Choosing between two horses

Pippity

Pippity

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With my current share horse retiring, I've been looking for a new one, and have been lucky enough to be offered two on my current yard. They both belong to the YO's daughter, who's just started uni, and they really couldn't be more different...

a) 16hh TB, 6 years old. Tricky, sensitive ride but amazingly talented for dressage (my thing) and showjumping (not my thing).

b) 13.2hh Welsh X, 12 years old. Typical pony - far too smart for his own good, will test you every day, but safe and is up for a bit of everything.

The TB would be better for my riding; I'd have more fun on the pony.

The TB is more comfortable to ride; the pony is safer to ride.

I'm having a really hard time deciding.

Or there's always option c) turn both of them down and keep looking.
 
If they are owned by the same person couldn't you ask to ride both (i.e if you share 2 days a week do a day on each) If I was the owner and felt you were capable I wouldn't mind you riding both.
 
I'd say the TB but then I'm pretty tall and would probably have my feet dangling around the knees of a 13.2 pony.

You say that dressage is your thing, would the pony do dressage? If the pony wouldn't do dressage well, would you still have fun? Maybe try imagining that one of them is no longer an option. Which would you feel most gutted about?

Hope that helps!
 
I would go for the TB but I don't really do ponies or anything that makes me look too big on them! If your into dressage then I would say a nice leggy 6 yr old TB would be better?

Don't rush into it, maybe there is a horse round the corner that's perfect?
 
LadyRascasse said:
If they are owned by the same person couldn't you ask to ride both (i.e if you share 2 days a week do a day on each) If I was the owner and felt you were capable I wouldn't mind you riding both.
Click to expand...

I did consider that, but she wants them to have a consistent rider.

ENock said:
I'd say the TB but then I'm pretty tall and would probably have my feet dangling around the knees of a 13.2 pony.

You say that dressage is your thing, would the pony do dressage? If the pony wouldn't do dressage well, would you still have fun? Maybe try imagining that one of them is no longer an option. Which would you feel most gutted about?
Click to expand...

I'm only 5'1", so the size isn't an issue - he takes up my leg really well, and I think I actually look better on him than my previous 17.2hh share.

He's won a couple of prelim dressage, and I'm sure he can go to novice, but probably not any higher. Although I could just be thinking that because I'm so used to my previous share's mahoooosive paces, and the pony feels really constrained and tiny in comparison.

That's a really good idea about which I'd be most gutted to lose, and, by that test, the pony definitely wins! I'm by no means pure dressage - I want to spend a lot of time hacking, do some beach rides and pleasure rides, etc., and I don't think that would be enjoyable on the TB.
 
Don't write the pony off for the dressage, if you know he can win at prelim he might just need some consistent schooling to go higher. Shorter legs, shorter strides = more time to think what you are doing.
 
Based on what you've said I would definitely say the pony. You will get used to the pony's way of going - I went from loaning a tb to owning a pony (now two ponies, ten years down the line!) and at first I found her a little bit difficult to ride because of the size and stride change, but now I feel like I can't ride anything over about 14hh!
 
I've decided I'm going to pass on them both.

The TB, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of what I want to do.

The pony, I feel I'm just too heavy to be comfortable doing anything more than short hacks or light schooling.

It's a shame, because I really like that yard and would love to stay there, but there's nobody else looking for a sharer atm. Ah, well, back to the hunt.
 
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