Competition home only??

[shanti]

Hi? (I will preface this by saying I'm in Australia, just in case that makes any difference)
I have been searching for a happy hacker for a while now. I'm in no rush but I have been looking online and messaged a few sellers for more information.
Nearly everyone I have messaged has come back to me saying ' sorry, this horse will be going to a competition home only'. This seems very odd to me, partly because I don't think the horse really cares, but mostly because the horses I'm looking at are not exactly world beater's, some may do ok in low level local comps but nothing amazing and certainly not in the price range I'm looking at.

I'm detailed when I message people and make sure to tell them my abilities, experience and that we have our own property with other horses, acre's of land, natural shelter and stables. Am I giving too much information? Is this turning seller's off?

Does the fact that I don't compete mean I can't buy a horse with some quality? I don't have much on my wishlist but I would like something half decent.


Has anyone else come across this? I'm starting to get a complex!

 

[Caol Ila]

I have come across ads that specified "competition home only." I might compete. I might not. Depends on how fast a butterfly flaps in wings in China. But if one of those horses sounded perfect, I would say, "Aye, I'm planning on competing if all goes well and the stars align."

Maybe it's an ambiguous way of saying the horse is nuts/not suitable for a novice, in which case emphasing that you aren't one is key. After all, not every experienced horse person wants to compete. Or maybe it's a red flag to run fast and far. Sometimes, "competition home only" means "talented but insane, so you really need to want that advanced med dressage or 1.10m jumping and be prepared to risk your life to do it." Maybe it's them just being stuck in a certain paradigm, in which case, I'd go with my second sentence.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Those sellers would consider a hacking home a waste of the horse's talent. Although of course the horse doesn't care if it competes or not.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

I’m in aus too, but I haven’t come across that! I wonder if it means the horses are on the hotter side and people don’t think they would make happy hackers?

Maybe give fewer details on initial contact and ask questions that answer what you want to do, without giving away you want ‘just’ a happy hacker.

I don’t see why a potential comp horse couldn’t also be a happy hacker, all mine have hacked, it’s good for them. And I wouldn’t have a problem selling a comp horse to a hacking home, the only requirement I have is that the horse is looked after!

 

[millikins]

I'd drop the term "happy hacker" say you mainly hack and want to do riding club level. I'm not sure about Oz but here the word "happy" attached to hacker conjures up images of fat cobs slopping along with washing line reins. Which may be prejudiced but I think might be the issue.

 

[MuddyMonster]

There's a lot of people who do still consider a horse that doesn't compete to be 'wasted'. There's also a lot of people that consider hacking to be what novice, nervous or just not very good riders do as it's all obviously plodding along the road on a loose rein with no finesse at all

I can understand that some horse's love to be busy with a job but I don't think it 'has' to be competing. How does the horse know it's turned up for an endurance competition or the local sponsired ride? Or a dressage clinic rather than a dressage competition? I don't think they do. They can have a varied life without needing to compete.

If it's causing you issues, I'd perhaps look at changing how you word your aspirations. It shouldn't matter, but it might just do to the seller.

 

[SOS]

I don’t think it’s the owner doesn’t want the horse to be wasted, perhaps the horse needs an active, varied life with trips out to be kept sane to ride or that the horse has only ever been treated like a competition horse and they are unsure how it would be scaling down. Not all horses suit the quieter life!

It also may be a polite way of just saying it isn’t a suitable home. That doesn’t mean your a bad rider or a bad home, it means the owner who knows the horse very well doesn’t think it would be suitable.

Keep looking something will come up!

 

[bunandpancake]

I agree with many comments, either some silly person thinks it will be “wasted” or it has a serious behavioural issue but heaps of talent. Unfortunately, many competition horses (even at low level) are never turned out or given any adequate enrichment. This creates serious adverse behaviours, often related to stress, which causes people to think that their horse is simply high strung and enjoys a fast paced competition life. There’s actually substantial evidence that shows the enrichment horses receive from field socialisation cannot be replicated by riding. Either way, horses don’t know or care about a competition record, so you will not be wasting them. if you see one you really like, I’d hold your cards closer and not bring up that you won’t compete them. Once the horse is yours, you get to make those decisions

 

[Cowpony]

It may also mean that the current owner doesn't hack them and therefore can't say that they hack out well. Rather than admit that, it's easier to say competition home only. They may even (whisper it) be scared to hack out so you can try it.

