a tricky to fit wide cob or native hence they need me for a saddle, I would say get some help. I would work first with a confidence coach, I really would. It's too easy to keep playing the narrative of the accident, to not be able to truly move forwards from it. Once you've had a bit of confidence coaching, from an equestrian person of course, they may be able to guide you to pick the right horse. I see too many that end up with a bolshy cob that they can't handle, or a horse with physical issues that drain them. Team work is everything, have someone hold your hand through this. Unless I've over interpreted, but this is my experience, and I have seen some people go through 3-4 horses in this circumstance.

 

[spacefaer]

I would go for the older one with more experience. 13 is not old nowadays.
The 5 yr old will be looking to you for confidence in new situations

 

[Bernster]

A 13yo should have more experience and a track record, so I’d say it was a safer bet assuming it’s sound for what you need. A 5yo can still have a great temperament but it just won’t be as established and you’ll have far more ‘firsts’ to deal with which may require more confidence than you have currently. But like sbloom says, you may need more help and support yourself, so consider if you’re ready yet and what you’ll do if you have confidence issues.

Having a new horse can be a stretch at the best of times, without adding existing confidence issues to it (I speak from experience!). If you’ve not ridden for a while, how about some riding school lessons, some horse care courses, seeing if you can find a share…then buy? Prices are also bonkers right now so you may be buying at the top of the market.

 

[SO1]

You need a horse that is doing the job you want it to do now.

The unfit one may be a totally different horse once fit and the young one if not currently being used as a hack for a nervous rider may not suitable if it has not been tested under these circumstances.

What you really need is a horse that has given a nervous rider their confidence back and is now being sold perhaps as the rider is stepping up and perhaps wanting a more competitive horse.

It is so hard to get your confidence back and you a horse that has gone and done that for someone else or been a beginner first horse.

 

[JackFrost]

I would sit on both of them, have a short 'ride' and see what I feel. One or both may give you a feeling of confidence, if neither does, walk away.
Personally I'd opt for the 5 year old, IF it gave me the right vibes and had a good education. But I would not expect it to be the finished article, and you may spend the first year getting to know each other, flat lessons, ground work and in-hand or gentle hacks. If it is not right for you, sell it on.
Personally I find some horses give me confidence, some don't. It's down to the individual horse, there are some really chilled youngsters. Be careful not to judge too much on how it goes for its current owner/trainer. I would ask how much general work it has done with various people, i.e how established is it out of its comfort zone and with a perhaps less experienced rider.

 

[Shetlandmad445]

Thank you all so much for your really helpful comments and advice. I’m very lucky I’m on my family yard and they all have horses and ride regularly. Unfortunately they don’t have any ploddy horses, I’ve been riding with them but the horses are quite hot and the slightest thing causes them to spook or spin which I don’t think is helping my confidence either.

the 13 year old came from a family in Ireland who did low level riding club and hacking and he went hunting and having spoken to the owner again is a draught x cob. At the moment it feels if you don’t make a snapped decision the horses go really fast !

 

[sportsmansB]

13 isn't old any more, I don't think. A 5yo can still be learning and testing the rider and there are likely things he hasn't seen before which he will see with you and look for help with.
If the 13yo floats your boat in every other way, but you would prefer he was 10, I'd be going for him

 

[Red-1]

I would ride whatever you think may be right, and see how you feel.

When you sit on the right one, you will feel comfortable both in the moment and to make a decision. That will be the right horse.

Thay may be horse C, or X or Y or, indeed Z.

 

[ihatework]

Have you ridden them yet?
I’d try both, give them a good trial in the school and out hacking and go with the one you feel most confident on (or neither if you don’t get a feel for them)

 

[SO1]

The 13 year old is with a dealer rather than a family home? If not with a dealer what is the reason for sale? Why is it unfit?

Thank you all so much for your really helpful comments and advice. I’m very lucky I’m on my family yard and they all have horses and ride regularly. Unfortunately they don’t have any ploddy horses, I’ve been riding with them but the horses are quite hot and the slightest thing causes them to spook or spin which I don’t think is helping my confidence either.

the 13 year old came from a family in Ireland who did low level riding club and hacking and he went hunting and having spoken to the owner again is a draught x cob. At the moment it feels if you don’t make a snapped decision the horses go really fast !