 

[Lois Lame]

I'd always thought it meant that the seller thought a life stabled, hard fed and well-worked would be better than life in a paddock/field and hacking. But I'm hoping it's because the seller wants a more varied, very active life for their horse.

 

[Cloball]

I could understand why a breeder or producer would want a competition home as it would make future stock and relations more expensive/desirable. Maybe it's a little bit of that? ' I had a horse and look how good he is he's competing in X?'

 

[J&S]

I had a horse who was definitely a competition horse, she was very traffic shy so you couldn't hack happily if you had to take in roads.
A dressage arena was a safe place for her, or the show ring. It suited her ex owner/breeder well as she loved to come to the shows and proclaim "I bred this horse"!

 

[Goldenstar]

I have had several competition horses who would have just hated being a hack .
I own two at the moment Sky and Blue .
Sky I knew when I bought him he was a horse who needed to kept very busy and very varied in what he does he was being sold for being naughty .
He is easily bored and learns things very fast ( the good and bad ) .
Blue I bought for MrGS he was hugely fat and not in great shape very very unfit he has delivered so much more than he appeared at first. he’s another who just loves working and learning I thought I had bought a steady gun platform for a gent in his sixties to hunt in fact I bought the ultimate multipurpose all rounder there’s not a job this horse can’t learn .
If Blues brain was in a sound WB he would take you to the olympics however he’s an ID / CD a that limits how far he can get of the ground he’s happy at a metre .

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I think it’s code for saying the horse needs to be worked. You could leave mine in the field for weeks and he’d be fine, my old warmblood would not have coped with that.

 

[paddi22]

I have a few here who wouldn't suit being a hacking home, or only being ridden lightly 2 or 3 times a week at all. I'd describe them as competition horses if I was selling. My ones are very very clever, need a job where they are worked properly, and they absolutely love going out and about in the box to shows. they genuinely seem to enjoy being challenged and learning new things. they just light up when they go in a ring or at a starting box. they would absolutely HATE not getting out and about to shows. the warmblood also becomes extremely tricky and sharp to ride if he isn't worked solidly, till he is mentally tired, every day. even when one was being retired to an easier workload, my preference was for someone who would take him regularly to shows even at a very low level, because he just loves having, what in his head, is a 'job'.

They also might adapt to the hacking but I'd guarantee they'd start acting up out of boredom. a 'competition home' person would imply to me someone who gets regular training and would know how to do lateral work, flexions etc, to keep a sharp horse occupied.

 

[scats]

It might be that that particular owner has never really hacked it out or perhaps found it to be difficult to hack so think it would be better suited to someone who doesn’t have hacking high on their agenda.

Personally I’ve yet to find a horse that I haven’t successfully got to enjoy hacking alone. I’ve had ones who I’ve had to work hard in the school first and then take hacking, I’ve had ones I’ve had to enlist a foot soldier with for a while, ones I’ve sat calmly while they’ve reared, napped and plunged... but in the end they’ve all become useful hacking horses who I can tack up after a week off and take out. I’ve never found anything become bored of hacking, if you give them enough to look at and think about, take them on new routes, introduce them to road works, skips, trampolines in gardens etc I’ll pick a quiet residential street and shoulder in between driveways, leg yield around a parked car...

 

[HorseMaid]

I hate the notion that horses that only hack lead unchallenged, boring lives. Ours live out yes so they get the enrichment they need there. And they do mainly just hack, but we go out EVERYWHERE on them and they enjoy it - beach rides, Moor rides, fun rides, jumping big logs in the woods, they are excellent in traffic and trustworthy in most situations, all go out on their own or in company, never phazed by going to new places. They are fit and we do lots of fast, long rides, they could stand a days hunting, we just choose not to really. They've been to clinics etc and we do have the very odd lesson.

OP I'd do as a previous poster suggests and just say you plan to compete, it's up to you what you do with the horse once you've got it!

 

[shanti]

Thanks for the replies? That does all make sense and I definitely think I'm wording my interest wrong. I do dressage and ARC so the horse would be doing other things as well and would be ridden at least 5 days a week, it's just that I want to mainly trail ride as I have just moved to an area that is literally surrounded by beautiful forest's and woodland so want something that is up to doing miles of trails.
Any ideas how I could word it when I'm enquiring??

 

[oldie48]

tbh some of the people I know who describe themselves as "Happy hackers" have ridden all their lives but can't "actually" ride and wouldn't cope with a horse that has been trained to "use itself". Some horses that belong to HHs just bumble along with a passenger on top. I'd never describe myself as a happy hacker even if hacking was all I did.

 

[stangs]

Say you're looking for a horse to do a bit of everything with, or looking for an all rounder.

I wouldn't go into all the details about your land either, just say that you can offer 24/7 turnout in a mixed herd (or whatever you're offering). If they want more detail, they'll ask.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

You have access to trails through a forest and as that is where you do your straight-line/fittening work, the horse must hack alone and in company?

 

[milliepops]

You have access to trails through a forest and as that is where you do your straight-line/fittening work, the horse must hack alone and in company?

this is a good way to put it.
it would rule out the competition types like mine who are dreadful hackers and find the ones which are maybe just an owner-preference for a competition home.

 

[shanti]

That is perfect Meowy Catkin! Thank you ?

 

[eahotson]

I always think it takes some skill to ride a horse out in today's traffic.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

RE your stabling situation, I would just say that you keep them at your own property, so you can tailor the stabling/turnout/companions to suit the individual horse.

 

[FlyingCircus]

It's interesting how some people say their horses are too clever for a home where their brains are not kept busy. I think most horses I've met that have experienced engaging riding where they are challenged and kept interested would fall into this category. I don't know that any of them would enjoy going to a quieter/slower/less engaging life after experiencing it.

 

[Winters100]

Its an interesting one, because if I was selling I am not sure that I would want my good-doer to go to a home who wanted to only hack lightly a few times a week. I know how much movement he needs to keep his weight in check, and if we were doing that he would have to be permanently in a starvation paddock. That having been said my absolutely ideal home would be one with a competent and knowledgeable owner who wanted a fit horse, but who had little or no interest in competing. My reasoning is that I have seen many times how pros or those very invested in competing will bring a horse back from injury as quickly as possible to compete, or will use the horse in situations where I might err on the side of caution and give some days off. I have 2 very good horses and 1 angel of a schoolmistress, all are fit and ready to do anything at or above the level that suits my ability, but I compete very rarely, for me it is simply not the be all and end all. If I don't feel that one is right then s/he will not be used, and if that means missing a competition then fine - it is not the Olympics!

I wonder if the sellers are maybe getting the feeling that you will be using the horses too lightly? It is the only thing I can think of, as to me you sound like an ideal owner.

 

[splashgirl45]

if i read competition home only, i assume it is because the horse needs lots of varied work and may not settle to daily hacking and occasional low level competing..would therefore be too lively for me at my time of life, i would hack for a couple of hours daily but would like to plod some of the time just to enjoy the scenery and fresh air..

 

[shanti]

Thanks everyone. I can tell my wording is definitely giving seller's the wrong idea lol. I honestly had no clue I was giving that impression. Just to clarify, the ad's I responded to all said that the horse was great out hacking alone and in company, I wouldn't bother with any that stated hacking was not an option, and none said competition home only until I responded.

I wish my two weren't both retiring this year. Horse hunting is hard?

 

[The Irish Draft 2022]

Unfortunately People Judge happy hackers and look down at people who just ride for fun . They want there horses to do fancy things even though most horse aren’t suitable to be a be big competition horse.