 

[sbloom]

Thank you all so much for your really helpful comments and advice. I’m very lucky I’m on my family yard and they all have horses and ride regularly. Unfortunately they don’t have any ploddy horses, I’ve been riding with them but the horses are quite hot and the slightest thing causes them to spook or spin which I don’t think is helping my confidence either.

the 13 year old came from a family in Ireland who did low level riding club and hacking and he went hunting and having spoken to the owner again is a draught x cob. At the moment it feels if you don’t make a snapped decision the horses go really fast !

Being rushed has a high chance of causing you to make a bad decision. Without someone else to hold your hand and assess these horses, who knows you well but probably isn't family (as they are unlikely to understand how this all makes you feel) it's super hard to make a fast decision, with someone who knows you, a bit further down the line, it becomes much easier. There's no hurry, spend your time and money elsewhere to prepare for that decision.

 

[Antw23uk]

I would go for the 13 yr old. Purely basing my answer on the fact i was at a rather low point with my confidence when i went and tried my 13 yr old (I sobbed getting on him .. I'm a guy .. it wasn't attractive, lol!) and although he's a bit of a sensitive diva sometimes, when that tack is on and i am onboard he is as solid as a rock and fills me with confidence and for that i will forever be grateful to him.

Have a really good look at what you actually want to do with a horse and if its to happy hack and the odd RC clinic doing poles or popping round the XC course jumping small logs and stuff then the older guy (and 13 really isn't old) could be perfect.
Often people cant get their head around the horse they 'want' and the horse they 'need' ... when i had a good hard look at myself i knew i was never really, honestly, going to go out competing and climbing the levels (the horse i 'wanted') and that actually what i needed was a horse i could safely pick up and put down as and when i wanted and that would happily plod out around the countryside and do the odd RC clinic and the very occasional prelim (the horse i 'needed')

 

[PeterNatt]

You need an established laid back bomb proof spook proof horse so one over 8 years of age but even older. 15 is not very old these days.

 

[Oldernewbie]

In all honesty as long as the 5yr old is from a trusted seller, you have it vetted and get a oro to ride it and they think its a good genuine sort, I would go for the younger horse.
Speaking from the perspective of having bought two older horses (12 and 14) who both went lame within 6-12 months doing the work you describe.

 

[eahotson]

It has to be the right horse for you.If all else is right then I would not consider thirteen old.Get a good thorough vetting.
I bought a young horse, somewhat reluctantly because I couldn't find a suitable older one which would have been my first choice.She is proving to be very level headed and sensible but I wouldn't have bought her if I hadn't had the following.A} A very experienced and knowledeable instructor who came with me to view and really liked her. B}Some good help with getting her hacking and seeing a bit of life and see C} the seller who would take her back from me if she is not suitable.Actually although the last one is good the first two were more important,

 

[vmac66]

Thirteen isn't old. My 13 year old mare can act like a 5 year old at times. She was very overweight when i got her, bit of a dope on a rope. Once she lost weight and got fitter she was a different horse. Sensible but forward. She has her moments but don't they all.

 

[hobo]

I would go with the 13 year old if you like how he feels when you ride he should stay much the same when moved to a new place. A 5 yr old can be perfect when tried but when moved can change as he will probably not had much change in his life. Also the older one once fitted with a saddle should stay in that saddle where as the 5 yr old has a couple of years of filling out to do.

I rushed last year when looking for something in the 8-10 year old and bought a lovely to try 5 year old as owner thought he did not have enough spark and get and go for her. A new home a bit of filling out and he has plenty of spark which is a bit to much for this old girl riding him. I am lucky to be able to afford plenty of help and we are getting there but at a cost, yes that lovely boy I tried is in there somewhere so hopefully we will get there.

 

[tiga71]

All other things being equal about the two horses, I would go for the 13 year old. My first horse was an 11 year old cob when I got him. He is now nearly 24 and has just had his hocks injected as he was feeling a little stiff behind. He has only been lame once since I have had him and that was due to a bad farrier. I wouldn't hesitate buying a 13 year old.

 

[Bradsmum]

I think your age comes into it too. I'm in my mid 50s and so for what you say you are looking for a 13 year old would be perfect. If you need the horse to be a long term investment, then the 5 year old might be better suited. However this all depends on trying them and the vetting of course.

 

[Jellymoon]

An older one seems like a sensible option, but not many truly safe, sound ones come on the market as they are so precious. Older ones can come with baggage, and having learnt a few undesirable tricks!
I‘d go for a sweet, gentle-natured youngster every time, but i‘d ask myself if I had the skills to make sure the kind baby doesn’t end up the canny older horse! Who do you have for help and back-up?